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Post by wirewiper on Mar 15, 2021 10:28:01 GMT
Not buses, but the Exeter - Okehampton rail line has been allocated £40million in the Budget for the restoration of passenger services. The route has been freight-only since passenger trains were withdrawn in June 1972, although a limited Sunday passenger service has operated during the Summer months since 1997. Okehampton is on the former London and South Western Railway route between Exeter and Plymouth. Campaigners have been arguing for the complete route to be restored as it would provide improved local transport links for Okehampton and Tavistock, as well as acting as a diversionary route when the main line through South Devon is closed. Although much of the formation is unobstructed, there is an issue at Tavistock where housing development on the site of the former station has obliterated the route. Some more on this: a start date has not been given, but it won't be May 2021 as some track relaying has to take place first. Network Rail and GWR are being supported by the Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association, which is still active despite the bankruptcy of the Dartmoor Railway CIC. Okehampton will retain its heritage atmosphere and the DRSA are looking to reopen the railway museum and shop there. They are also hoping to restart heritage railway operations between Okehampton and Meldon Viaduct. More about the DRSA: www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/
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Post by wirewiper on Mar 19, 2021 18:19:41 GMT
Stagecoach has posted more details of its open-top services for Summer 2021. Hop 122 in Torbay (Babbacombe-Torquay-Paignton Zoo) will recommence on Monday 12th April, this year the route is amended in Goodrington to serve the Devon Bay Holiday Park. Route 95 between Exmouth and Sandy Bay will also recommence on Monday 12th April, this year a second bus will operate on the route and buses will run up to every 30 minutes. New route 21C will commence in "Summer 2021", this will operate hourly and will supplement the existing 21A between Barnstaple and Croyde, doubling frequency and capacity during the Summer season. Route 222 will recommence in "Summer 2021" operating hourly between Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren and will supplement routes 2 and 22. www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-west/open-top-bus-sightseeing-tours-in-devon
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Post by baz01 on Mar 19, 2021 19:52:15 GMT
And Stagecoach have announced some new services for the Plymouth area.... nah only joking..lol. like that will ever happen!!
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Post by wirewiper on Mar 20, 2021 18:48:18 GMT
And Stagecoach have announced some new services for the Plymouth area.... nah only joking..lol. like that will ever happen!! I'm not sure what new routes they could introduce as Plymouth CityBus' network pretty much covers the city already. Which links do you think are missing? It does seem likely that there will be some other Stagecoach changes from 12th April, if only timetable changes and uplifts to pre-Covid frequencies. You might be interested though in this write-up about First's plans for Devon and Cornwall on the Plymothian Transit website. www.plymothiantransit.com/2021/03/where-next-first-south-west.html
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Post by baz01 on Mar 20, 2021 19:30:19 GMT
I just think that Stagecoach are not showing any ambition or interest at all in Plymouth. They purchased the Ride off First purely as a base for Falcon and Megabus IMO. They have lost Megabus work and most of PCC tenders as well. Their Plymouth network isn't making money and what are they doing about it? To be profitable you have to be innovative like First SW are and Stagecoach appear to be in other areas of Devon, but feels like Plymouth is the pond water of Stagecoach SW network. I think perhaps services from Devonport to city continue through Mutley to Derriford (36 could do this with extension) and take in Marjon too. Direct links from Plympton, Plymstock to hospital via city. Perhaps some services to areas citybus don't serve well, like Pennycross, Peverell to city from Honicknowle maybe?
Personally I would alter park and ride 101 from George to go via Mutley to city, thus providing bus every 8 mins on Mutley corridor in conjunction with service 1. It would pick up way more passengers along Mannamead Road than outland Road fir sure, and advertise lower fares at bus stops! 200 becomes Cross city from Coypool to city then on to Milehouse Park and ride Argyle.
Yes I see First plans but I do no think they will be serving Plymouth too much do you think otherwise?
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Post by wirewiper on Mar 23, 2021 16:51:02 GMT
Stagecoach is making timetable changes to a number of its Exeter, Torbay and Newton Abbot area services from Sunday 4th April, in some cases these restore the previous levels of service to routes which have been running less frequently during lockdown. Routes affected are 2, 7, 12, 22, 31, 35A/35C, 77 and Falcon. The Red Park & Ride service in Exeter will also be reinstated.
Open-top route 95 in Exmouth and 122 in Torbay will resume from Monday 12th April, the day that self-catering holiday accommodation in England is due to be allowed to open. Route 122 is amended this year to take in the Devon Bay Holiday Park in Goodrington.
Plymouth CityBus will be converting its circular route 25 to open-top operation from Monday 29th March, and will have a special hop-on-hop-off day ticket (£3.50 adult, £2.80 child) valid on this route only - standard Plymouth CityBus day tickets and PlusBus, Skipper and Devon Day multi-operator tickets will also be valid on the route and concessionary passes will be accepted. Curiously for a route of such tourist potential, there will be no service on Sundays or public holidays [EDIT: the Sunday service is operated hourly combined with another route and will continue to be so but it won't have open-top journeys]. A trip round the full circle takes 25 minutes so the route can be operated with one vehicle - Plymouth CityBus currently has two part-open top Enviro400s which were originally in the Go-Ahead London fleet.
In North Devon, there will be timetable changes to Stagecoach routes 21/21A from Sunday 18th April, to allow the service to be operated more reliably.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2021 16:43:44 GMT
Here’s an image of First’s open top buses coming to Exeter this year:
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Post by baz01 on Mar 24, 2021 17:34:18 GMT
First SW are certainly branching out. Even deep into Stagecoach domain now with Exeter opentopper? Surely more for Plymouth must come soon? Hope to see more in Plymouth too. Good to see such innovative ideas, hope they all work for First across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset
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Post by wirewiper on Mar 25, 2021 18:28:43 GMT
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Post by wirewiper on Mar 29, 2021 17:26:36 GMT
Stagecoach is making timetable changes to a number of its Exeter, Torbay and Newton Abbot area services from Sunday 4th April, in some cases these restore the previous levels of service to routes which have been running less frequently during lockdown. Routes affected are 2, 7, 12, 22, 31, 35A/35C, 77 and Falcon. The Red Park & Ride service in Exeter will also be reinstated. Open-top route 95 in Exmouth and 122 in Torbay will resume from Monday 12th April, the day that self-catering holiday accommodation in England is due to be allowed to open. Route 122 is amended this year to take in the Devon Bay Holiday Park in Goodrington. <snip> The 4th April changes coincide with the opening of a new outstation at Newton Abbot (at the Racecourse, which is technically in Kingsteignton). This will be an outstation of Torquay Garage although it will also take over some Exeter duties on route 2. From the same date a few Paignton driving turns on the 12 and 22 will be reallocated to Torquay. This will lead to a few minor changes to the route 22 timetable and the route 12 timetable will also be slightly different to the pre-lockdown one. The 122 will operate at a half-hourly frequency (at least initially), and will not serve Paignton Zoo this year due to difficulties with the turning arrangements. Buses will instead operate via Dartmouth Road, Goodrington Road and Grange Road to the Devon Bay Holiday Park (buses will operate into the park). A proposed reroute via the scenic Meadfoot Beach area of Torquay will not take place this year due to overhanging trees which cannot be lopped as birds are now nesting, but this is an aspiration for next year.
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Post by wirewiper on Apr 9, 2021 16:08:35 GMT
<snip> Plymouth CityBus will be converting its circular route 25 to open-top operation from Monday 29th March, and will have a special hop-on-hop-off day ticket (£3.50 adult, £2.80 child) valid on this route only - standard Plymouth CityBus day tickets and PlusBus, Skipper and Devon Day multi-operator tickets will also be valid on the route and concessionary passes will be accepted. Curiously for a route of such tourist potential, there will be no service on Sundays or public holidays [ EDIT: the Sunday service is operated hourly combined with another route and will continue to be so but it won't have open-top journeys]. A trip round the full circle takes 25 minutes so the route can be operated with one vehicle - Plymouth CityBus currently has two part-open top Enviro400s which were originally in the Go-Ahead London fleet. <snip> Plymouth CityBus has temporarily suspended open-top operation on its route 25, the route still operates but with a standard vehicle. Open-top operation will recommence on Sunday 16th May, and from that date there will be a half-hourly Sunday/public holiday service (in line with weekdays) and en enhanced evening service operating through to 22.30. Plymouth CityBus will also be operating the Bovisand Beach Bus (route 54) this year, although it is not known if this will be open-top (it was single-deck under its previous operator, the now-defunct Target Travel).
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Post by baz01 on Apr 13, 2021 18:16:50 GMT
I have heard Stagecoach have signed 1 year lease on Plymouth dept at The Ride. What happens to Plymouth ops after April 2022 then?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2021 22:37:09 GMT
Stagecoach Cambridge City Sightseeing open-toppers 13812/3 have relocated to Plymouth. Perhaps signs of them setting up their own tourist service for the Summer?
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markc
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Post by markc on Apr 14, 2021 9:34:34 GMT
I suspect the opentoppers in Plymouth from Cambridge are for their extended / new tourist services in Torbay/Dawlish etc or North Devon, rather than Plymouth. It would be really nice if it was a Plymouth service but I suspect they are happy to leave that to Citybus or perhaps First if they fancy a go as an extension to Dartmoor Exllorer into and out of city. That said Citybus have cut back their OCS tourist open topper this year to only serve The Hoe as normal service, no tour etc so maybe Stagecoach fancy filling the gap? If so don't price themselves out of the market like PCB did!!
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markc
Conductor
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Post by markc on Apr 14, 2021 16:58:48 GMT
Apparently the 3 Cambridge open topper are for Dartmouth Park and Ride. Didn't think they would actually be for Plymouth..lol
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