First Manchester

[Polo Mint]

RE: First Manchester

(02/07/2014 20:31)SF07 Wrote:  Traveline displaying timetables for end of July, which allows to see some of the changes taking place. The significant changes are in Oldham and Rochdale:

149 - Evening and Sunday service between Oldham and Manchester taken over by Stagecoach. Oldham-Alt section covered by re-routed 425.
425 - Evening and Sunday journeys re-routed via Alt, replacing service 149
451/452 - Withdrawn and partly replaced by services 58, 181, 182 and 462.
455 - Monday-Saturday daytime service replaced by service 456. Evening/Sunday journeys taken over by S&S Travel and Rosso
456 - Service extended to Stubley via Littleborough and increased to every half hour
462 - Re-routed in Milnrow via Kiln Lane, Hursted Road, Smith Hill, St James Street, Wellington Street and Albert Street, replacing services 451/452.
469 - Service re-numbered 468 and re-routed via Cutgate

An interesting attack on Stagecoach with the 425. I assume First care not happy about Stagecoach getting comfy by operating services in the Oldham area.

I do not understand the 455/456 changes, extended to Stubley? that would be a massive backtrack for people living there getting to Rochdale even though servive 458 operates directly. I assume it is for people getting into Littleborough

It is a shame First have thrown the towel in on the 469 journeys onwards from Jericho. Its a long standing route and they have allowed a council owned operator to push them off. They are now competing on route 468, but I think Rosso will fight back strongly against them, the First advantage of bypassing the hospital didn't work on route 469 so why would it change on this route? First should have increased the 469 frequency beyond Jericho years ago and launched route 468 before Rosso tried it a few years back, they would have easily taken on services 461/476 as they were back in the day.

I assume TFGM cancelled funding for services 451/452. It is a shame because people will now have to make a connection in Rochdale to connect Milnrow and Hollingworth, adding a huge amount of time on the journey. But so long as bankers can get to their cars nice and dry on routes 1, 2 and 3 then people in other parts of Greater Manchester will have to walk.