Survivors Update

Tridents

307-309 have passed from Coach Travel Solutions to Davies, Ruithin (dlr) probably for scrap

334 and 337 have passed from Stockdale Selby, to Sweyne Goole - joining ex Blackpool 322 and 325

345 is now with Linburg Travel ex Lodges in white.

DAF

Dekkabus sold 354 (now Y346HAA) to Xelabus who are believed to have sold it on to an unknown owner.

371/2 passed from Coach Solutions, Blackburn to Andybus, Easton Grey and since have moved to Cotswold Green, Nailsworth

B7RLEs

523 has passed from Paul Winson to Greaves, Nottingham reverting to its original registration. Sister 524 has moved to Redline Penwortham as YIL6984

Autumn Round up

 Blackpool Transport

From Sunday 18th December BTS withdrew service 20 and reduced the 1 to run from Affinity Fleetwood to Blackpool Tower. The 20 is replaced by a new LCC contract numbered 72 from Staining to Blackpool via Hospital and Layton operated by Transport North West every hour. Other than a brief spell in 1995/6 when Town Bus and the Fylde ran the 15, Blackpool Transport has provided the Staining to Blackpool link since 1927. 

An earlier change was the 74 which has been extended to serve Rossall Point via Affinity and Fleetwood Esplanade. A new 74/75 timetable has increased PVR from 7 to 8.

Enviro 428 has recently been adorned with stickers as a ‘festive’ bus.

Coastliner Buses becomes Transpora North West

Earlier this year the Transpora group which includes operations in Bristol, Hampshire, Manchester and London. It has now started to trade as Transpora North West and has introduced a fleet numbering system. The fleet list on this page is being updated to reflect this.

Recent fleet additions include:

• YT09ZCJ - ex RATP London Scania Omnicity (2902)
• YR59FYW - ex RATP London Scania (2903)
• BX56XBY - at National Express West Midlands B7RLE (1301)
• YX68URG - ex Powells, Rotherham Enviro 200MMC (1298)
• YW68PDV - ex Stuarts, Carluke Enviro 200MMC (1296)

Stagecoach

From 28 November, with Lancashire County Council Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, Stagecoach reintroduced evening buses on the 42 to Lancaster. 

Electroliner trial

 

With plans to renew the Blackpool Transport fleet with electric buses, they entertained a trial of Wrightbus’s Streetdeck Electroliner last week. It ran on the 1 as a dupe to the 935 and 1335 trips with a conductor taking fares and collecting feedback. Many thanks to Paul Wigan for the photo.

In other news it is understood Enviro 400s 403-10 have been withdrawn and sold to Vision Bus of Bolton. 

Service Changes

 Blackpool Transport

As is common at this time of year, 12 June sees some timetable changes for Blackpool Transport's buses. 

1 - extra bus added to cycle at weekends- no change to frequency but new night journeys 2330 and 0130 from Starr Gate to Fleetwood and 0030 and 0230 from Fleetwood - the latter to Manchester Square only. This is slightly curious given the lack of evening service.

2 - 0730 from Blackpool, 800 and 1500 from Poulton will run year round rather than just school terms. The service remains hourly other than these weekday extras. 

6 - a second journey runs to Peel Park. A 5th bus added to cycle to extend running times. Still only every 30 minutes

5, 7, 9, 11 and 14 are retimed.

All services are retaining their current frequencies and the daytime PVR will be 69 buses with some peak extras. Not previously reported is Blackpool operating the 400 (Fleetwood-Blackpool-Poulton-Myrescough College) and 853 (St. Annes-Lytham-Kirkham-Myrescough College) buses on behalf of Preston Bus.

76 and 78

Coastal Coaches has recently lost the contract to operate these buses (on behalf of LCC) to Preston Bus. Minor changes have been made, notably a Sunday service on the 78 and some later evening trips to Lytham. The 78 now serves Derby Road in Wesham too. The 76 runs Blackpool-Poulton-Weeton-Kirkham-Wrea Green-Warton-Lytham- St. Annes and the 78 Great Eccleston-Wesham-Kirkham-Warton-Lytham-Ansdell-Heyhouses-St. Annes. Both interwork at St. Annes and use six buses with 2018/2019 Mellor Stratas in use.

Preston Bus use a two tone blue livery, replacing Coastal's blue and white buses. With the 78 evolving from a former Fylde service it is ironic that its current and previous operators are using similar liveries to Fylde's 80s and 90's schemes.

Coastal is still operating three LCC schools - two of which use coaches and one 813 (Hambleton to Garstang High) uses one of the two Stratas.

Jubilee buses

Blackpool Transport has outshopped two of its Enviro 400s in a commemorative livery for the Queens Platinum jubilee. 422/3 have both had some purple vinyls over most of the yellow bits on their liveries and suitable messaging in the advert panels. 423 entered service yesterday and was capture on camera by Mike Wilson:

ZEBRA bid succesful

Blackpool Council’s bid for 115 electric buses for its wholly owned operator Blackpool Transport is one of 12 Zero Emission Bus Regional Area projects announced this morning. It is understood 57 double deckers (like for like replacements for the E400s) and 58 single deckers replacing the 48 E200s and ten Citaros) are to be purchased 2022-2024. Significant work is also expected to make Rigby Road depot suitable for electric buses including a refurbished and extended east shed, demolition of the body, paint and tram fitting shops. By 2025 it is also possible that the bus depot will be demolished in favour of hard standing as most facilities will be accommodated in the East Shed.