Route History

[Walton 46]

RE: Route History

(02/09/2019 09:42)Gillmoss 0324 Wrote:  Smart 2 began around February 1994 when GL received the Neoplan's 6402-13 and the 224's became integrated into this. It and I think Smart 3 were withdrawn approximately 6 months or so later when the Smart services had their first revisions.

Smart 2 shadowed the 1 and ran IIRC every 30 minutes between Liverpool City Centre and Wavertree Technology Park. Along with the 1's they provided a combined 15 minute frequency between the technology park and city centre. Not sure whether the 2's went beyond Albert/Kings Dock to Aigburth Vale like the 1's nor whether they ran on Saturday's (don't think they did) again 25 odd years ago so...

When the 2's got withdrawn the 1's Monday-Friday frequency got upped to every 20 minutes which I think stayed that way until Arriva commericalised the route in the early 2000's and it's a shame the 139 didn't survive as that route did provide some necessary links in those area's and beyond when it appeared in 2008. One idea could be routing the 8's/9's via Queens Drive, Thomas Drive, Cambpell Drive, Dovecot Avenue etc. to provide some of the lost links here?

One thing I've always wondered was the original intention for the 224's/Smart 1's to terminate at the Sainsbury's in Old Swan/Knotty Ash rather than use the pretty remote layby they did in Queens Drive? I say this as by the fence for the loop line near the petrol station in Sainsbury's is/was a lay by which used to have 'Bus Stop' painted on it so perhaps the original intention was to terminate the 1's there and run them via Queens Drive, Thomas Drive/Lane, Brookside Avenue and East Prescot Road to the Sainsbury's? Again I always wondered why they had that lay by there around the same time the 224/Smart 1 appeared?

Seems a world away now Smart and the Neoplan's but they were quite pioneering routes and vehicles too in fact weren't these the first low floor's in service in the UK?

I can recall seeing a photo on Flickr of a Smart 2 service showing the Albert Dock as it's destination