News Round Up

Blackpool Transport
Volvo B7/Plaxtons 527 and 530 have been repainted in fleet livery ahead of the Bus Driver of the Year Contest this weekend. The Centros are now approaching four years old but remain the newest vehicles for now. It is understood BTS will be purchasing some new single deckers next year - ending the longest new bus famine since the 1950s. Optare Excels will be replaced by the new buses - some withdrawals have already taken place with 211 stood down on 13 August joining 210/12/13 in store.

Oakwood Travel
Former China Motor Bus/Big Bus Tours Metrobus F326UJN has entered service on Seafront 12 from 5 September in an allover advert for Pleasure Beach Nickelodeon land. It joins F69SYE which entered service last year. (See Blackpool Tram Blog for pictures)

The Catch 22 service has been operating at a reduced half hourly Mon-Fri service with an hourly weekend service (supplemented to every 30 minutes Blackpool to Cleveleys on Saturdays) since July. This is understood to be a temporary timetable until the end of the summer season in November. Oakwood has also registered a service 6 from Blackpool Clifton Street to Grange Park from 3 November.

Stagecoach
Stagecoach Preston depot has recently taken delivery of four Enviro 300 single deckers (27113-6), 3 Enviro 200 Darts (37127-9) and two Solos (47922/3) which are intended for Preston area service but at least one Dart has already appeared in Blackpool on the 68

Preston Bus
Additional contract work has seen Preston Bus take over most services to/from Myrescough College (between St Michaels and Bilsborrow). This includes service 400 from Fleetwood via Cleveleys and Promenade to Blackpool then as former 851 via Poulton and A586 to St Michaels and Myrescough and service 853 from St. Annes via Lytham, Warton, Freckleton, Kirkham, A585, A586 to St Michaels and Myrescough. A Solo provides a shuttle service from Myrescough to Barton Grange during the day to connect with Stagecoach services 40/41.

Poulton Teanlowe
From Monday 25 August bus stops at Poulton Teanlowe Centre were relocated to the main road form the bus embayment to allow demolition work on the centre which is being rebuilt as a Booths shopping centre. A new permanent bus facility closer to the road will be constructed.