First Manchester

[Nicholas]

RE: First Manchester

(22/09/2012 22:06)M60lad Wrote:  Some more news from First Manchester is that virtually all 81A's are now terminating either on Dale Street or Oldham Street and recommencing service on Church Street due to stand problems at the bottom of Oldham Street ie too many buses using the single stand at the bottom of Oldham Street

It should only be weekday peak journeys on the 81A between 4pm and 6pm that are starting on Church Street. At least this is what is timetabled. It used to be alternate 88s that started on Church Street, but this has been swapped around so that all 88s start on Oldham Street.

(22/09/2012 16:32)SF07 Wrote:  Also, interesting to see First increase the 180/184 to every 7/8 mins just after Stagecoach increased the 76 to every 10 mins.

With regards to the 180/184, what I am guessing is that there will be a slight reduction in the number of buses between Oldham and Manchester, with the 83 running every 7/8 minutes. That would mean a bus running every 3/4 minutes, alternating between the 83 and 180/184. I'm guessing the changes are not so much in retaliation to the increase in the 76, but due to competition from Metrolink. This will be more the case once the Metrolink line is fully opened, as the peak frequency is planned to be increased to every 6 minutes as far as Shaw.

(22/09/2012 16:14)SF07 Wrote:  

(22/09/2012 13:32)P528LND Wrote:  Can anyone give me information as to when the 149 route started and also some brief history of it until today?

I remember when I was a kid that the 149 was a Bee Line service (early-mid 90s) and that is used to run all the way to Heald Green, although I'm not sure what route it took south of Manchester. I think when the service was curtailed (which I think was pre-GMN), it was partly replaced by a 249.

The route south of Manchester followed the line of the former Beeline / Ribble 6 service, which ran between Manchester and Heald Green via Wilmslow Road, Parrs Wood Road, Wilmslow Road, Manchester Road , High Street (Cheadle), Gatley Road, Church Road, Park Road, Northenden Road, Springfield Road, Silverdale Road, St Ann's Road North, Finney Lane, Outwood Road, Cross Road, Bolshaw Road, Wilmslow Road (loops back round onto Outwood Road).

In August 1997, the 249 replaced the 149 except at breakfast time, evenings and Sundays (basically journeys terminating at Heald Green), continuing beyond Heald Green (serving Outwood Road both ways) via the 378 route pre-this month to Wilmslow Bank Square.