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The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too ~~~~ The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too ~~~~ The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too

Issue 278
(OBP-491)
Tuesday 19th November 2008
(next update week ending 29th November 2008)

Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002

Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the Editors' and in no way constitute
any official points of view from the bus companies mentioned, or indeed any other official body.
As a news page we reserve the right to make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.

If you wish to be included on a mailing list where I will advise of any mid-week news please let me know
malcolmhc@aol.com

Two local operators achieved success in the 2008 awards and we compliment both on their achievements.

The Bus in the Countryside Award sponsored by Coach and Bus Week

Route 20 (from Chipping Norton/Charlbury and Woodstock to Oxford) won the prestigious "Bus in the Countryside" award at the UK Bus Awards, held in London on 18th November.

The awards recognise a whole package of improvements, which Stagecoach has introduced following passenger consultation, including improvements to timetables and new easy access, low emission buses with free Wi-Fi.

Stagecoach worked in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council to introduce a range of improvements including upgraded bus stops and real time information displays providing details of when passengers' buses are due to arrive.

Martin Sutton, Managing Director, said: "This is a great result which reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff - it recognises the high level of customer service provided by the route's Chipping Norton based group of regular drivers."

"We have seen the amount of passengers on the route increase by nearly 10% in the past 12 months, and numbers continue to rise. This has allowed us to declare that along with the rest of the service the 20A between Charlbury and Woodstock can also now be run without subsidy, saving the County Council £52,000 a year and helping to secure its long term future."

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport Implementation, said: "I am delighted that the hard work by the partnership of the county council and Stagecoach has been nationally recognised in this manner. The increase in the number of passengers carried this year is clear evidence that the improvements and policies that were implemented have worked."

One of the new Scania N230UD double decks used on this service. Picture by Gareth Evans via Stagecoach.

The service will improve even further with double the number of buses between Woodstock and Oxford on Sundays from 30 November. There are more improvements planned for early next year.

The Volvo Bus Express Coach Operation of the Year

Oxford Bus Company's "the airline" continues to grow and to offer a high quality service at "turn up and go" frequency from seven departure points in Oxford direct to Gatwick or Heathrow Central Bus Station and now to Terminal 5.

With daily 24 hour coverage the airline is clearly a thriving business with excellent operating and commercial standards - enabling it to win this award for the second year in a row.

One of the cornerstones of success, which impressed the judges, is the attention to detail for every aspect of the airline’s operation. This even includes specific diversionary route training for drivers which, coupled with real time tracking, means that most services facing traffic problems are able to take alternative routes without undue delay to passengers heading for their planes.

Serving a very wide cross section of customers, and with an ongoing investment programme in fully accessible coaches that include free onboard WiFi, the airline undoubtedly continues to go from strength to strength.

Mr Philip Kirk, the Managing Director of the Oxford Bus Company, has kindly accepted an invitation to serve as President of the Omnibus Society for 2009.

Mr Kirk’s Presidential Address will be on Tuesday 27^th January at 18:45 at London Underground Headquarters, 55 Broadway (above St James’s Park station).

The Presidential Weekend will take place in Oxford on 4^th – 7^th September.

For details of membership of the Omnibus Society, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/

Eastbourne Buses sold to Stagecoach

Stagecoach, one of the UK's biggest bus operators, which also runs bus services in Hastings and Bexhill, is the new owner of the Birch Road firm. A deal was finally clinched on Thursday afternoon and employees at Eastbourne Buses were told on Friday. It is subject to contract and now needs to be approved by the Department of Transport. No further details, including the sale price and the future of routes, are being revealed by either side until the sale is finalised.

The sale has been imminent for some weeks after it was revealed the company was in dire financial straits and Eastbourne Borough Council, which owns 80 per cent, and the other shareholder Keolis, wanted to sell up. It is no secret that the company had run up significant losses in recent years, but remained solvent because its assets - primarily the Birch Road depot and workshops - covered its liabilities. It also faced regular criticism over the past two years following unpopular timetable changes, the axing of uneconomical routes and above inflation fare rises which the company said was due to spiralling fuel costs, competition from the Cavendish-Renown operator and difficulties in keeping to timetables because of traffic congestion on some routes.

When it was announced in the summer the firm was up for sale, two companies were in the running, Stagecoach and Go-Ahead, which operates services in Brighton and Hove.

In recent weeks top level talks have been held behind closed doors as negotiators tried to overcome obstacles which included the cost of protecting the pensions of Eastbourne Buses staff, which is likely to run to millions of pounds.

This week a spokesman for Stagecoach said, "We are pleased to confirm that Stagecoach has been named as preferred bidder for Eastbourne Buses Limited following a competitive bid process. "A final contract is subject to further negotiations, the completion of legal matters and approval by the Department for Transport and we look forward to meeting with employees in due course."

A spokesperson at Eastbourne Borough Council said, "The transfer of Eastbourne Buses to a significant transport operator has been the council's intention over the past few months and the decision follows a full competitive process to ensure best value for council tax payers."

Stagecoach is one of the UK's biggest bus operators, operating more than 7,000 buses in more than 100 towns and cities from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to the south-west of England.

Councillor Troy Tester, the deputy leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, said, "Our objective has been to secure the future sustainability of bus services in Eastbourne and get the best possible value for local council tax payers.
"This deal is our best chance of achieving both of these aims and we look forward to completing the transfer as quickly as possible."

Eastbourne Buses is the oldest municipal bus company in the world, dating back to 1903. It has a special place in the hearts of transport enthusiasts.

Stagecoach was not the popular choice of new owner amongst staff at Eastbourne Buses. Their branch of their union, Unite, wrote to councillors urging them to opt to accept the bid from Go Ahead which they viewed as a better employer with a better fleet.

The deal will reduce the number of surviving municipals to 13. Eastbourne was the second smallest, ahead of Islwyn Borough Transport, South Wales, which runs 45 buses.

Harold Atkins, Clerk to Bradwell Parish Council, Milton Keynes wrote telling us that Milton Keynes Council is publishing a new timetable effective 30 November 2008. The changes are nearly all to MK Metro services where there is a big increase in the number of suffix letters to route numbers. Several new Solos were arriving in the week, route branded for the 1 series (pale blue) and 7 (lime green). The details of the changes are:

Route 1 series – route colour pale blue – (the timetables are now printed in colour showing the route colours.)

1/1B/1C: Central Milton Keynes – Green Park – Newport Pagnell increases from half-hourly to a 20 minute daytime frequency over this section of the route. Together with revised route 2 (below) there will be a 10 minute frequency between CMK and Newport Pagnell (Market Hill)

1 is unchanged proceeding to Bedford via Olney two hourly, (1 is also used for short workings CMK – Newport Pagnell only, including hourly Sunday journeys operated by Red Rose.)

1C is a new CMK – Bedford service replacing the 24 between Newport Pagnell and Bedford via Astwood and Bromham, two hourly weekdays.

2 now operates every 20 minutes between Milton Keynes Central rail station and Newport Pagnell (Market Hill) via Willen and Poets Estate. This replaces old routes 2 and 9 between these points which had a combined frequency of 15 minutes, but with the 1 series gives a combined daytime frequency of 10 minutes between CMK and Newport.

2A is the rest of the existing 2 half-hourly CMK – Wolverton via Bradwell and Greenleys.

2E (operated by Z&S) continues as the evening and Sunday through service Wolverton – Newport Pagnell.

3E evening and Sunday service continues Wolverton – Westcroft (weekday evenings operated by 3 operators: MK Metro, Z&S and Red Rose! Sundays only by Z&S)

Key north – south services 4/4A/4E (red) and 5/5E (orange) are largely unchanged, except for a few extra buses on the evening 5E.

Route 7 series. I thought lime green route branding was going to take place last April, but now looks to be happening.

7 Wolverton – Stantonbury - CMK – Bletchley – then alternating Newton Longville / Fenny Stratford / Lakes Estate continues with a 20 minute weekday daytime frequency.

7A is the old 3 renumbered. Wolverton – Great Linford – CMK, but with all buses serving MK Central rail station.

The combined 7 and 7A give a 10 minute frequency Wolverton – New Bradwell – CMK.

Route 9 the northern section CMK - Newport Pagnell is being withdrawn and replaced by revised 2. The southern section still runs Bletchley – CMK half hourly.

12 Stony Stratford – Open University. The single weekday journey each way is withdrawn

14 CMK – Deanshanger – Wicken. Minor timing changes as this interworks with the new 7A (formerly 3)

15 / 16 Bletchley – Westcroft Centre are being synchronised to give an exact half-hourly frequency over the common section of route in Bletchley.

17A CMK – Cranfield via Moulsoe is reduced to one morning peak journey to Cranfield and one afternoon peak journey to CMK.

17B is a new service replacing route 24 (hourly daytimes) between CMK and Newport Pagnell via Great Linford, and the 1A between Newport Pagnell and Cranfield. The 17B is operated by MK Metro on Monday – Friday but Z&S International on Saturday. The 17 contract service CMK – Kingston – Moulsoe – Cranfield continues unchanged operated by Z&S.

21 CMK – Westcroft (operated under contract by Grant Palmer) minor route change to operate via Livesey Hill, Shenley Ledge.

24. CMK – Bedford. Withdrawn and replaced by 17B between CMK and Newport Pagnell and by 1C Newport – Bedford.

25 Newport Pagnell – Open University. The single weekday journey each way is withdrawn.

London Luton Airport Operations Limited (LLAOL) will shortly commence major enhancements to the Central Terminal Area (CTA). You may view details on the .pdf plan below which sets out the proposals in full, which include improvements to the bus set down area, the main terminal roundabout, drop off zone facilities and short term car park.

Once completed, the CTA improvements, in conjunction with the opening of the East Luton Corridor (currently scheduled for completion by the end of this year), will deliver a significant improvement to the passenger experience for both arriving and departing passengers, as well as improving functionality for the wider airport community.

Works will commence in early October and will be delivered in four discrete phases:

As you can appreciate, delivering a project of this size and complexity represents a major operational challenge. LLAOL will of course endeavour to minimise the operational impact during the course of these works, but it is likely that some localised congestion will be experienced during certain phases of the project.

In conjunction with the physical improvements, LLAOL will be implementing new procedures to ensure that the CTA operates safely, securely and efficiently. These protocols will be communicated via airport advice notices, and where necessary, the airport community will be involved in developing these new ways of working.

Throughout the project, LLAOL will provide regular updates to the airport community about progress. I am sure we can also rely on your support to ensure these works are effectively communicated to your customers, supply chain/visitors and employees, who will all need to allow additional time when coming to the airport.

There was a safety seminar at the Wycombe Swan Theatre for many of Bucks senior schools on 10th and 11th November. Many local companies were involved in bringing participants to this event as seen in the pictures below.

The week of the 10th November saw some stand changes for services using Gloucester Green coach Station in Oxford.

Resurfacing work took place on stands 9, 10 and 11 which meant that National Express services using these stand had to be found alternative stands whilst the work was in progress. The 737 operated from stand 2 for several days and one often saw odd usage as the work continued and coaches needed stands for loading or unloading.

National Express coaches surround a Tube and an X90 uses a Tube departure bay for its London service. Pictures by Gavin Francis

Malcolm Audsley writes regarding route 47 from Winchester to Southampton, well known to enthusiasts, especially those who attend the King Alfred event every New Year's Day, which has been renumbered and given a facelift. Ex Hants & Dorset 3378 (UFX858S) ia seen on its way to Winchester, crossing the M3, pursued by ex Solent Blue Line 37 (NDL637M) and SBL's new Scania OmniCity 1125 - part of a small road run staged on November 15th to mark the upcoming (early 2009) conversion of Bluestar 1 (still the 47 to most of us!) to Scania operation.

I am told that the days of the VRs are numbered with this operator and that they are being replaced by Olympians from the Isle of Wight.

Chris writes that he saw this entry on the Bucks Fire Service Public Incident Log. Our thoughts are for the family of the deceased.

Tuesday 4 November, 2.27pm: Fatal road traffic collision involving one car and one bus, Wycombe Road, Marlow Bottom. Two appliances and crews from High Wycombe (call signs HWY1 and HWY2), the Operational Support Unit based at Aylesbury Fire Station (call sign AYL6) and one from Cookham, Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service, attended along with Station Manager Gary Small. Fire fighters released one man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Terry Wong Min sent this picture of an Original Tour Olympian on rail replacement this month and in the second picture a Countryliner vehicle.

I saw this coach mentioned in Route One where it was said that this is the first coach for day tour work with Pulham's.
This operator is often seen in and around Oxford and on the M40. M Crowe.