Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2017 16:33:20 GMT
Hope it doesn't end up like the Armchair operation of the late 80's. What a mess that was ! This is the worry I have that with the break up of Abellio's network that you end up with a 'Harlow' situation bar aside First's & Stagecoach's sole route each. Abellio's network largely was easy to navigate and generally reliable and easy to use personally but I know very few will share that opinion. You're quite right. Now that network has gone, I doubt they'll be any tremendous success stories in that region
|
|
|
Post by snoggle on Sept 8, 2017 14:49:50 GMT
I was looking through the updates to my Flickr contacts photos last night. Bobgsmith keeps track of changes in Surrey and he's posted screenshots of tweets from Surrey bus passengers trying to use the revised services (461, 555, 458). Seems Hallmark have been in the firing line for shoddy reliability, cancelled buses, broken down buses, late running and a lack of information. Oh and rude bus drivers who don't know how to work their ticket machines or what tickets are valid. People are asking for Abellio to come back. So that's all going well then. Interesting that First Berkshire didn't seem to get too much criticism of their operation of the 555 despite it interworking with another route (10?) across Terminal 5.
|
|
|
Post by vjaska on Sept 8, 2017 15:31:32 GMT
I was looking through the updates to my Flickr contacts photos last night. Bobgsmith keeps track of changes in Surrey and he's posted screenshots of tweets from Surrey bus passengers trying to use the revised services (461, 555, 458). Seems Hallmark have been in the firing line for shoddy reliability, cancelled buses, broken down buses, late running and a lack of information. Oh and rude bus drivers who don't know how to work their ticket machines or what tickets are valid. People are asking for Abellio to come back. So that's all going well then. Interesting that First Berkshire didn't seem to get too much criticism of their operation of the 555 despite it interworking with another route (10?) across Terminal 5. The grass is not always greener on the other side seems to come to mind here but of course, it's early days as well.
|
|
|
Post by M1199 on Sept 8, 2017 15:46:47 GMT
I was looking through the updates to my Flickr contacts photos last night. Bobgsmith keeps track of changes in Surrey and he's posted screenshots of tweets from Surrey bus passengers trying to use the revised services (461, 555, 458). Seems Hallmark have been in the firing line for shoddy reliability, cancelled buses, broken down buses, late running and a lack of information. Oh and rude bus drivers who don't know how to work their ticket machines or what tickets are valid. People are asking for Abellio to come back. So that's all going well then. Interesting that First Berkshire didn't seem to get too much criticism of their operation of the 555 despite it interworking with another route (10?) across Terminal 5. The grass is not always greener on the other side seems to come to mind here but of course, it's early days as well. Hallmark operate the staff shuttle from Harlington Corner to my old DHL site in Colnbrook using an ex Stagecoach Scania Omnicity, anyhow, it's not unusual for them to 'forget' that they operate the service, leaving 70-80 odd people late for work! My girlfriend, who still works at that DHL site, often tells me how her colleagues have gotten into arguements with the drivers over something silly. As you say, it's early days. Just wonder whether they've taken on too much work, too quickly.
|
|
|
Post by Hassaan on Sept 8, 2017 16:49:20 GMT
The grass is not always greener on the other side seems to come to mind here but of course, it's early days as well. Hallmark operate the staff shuttle from Harlington Corner to my old DHL site in Colnbrook using an ex Stagecoach Scania Omnicity, anyhow, it's not unusual for them to 'forget' that they operate the service, leaving 70-80 odd people late for work! My girlfriend, who still works at that DHL site, often tells me how her colleagues have gotten into arguements with the drivers over something silly. As you say, it's early days. Just wonder whether they've taken on too much work, too quickly. They also operate some sort of service to/from Treaty Centre in Hounslow using whatever vehicle is available (these days usually either that OmniCity, or a random coach, but I've also seen a Gemini 2 with Transport for Bristol on it ).
|
|
|
Post by twobellstogo on Sept 8, 2017 19:22:24 GMT
I was looking through the updates to my Flickr contacts photos last night. Bobgsmith keeps track of changes in Surrey and he's posted screenshots of tweets from Surrey bus passengers trying to use the revised services (461, 555, 458). Seems Hallmark have been in the firing line for shoddy reliability, cancelled buses, broken down buses, late running and a lack of information. Oh and rude bus drivers who don't know how to work their ticket machines or what tickets are valid. People are asking for Abellio to come back. So that's all going well then. Interesting that First Berkshire didn't seem to get too much criticism of their operation of the 555 despite it interworking with another route (10?) across Terminal 5. 411/461 to West Molesey is a regular commute. Went on a Hallmark 461 yesterday. Driver had no idea what the fare was. Bus was shabby. Bus got lost and went round the Kingston one way system twice. Great start...
|
|
|
Post by stubag on Sept 8, 2017 20:16:36 GMT
Hallmark operate the staff shuttle from Harlington Corner to my old DHL site in Colnbrook using an ex Stagecoach Scania Omnicity, anyhow, it's not unusual for them to 'forget' that they operate the service, leaving 70-80 odd people late for work! My girlfriend, who still works at that DHL site, often tells me how her colleagues have gotten into arguements with the drivers over something silly. As you say, it's early days. Just wonder whether they've taken on too much work, too quickly. They also operate some sort of service to/from Treaty Centre in Hounslow using whatever vehicle is available (these days usually either that OmniCity, or a random coach, but I've also seen a Gemini 2 with Transport for Bristol on it ). The Hounslow bus is a "shopping service" for the air crews staying at a Heathrow Hotel
|
|
|
Post by planesandtrains on Sept 8, 2017 22:38:19 GMT
I have seen blind banditry, drivers on phones, bunched up buses (for a half hourly service!!!). The timetable? Who needs that when drivers choose to drive when they want. 4-5 year old busses in appalling condition for their age. A damm shame, given they are running the 461 commerically. I can already see who will win the war if it go's on like this.
|
|
|
Post by M1199 on Sept 9, 2017 8:33:08 GMT
Hallmark operate the staff shuttle from Harlington Corner to my old DHL site in Colnbrook using an ex Stagecoach Scania Omnicity, anyhow, it's not unusual for them to 'forget' that they operate the service, leaving 70-80 odd people late for work! My girlfriend, who still works at that DHL site, often tells me how her colleagues have gotten into arguements with the drivers over something silly. As you say, it's early days. Just wonder whether they've taken on too much work, too quickly. They also operate some sort of service to/from Treaty Centre in Hounslow using whatever vehicle is available (these days usually either that OmniCity, or a random coach, but I've also seen a Gemini 2 with Transport for Bristol on it ). Used to see that Bristol liveried Gemini when picking her up quite often, I think they had quite a few at Heathrow being used on Railway work, haven't seen them for a while now, so I assume they've headed back west. Likewise with their ex Abellio KU02 YBM (9777) haven't seen that for a while, so I assume that's also headed west!
|
|
|
Post by twobellstogo on Sept 9, 2017 19:52:07 GMT
The timetable? Who needs that when drivers choose to drive when they want.. I can beat you on that. I had 'where they want' as well as 'when'... The Hallmark buses on the 461 are all former Wessex Connect buses that had a hard time of it running in Bristol. Mechanically they seem sound, but they do need a good clean inside and out.
|
|
|
Post by planesandtrains on Sept 9, 2017 21:55:28 GMT
The timetable? Who needs that when drivers choose to drive when they want.. I can beat you on that. I had 'where they want' as well as 'when'... The Hallmark buses on the 461 are all former Wessex Connect buses that had a hard time of it running in Bristol. Mechanically they seem sound, but they do need a good clean inside and out. Which reminds me, didn't Rotala have a shot at running services in Surrey in the 2000's, Surrey Connect I think it was called...
|
|
|
Post by redexpress on Sept 9, 2017 23:50:15 GMT
I can beat you on that. I had 'where they want' as well as 'when'... The Hallmark buses on the 461 are all former Wessex Connect buses that had a hard time of it running in Bristol. Mechanically they seem sound, but they do need a good clean inside and out. Which reminds me, didn't Rotala have a shot at running services in Surrey in the 2000's, Surrey Connect I think it was called... That's right, they bought the Surrey operation of Centra (after the latter had already pulled out of London) in 2005 and renamed it Surrey Connect. This operation had its roots in Thames Bus of New Haw, which had been bought out by Centra. Rotala also used the Surrey Connect brand to run a few services from Gatwick (236 and 540 being the main ones I think). They shut down the New Haw operation pretty quickly in 2007, the routes being divided between Wiltax (remember them?) and Travel London / Travel Surrey. Rotala continued to run a handful of routes out of Gatwick until losing the whole lot at retendering in 2011. So they haven't been out of the Surrey game for too long.
|
|
|
Post by M1199 on Sept 16, 2017 23:17:51 GMT
They also operate some sort of service to/from Treaty Centre in Hounslow using whatever vehicle is available (these days usually either that OmniCity, or a random coach, but I've also seen a Gemini 2 with Transport for Bristol on it ). The Hounslow bus is a "shopping service" for the air crews staying at a Heathrow Hotel They run it to & from the Park Inn up Heathrow North. Although, you would of thought they'd of picked somewhere a bit more glamorous than Hounslow's Treaty Centre to let cabin crew do some shopping!
|
|
|
Post by Hassaan on Sept 16, 2017 23:30:28 GMT
The Hounslow bus is a "shopping service" for the air crews staying at a Heathrow Hotel They run it to & from the Park Inn up Heathrow North. Although, you would of thought they'd of picked somewhere a bit more glamorous than Hounslow's Treaty Centre to let cabin crew do some shopping! Hounslow may not be the best, but at least it is way better than Hayes!
|
|
|
Post by M1199 on Sept 16, 2017 23:40:59 GMT
They run it to & from the Park Inn up Heathrow North. Although, you would of thought they'd of picked somewhere a bit more glamorous than Hounslow's Treaty Centre to let cabin crew do some shopping! Hounslow may not be the best, but at least it is way better than Hayes! That, is very true.....
|
|