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Post by wirewiper on Aug 3, 2023 17:01:48 GMT
Another Surrey route gaining new ADL Enviro200 MMCs is the 32 between Guildford, Dorking, Reigate and Redhill. Compass Travel of Worthing, who operate the route on behalf of Surrey County Council, has taken delivery of four 10.8m examples. These have 40 Alexander Dennis SmartSeats with USB charging, free WiFi and audio-visual next stop announcements. The buses carry Surrey Hills Xplorer route branding. www.route-one.net/news/compass-travel-takes-delivery-of-four-enviro200s/
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 3, 2023 12:26:29 GMT
At least they got a free ride to an abandoned station I would love to have been a passenger on that train. Me too, I would not have complained! It reminds me of the time I was on a 52, the driver took the wrong exit at Hyde Park Corner and we all got a free drive-past view of Buckingham Palace! (This was on a RM so shows you how long ago it was).
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 3, 2023 12:16:20 GMT
It removes the historic loop working via Ewell Road that has existed since trolleybus days, when the 601 ran alongside the Kingston bypass for a short distance. This section had concrete trolleybus poles. That said, is not a reason to oppose the change! I am firmly in favour of extending the 281 to the new development at Signal Park, saving people having to cross the A3 roundabout on foot, and of having all Kingston-bound buses at Tolworth Broadway serving a common stop. Quoting myself - on another forum it has been pointed out that the loop served in trolleybus days was via Warren Drive North, so further along the bypass. The 281 routing via Ewell Road is more recent.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 3, 2023 8:33:36 GMT
I wonder if these will attract the same opposition and hatred on here as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil? Somehow I doubt it ....
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 16:35:03 GMT
In 1984, the E2 was extended from Greenford to Ruislip to replace the 273, which was withdrawn. At this time the terminus was Ruislip Station although buses continued to Ruislip Lido on Summer Sundays. The E7 was a new route when it commenced in July 1990, replacing the E2 between Greenford and Ruislip Station. From December 1992 journeys between the peaks on Mondays-Fridays (10.00-16.00) and during Saturday shopping hours (09.00-17.00) were rerouted in loop via Kingsend, Ickenham Road and High Street to reach Ruislip Station (and the same in reverse) to give better access to Waitrose and the High Street shops. At other times buses continued to operate to and from Ruislip Station directly via West End Road and I guess this has persisted as it gives peak-time commuters departing and arriving at Ruislip Station a more direct journey. Do you mean Wood Lane instead of Kingsend Yes I do - I have since corrected the original post.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 16:20:55 GMT
Is the reason the E7 doesn't serve the high street really just because less shops are open because many other areas continue to see buses even after most shops are closed? Why else would it not serve the high street in the evening? In 1984, the E2 was extended from Greenford to Ruislip as a partial replacement for the 273, which was withdrawn. At this time the terminus was Ruislip Station although buses continued to Ruislip Lido on Summer Sundays. The E7 was a new route when it commenced in July 1990, replacing the E2 between Greenford and Ruislip Station. From December 1992 journeys between the peaks on Mondays-Fridays (10.00-16.00) and during Saturday shopping hours (09.00-17.00) were rerouted in a loop via Wood Lane, Ickenham Road and High Street to reach Ruislip Station (and the same in reverse) to give better access to the High Street shops. At other times buses continued to operate to and from Ruislip Station directly via West End Road and I guess this has persisted as it gives peak-time commuters departing and arriving at Ruislip Station a more direct journey.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 15:48:22 GMT
10 hasn't been a lucky number for London bus routes has it? The former Victoria - Abridge route was cut back at both ends over the years before final withdrawal and "replacement" with parallel or altered routes. The Victoria - Aldgate section became the 10A using GM's small allocation of DMSs which also ran the West End "Starbus" service in the evening after the 10A had ceased. Nothing now reaches Abridge other than an infrequent Essex-supported local route from Debden and an attempt to travel over the old 10 would probably take all day as it requires multiple buses and you could still only get to Woodford Bridge. The recent history of the "other" 10 is also one of change, death by a thousand cuts and withdrawal. bit of an old post but is there a need for a tfl service at Abridge? It's not in London and would be quite expensive to extend a route there. That being said you can get further out from London in that area such as the 375 to Passingford Bridge which is strange because there's nothing there The 375 provides the only service to the village of Havering-atte-Bower, which is within the Greater London Boundary and TfL is obliged by its remit to provide the village with a bus service. Buses continue to Passingford Bridge as there is a roundabout and bus lay-by there so buses can turn and stand safely. As a by-product this does also give Stapleford Abbots, just over the Essex border, a link to Romford; and Passingford Bridge itself isn't very far from the village of Stapleford Tawney. Until 2008 Havering-atte-Bower was served by Arriva who ran a commercial Harlow-Epping-Ongar-Romford route (500) and accepted TfL tickets and passes within Greater London. TfL stepped in when Arriva withdrew the Ongar-Romford section.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 15:20:16 GMT
Feltham Area Resignalling Work will affect trains in the Staines area from Saturday 19th August until Friday 1st September. The work replaces equipment some of which dates back to 1974, there will also be improvements to some of the numerous road level crossings in the area.
On Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August the line will be closed between Staines and Virginia Water. Rail replacement buses will operate over this section; through trains between London Waterloo and Reading will be diverted between Clapham Junction and Virginia Water.
From Monday 21st August until Friday 26th August the line will be closed between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside. Rail replacement buses will operate.
From Saturday 27th August until Friday 1st September, all trains will be suspended between Twickenham, Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside/Virginia Water. The Hounslow loop line will also be closed from Barnes. Rail replacement buses will operate over all these routes. The London Waterloo to Reading service will be diverted between Clapham Junction and Virginia Water. A revised train service will operate between London Waterloo and Twickenham.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 14:24:40 GMT
Unfortunately she cannot be forced to stand down as an MP outside a General Election, or be suspended from the House of Commons as she hasn't committed a sanctionable offence. However the Prime Minister can suspend her from the Conservative Party (she would then sit as an Independent if she didn't stand down). She remains an ardent supporter of Johnson and is clearly aiming to undermine Rishi Sunak's leadership.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 14:02:54 GMT
The Superloop has nothing to do with the Labour party, it's Khan's idea. I also don't get the criticism of originally not going to Thamesmead given its been included so clearly, someone at TfL did listen to that. Different story if it remained omitted but it hasn't. The only way you could get those four routes to work in those forms is for serious priority infrastructure to be implemented because even as it stands, some of the current proposed routes are going to need priority measures to get through the worst offending sections As for those places you listed, yes they can be argued to be served but that could be done without changing the current loop structure radically. Juts off the top of my head, extend the SL10 from North Finchley to High Barnet, create a SL11 from Edgware to Chingford (384 would be returned to it's old form) via High Barnet (connection with SL10), New Barnet, Oakwood, Enfield, Southbury, Ponders End, Chingford. Not sure what to about Romford. Possibly have the current SL2 start at Chingford then take the 179 to South Woodford, stopping at Woodford Green/Broadmead Road and South Woodford station. It would in essence be the 179 in express form then extended southwards, not sure what I'd do with the 179 frequency whether it would warrant a reduction if the SL2 started at Chingford. Only problem is that it wouldn't serve Walthamstow. As for Romford it's a major town in East London so I'm a bit surprised that it isn't going anywhere near Romford but then not everywhere can be served. Romford though has a good local network and strong radial links into East London. The 5 and 86 are very high frequency and the 66 is fast due to using the A12 for most of the journey. There isn't much call for an orbital route.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 12:31:40 GMT
The Bromley North line is just waiting to be taken over by either the Bakerloo, DLR or Croydon Tramlink, the latter being the only real possible option, as the line is in the wrong side for it to be taken over by either the Bakerloo or DLR. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they made this line peak hour only and no weekend service, Bromley South is obviously the more popular station, and the 261 pretty much parallels the Bromley North Line. I think Bromley North is the best way to get the Bakerloo line into Bromley town centre but it would require tunnelling from Lewisham to Grove Park, it seems a lot more sensible than trying to squeeze trains down the main line from Beckenham Junction. That branch is in a sorry state and direct tube trains to Central London would be the best way by far to revive it. Or just close it down. Use the savings to increase the 261 from 5 to 6 bph and co-ordinate with the 126. Job done.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 11:21:44 GMT
I personally do not mind giving express routes their own separate identity (more so, I'm all for it), but the way they've gone about it isn't really the right one in my opinion. SL4, SL6 and SL8 should get some form of unique branding separate from the Superloop (maybe separate from each other, even) to denote they're express routes without claiming them to be something they are not. Maybe the "X" prefix should be used for those not in the loop but still express routes. Then you could tidy up the numbers in order, staring with X34 as SL1, X123 and SL2, X269 as SL3, X119 and SL4, X26 as SL5, X140 and SL6 and X183 as SL7. I personally would rather the 607 renumbered X7 or X something else, and the X68 and X239 (or whatever would have been finally adopted, would rather max of 2 digits) retained their existing numbers. This then starts to create a family look. Now this loop idea, why not call it Express Loop, with routes numbered XL1-7 ... You then keep the family identity, without diluting the loop concept. I like these ideas. Only thing I would do differently is to have the X239 as an Express Loop XL8, although it doesn't meet any of the other XL routes it does meet the brief of being an orbital express route.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 10:04:59 GMT
Loving Diamond Geezer's take on SL6, especially the SuperLoop roundel on a shelter that hasn't been used since 2017.
Sums up my feeling towards the entire Superloop scheme, rushed, no planning, knee jerk reaction to ULEZ. The X68/607/X239 have no place in the Superloop network, it’s just nonsensical, unless they made the X68 all day there is no point branding a handful of bus stops as being Superloop. DG is only criticising the SL6 here (rightly so IMO), you are d*mning the entire scheme. I don't think most of the routes are unplanned, I suspect the ideas have been around for a while and have been put out for consultation now that TfL has secured the funding for increased bus mileage in Outer London. Indeed an outline proposal for Superloop was probably part of the negotiations and TfL may well have reminded the DfT and the Transport Secretary that additional express routes in Outer London were originally promised by a Conservative Mayor. I may not agree with the X68 becoming part of Superloop - I'm not fussed about the SL4 and SL8 - but it's TfL's decision to include them on the basis that Superloop denotes an express route.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 9:48:19 GMT
I think people just don't like railway branch lines. Potentially waiting 20 mins at Grove park with a missed connection or go and take a bus which can drop you closer to your house. The Woodside/Adiscombe branch to Elmers End never really carried huge amounts. There are similarities between the Bromley North branch and the erstwhile Elmers End to Addiscombe line, both short branches isolated from the main network and with parallel bus services, there is an interesting video and the possibilities for the Bromley North branch.... youtu.be/4C2JDzIeSuMThese branches only really exist(ed) because of competition between the different railway companies in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Had the network been planned by a single company from the outset the railway network in South London would look very different. At least the Addiscombe Line spawned the branch to Hayes which has proved a success following suburban development and electrification. The stations are far enough from other lines to have their own unique catchment areas.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2023 9:34:39 GMT
Fares on the F-prefix football routes will increase for the 2023-2024 season. Reading Buses states that the increase is "unavoidable" due to withdrawal of funding from Reading FC and increased running costs. "Following a withdrawal of funding from Reading Football Club alongside increased running costs, we have been faced with the unavoidable decision to make changes to fares on our football services for the upcoming 2023/24 season.
"These changes will see most of our single fares increase by £1 and our return fares increase by £2. This will apply to Adult, Under 19 and concessionary fares.
"Alongside this, our simplyMatchday products will also be increasing. The simplyMatchday Reading and simplyMatchday Network will continue to offer additional bus travel around Reading or our network and will provide a saving against on-the-day fares.
"There are no changes to the free journeys towards the stadium for concessionary pass holders in Bracknell Forest and Oxfordshire. Buses will remain free to board for journeys towards the station with a single ticket for the return needing to be purchased." www.reading-buses.co.uk/changes-football-fares-202324-season
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