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Post by greenboy on May 25, 2023 15:30:15 GMT
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Post by twobellstogo on May 25, 2023 15:38:30 GMT
Eek, the 334 gone. I think that takes Arriva out of the Isle of Sheppey entirely. Does it also mean no buses travelling between Sheppey and the mainland?
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Post by greenboy on May 25, 2023 15:51:40 GMT
Eek, the 334 gone. I think that takes Arriva out of the Isle of Sheppey entirely. Does it also mean no buses travelling between Sheppey and the mainland? I thought that was a bit drastic but I suppose the Stagecoach X3 has taken away what custom there was between Maidstone and Sittingbourne. I'm not sure if there are any other services between Isle of Sheppey and the mainland.
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Post by twobellstogo on May 25, 2023 16:04:19 GMT
Eek, the 334 gone. I think that takes Arriva out of the Isle of Sheppey entirely. Does it also mean no buses travelling between Sheppey and the mainland? I thought that was a bit drastic but I suppose the Stagecoach X3 has taken away what custom there was between Maidstone and Sittingbourne. I'm not sure if there are any other services between Isle of Sheppey and the mainland. I thought I’d have a look on bustimes. Apart from a few 370(insert random letter) to and from Sittingbourne to time with school start/finish times, there is literally nothing else bus wise off the Isle to the mainland. If you want to get off the Isle by public transport, it’s the train, or nothing. That’s really poor.
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Post by greenboy on May 25, 2023 17:43:27 GMT
I thought that was a bit drastic but I suppose the Stagecoach X3 has taken away what custom there was between Maidstone and Sittingbourne. I'm not sure if there are any other services between Isle of Sheppey and the mainland. I thought I’d have a look on bustimes. Apart from a few 370(insert random letter) to and from Sittingbourne to time with school start/finish times, there is literally nothing else bus wise off the Isle to the mainland. If you want to get off the Isle by public transport, it’s the train, or nothing. That’s really poor. There’s some suggestions elsewhere that Chalkwell may run some sort of service between Sheerness and Sittingbourne but that remains to be seen. The loss of the 8,55 and 79 are going to leave some parts of Maidstone remote the bus network. A bit bizarre that the 5 will no longer go to Sandhurst because of problems turning buses around there, funny how they've managed ok up until now. These cuts would have been unthinkable before the pandemic.
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Post by LondonExplorer316 on May 25, 2023 18:21:36 GMT
I thought I’d have a look on bustimes. Apart from a few 370(insert random letter) to and from Sittingbourne to time with school start/finish times, there is literally nothing else bus wise off the Isle to the mainland. If you want to get off the Isle by public transport, it’s the train, or nothing. That’s really poor. There’s some suggestions elsewhere that Chalkwell may run some sort of service between Sheerness and Sittingbourne but that remains to be seen. The loss of the 8,55 and 79 are going to leave some parts of Maidstone remote the bus network. A bit bizarre that the 5 will no longer go to Sandhurst because of problems turning buses around there, funny how they've managed ok up until now. These cuts would have been unthinkable before the pandemic. The 5 re-route is apparently because buses have struggled with that turn and it's too risky to keep doing. As someone who has personally not seen the network for myself, I cannot say if they actually struggle, but as you said the cuts would be unthinkable, like most cuts happening these days.
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Post by greenboy on May 25, 2023 18:51:06 GMT
There’s some suggestions elsewhere that Chalkwell may run some sort of service between Sheerness and Sittingbourne but that remains to be seen. The loss of the 8,55 and 79 are going to leave some parts of Maidstone remote the bus network. A bit bizarre that the 5 will no longer go to Sandhurst because of problems turning buses around there, funny how they've managed ok up until now. These cuts would have been unthinkable before the pandemic. The 5 re-route is apparently because buses have struggled with that turn and it's too risky to keep doing. As someone who has personally not seen the network for myself, I cannot say if they actually struggle, but as you said the cuts would be unthinkable, like most cuts happening these days. Turning around at Sandhurst isn't ideal and does involve a reversing manoeuvre although buses have been doing it for years without incident as far as I'm aware. Kent seems to have been particularly badly hit post pandemic.
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Post by twobellstogo on May 26, 2023 19:04:24 GMT
I thought I’d have a look on bustimes. Apart from a few 370(insert random letter) to and from Sittingbourne to time with school start/finish times, there is literally nothing else bus wise off the Isle to the mainland. If you want to get off the Isle by public transport, it’s the train, or nothing. That’s really poor. There’s some suggestions elsewhere that Chalkwell may run some sort of service between Sheerness and Sittingbourne but that remains to be seen. The loss of the 8,55 and 79 are going to leave some parts of Maidstone remote the bus network. A bit bizarre that the 5 will no longer go to Sandhurst because of problems turning buses around there, funny how they've managed ok up until now. These cuts would have been unthinkable before the pandemic. Chalkwell are indeed running a partial replacement for the Arriva 334 from 24th July 2023. It will remain as 334 but only run between Sheerness and Sittingbourne (incidentally, another town Arriva are withdrawing from entirely). Wouldn’t be hugely surprised if Arriva decide in due course that only Medway and Maidstone are worth bothering with in Kent.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on May 27, 2023 6:10:25 GMT
I wonder whether Arriva will still be running many former Boro'Line routes at this rate?
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Post by myles on May 30, 2023 19:24:21 GMT
I wonder whether Arriva will still be running many former Boro'Line routes at this rate? I think the last ex Boro'Line routes operated will be just three, the 82 to Parkwood, 85 to Senacre Wood and the 89 to Coxheath, though historically this was a M&D route until the Maidstone co-ordination scheme of 1981.
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Post by lynford1976 on May 31, 2023 6:54:22 GMT
I wonder whether Arriva will still be running many former Boro'Line routes at this rate? I think the last ex Boro'Line routes operated will be just three, the 82 to Parkwood, 85 to Senacre Wood and the 89 to Coxheath, though historically this was a M&D route until the Maidstone co-ordination scheme of 1981. The route to Maidstone Hospital (currently Arriva 3) was also part of the Boro'line network, although it was worked as a through service from the 82's and 85's (and the odd 89).
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Post by lonmark on Jun 6, 2023 10:38:09 GMT
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Post by twobellstogo on Jun 6, 2023 14:18:25 GMT
The process of finding someone to replace Arriva is well under way. Personally, I can see Arriva pulling out of Dartford/Gravesend entirely. It’s yet another area that I don’t think they are bothered about.
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Post by greenboy on Jun 6, 2023 14:48:09 GMT
The process of finding someone to replace Arriva is well under way. Personally, I can see Arriva pulling out of Dartford/Gravesend entirely. It’s yet another area that I don’t think they are bothered about. I would have thought Dartford and Gravesend would be good bus operating territory but Arriva don't seem to think so.
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Post by twobellstogo on Jun 6, 2023 15:59:44 GMT
The process of finding someone to replace Arriva is well under way. Personally, I can see Arriva pulling out of Dartford/Gravesend entirely. It’s yet another area that I don’t think they are bothered about. I would have thought Dartford and Gravesend would be good bus operating territory but Arriva don't seem to think so. You’d think so, but outside the main routes from Dartford/Bluewater to Gravesend, the 700 which is Medway really, and the Fastrack routes, patronage seems to be a bit slow, at least in my experience, and it hasn’t been helped at all by Arriva hacking away at the network making it more and more unattractive. I give Arriva a year or so and I think they’ll pack up and leave, just as they did in Guildford.
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