We start in Ipswich where there are now 4 B7rle's running around in the new livery unique to Ipswich. 66850 and 69009 have joined 69008 and 66981 in sporting that rather dubious dark grey-green front. Also expected this week was the eagerly awaited ALX400 32479 which is coming back in the Eastern Counties post box red livery. However there have been a few delays and it will still be sometime before she returns. But we were given a preview on Twitter yesterday and I can't wait to see the real thing.
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| 32479 awaiting final touches at First Rotherham. Pic from Twitter reproduced on CCL |
Still in Ipswich and Ipswich Buses announced on Twitter this morning that they have repainted one of their Solos into the new livery. Not sure I like it on them as much as the bigger buses but it will grow on me.
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| Ipswich Buses 243 in new livery. Pic from Twitter |
It's the last week of the X1 as we know it. This time next week the Norwich Wall will be in place and there will be no through services for at least 18 months. Let chaos and inconvenience reign. So the last chance to snap those long distance destinations at Lowestoft and Yarmouth.
Borderbus's long awaited 146 starts on Thursday. I'm out of the region most of the week but am hoping to incorporate a sample into my return journey on Friday. I am also hoping to get on a fleet of gas buses up North for a review next weekend, as well as more Megabus pics and with any luck the new Oxford Tube fleet plus more. Keep checking in.
On the trains Greater Anglia have still had many problems this week. The system is crumbling, and the main fiasco this week was on Friday evening when all Liverpool St - Shenfield Metro services were suspended because numerous trains had suffered pantograph damage. Yesterday and still today lightning damage at Brundall meant a very limited service to Lowestoft and Yarmouth - on a Summer Saturday too! And of course there have been speed restrictions because it has dared be Summer. Our rails don't suffer the extremes of temperature countries like Poland or Canada do, yet they freeze in winter and melt in Summer. Simple question - why???? How do Indian rails cope with the heat?
On a fleet note you may remember that a few weeks ago I went to |Dereham to take pics of stricken loco 90010 before she was taken by low loader to Crewe for repair. Well she came back this week, repainted into GA livery. No pic yet but will do my best at some point.
That's it for this week, and I'll leave you with a pic completely unrelated to transport, but I like it so I'm posting it! I took this last night from my patio a couple of hours before the storms came. Enjoy your week everyone,
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| Sunset over East Suffolk last night. |
Enjoy the break! Dunno, hasn't rail (like roads) always had weather issues: the glorious unpredictability of the British weather, unless most countries? And we're less resilient than our forebears, perhaps? And less inclined to spend (well, on anything other than ourselves)? Does anyone understand the logic of Nat Rail's bonuses, though? I'd have thought "performance" is down to the guys on the track? But I suppose the bosses reward themselves for diverting the flack away from the politicians which is what seems to matter! And Herts seem to be jumping on he bandwagon in proposing to cut all their subsidies to evening and weekend buses. You need these holidays, you've got your work cut out Steve. Essex probably lining up in the queue!
ReplyDeleteI am considering embarking on a campaign to highlight just how many people are virtual prisoners evenings and weekends. "Release the Sunday Prisoners" or something like that. I didn't mention that two new Sunday services started in Ipswich today and Firstv are letting people get on free for the first two weeks of operation. Sadly one of them is inconsequencial as it benefits very few people and the other to Debenham who knows. Quite simply very few sectors of industry don't work on a Sunday - it is a major shopping day now yet the lethargy to provide Public Transport is quite staggering.
ReplyDeleteI suspect Suffolk County had a few bob left in the budget, and spend it or lose it. The job fits the budget, not the other way round. That's always been the government way. And most business serves (sorry, milks) the government. Can you blame them? Politicians don't work weekends. They're off to their second homes in their Range Rovers!
ReplyDeleteWorking from debenham, I can tell you the Sunday service will be a waste of money. The last attempt ended about 6 years ago.far east and I think gold line shared it.ran 5 times each way.fram also had a Sunday service.cnt speak for the fram run but debenham run didn't seem to have more than 5 or 6 people on it when I used it. Also I know tht first will have difficulties running full size saloons on parts of tht route. I suspect this wnt last too long like previous attempts,especially when winter draws in.why the demand isn't there I dnt know. Guess if you are a family of four,it will be too expensive. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteFar east travel/Gemini travel along with goldline I should have said.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't even go to Fram, Joe, it runs only to Woodbridge. Therefore the only new passengers served are between Martlesham Black Tiles and Woodbridge. Even during the week that is an area of low demand. Now HAD they extended it to Fram, operated vis Tesco AND publicised it better then who knows.
ReplyDeleteNo idea why I called you Joe, Travor - my apologies!
ReplyDeleteSocial changes I think. People at least feel they're under pressure, and that they need to cram several things into one journey at weekends. Buses are more suitable for those who can manage one thing at a time. (Which is most of us, actually. But we like to pretend otherwise). You have to make the car unattractive which is what has happened in London and the Mets. And as money has got tighter, the politicians look to spend money on things that make them look good. Boring old buses don't cut the mustard. They're not sexy. It's more like throwing the odd penny to the beggar, out of embarrassment when you can't avoid it. If the government wasn't busy raising taxes (now called levies and reducing the operators fuel rebates) it'd help too, but they do what they can get away with.
ReplyDeleteThat's ok m8. Was just saying tht last time they ran Sunday services, both fram and debenham had their own routes. Cnt ipswich to woodbridge doing much when u can use the train.
ReplyDeleteJust another point to add.I use 118 regular on a saturday and its frequently quiet so a sun service from fram to ipswich via witnesham would always be a non starter. Whether there would interest from fram to ipswich via woodbridge I dnt know.maybe run it as a seasonal service?
ReplyDeleteThat is because Sunday buses don't go to where people go to on Sundays. It ius a long time since i was in Ipswich Town centre on a Sunday but I bet it's not as busy there as it is up at John Lewis in ravenswood, or tesco at martlesham - which the new Sunday bus doesn't serve. If Sunday buses are going to work they need to go to where people want to go at frequencies people will find convenient, and an overnight success shouldn;t be expected.
ReplyDeleteJudging by the press release First issued about the Woodbridge and Debenham services it seems they are there so the good people of Ipswich can get out to the country for a few hours on a Sunday, and there hasn;t been a thought about anyone from the rural areas getting anywhere. Now a good place to start would be the on demand service operating 7 days a week. That would be a hbuge help, and I still wonder if private, corporate sponsorship of Sunday and evening services has been explored.
I notice its 3 journeys each way. I hope it works but past experiences suggest it will die a death. Would be interesting to know who else bid (if anyone).
ReplyDeleteOK what's the benefit to a private sponsor of sponsorship of Sunday/evening bus services? Any accountant will tell you that a Director who doesn't have an answer to that one, is in breach of his legal fiduciary duty to the shareholders! (A duty imposed by the politicians who didn't think, as usual). And rich individuals have their accountants too. One to muse on for the hols!!
ReplyDeleteSadly the taxman is busy closing the loopholes of those businesses where the benefit of "investing" was solely the tax relief, as the business was bound to be a loss. Otherwise there might have been the prospect of an investment vehicle (no pun intended) for loss making rural bus services!
ReplyDeleteBut if it is not for profit who knows. Maybe it's something our useless politicians could doto actually help the public instead of squashing everything good claiming no money available. Make it a tax break to sponsor public services in the way they do sport. Have a bus painted in your logo if it is doing the route you sponsor. I know the rules as they are probably mean that couldn't happen right now, but rules can be changed and adapted, and I'm sure an accountant worth his salts could figure out a way too.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve,
ReplyDeleteJohnDBus here again. I have been to Ipswich on a preliminary visit to pick up timetables in order to familiarise myself with them, managed to sample 69008. Wonderful! Hope the interior redesign works its way to the other depots. Will be willing to meet one Saturday, hopefully a scenic route in the Ipswich area might be on the agenda. Know which ones are best for this?
If you're talking about Firsr there's not much choice - the best they have is the 64/A/5 circular to Aldeburgh. The 93 to Colchester on Carters is a nice route, particularly from the top deck, ans if you can bear a Solo the 118/9 to Fram, or even the 116 to Debenham on an IB E200. Then there's the 202 and 98 out to Shotley. But the day would need to be timetabled carefully. Like the idea of a meet though, John.
ReplyDeleteI think the sunset is beautiful, you should sell it! x Roxie
ReplyDeleteThanks Roxie - you don't see them like that very often
ReplyDelete