Weekly News Round Up 31/8/14

It has been a funny old week. Normally I save most things for the Sunday round up but most things that have occured this week I have deemed so important I have posted about them on the day, so not too much to report in this round up. However this gives me the opportunity to include things I have been meaning to over the last couple of weeks and forgotten.

Service Changes

Tomorrow being 1st September means the biggest annual service alterations of the year. But to be honest apart from a few timetable tinkerings there isn't too much of real consequence to report. The main changes come over at Anglian and Konect, with the transfer of the 53 to Konect from Anglian, together with the Optare Versas used on the route, and the closure of Rackheath depot. The 57 Town Service to Bishopsgate has been withdrawn, however Sanders have stepped in with a new 157 service. The 86 is being extended to JPH and linking up with the 60 to give a link to Beccles, and a few journeys on the 88 have been altered, including the 1600 from Norwich to Halesworth which I have caught for the last time. The 1555 departure to Bungay, which took a lot of school passengers, and went round the villages has been withdrawn, so those passengers will now cram onto the 1600, which will no longer go the direct route to Halesworth but round everywhere possible increasing journey time by 15 mins, and decreasing comfort by a considerable amount. That smacks of profit over passenger convenience and comfort, though Lord knows why that still surprises and disappoints me.

In Ipswich the 66 will no longer serve Halifax. I believe that is only a temporary move and may be (only my guesswork) because due to the refurb programme Ipswich are short of deckers so need to free a couple up which terminating the 66 at the Station again will do. First take over what was Ipswich Buses service 192 to Adastral Park in Martlesham with the route renamed X66 and H66. That really is about it, except the Sudbury Busway is now open. Yup first time I've heard of it too. Perhaps my friends at Beestons can help me with that one and let me know where and how long it is!

Class 68 at Lowestoft

It has been another heinous week on the railways (more tomorrow) of which absolutely none of it has been Greater Anglia's fault, despite an idiot MP saying they should lose their franchise over it. He obviously realised what an ass he had made of himself and tried to cover it up by defecting to UKIP two days later.

Anyway I digress. On Wednesday one of the new Class 68 locos went on a couple of training runs to Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Unfortuantely my X2was running too lare and I missed it by 3 mins, but Tim Miller was there and took the following pics and video of this extremely eyecatching new locomotive. Thanks, Tim for the time and trouble to send these in.

68009 sitting at Lowestoft

A rather smart looking cab

New Enviro 400

Been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks now. Alexander Dennis have launched the new E400, and my word it looks smart. Let's hope this one doesn't start rattling 5 mins after leaving the factory, but a friend who has driven it tells me there wasn't a rattle on her and she was a dream to drive. Hope for the future then! Can't wait to find one to try out.

The new E400. Mmmmm nice!!

And Finally

I was at Market |Gates on Thursday with Cameron from Yarmouth Bus Page and a convoy of buses approached that called out for capturing for posterity. Well not so much the first bus but the next two without a doubt. Ignore the cry of anguish from someone halfway through! Have a great week everyone.

Oh - while I think of it there had been speculation that withdrawn Olympian 34112 might be making a return. While Cameron and I were round the back of Caister Rd on Thursday we could see 34112 looking rather isolated and forlorn. When I remarked that I thought she was coming back on the road we heard a snort from the other side of the wall - "that's not going back on the road"!! Not worth holding our breath it seems!