The Return of the 9A

After 18 years, the 9 rejoined the Blackpool network in July 2010. Here 377 approaches Corporation Street terminus on the first day. In 2016 - just as 377 approaches retirement, the 9A varient returned

Sunday 10th July saw the return of the 9A number - a historic sub route of route 9. The 9 has origins in the 1920s, but the original service was replaced in 1959. A new 9 was created straight away and evolved into the developing Ingthorpe area until this ceased in 1992. The current 9 started in 2010. The 9A was a short working of the original 9 from October 1936. Its final variant ended in April 1988.

The 1920 to 1959 Version

In June 1920 William Smith Motor Services introduced a bus service from Layton Cemetery Tram Terminus via Bispham Road to Bispham Village. It wasn't particularly frequent - in 1922 a two hourly service was advertised - but in 1923 it was extended via the tram route along Talbot Road to Talbot Mews - the predecessor to Talbot Road Bus Station.

The route was later extended to Carr Road via All Hallows Road. The Corporation took over in 1926 and briefly merged the service with the Adelaide Place to Layton service (via Caunce Street) and extended the route to Norbreck. This took service number 9 but was quickly cut back to run from Talbot Mews to Carr Road. In 1927 a short extension along Fleetwood Road took the 9 to Mossom Lane and then in 1930 it was extended to Cleveleys Beach via Fleetwood Road, Bispham Road and Victoria Road. Two buses provided a half hourly service. From 1934 double deckers were used. 

PD3 507 in 1930s livery heads along Devonshire Road while operating service 22 over the section which replaced route 9 in 1959.

1937 saw a controversial summer extension to Fleetwood which provoked legal challenge from Ribble. Blackpool ran via Rossall Road, Broadway, Queens Hotel, Poulton Road and Lord St to Queens Terrace every 20 minutes with the year round service to Cleveleys now showing service 9A. In 1938 the route was split with the Fleetwood workings (9) serving Bispham Village and the Cleveleys workings (9A) serving Devonshire Road. In Winter the Bispham Village workings showed 9B and terminated at Cleveleys! The Fleetwood extension was suspended for the war, but never resumed, leaving the 9A/9B as year round services. A combined 15 minute service was provided form 1939, dropping to 20 minutes in 1942 due to war time economies - this needed 3 buses. 1951 saw a diversion in Anchorsholme via Valeway Avenue, North Drive and Anchorsholme Lane and the service frequency  grew to a combined 10 minutes with six buses allocated.

October 1959 saw a major network recast in the North of the town. Route 22  (Halfway House to Bispham) absorbed the Bispham to Cleveleys sections of the 9A and 9B (the latter as 22A) - this route had duplicated the 9A/B form Blackpool to Bispham and this rationalisation seemed sensible. However at peak times a higher frequency was desired so a 10 minute shuttle service from North Station to Bispham Clinic was provided - showing number 9 operating from 7am to 9am and 12noon to 7pm using 3 buses.  By summer 1960 the 9 was running all day but in October it was revised once again into the 9A and 9B!

The new 9A provided a daily 20 minute service from North Station to Ingthorpe Estate (Ashfield Road near Briarwood Drive) running from Bispham Clinic via Ingthorpe Avenue and Ashfield Road. It was supplemented by the 9B at peak times (same hours as the 9 in 1959) which ran along Devonshire Road to Russell Avenue - it was later extended to Norbreck.

In 1963 the routes were rationalised into a single service 9 again - prior to reaching Bispham the buses diverting at Moor Park via Bristol Avenue onto Ashfield Road, then as the inbound 9A route along Ingthorpe Avenue to Bispham then the 9B route via Devonshire Road, Guildford Road, Norbreck Road, Fleetwood Road to terminate near the borough boundary at Anchorsholme Lane junction. The 9 now ran into the Bus Station, rather than from the Railway Station across the road. 3 buses allowed a 20 minute frequency to be provided. The development of the Ingthorpe estates saw frequent changes. Route 8 via Dickson Road and Warbreck Drive took over the Norbreck section in summer 1965 and the 9 terminated at Bispham Village with only 2 buses now needed. By the Autumn, the 9 had been diverted away from Bispham Village and carried on along Ashfield Road to Fairfax Avenue.

In 1970 the route was converted to one man operation using AEC Swifts and was extended to the College of Technology further along the developing Ashfield Road. The extra running time saw a 24 minute service provided to retain the requirement for two buses. 1973 saw the completion of Ashfield Road and the 9 now served the Sevenoakes Estate -terminating on estate roads at Grassington Place - a third Swift was allocated to allow a 20 minute frequency to be provided.  Meanwhile route 7C (Blackpool to Anchorsholme via Warbreck Drive and Bispham) had been diverted through Ingthorpe Estate and was extended to Cleveleys in 1967.



1975 saw the 7C and 9 rationalised with the 7C terminating at "Whiteholme" - once known as "Haddle House Estate", but really Anchorsholme and only just round the corner from Sevenoakes - the terminus being the junction of Anchorsholme Lane and Luton Road. From 1982 this became route 8 and Fylde took it over at deregulation. Route 9 was now extended from Grassington Place to Cleveleys and once again split into the 9A and 9B! The 9A which ran daily used Sevenoakes Drive and Anchorsholme Lane in full, the 9B (weekdays only) used Warren Drive, North Drive, Luton Road and Anchorsholme Lane. Both ran every 40 minutes and four vehicles were now required.

Atlantean 324 in the customary pose at Cleveleys Bus Station during the period when buses faced outwards - OK for PD3s with their rear door but a somewhat less user friendly when Atlanteans appeared.

Atlanteans took over most workings from 1977 and in 1982 the route was simplified with all journeys running via Sevenoakes Drive. Route 9 was reintroduced, the 9B dropped but the 9A was now used to signify journeys that ran via North Drive and Victoria Road instead of the full length of Anchorsholme Lane. Number 9 was now in use as a regular timetable for the first time since 1960. 

1987 and the 9 had returned to crew operation - though usually still with Atlanteans such as 307 (Donald MacRae see his Victory Guy photo albums for more from his collection)

At deregulation this pattern continued - 4 Atlanteans provided the daytime service with a combined 20 minute headway. In the evening a half hourly service was provided - interworked with the 22/22A at Cleveleys whilst on Sundays a 40 minute frequency ran. Amazingly, though, in January 1987 crew operation was reinstated after 17 years! The running time was cut from 31 to 26 minutes allowing a 15 minute service to be provided. PD3s and occasionally Routemasters joined the established Atlanteans on the route.


Fylde Renault 125 loads in Cleveleys Bus Station on competing service 66A which largely followed the 9 to Blackpool but did penetrate some of the local housing areas en route (Dave Hatcher)

 Fylde was starting to stretch its muscles having won the tender for route 8 to Whiteholme and soon extended it to Cleveleys and double the frequency to every 30 minutes. By 1988 it was running through to Lytham. Also in November 1987 Fylde started a minibus route (66) along the 9 route to Sevenoakes, but diverting down many of the estate roads. In April this was extended to Cleveleys giving Fylde six buses per hour from Ashfield Road to Cleveleys compared to Blackpool's four! Blackpool introduced the 9C (Bus Station to College at peak times and lunch times) as part response.

City Pacers ruled the roost on route 9 from August 1988 to its merger with the 12 in March 1992. Here 551 heads to Corporation Street - terminus for the route in 1989 (Dave Hatcher)

Not one to take the attack lying down, Blackpool converted the 9 to Handybus minibus operation from August 1988 and standardised the route omitting Moor Park Avenue (using Bispham Road and Bristol Road) and Victoria Road West (all buses ran via Anchorsholme Lane). 8 City Pacers provided a 7/8 minute service during the day and a 15 minute service at night with all departures extended to Corporation St in Blackpool Town Centre. The 22A was also diverted via Ashfield Road between Bispham and Cleveleys to reinforce the 9s.


Delta 115 awaits time on route 12, which had replaced the 9 in March 1992 (Dave Hatcher)

In 1990 the Corporation St section was withdrawn and in March 1992 the 9 was replaced by an extended 12 using Optare Delta single deckers on a 15 minute St. Annes to Cleveleys service. Fylde cut its minibus service to half hourly in April but extended route 11A to Cleveleys via the 12 route. When the two companies merged in 1994 the 12 was cut to half hourly - the 11/11A/12 making a combined 10 minute service between St. Annes and Cleveleys, albeit two per hour serving Warbreck Drive as service 11 - all three routes used double deckers again. The 22/22A continued every 15 minutes too. Briefly in 1998/9 the 12 was extended to Fleetwood once per hour - shades of the 9 in the 1930s. The service switched back to single deckers again in 1999 

Line 11 was a haunt of Deltas for all its nine year life under the Metro banner

The Metro network change in April 2001 saw the 11, 11A, 12 and parts of the 22/22A merged into a single service "Line 11" from Lytham to Cleveleys. This ran via Talbot Road, Layton, Benson Road, Bispham Road to Bispham Library, then Ingthorpe Avenue, Ashfield Road, Sevenoakes Drive, Anchorsholme Lane, North Drive and Victoria Road West to Cleveleys. Today it is operated a mix of Deltas and low floor Tridetns with help from Olympians and the odd Excel and Solo with a bus every 7/8 minutes. Line 3 replaced the 11 route via Warbreck Drive and the ex Fylde minibus route (by then the 33), while Line 7 replaced the 22/22A north of Bispham. Line 11 continued largely unchanged on its northern end - other than the odd tweak of the running time and evening/Sunday frequency change until the post Metro network change of July 2010.

26 July 2010 saw the 11 split with the Blackpool to Cleveleys section replaced by new service 9 which operated every 10 minutes on weekday days, every 20 on Sunday days and every 30 each evening using 9 buses (3 evenings, 4 Sundays). It initially started from Corporation Street but the Town Centre terminus moved to Clifton Street on 30 August. Since then it has received minor timetable changes with a reduction of the Sunday evening service to hourly in May 2011 and a reduced evening running time of 29 minutes from June. 

Minor timetable changes have taken place, but April 2016 saw an extension every 30 minutes all day, daily from Blackpool to Victoria Hospital via Newton Drive needing 10 buses. This was further revised in July 2016 with a half hourly daytime and hourly evening/Sunday diversion from Plymouth Road via St Walburgas Road, Hospital and Newton Drive to Blackpool Centre. The PVR returned to 9 buses and the Hospital workings became service 9A.

For most of its renaissance, low floor double deckers have been the norm, with some Olympian operation and occasional single deck operation at weekends. For a while in 2015/6 Solos worked the evening duties. Paladium single deckers took over Sunday workings in late 2015 and evening workings from April 2016 (taking over at Victoria Hospital). New Enviro 400s will take over all Monday to Saturday workings from July 2016, with Citaro single deckers on Sundays.



First day of new route 9 saw 310 in service

From Zoo Bus to Coastliner

Back in service after roof damage repairs, 529 lays over on meal break on Victoria Road, Cleveleys (Paul Turner)

Monday 18 July sees a significant change to Catch 22 Bus service 21 which will no longer serve the Zoo. Introduced in 2015 as a Tower-Zoo service using the traditional number 21 this morphed into a two legged Cleveleys-Pleasure Beach and Cleveleys to Zoo service for 2016 season, replacing Seafront 12 which had operated since 2012.

The traditional 21 alignment is dropped in favour of a refocus back to the Promenade, with the newly branded 'Coastliner 21' runnig every 20 minutes Cleveleys to St. Annes Monday to Saturday and Cabin to St. Annes on Sundays. As present there is a reduced service earlier afternoon for crew breaks.

Regular classic bus operation is to continue on some workings. The vintage fleet has recently been boosted by the return of two former Blackpool classics. PD3 529 has returned to use after repairs to a smashed dome sustained on a private hire and Routemaster 521 has also returned to use after an engine transplant undertaken at Lathalmond, near Dunfermerline. Happily another AEC unit has been used, rather than the modern Cummins option. 

Atlantean 334 starting its driver meal break at Victoria Square (Paul Turner)

Coastliner branding is not new on the Promenade service - in 1990 Fylde used this distinctive scheme for the first year of its Promenade Service 1 - this later became 'Roller Coaster Route 1' and is the direct ancestor of the current year round BTS service 1.  This is ex Hull 134 in the depot yard (Brian Turner)

BTS Bus Driver of the Year

Today Blackpool Transport held its Bus Driver of the Year  competition to select its contender for the National competition held in the resort in September. The event took place on Tower Headland using new ADL400 City 401 accompanied by a display of contrasting modern and heritage buses. Here 2015 Citaro 554 contrasts with the original 554 - a 1970 AEC Swift with Marshall body (photo Gary Conn)

The classic 554 is shown off to full effect with open top Olympian 857 in the background. 554 ran from May 1970 to 1982 and was then preserved, passing onto its current owners in 2013. A full repaint took place in 2015 and the bus is now happily back in active use and well cared for. It carries the 1970s rich cream livery, garnished with a front crest as unusually carried by sister 550 (Gary Conn)

The iconic Blackpool PD3 with equally significant Tower behind. 501 dates from 1967 and ran from 1985 and has been in preservation since. Restored in Glasgow in 2008 it is now based on the Fylde and has spent time on loan to BTS for private hires (Gary Conn)

Trident 302 operates Promenade service 1, terminating at Pleasure Beach (Burlington Road West) due to the closure of New South Promenade for a cycle event (Gary Conn)

New Adverts

Trident 331 has returned to use in a new all-over advert for Blackpool and the Fylde College, while ex Isle of Man DAF 361 now has a rear end advert for Blackpool Transport's Love Your Bus campaign.

The 10 new ADL Enviro 400 Cities have now arrived and are to be numbered 401-410. 401 is SN16OVA and the rest are registered SN16OVB/C/D/F/G/H/J/K/L.

Cleaner Tridents

The Eagle eyed will have noticed many of the new to Blackpool Dennis Tridents now have additional ventilation grills on their engine cover and also an adblue filler on the offside. 24 buses (306-317 and 319, 322-332) have been modified with new exhaust treatment to reduce emissions complemented by an Avid Mirco Hybrid fan system replacing the existing cooling system

New Deckers Delivered

The first of the Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 City double deckers has now arrived with SN16OVC noted on delivery on Thursday 23rd and SN16OVB and OVD on Friday 24th. Here OVB leads OVD from Alexander Dennis in Falkirk (Gordon Scott)

SN16OVD shows off its stylish lines. SN16OVG has also been observed on test in Falkirk. (Gordon Scott)

SN16OVG shows off its rear profile. (Gordon Scott)

Blackpool Transport News Update

Minor service changes are due from Sunday 10 July. The most significant affects route 9 with the Hospital extension replaced by a diversion at Crossley's Bridge via St. Walburgas Road to the Hospital then as present via Newton Drive to Town Centre. These journeys will show 9A and run every 30 minutes daytime and hourly evenings and Sundays.

Other minor changes include extra early morning journeys on 7, 11 and 14 and a minor retiming of the 2C. These include an 0455 Fleetwood to Mereside 14, an 0453 and 0538 Lytham to Grange Park 11 and 7s at 0514 and 0544 from Cleveleys

Fleetwise the fourth refurbished Centro, 530, returned on Tuesday and entered service on Saturday 18th June, sister 533 has gone away in its place. 331 is now in the paint shop losing its Tower Dungeon advert.

The new Enviro 400 City double deckers for the 9 and 9A are in progress at the manufacturers, with occasional progress pictures appearing on the BTS Facebook and Twitter pages. A few examples are here:

• Chassis
• Bodywork
• Under repaint
• Upper Deck

By contast, the final Atlantean 364 is nearing the completion of a repaint into its original livery ahead of a return to use as part of the heritage operation. Privaetly owned PD3 501 continues to make occasional uses alongside BTS Olympian 857 on private hires, especially for weddings.

Route 20 returns

Saturday was the first day of the reintroduced service 20 from Tower to Marton Mere via Stanley Park and Zoo. 328 was one of three double deckers used and is seen on this dull wet afternoon at Park Gates stop, while Solo 245 passes on the South Circular. Curiously the 20 has been timed close to the 15 and 16. with its departures from the Zoo to town at 03/33 - four minutes ahead of the 16, while both the 15 and 20 pass Stanley Park at 11/41 having left Town at 00/30 (albeit different termini). This is somewhat odd as a 15 minute service could easily have been achieved. (Paul Turner)

Veterans in Camera

Optare Excel 220 heads through Layton to Grange Park with Layton Cemetery behind 7 June 2016 (all Paul Turner)

Olympian 377 awaiting rescue having failed at the traffic lights adjacent to Victoria Hospital on 7 June 2016

Olympian 377  with bonnet raised as clue to approaching traffic that its not going anywhere fast! 

Unusual Workings

Impending demise tends to lead to a last stand. Volvo Olympian 374 duly worked a full day on routes 10/17 (Poulton to St. Annes) on Thursday 2nd June.

A couple of Citaros have escaped from their usual home on the 5 and 9 - with one (believed 552) seen on the 7 recently and 555 working route 11 on Tuesday last week. 

Update: Monday 6th saw Citaro 552 working the 0900 2C from Knott End to Blackpool.

Fleet Investment

At a meeting on 23 May Blackpool Council approved a loan of £7.74mn to Blackpool Transport to accelerate fleet upgrades. This will fund the 10 new double deckers due imminently and 25 further buses for 2017. Due to the paucity of new buses in the Roberts era - with investment focused on ex Isle of Man Tridents and DAFs - the age profile of the fleet is heavily skewed as the pie chart shows with 58% of buses aged 13 or older. BTS intends to replace 110 of its 138 buses over the next five years - a rate of investment un-achieved since Walter Luff invested in 100 new buses over two years in 1949/50.

As a correction to an earlier post about the demonstrator Citaro - this is here to test a different specification with a view to modification of the existing ten. Non are currently away for warranty work.

RVPT Morecambe Running Day

Sunday 29 May will see the annual Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust Morecambe running day. Examples of its Ribble collection will be in service - many of which have connections to the Fylde. They will be supplemented by various Lancashire Municipal buses.

Lytham Lion 24 and PD2 10 will be on display, while Preston Panther 204, Blackpool PD3 512, Burnley and Pendle Leopard 34 and Barrow PD2 169 should be in service.

Ribble buses include Titan 2057, PD3 1775, RE 338, National 2 831 - which were all Fylde Coast based, plus Atlanteans 1397 and 1481 and Stagecoach era Olympian 2186. Fishwick 5 will complete a roster of 12 vehicles.

A half hourly Heysham to Carnforth service will run with extra to make a 15 minute Morecambe to Carnforth frequency. Buses will start/finish at the Winter Gardens, Morecambe. In addition a local 'Bare Circular' will operate also from Winter Gardens.

The Saturday before will see an open day at Stagecoach's Morecambe depot on White Lund estate. Vintage buses will operate on local shuttle services to/from the depot.

On hire on the 5

Two visiting buses are currently in use on service 5. BP14FJZ is a Mercedes Citaro, believed on loan from Evobus, the Mercedes dealer to cover for warranty repairs on 550-559. Also in use is a second Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Demonstrator YX65RKK which follows YK65RLO which operated here earlier in the year. 

Route 20 returns

Blackpool Transport service 20 resumes on 11 June - almost a year after it was replaced by southern circulars 15/16. The new route will run from Adelaide Street via Hornby Road, Mere Road, Stanley Park, West Park Drive, East Park Drive, Woodside Drive to Zoo then back via East Park Drive, South Park Drive, Preston New Road and Mythop Road to Marton Mere. A half hourly service is provided daily using 3 buses:

• From Marton Mere 0915 to 1115 and 1515 to 1745
• From Adelaide Street 0930 to 1130 and 1430 to 1830
• Weekends 11 June to 6 November
• Daily 23 July-4 September and 22 October to 6 November

Fleet wise, Excel 224 is back in store - its not known when it last operated. 216, 219, 220 and 225 remain in use

The third refurbished Centro, 531, has returned from Bus and Coach World with 530 replacing it for refurbishment. Not previously reported is the repaint of Trident 327 - observed with new fleetnames in March.

Catch 22 changes

Catch 22 bus changes in services from tomorrow, 16 May. On the downsize, service 22 loses its Mereside to Blackpool section as resources are transfered to enhance the recently launched Wyre services. This includes an hourly extension of the Sunday 22 to Fleetwood and some earlier morning journeys.

A new service 23 is launched between Cleveleys and Pheasants Wood every 40 minutes Monday to Friday (0920-1720 except 1240) and hourly on Saturdays (0920, 1000 to 1700) when it interworks with the 24.

Route 24 is retimed with an extension on Monday to Friday to Hardhorn running from Poulton Booths via Hardhorn Road, Highcross Road, Longhouse Lane, Hardhorn Road, Beach Drive, Carr Head Road, Lower Green, Station Road, Vicarage Lane and Ball Street to Poulton Church. This starts with the 0920 from Cleveleys. 3 buses are required. The Saturday and Sunday services are unchanged, but on Saturdays they interwork with new service 23.

The all-over turquoise livery applied to Darts 366 and 369 has also now been applied to short dart 657 - and is believed to be the new standard. Dart 363 has also entered service with an all-over advert for Freeport. 

Three more single deckers have been acquired recently - this time from First , W812/3PFB are ex Bristol Volvo B6BLE/Wrights and X475SCY ex Devon and Cornwall is an Alexander bodied Dart.