From November the 61 will only operate between James Paget Hospital and Kessingland weekdays, and Lowestoft Bus Station and Kessingland Saturdays. 8 journeys in each direction will operate weekdays, with 2 journeys at lunch time only operating between Lowestoft bus Station and Kessingland. The last journey to Kessingland leaves JPH at 1616, and Lowestoft Bus Station at 1648. The last joourney from Kessingland departs at 1513. On Saturdays only 5 return journeys operate, with the first bus from Kessingland to Lowestoft at 0913, and the last bus back from Lowestoft at 1403, yes 1403.
It was only 3 years ago that Anglian had up to 8 buses an hour going through Great Yarmouth. Six were on the 61/7 which ran from Southwold to Norwich, one on the 81 from Diss, plus journeys to Hemsby on the 68. In a few weeks there will be nothing. What was once a great company serving communities all over Suffolk and Norfolk is now a smouldering pile of rubble. I've said before I don't blame local management as they are just puppets strung to the breathtaking incompetence coming from Go Ahead HQ. You have to feel sorry for the staff, drivers, and most of all the passengers who put their faith in Anglian only to see it dumped on from a great height.
What really sums it up is First are not celebrating. A contact told me "We haven't won - Anglian have self destructed". It's a sad day. Maybe it's now time Anglian was just put out of its misery.
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| In it's heyday. Two Anglian gas buses at Yarmouth - BHS also gone! |
My Goodness! Very sad to see Anglian be demolished, I knew this would happen as soon as Southwold was cut off the 61 and the gas buses went. Just imagine if it was still an independent and Go Ahead had bought someone else... Would be gas buses on most routes by then I reckon. Omnicitys gone totally with just Omnidekkas, Versas and EcoCitys.
ReplyDeleteVery Sad day, hope another independent gets to the stage Anglianbus was at the end of 2012, beginning of 2013. ):
Changes to the 60H/S from October are on the Anglianbus website
ReplyDeleteJust looked at the timetable for that and it's only one bus worth of work with a school journey in it also. Tendered from SCC surprised it hasn't gone to someone else, wouldn't be surprised if it did change over eventually.
DeletePerhaps a good example of the two-tiered arrangement of bus operators.
ReplyDeleteTier One . . . a plc with a good base in a conurbation which is free to trial ideas secure in the knowledge that the rest of the network will support the newbie whilst patronage grows (or doesn't). We've all seen this in countless towns and cities across England from all the big boys. These operations can support HR; IT networks which are essential in big firms with '000's of employees, but which actually bring no money in at all.
Tier Two . . . the smaller, often family-based business in less-profitable areas which can also make a fair living by being very close to their passenger-base, and also closely managing overheads; using consultants sparingly but wisely in re IT and HR, but not building huge support networks.
It's rare that these tiers step away from their specialities . . . . we can all instance small companies that have seen and joined the big time, only to fail because the low-overhead model can't survive in the big city. Similarly, the big boys can't comprehend that a smaller operation just doesn't need the huge overheads forced upon them.
I have to admit that I don't know Norfolk that well, but we have Norfolk Green, which was the "Ben Colson Bus Company", which survived and grew slowly each year, with attention to detail from the man. Stagecoach seem to be ticking along in North Norfolk, despite Lynx nibbling at the edges.
We also have Konect, which I suspect is surviving because its hinterland is better bus territory, and also because it has built up a good mix of commercial and contract services (and maybe it has been able to fight off the worst excesses of GoAhead overheads).
I must comment that I've never quite "got" Anglian from the original days - the gas buses seemed to be an unnecessary complication in a pretty rural network. The network seemed to be a trifle too complicated, with many suffix routes providing lots of links but nothing cohesive. I would also comment that the family seemed to sell out right at the top of the business cycle (presumably GoAhead offered a price that simply couldn't be refused?) . . . nothing wrong with that; that's a shrewd business move, but it did mean that the only way forward was down.
Again, I stress that I don't know the area well, only from outside with an occasional excursion into the County, but the future seems to herald the closure of Anglian and the transfer of the rump of operations into Konect. Maybe that should come sooner rather than later?
I'll be interested to see what Steve and the other local, informed, correspondents say . . . .
What I never understand is, everyone says "I wish anglian went back to the good days....I wish it wasn't bought out by Go Ahead...."
DeleteWell, when it was sold, it had previously made several years of large losses. Carrying on the way it was, wouldn't have stopped the demise.
People say that they shouldn't have pulled routes I.e in Ipswich etc...but these never made money.
What I remember most from Anglian in 2011 was a driver parked up outside Notre Dame High School reading a newspaper in the drivers seat smoking! I reported this 4 times, on 4 separate occasions with photo evidence, and they didn't seem to care. I even put it on their Facebook and all I got was hurled abuse from their drivers (anglian kept quiet). Good ol days..!
61 to Southwold was profitable. Look, it's even been claimed the UK's best Seaside Resort. I went on the 61 (or 601 as ìt was the first time) twice and it was packed.
DeletePacked with Senior passholders? If yes, then it was probably losing money on that trip - OAP reimbursement rates simply don't cover running costs . . . . I reckon that a packed bus needs at least 25% paying passengers, otherwise it's a loser.
DeleteSad, but true . . .
I mean anglian as a whole
DeleteYou're probably right about OAPs :(
DeleteMore Bus Cuts
ReplyDeleteThis time it is Haverhill with all the Saturday town services being axed from November