Excels Return

Following the network change that started on Sunday, two Excels have been noted back in service today with 224 on service 14 and 225 on service 1. Here 224 heads along Lord Street in Fleetwood

Trident changes

Trident 303 in its early Line 14 guise (Brian Turner)

Pioneer Dennis Trident 301 is currently receiving an advert for Heart FM Radio, replacing the Royal British Legion scheme applied last year.

Sister bus 303, withdrawn from service last month, has now returned to use as Driver Trainer 973. It is believed sister 304 will also be converted. 973 retains fleet livery.

303 was retired just short of its 13th birthday - ironically the previous 303s had similarly short lives. PD2 303 of 1957 was withdrawn (with sisters 301/2/4-10) in March 1970 a few months short of their 13th birthday. Atlanteans 301-310 of 1977 had short lives in Blackpool - 310 was burnt out in October 1986, 301-7 were stored in March/April 1989 - at less than 12 years old and 308/9 lasted a further year. In the 1970s and early 1980s many Blackpool buses had short lives, either due to Certification rules which required overhauls at 12/13 years or due to OMO conversion. The fast changing deregulated environment also saw the BTS fleet evolve with new minibuses and Deltas, plus seasonal operations allowing most of the early Atlanteans to be stood down. It was only the takeover of Fylde and its venerable fleet of Atlanteans that changed priorities and resulted in extended lives.

Service Change Update

Details of the Blackpool Transport service changes from 28 June have now been released. Details are summarised below and also in the BTS guide which includes maps of the new 12/13 and 15/16.

1 Starr Gate to Fleetwood

• Mon-Fri every 15 minutes 10 minutes 10 buses - reduces to 30 minutes from c1700
• Saturday/Sundays every 15 minutes 11 buses. - reduces to 30 minutes from c1700
• Evening service withdrawn after 2030 from Starr Gate, 2130 from Fleetwood
• Early morning service starts at 0706 from Starr Gate (545 presently) and 0821 from Fleetwood (0655 now) (0736/0858 resp Sundays)

2C Blackpool to Knott End

• Minor timetable change. Now interworks with 10/17 daytime (8 buses) and 12/13 evenings (4 buses)
• 2 withdrawn (replaced by 12/13)

3 Cleveleys Park to Mereside

• Minor timetable changes

4 Cleveleys to Meerside

• No changes

5 Hospital to Halfway House

• Minor timetable changes with additional bus on Sundays (4 v 3)

7 Cleveleys to Lytham

• Evening and Sunday retimed -extra bus on 7/11 on Sundays

9 Cleveleys to Blackpool

• Evening retimed 

10/17 Blackpool to St. Annes

• Mon-Saturday day - hourly each, 8 buses shared with 2C
• Sundays hourly 17 only (reduced from half hourly) - shared 4 buses with 2C

11 Grange Park to Lytham

• Evening and Sunday retimed -extra bus on 7/11 on Sundays

12/13 Northern Circular

• Mon-Sat Half hourly each way, 
• Sunday - hourly each way, 
• Every Evening hourly Poulton-Blackpool via Staining only
• Daytime 13 buses interwork between 13, 12, 16 and 15 in that order.
• Evening buses interwork with 2C and 12/13.
• Sunday daytime 3 buses 12/13 only

14 Fleetwood to Mereside

• Minor retiming

15/16 Southern Circular

• Daily Half hourly each way, 
• Evenings hourly Blackpool to Marton Mere via Zoo only
• M-S Daytime 13 buses interwork between 13, 12, 16 and 15 in that order.
• Evening 1 bus 15/16 only
• Sunday daytime 6 buses 15/16 only

20 Marton Mere to Blackpool - withdrawn.

News Round Up

Catch 22 Bristol RE 366 on service 21 at Blackpool Zoo

A fifth Blackpool Trident, 332, has been outshopped for Merlin Entertainments with 332 wrapped for Tower Circus. The entire 2006 batch, 328-332 are now so treated, 330-332 losing their names in the process.

Catch 22 Bus have operated three classic buses on their new Zoo service. RML887 launched the service last Tuesday and also ran on Wednesday while Thursday, Saturday and Sunday saw Bristol RE OCK366K in use. PD3 HFR529F was used on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Catch 22 Seasonal Services Start

Catch 22 Bus has started its seasonal services introducing route 12 on Monday and 21 on Tuesday. Route 12 operates Monday to Saturday from Pleasure Beach-Cleveleys using four buses on a 20 minute frequency. On Sundays it terminates at Cabin using 3 buses. On Monday Darts 316 and 319 plus Metrobus 69 were in use, while on Tuesday Dart 617 joined Monday's trio.

Route 21 started on Tuesday and operates from Tower (outside Sands) to Zoo via Hornby Road, Stanley Park and Model Village. One bus is used daily except Mondays and Fridays on a 40 minute frequency. The first morning journey starts at Cabin. Routemaster RML887 was used on day one and promotional material suggests a heritage bus will be used.