Stagecoach Joins Institute of Customer Service

Transport giant, Stagecoach, has joined the Institute of Customer Service.

The leading public transport provider holds a highly-rated customer service record which is at the heart of its growing success story. Stagecoach Group’s new membership of the Institute reinforces its strategic commitment to customer service. 
 

Stuart Giddings, Head of Customer Service for Stagecoach Rail, said: “We are absolutely delighted to become a member of the Institute of Customer Service. This recognises the importance that Stagecoach Group places on all aspects of customer service and will deliver benefits for both of our rail franchises and other areas of our business.

“With customer expectations continually rising, we are increasingly focusing on the value and role that an excellent standard of service plays as part of our offer to passengers.”

Jo Causon, Chief Executive of the Institute of Customer Service, added: “I’m delighted to welcome Stagecoach Group as members of the Institute of Customer Service. Membership of the Institute provides the opportunity to benchmark against other organisations in a range of sectors; opportunities to share with and learn from other members within the extensive network; access to our research and insight; and the opportunity to drive service professionalism through our customer service qualifications programmes.”

The new membership comes at a time when both Stagecoach rail companies, South West Trains and East Midlands Trains are demonstrating improved customer satisfaction results with the latest independent National Passenger Survey recording overall satisfaction results of 85% and 89% respectively. The survey results have also demonstrated a substantial increase of 7% (South West Trains) and 17% (East Midlands Trains) in customer satisfaction during times of disruption, testament to significant efforts to deliver a better service and improved information during times of disruption.

For many people using rail networks, accessibility is a key factor. To help break down barriers to rail travel for those unfamiliar with using trains, Stagecoach organises dedicated 'try the train' days. This popular initiative, hosted by a senior member of staff, offers the chance for groups of people who may perceive public transport as not being able to meet all their needs to try the train. Another key initiative to engage with customers are the popular live webchats and 'tweet the senior team' sessions, providing customers with direct access to rail company directors.

http://www.stagecoach.com/media/news-releases/2013/stagecoach-group-drive-to-improve-customer-service.aspx

Bluebell Video Update

 
In just a few weeks the Bluebell Railway northern extension to the Network Rail tracks at East Grinstead will open. Here's a video made by Nick Owen showing the latest progress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA71h2XPplw&feature=youtu.be

It is rumoured that a member of the Focus team will be in attendance on the opening day (March 28th) so watch this space for more news on the subject.

Stagecoach Acquisition Approved

The OFT has decided, on the information currently available to it, not to refer the following merger to the Competition Commission under the provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002: 

Completed acquisition by Stagecoach plc of the business and assets operated from the Lockett Road, Wigan depot of First Manchester Limited

The text of this decision will be placed on the Office of Fair Trading's website at www.oft.gov.uk as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Focus Comment - An outbreak of common sense! 

Stagecoach have a good track record of absorbing companies and spreading the benefits of competitive fares and offers. The Office of Fair Trading are now hopefully realising that the bus industry operates in a competitive way in relation to other choices of transport, the main one being the private car.
Daily, weekly and monthly ticket offers combined with features such as high frequency services and WiFi are all helping to win new customers and to underpin services for existing customers.

..

Arriva 93/X93 to Use Double Deck Vehicles

Scania CN94UB, Scania Omnicity seen in Whitby
on the 93 service in 2011

According to the Arriva website amongst the revisions to the 93/X93 services between Scarborough, Whitby and Middlesbrough from March 24, will be the use of double deck vehicles.

Arriva say

• The revised timetable will ensure that the vast majority of our regular users of the 93/X93 can expect most of the journeys to/from Scarborough and Middlesbrough to run all year round at the same times, irrespective of which timetable is in operation.
• Improved AM & PM peak departure and arrival times for commuters and day trippers alike!
• Extended later journey from Middlesbrough to Scarborough (& return to Whitby) 
• Additional off peak journeys
• Like last year, most of the journeys on Service 93/X93 will operate with double deck vehicles, however these buses will remain in place when the off peak timetable is in operation too, after the positive comments we received last year.
• Due to the use of double deck vehicles however, from 24 March, this service will no longer operate via Stainsacre.

 You can find the new timetable here which will start from March 24 2013


Focus Comment. Having used the service between Scarborough and Middlesbrough during 2011 I can confirm that at times the service does require double deck vehicles. We travelled with a standing load from Scarborough the 16 miles to Robin Hoods Bay on the first service that departed Scarborough after 9.30am. Double deckers were used on some services last year and it's good to hear that Arriva are using them on the vast majority of services during 2013.

Tony Wilson comments
Now if Arriva can upgrade to deckers, why can't Trent, with the now rather out of step (so to speak), high step-entranced Red Arrow.

Not a particularly good image, but herewith attached is the last time I saw a decker on the 93 at Whitby, a handsome VR with United in the NBC days of August 1979. Almost typical scene with holidaymakers and a line of traffic waiting to cross the bridge. Spent many a happy hour with the family, leaning over the railings trying to catch crabs.
Tony Wilson

HS2 Woes for Chesterfield Canal

Members of the Chesterfield Canal Trust are claiming that the plans for the HS2 Infrastructure Depot at Staveley have been drawn up using out of date maps. Amongst other things, the maps shown on the HS2 website don't show the newly built Staveley Canal basin which was opened in January 2012.



Over the past few years the society have successfully re-opened the abandoned the canal between Chesterfield and Staveley and have plans approved to carry on opening the canal further east.
The HS2 and depot line routes intersect with the proposed restoration route of the canal at the following points:
1 Between the new Railway Lock (5B) and the western end of Staveley Puddle Bank.
2 The eastern end of Staveley Puddle Bank.
3 Between Hague Bridge and Barlborough Road Bridge.
4 The Brindley Loops.
5 The northern end of the Railway Mile from Boiley New Bridge to where the canal veers off east just before Killamarsh Station.

A section of the Canal Trust website here and here has been devoted to the recently announced HS2 route and Staveley Infrastructure Site in which they make the statement.
"In 1769, John Varley walked or rode the entire length of the canal before producing a map to show to Parliament. This was for a project expected to cost £95,000. It is a shame that no one seems to have set foot in Staveley for a project expected to cost £33,000,000,000."

Bluebird Acquisition by Stagecoach Approved

Merger cleared

The OFT has decided, on the information currently available to it,  

not to refer the anticipated acquisition of Bluebird Bus & Coach by Greater Manchester Buses (South) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stagecoach plc.

The text of this decision will be placed on the Office of Fair Trading's website at www.oft.gov.uk as soon as is reasonably practicable.

In the event of media enquiries, please call the OFT Press Office on 020 7211 8899.

Arriva Sapphire

Arriva UK Bus is launching a new premium service, Sapphire, aimed at reinvigorating bus usage on key routes in four locations across the UK.
Arriva has invested more than £3million as it looks to the premium service to grow passenger numbers on core routes. Sapphire has been designed to primarily attract non-users but also increase the number of journeys taken by infrequent and semi-frequent users.
The new concept was developed following extensive customer research including surveys, site visits and focus groups.  The research highlighted a number of core customer requirements and the opportunity to improve perceptions of the bus, change the behaviour of non-users and encourage existing users to make more journeys.
Arriva has used this insight to create the new Sapphire service, which aims to fulfil the following core requirements:

• A punctual, reliable, frequent and direct service
• Well-presented, customer focused drivers with additional service delivery training
• An enhanced feeling of personal safety, space and comfort
• A customer charter with a no-quibble money back guarantee.

The Sapphire launches will see 41 vehicles across four routes, a mixture of new and refurbished, create a service focused on enhancing the customer experience, through features such as leather seating and free WiFi.
Mark Yexley, Operations and Commercial Director for Arriva UK Bus, commented:

“We felt the time was right to introduce the Sapphire brand.  It will certainly offer our customers something different and we hope will tempt more people to try the bus as a result.
“We’ve deliberately selected key routes on our network that offer a potentially longer journey time, so that customers have more time to take advantage of the free WiFi, or to simply enjoy sitting on comfy leather seats!
“The investment is significant at a time when there are plenty of economic challenges out there, although we firmly believe in continuing to try and improve our service offering whenever and wherever we can.”

The first Sapphire service to launch will be in the North West in April (Chester to Wrexham), followed by launches in three additional regions; Midlands (Oadby to Leicester), Shires & Essex (Aylesbury to Oxford), and the North East (Darlington to Durham). Phil Cummins, Engineering Director for Arriva North West and Wales, was instrumental in arranging the prototype design and layout for the new and refurbished vehicles.  He commented:

“We’re really happy with the final outcome.  The refurbished buses have given already good vehicles a new lease of life and the quality of the materials is excellent.”

The key features of Sapphire include:

• A revised livery to signal the change to the customer. The livery has been designed to ensure it replicates the Sapphire proposition
• High back e-leather seats with thicker seat bases to offer comfort and additional space
• Free WiFi and power points to add value, create the feeling of modernity and meet customer demand
• In addition, some vehicles will have audio visual announcements via digital display screens
• Dedicated drivers with customer care training
• CCTV for added security
• Customer charter – Arriva’s commitment to its customers:
• Reliability
• Punctual
• Frequent service (at least every 15 minutes)
• Easy to understand (direct routes)
• Extra standards of cleanliness
• Money back guarantee

The first Sapphire buses will be delivered in April 2013 in the North West. They will then be rolled out to three other routes, ensuring that there is a Sapphire route in each of Arriva UK Bus’ regional businesses.
Routes and vehicles:

• Route 1 Wrexham to Chester (Spring 2013):
  9 refurbished Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 double deckers
• Route 31/31A Oadby to Leicester (Summer 2013):
  10 refurbished Wrightbus Gemini double deckers
• Route 280 Aylesbury to Oxford (Summer 2013):
  11 refurbished Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 double deckers
• Route 7 Darlington to Durham (Autumn 2013):
  11 new Wrighbus Pulsar SB200 single deckers

Each is an inter-urban route that offers a long enough journey time for customers to appreciate the added benefits of Sapphire.

http://thebuspeople.co.uk/?p=1957

Link from Tony Wilson

↓SEE BELOW FOR LINKS TO 'RED ARROW' v 'CITY LINK' ARTICLES ON THE MAIN FOCUS WEBSITE ↓

Red Arrow v City Link

 Competition has broken out on the Derby to Nottingham corridor with a new 'yourbus' City Link service competing with the established 'trentbarton' Red Arrow service.
Oliver Foreman and Dennis Basford report on the start of the new service on our main Focus Transport site. Click for part 1 and part 2

Probe into Metro Train Fire

An investigation into a fire which saw passengers flee a Tyne and Wear Metro train is focussing on emergency exits.

The blaze happened on 8 January on a train carrying 45 passengers between South Gosforth and Longbenton stations.
No-one was seriously hurt in the incident, which is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) probe will focus on emergency doors, which some passengers said were "difficult to operate".
An initial inquiry blamed the fire on an electrical fault, which in turn caused severe arcing in under floor equipment.
'Smouldering train' The danger was compounded by an overhead power cable, which broke loose and fell on the roof of the rear car, causing further arcing and a large amount of smoke inside the train.
An RAIB spokesman said: "There were about 45 passengers and they used emergency release handles to open the doors. The emergency services attended and damped-down the smouldering train.
"The RAIB's investigation will consider in particular the nature of the original fault and the use of emergency door release equipment, which some passengers found difficult to operate.
"We will also review the history and maintenance of the systems used on the Metro to protect against electrical faults in the power supply and on trains."
The Office of Railway Regulation is also conducting its own investigation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-21510752

Best & Worst Train Operators

First Capital Connect has been voted the worst route in the country according to the Which annual passenger survey. The Bedford to Brighton franchise, run by FirstGroup, achieved a mere 40% satisfaction rating according to the poll of regular users.
FCC's Bedford to Brighton service is said to have some of the oldest & dirtiest rolling stock in the UK.
But other companies also came in for criticism, with First Great Western, Greater Anglia and Southeastern all coming in for criticism.

The Which? survey compiled customer scores based on passengers' overall satisfaction with a company and whether they would be likely to recommend it. Half of the train companies had a customer satisfaction score of 50% or lower, while overall, only 22% of train users felt the service they received was improving, despite an inflation-busting increase in average season ticket prices of 4.2%.
Behind Virgin at the top of the table is London Overground with a score of 65%, the London-to-Southend c2c line on 64%, and MerseyRail with 64%. The worst train operating companies for customer satisfaction are also commuter services, with Greater Anglia attaining a rating of 42%, followed by Southeastern and First Great Western on 43% each.
There was further bad news for FirstGroup as its First Great Western service was also in the bottom three as the third worst train operating company in the survey. First Capital Connect users have become increasingly vocal in recent years. One Facebook group called I Hate First Capital Connect contains robust criticisms of the company's performance and customer service, while the firm is regularly pilloried on Twitter.
One First Capital Connect customer told Which?: "The price has increased and the trains get more and more crowded. I never see any improvements for the extra money I am paying."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/poll/2013/feb/18/worst-rail-operator-britain

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/feb/18/first-capital-connect-worst-train-operator?commentpage=1

OFT Decision Still Awaited on Bluebird Acquisition

The Office of Fair Trading has yet to report on whether they consider the Stagecoach takeover of Middleton-based Bluebird Bus & Coach to "result in a substantial lessening of competition"
The deadline of 24th December for sending written representations about this matter has long passed and because Stagecoach have made this deal subject to OFT approval the 70 staff at Bluebird don't yet know the future of their jobs.
If the OFT don't approve the deal, Stagecoach will almost certainly walk away, resulting in Bluebird having to re-consider their position.
It is hoped that a repeat of what happened in Devon will not occur here, whereby Stagecoach would set up a rival operation in competition. The Devon fiasco resulted in First closing down their operation that was up for sale, resulting in job losses which wouldn't have happened if the takeover had been allowed.
The proposed purchase includes the leased depot premises, over 40 vehicles and 70 staff. There are around 30 services and contracts.
The OFT have a duty to look at the whole picture and it is hoped they will have learnt from their previous misguided decisions.

Tyne & Wear Progress?

Bus companies operating across the Tyne & Wear, Northumberland and Co Durham region have welcomed an invitation from Nexus to hold a series of workshops aimed at hammering out a deal to give passengers in Tyne and Wear improved bus services.

The workshops will explore how operators, Nexus and the local authorities can work in
partnership to deliver improvements including investment in Tyne and Wear’s bus fleet,
improving reliability and journey times, new ‘smart’ ticketing, a new customer charter for
bus users and better value fares.
Kevin Carr, chair of the North East Bus Operators’ Association, said: “These workshops should provide an opportunity for Nexus, local councils and all the key players in public transport to fully engage with bus operators and participate in the process of developing a partnership agreement.
“I firmly believe that we are making some very real progress towards a partnership that
delivers the ITA’s bus strategy in an affordable and effective way. It’s great news for
passengers.”

NEBOA’s partnership offer already includes fares deals for 16-18 year olds, a new ‘Bus2Bus’ ticket and proposals that will produce savings for local authorities and the operators are keen to find ways that the proposal can be further developed.
The proposal would establish Partnership Boards in each area of Tyne and Wear that would ensure that the best possible services are provided across the county.
Kevin Carr said: “We already operate two successful partnerships, in East Gateshead and South Tyneside, which have provided us with considerable experience of using the
partnership approach. A county-wide partnership would reap benefits for local councils and, most importantly, our passengers.”

Plaxton Film Star

 A view taken from the trailer

Those of you that have seen the trailer for 'Song for Marion', a movie coming to big screens on 22nd February might have noticed a Plaxton Paramount Tiger coach in one of the clips.
This is a vehicle owned by Henry Cooper's of Annitsford, Northumberland.
During filming the vehicle spent many days being driven around the Newcastle area and is very much part of the storyline.
The trailer can be seen here, the coach appears briefly at 1 minute 23 secs.
Film review http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/song-for-marion

 The Tiger has been in the Henry Cooper Fleet for many years. Here it is seen parked in their yard in 2012 awaiting it's next duty.



↓ More Pictures Below of the Sheffield Commemorative Liveries  ↓

Sheffield Liveries - More Pictures

More pictures of the vehicles which First have painted in the former liveries of Sheffield Corporation, the organisation that ran buses in Sheffield for most of the last century.

These buses, one in 1913 livery and one in 1960 livery, are running on the 51 route between Charnock, Sheffield City Centre and Lodge Moor as part of celebrations to commemorate 100 years of motorbuses in Sheffield.

On February 15th 1913 the first motorbus began operation between Broomhill and Lodge Moor. Hundreds of eager customers turned up on that day to try out the new form of transport, which supplemented Sheffield's existing tram network.

Since this date Sheffield's public transport network has grown to ensure that the city's workforce can have cheap and reliable transport for work, education and leisure purposes. This has played a major part in Sheffield becoming one of the most successful cities in the UK.

On Friday 15th February a celebratory trip took place along the route for some of Sheffield's key dignitaries including the Lord Mayor. This was followed by a reception at Sheffield Town Hall.

Later this year (Sunday 12th May), a bus rally will be held at First's Olive Grove depot for members of the public to come and see a selection of old and new buses and to take part in fun activities, which will include a charity bus pull in 1913 costume.

Giles Fearnley, Managing Director of First UK Bus, has a personal interest in the centenary celebrations. Giles' grandfather, Arthur Fearnley, was the General Manager for 'The Sheffield Corporation Tramways' from 1904 to 1936. Giles, along with local transport historians and enthusiasts across South Yorkshire, has led the organisation of the centenary celebrations.

He said: "It is very exciting that people and organisations in Sheffield are coming together to celebrate 100 years of motorbuses in Sheffield.

"Sheffield has grown tremendously in the past century and buses have been at the forefront of this development.

"It is only right and proper that we organise a series of events to commemorate this anniversary and the public should look out for these spectacular buses that represent the history of this great city."

http://www.soes.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/docs/100yrs.pdf

Also more pictures on FocusFlickr

Sheffield commemorates 100yrs of the motor bus.

First Sheffield have repainted two of their vehicles into retro liveries to celebrate 100 years of the motor of the motor bus in Sheffield. Both vehicles looked splendid as they were revealed in their 1913 and 1960's paintwork.

New Double Deckers for Go North East 'Ten' Service

Go North East have released livery details of the new Volvo Wright double deck vehicles which are due to enter service within the next few days.

Double deck Volvo B9TL buses are replacing single deck Mercedes vehicles, due to the success of the route since launch. Focus Transport has been sent this picture by Go North East of one of the first vehicles to have the livery applied, the colour scheme retains the silver base colour and maroon graphics as launched on the single deckers.

 The route has been operated by Mercedes Citaros which are being cascaded to other services

↓See Below for Details of FirstBus Vehicle Orders↓

FirstGroup Bus orders

FirstGroup, the UK’s leading bus and rail operator, today revealed that its bus division has ordered 464 new vehicles worth £76m for delivery in the 2013/14 financial year.  This order will bring First’s investment in new buses to around £240m in three years.

First also confirmed that more than 95% of its 2013/14 manufacture will be in the UK.  The bulk of the order will be built by Falkirk based Alexander Dennis Limited (222 vehicles) and Ballymena based Wrightbus (179 vehicles).  Volvo Group UK will manage its 37 bus contract from its headquarters in Warwick, while Leeds company Optare will manufacture 18.  A further eight vehicles will be ordered, but as yet no decision has been taken as to the manufacturer.

The interior of each vehicle will be laid out to First’s specification which was designed last year following extensive customer research. This seeks to maximise the flexibility for both buggies and wheelchairs whilst providing additional grab rails for all passengers whether seated or standing.   All vehicles will be fitted with Wi-Fi so that customers can stay connected whilst on the move.

“Investment in our bus division continues apace,” said Giles Fearnley, Managing Director of First UK Bus.

“We are committed to growing our business and encouraging more people to use our services and to use them more often.  These new buses will see our investment reach some £240m in nearly 1500 vehicles over the last three years. This is enabling us to make a step change in the quality of service that we offer.”

He continued: “It’s really important that we provide the very greatest flexibility for those customers using wheelchairs and buggies. Fitting Wi-Fi as standard is also increasingly important for our customers and all the vehicles will have leather or e-leather seating. We are determined to be at the forefront of customer service across the British bus industry.”

Mr Fearnley also said he was delighted that First continues to support British bus manufacturers.  “Our manufacturing partners continue to lead the world in terms of quality and value for money.    I’m pleased that our tradition of supporting the British transport industry remains strong.”

Colin Robertson, Chief Executive of Alexander Dennis Limited, said: “We are delighted to be supplying almost 50% of FirstGroup’s total new vehicle requirement this year. It is an endorsement of our class-leading products and the business relationship we have grown and nurtured with FirstGroup in recent years, working with them to raise the bar for the whole industry. I am particularly pleased that 142 of the 222 buses we will build for them are ultra-fuel efficient, 14-tonne Enviro300 single decks. These are achieving 9 - 10 mpg, which is best-in-class and provides significant whole life fuel savings versus many vehicles in service today.”

Wright Group Managing Director, Mark Nodder, said: “Wrightbus is thrilled to be awarded this substantial order from FirstGroup. It is a huge endorsement of the development of our StreetLite range of lightweight buses, which proved themselves best in class in every category at fuel trials conducted at Millbrook Proving Grounds under the close scrutiny of FirstGroup’s engineers. We look forward to continuing our close working relationship with First, a partnership which has lasted more than 17 years.”

Ian Downie, Project Director at Volvo Bus, said: “It is fantastic news that our partnership with FirstGroup continues with this new tender award, and in particular, with the repeat order for our complete single deck citybus, the Volvo 7900 hybrid. The continued success of the Volvo B7RLE ensures it is the 18 tonne city bus product of FirstGroup’s’ choice.”

Optare’s Deputy CEO, Glenn Saint, said: “I am very pleased that FirstGroup is putting our Versa model into its fleet and I have no doubt that it will meet, and exceed all their expectations.  Versa is a well proven model, renowned for providing the highest standards of passenger and driver comfort, excellent reliability and class-leading fuel efficiency, and I'm sure it will deliver on all of these key points for FirstGroup.”

First’s new buses will be fitted with EURO V engines. The £76m order consists primarily of single decker and midi buses with 42 double deckers. It follows the delivery in 2012 of a very high number of double deckers for First’s Olympic Shuttle services.

Doncaster to Scunthorpe Rail Line Drama

The rail line between Doncaster and Scunthorpe has been closed after the track was dramatically shifted when an "enormous" spoil heap at Hatfield Colliery at Stainforth, South Yorkshire pushed the track to one side. The track is still moving and the line is expected to remain closed for at least eight weeks.
Rachel Lowe from Network Rail said: "This is an absolutely enormous task. We will have to re-lay the whole area.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-21441070

 http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/News-Releases/7345/Disruption-to-rail-services-Stainforth-1800-update-12-2-13

Links from Tony Wilson

Oddments

As it seems to be quiet on the transport news front I thought I would post some pictures that have been submitted and haven't been used.

 This shot by Tony Wilson is of a Stagecoach Enviro 400 in winter weather on route 39 in Chesterfield. Although the route should be operated by Optare Solos, it is frequently operated by any type of vehicle that happens to be available and whenever a new vehicle type or newly branded route is introduced there is always great speculation as to when the vehicle will be seen on the 39. In this case a 43 branded bus has been pressed into service.

 A complete contrast weather wise, is this shot taken in the Sheffield area of a Stagecoach Enviro 400 hybrid posing alongside a Sheffield Supertram. Stagecoach have recently added to the number of hybrids operated in Sheffield by investing in a further 19 vehicles through a £6m investment. As reported elsewhere on Focus Transport, Paul Lynch, managing director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “We have been using this type of bus on the 120 service in Sheffield since September 2011.They have proved extremely popular with passengers and staff so we are delighted to introduce this latest fleet on what is one of Sheffield’s busiest bus routes carrying about six million passengers a year"

 Here's something to get the blood surging on a cold winter's day. A 1935 Renault TN4F No 3267 used at Winchester on 1st Jan of this year. Note her attractive flowing curves typical of the type. Thanks to Stephen Jillings for sending this.

 If you have a one off photograph that you think is worthy of display on Focus Transport please send it to us at focustransport2011@gmail.com and we will endeavour to show it at some point in the future.

HS2 Route Concerns

Following the announcement of the proposed HS2 route, various communities have reacted angrily to the fact that they are affected. Here are two examples.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21345957

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-21335976

Aberystwyth Buses

David Gambles visited Aberystwyth recently and photographed the local transport scene.

..

Bluebell Extension Update

More information here about the Bluebell Line two-week opening festival, in connection with the opening on 23rd March of the link to East Grinstead.
55 years after the line was closed by British Railways, steam trains will once again operate into the market town of East Grinstead.
Extending to East Grinstead first commenced in 1974 with the purchase of the old station site at West Hoathly.
The track bed between Horsted Keynes and East Grinstead was sold by British Railways to more than 30 different land owners.
The major obstacle involved the clearing of a cutting just outside East Grinstead which was once used as the local amenity tip.

  Following opening on the 23 March, the railway will run daily for three weeks, but then will temporarily close between Kingscote and East Grinstead for three weeks to enable a concerted effort to tidy up and clear as much of the site as possible. Even this programme will not clear all debris, but at least it's a start because there is a lot of material to clear (and yes, the class 33 should be with the railway on 8 February). The line to East Grinstead will continue to be open at weekends and for a couple of previously booked evening charters. Bluebell Website here

Link to Festival webpage from Tony Wilson here

Stagecoach Sheffield Flashmob

Just over a week ago Stagecoach Yorkshire launched their second batch of Enviro 400 Hybrid buses, bringing the total operating in Sheffield to 40. Click Here  As part of the event there was a flashmob!

A video is now available on YouTube Click here to watch