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Post by wirewiper on Apr 22, 2019 12:16:30 GMT
I've seen photos online. I presume there is to be a clearout of superannuated Plaxton Pointer/Dennis Darts and other single-deckers.
Standardisation based on on mid-life vehicles seems to be Ipswich Buses' current strategy.
EDIT: I gather that the six Scania OmniCity single-deckers that were delivered in 2006 for route 13 are also going.
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 22, 2019 14:46:37 GMT
First is to rebrand its Ipswich-based operations as "Ipswich Reds" and ADL Enviro200 44517 (YX09 ACY) has already appeared in a new two-tone red livery. Apparently some Gippeswykians still refer to their buses as "the greens" and "the reds", harking back to the days of Ipswich Corporation and Eastern Counties!
Source: eastnorfolkbus.blogspot.com
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 8, 2019 16:52:27 GMT
First is to rebrand its Ipswich-based operations as "Ipswich Reds" and ADL Enviro200 44517 (YX09 ACY) has already appeared in a new two-tone red livery. Apparently some Gippeswykians still refer to their buses as "the greens" and "the reds", harking back to the days of Ipswich Corporation and Eastern Counties! Source: eastnorfolkbus.blogspot.com Just to add, it appears routes are going to be branded. Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse Urban no. 69422 (AU58 FFJ) has appeared in the new red livery with blue "Felixstowe Flyer" branding for the 75/76/77/X7 routes between Ipswich and Felixstowe. Ipswich local services 60/60A (and their 60E evening variant) are to become the "Shuttle 60s".
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 14, 2019 7:13:56 GMT
First has announced changes to all its "Ipswich Reds" services from Sunday 1st September, with the exception of the Felixstowe Flyer routes 75/76/77/X7 which will remain unchanged (these were restructured earlier this year). 60/60A/60E (Ipswich - Gainsborough & Greenwich) - timetable changes only. On Mondays to Saturdays from 15.00 to 18.00 frequency reduced to every 15 minutes (half-hourly on each route). 64/65 (Ipswich - Wickham Market - Aldeburgh) - Revised timetable, with a handful of extra route 65 journeys for Rendlesham as route 800 will no longer extend there. Two return journeys will operate between Framlingham and Ipswich as route 63. 66 (Ipswich Station - Martlesham Heath) - Revised timetable and revised route in Martlesham Heath. One journey per hour will be numbered 66A and will not serve Tesco, but will operate instead along Eagle Way. In Ipswich Town Centre, buses towards Ipswich Station will operate via Civic Drive instead of Museum Street, and buses towards Martlesham Heath will stop in Dogs Head Street and not call into Old Cattle Market Bus Station. Peak-hour variant X66 is withdrawn, there are timetable changes for variants 67 and H66. The evening extension to the London Road Park & Ride site is being withdrawn due to low passenger numbers, evening buses will continue to call at the Martlesham Park & Ride Site. 68 (Ipswich - Kesgrave) - due to low passenger numbers, this between-the-peaks only route is being withdrawn. 88/89 (Ipswich - Stowmarket) - this route is being restructured and simplified to improve journey times. All buses will now operate as route 88, with the 89 variant no longer operating. A number of estates in Needham Market and Stowmarket where only small numbers of passengers currently board and alight will be omitted, in most cases alternative stops are a short walk away. Bramford Village continues to be served by Ipswich Buses route 111 which is operated under contract to Suffolk County Council. 800 (Ipswich Park & Ride: London Road P&R - Martlesham P&R) - revised timetable. This route will continue to operate on Monday-Saturday daytimes at about every 15 minutes, but the hourly extensions from Martlesham P&R to Rendlesham will no longer operate, changes to route 65 will offer a limited replacement. Four morning peak journeys will operate to BT/Adastral Park instead of Martlesham P&R but will return from the P&R site. During term time most journeys towards London Road P&R call at Suffolk One College. The evening service to London Road P&R on route 66 is being withdrawn due to low passenger numbers but evening route 66 buses will continue to call at Martlesham P&R. More details and PDF timetables here: www.firstgroup.com/norfolk-suffolk/news-and-service-updates/news/major-changes-ipswich-services-1st-september-2019
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 27, 2019 18:21:37 GMT
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Post by wirewiper on Sept 17, 2019 8:34:13 GMT
Rumour has it that First Norfolk and Suffolk is set for a Management buyout (along with Bristol, Dorset and Kernow/Cornwall). We shall have to wait and see ....
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Post by wirewiper on Sept 17, 2019 14:50:11 GMT
Saturday 31st August was the last day of Ipswich Buses operation of Dennis Darts and Dennis Tridents. This brought to an end 36 years of Dennis vehicles in the Ipswich fleet, which started in 1983 with a batch of six Dennis Falcons.
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Post by wirewiper on Oct 10, 2019 9:43:37 GMT
Ipswich Buses is making some changes to its "country" routes in October and November.
From Saturday 19th October Ipswich Buses will take on routes 115/116 (Ipswich - Coddenham - Debenham - Mendlesham) from Galloway Travel. The same timetable will apply, and young adults age 16-19 will be able advantage of Ipswich Buses policy of offering child fares to holders of an Ipswich Buses ID Card or a Suffolk County Council Endeavour Card. Interestingly the Ipswich Buses website makes a point of stating that Galloway Travel staff and spouse passes will not be accepted, I suspect this may have ruffled a few feathers especially among spouse pass users who may have been making use of that concession for travel to work in Ipswich.
From Monday 4th November, in response to withdrawal of funding from Suffolk County Council, Ipswich Buses will take on routes 92 (Manningtree), 93 (Colchester) and 97 (Shotley) commercially, all with new timetables, as well as schooday routes 95 (East Bergholt) and 98 (Shotley). Ipswich Buses will also operate commercially the 06.35 (MF) Ipswich-Hadleigh journey on Beeston's route 91, this is currently operated under contract. Route 94 and its variants will no longer operate and the 98 will only operate on schooldays.
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Post by wirewiper on Oct 24, 2019 7:59:06 GMT
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Post by wirewiper on Nov 10, 2019 18:36:21 GMT
Ipswich Buses is making some changes to its "country" routes in October and November. From Saturday 19th October Ipswich Buses will take on routes 115/116 (Ipswich - Coddenham - Debenham - Mendlesham) from Galloway Travel. The same timetable will apply, and young adults age 16-19 will be able advantage of Ipswich Buses policy of offering child fares to holders of an Ipswich Buses ID Card or a Suffolk County Council Endeavour Card. Interestingly the Ipswich Buses website makes a point of stating that Galloway Travel staff and spouse passes will not be accepted, I suspect this may have ruffled a few feathers especially among spouse pass users who may have been making use of that concession for travel to work in Ipswich. From Monday 4th November, in response to withdrawal of funding from Suffolk County Council, Ipswich Buses will take on routes 92 (Manningtree), 93 (Colchester) and 97 (Shotley) commercially, all with new timetables, as well as schooday routes 95 (East Bergholt) and 98 (Shotley). Ipswich Buses will also operate commercially the 06.35 (MF) Ipswich-Hadleigh journey on Beeston's route 91, this is currently operated under contract. Route 94 and its variants will no longer operate and the 98 will only operate on schooldays. There was a late change: funding was secured for one route 94 journey between Langham and Ipswich, via Suffolk One college. The journeys leave Langham at 08.05 and Ipswich at 15.45. These journeys also operate on non-college days (Monday-Friday).
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Post by wirewiper on Nov 27, 2019 9:45:02 GMT
Ipswich Buses - Christmas and New Year services
- Monday 23rd December - normal Monday-Friday service - Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24th December - Monday-Friday service with last departures from Tower Ramparts around 18.30 - Christmas Day and Boxing Day, Wednesday 25th/Thursday 26th December - no service - Friday 27th December - Saturday service - Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th December - normal weekend service - Monday 30th December - normal Monday-Friday service - New Year's Eve, Tuesday 31st December - Monday-Friday service with last departures from Tower Ramparts around 18.30 - New Year's Day, Wednesday 1st January 2020 - no service
Normal services resume from Thursday 2nd January.
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Post by galwhv69 on Jun 23, 2020 11:30:03 GMT
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 30, 2020 12:10:49 GMT
Ipswich Buses held a low-key commemoration during may to mark 70 years of municipal motorbus operation in the town.
Between 1926 and 1950 Ipswich Corporation had been a 100% trolleybus operator. However in 1950 it was persuaded to buy its first motorbuses, as there was an urgent need to get a bus service into the rapidly-growing White House (as it was then) Estate to the north-west of the town. It purchased six 56-seater Park Royal-bodied AEC Regent III and these entered service on new route 9B on 14th May 1950.
Ipswich also bought twelve new trolleybuses in 1950, and the plan was that the White House route would be wired up and the buses moved on to open up other new routes in the town. However the experience of motorbus operation led to a change of policy, and the trolleybuses were phased out between 1953 and 1963 with eight of the newest trolleybuses being sold on for further service in Walsall.
The first of the AEC Regents, no. 1 (ADX 1) had a long life, being retired as a driver trainer in 1973 by which time it had clocked up well over a million miles in service. Since then it has been part of the Ipswich Transport Museum* collection and now resides at the Museum's Priory Heath Depot which formerly housed some of the town's trolleybus fleet. It had been planned to operate no. 1 in passenger-carrying service on 17th May to coincide with an Open Day at the Museum and the vehicle had been prepared for certification, but this was cancelled due to the Covid-19 crisis. Instead a photo-call was arranged at Museum, with no. 1 posed alongside Scania OmniCity 47 (YR61 RVA) representing the current municipally-owned fleet.
* well worth a visit!
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 30, 2020 17:51:30 GMT
Some snippets: Ipswich Buses increased service levels again from Sunday 30th August as passenger numbers recover. The new Sunday times also operate on Holiday Monday 31st August. Route 3 along Nacton Road is to be branded "The Nacton Nipper". From Tuesday 1st September Ipswich Buses takes over operation of Suffolk County Council-supported routes 118/119 (Ipswich-Framlingham) from Galloway Travel. However the 115/116 (Ipswich-Debenham) will be taken over by First Ipswich Reds as part of its new "Village Links" network (see below). Ipswich Buses has also lost the 111 (Ipswich-Hitcham) to Mulley's. First Ipswich Reds appear to be route-branding. So far we have "Mainline 66" (66/66A Ipswich Station-Martlesham Heath), "Felixstowe Flyers" (75/76/77/X7 Ipswich-Felixstowe) and "Stowmarket Swift" (88 Ipswich-Stowmarket). From Tuesday 1st September First Ipswich Reds will launch its "Village Links" network, supported by Suffolk County Council. Some of these services are already operated by Ipswich Reds, others are new or altered routes and some have been taken over from other operators. www.firstgroup.com/norfolk-suffolk/news-and-service-updates/news/introducing-village-links-ipswich-reds-1st-september
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Post by wirewiper on Sept 4, 2020 13:14:32 GMT
Some snippets: Ipswich Buses increased service levels again from Sunday 30th August as passenger numbers recover. The new Sunday times also operate on Holiday Monday 31st August. Route 3 along Nacton Road is to be branded "The Nacton Nipper". From Tuesday 1st September Ipswich Buses takes over operation of Suffolk County Council-supported routes 118/119 (Ipswich-Framlingham) from Galloway Travel. However the 115/116 (Ipswich-Debenham) will be taken over by First Ipswich Reds as part of its new "Village Links" network (see below). First Ipswich Reds appear to be route-branding. So far we have "Mainline 66" (66/66A Ipswich Station-Martlesham Heath), "Felixstowe Flyers" (75/76/77/X7 Ipswich-Felixstowe) and "Stowmarket Swift" (88 Ipswich-Stowmarket). From Tuesday 1st September First Ipswich Reds will launch its "Village Links" network, supported by Suffolk County Council. Some of these services are already operated by Ipswich Reds, others are new or altered routes and some have been taken over from other operators. www.firstgroup.com/norfolk-suffolk/news-and-service-updates/news/introducing-village-links-ipswich-reds-1st-september To add to these: from Saturday 30th August there were changes to the timetables for Ipswich Reds route 63/64/65, Ipswich Park & Ride 800 and the "Felixstowe Flyers"; the 76 variant to Old Felixstowe no longer operates with most of the journeys rerouted as a second 77 each hour to Landguard Fort. Old Felixstowe is now served by a limited service on the new Village Links route 73 which operates to Woodbridge via Martlesham. The "Village Link" routes are: - 59: Ipswich - Rushmere St Andrew (existing route) - 70/70A: Ipswich - Grundisburgh - Woodbridge (existing route) - 71: Sutton Heath - Woodbridge - 73: Woodbridge - Martlesham Heath - Felixstowe & Old Felixstowe - 78: Levington - Ipswich - 79: Waldringfield - Ipswich - 116: Debenham - Ipswich (taken over from Ipswich Buses) Most operate around 2-hourly Monday-Saturday but the 78/79 are one return journey a day Monday-Friday. Most of the routes have occasional variations and/or extensions.
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