JSK 4 GSW

Go South West have now transferred their JSK plates to the current GSW fleet in the new livery.

Thanks to the company for these great shots of them lined in in registration order

319 JSK261

320 JSK262

317 JSK263

321 JSK264

323 JSK265

Go South West Coach Hire

Plymouth Citybus has recently been repainting its coaches out of the previous blue liveries into plain white. These are now receiving their branding so we can get a look at the end result.

Coach 326 BF63ZRX is first to break out with the new look.

© Jason Beverley

It makes a lot of sense to use the Go South West brand now that they operate under several different divisions across the area and I must admit I quite like the livery, although I know some think it quite bland.  Three of these Caetano coaches have gone to the Dartline fleet, – although it remains to be seen if they also get Go South West names – or Dartline.

Go South West Expands

Go-Ahead expands in south-west England through acquisition of Dartline

• Exeter-based bus and coach operator to join Go South West
• Acquisition adds 118 employees and 84 buses
• Complementary geographical fit alongside Plymouth Citybus, Go Devon Bus, and Go Cornwall Bus

The Go-Ahead Group has agreed to buy Dartline, a bus and coach operator based in Exeter, which will build on the group’s position as a leading local transport operator in Devon and Cornwall.

A well-established business with 30 years’ experience in the region, Dartline operates a fleet of 84 buses, coaches and special education needs taxis, and employs 118 people.

Dartline provides essential services for commuters, schools, day trippers local communities across East Devon. Its bus routes are a mixture of commercial routes and services operated under contract for Devon County Council.

Dartline’s coach division provides tours and private hire services. The company operates the team coach for Exeter Chiefs rugby union team.

Go-Ahead has grown rapidly in the West Country. From its origins as Plymouth Citybus, the group expanded into East Cornwall in 2014, and again in 2020 through an eight-year contract to deliver rural bus routes from Lands End to the Tamar for the county council, creating Go Cornwall Bus. The combined operation was given a new corporate identity as Go South West.

Following the acquisition of Dartline, Go South West, an Investors in People Platinum accredited company, will comprise of four customer facing brands operating 380 buses and coaches, employing a workforce of 900 people.

Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Go South West, said:

“We’ve been admirers of Dartline for a long time – it’s a family focused, well run bus company with a strong reputation and a competitive fleet. This acquisition will take us into wider Devon, and will mean that Go South West bus services stretch from the western tip of Cornwall to the Devon, Dorset and Somerset border.

“Operating as a standalone business, we will maintain Dartline’s strong focus on delivering for local communities, and we will invest in growing and adding services in mid and east Devon.”

Dave Hounslow, Managing Director of Dartline, said:

"I reached the grand age of 70 this year and decided its time to hand the reins to a progressive company like Go Ahead, the brand will continue as Dartline and all the staff will be maintained. Having started Dartline on 4th January 1987 with 8 Vehicles and building it to its size today I feel proud that it will continue under the new Management."

Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group, said:

“We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues at Dartline into the group. This acquisition underlines Go-Ahead’s commitment to expand in the regional bus market in the UK, as set out in our group strategy, The Next Billion Journeys.”

Official Staff Notice can be seen here

©Mark Bailey

One of Dartlines Solo SRs (YJ18 DLN) leaving Tavistock on the hourly 118 service to Okehampton via Lydford, and now lettered to promote the recently-reopened GWR rail link from Okehampton to Exeter.

Go South West service alterations

The few listed timetable changes for Plymouth Citybus were just the tip of the iceberg with no less than 45 entries into the DVSA site today across Plymouth and Cornwall. They are presented here as a straight table with no links or anything so you can see what changes are coming up. Some of these may be only minor alterations as some of the Plymouth services noted below are not mentioned by Citybus in their list of services due to change!

More details will be added over the coming week or so hopefully.

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH0000135.094	5 (5, 5A)	Elburton	City Centre	30-Aug-2020	Timetable Change
PH0000135.012	8 (8, 9)	City Centre	City Centre	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.276	GC010A (10)	Launceston	Bodmin Parkway	30-Aug-2020	Revise route in Launceston & reduce layover time at Westgate Street to address congestion
PH0000135.161	12B (12)	Bude	Plymouth	30-Aug-2020	On schooldays journeys serving Marhamchurch operate via Red Post & Stratton
PH0000135.162	12 (12)	Bude	Plymouth	30-Aug-2020	Additional journeys between Launceston & Downgate. On schooldays, 0700 from Plymouth & 1525 from Launceston serve Launceston College
PH0000135.170	12A (12A)	Plymouth	Downgate	30-Aug-2020	Diverted to serve Tesco between Ashton & Callington (New Road)
PH0000135.001	16 (16)	City Centre	City Centre	30-Aug-2020	Timetable Change
PH0000135.095	20 (20, 20A)	Ivybridge	City Centre	30-Aug-2020	Revised Timetable
PH0000135.100	PCAO021 (21, 21A)	Barne Barton	Barne Barton	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.006	23 (23, 24)	CIty Centre	City Centre	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.229	GC024 (24)	Fowey	Mevagissey	30-Aug-2020	Timetable revised to complement commercial service provided by First Kernow
PH0000135.146	27 (27, 27B)	City Centre	Crownhill	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.231	GC027 (27, 27A)	Bodmin	Truro	30-Aug-2020	Timetable amended t ocomplement commercial servics registered by First Kernow
PH0000135.232	GC27 (27, 27A)	Truro	Bodmin	30-Aug-2020	Timetable amended to complement commercial services registered by First Kernow
PH0000135.005	28 (28, 28A)	Crownhill	City Centre	30-Aug-2020	Timetable Change
PH0000135.053	34 (34)	City Centre	Estover	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.042	35 (35, 35A)	City Centre	City Centre	31-May-2020	temporary change to timetable due to corona virus
PH0000135.237	GC037 (37, 37A)	Helston Town	Helston Town	30-Aug-2020	Revised route in Helston
PH0000135.238	GC038 (38)	Camborne	Helston	30-Aug-2020	Revised route in Helston
PH0000135.239	GC039 (39)	Helston	Camborne	30-Aug-2020	Revised route in Helston
PH0000135.007	40 (40, 41, 40A, 41A)	CITY CENTRE	CITY CENTRE	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.149	42C (42, 42C)	City Centre	Woolwell	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.013	43 (43)	City Centre	City Centre	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.010	44 (44, 44A)	City Centre	Whitleigh	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.246	GC056 (56)	Padstow	Newquay	30-Aug-2020	Certain journeys between Newquay and Newquay Airport withdrawn
PH0000135.126	61 (62, 61)	Transit Way	City Centre	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.164	72 (72)	Polperro	Plymouth	30-Aug-2020	Additional school journey between Triffle & Looe. 1355 from Polperro diverts to Saltash School on schooldays
PH0000135.163	73 (73, 73A)	Polperro	Liskeard	30-Aug-2020	PM service 73A extended to Dobwalls. Late summer only journeys withdrawn
PH0000135.182	81 (81)	Milehouse	Milehouse	30-Aug-2020	Cancel
PH0000135.181	82 (82)	Milehouse	Milehouse	30-Aug-2020	cancel
PH0000135.180	83 (83)	Milehouse	Milehouse	30-Aug-2020	Cancel
PH0000135.179	84 (84)	Milehouse	Milehouse	30-Aug-2020	Timetable Change. Service runs daily
PH0000135.178	85 (85)	Milehouse	Milehouse	30-Aug-2020	Service to operate daily. Timetable revised accordingly
PH0000135.278	GC090 (89)	Bodmin	Truro	30-Aug-2020	Service 90 (Newquay Airport to Truro Rail Station) withdrawn
PH0000135.134	118	MILEHOUSE., St Budeaux, West Park, Brake Farm	NOTRE DAME SCHOOL	01-Sep-2020
PH0000135.192	176 - 178	Launceston, Tregadillett, Five Lanes	Bodmin	31-May-2020	new timetables? Start of august
PH0000135.203	181 (181)	Pipers Pool	Callywith College, Bodmin	30-Aug-2020	Morning journey retimed. Additional jouney when schools are open & Callywith college is closed.
PH0000135.196	182 (182)	Delabole	Wadebridge	31-Aug-2020	ourney back extended to start at Boscastle (Doctors Corner). Additional journey to run when schools are open but Callywith College closed
PH0000135.204	184 (184)	Port Isaac	Callywith College	30-Aug-2020	New Service
PH0000135.249	GC223 (223)	Launceston Town Service	Launceston Town Service	31-Aug-2020	Most journeys operate 10 minutes earlier t oease congestion in Westgate Street
PH0000135.275	GC515 (515)	Penzance	Hayle	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable
PH0000135.260	GC0A1 (A1)	Penzance	Lands End	30-Aug-2020	Revised timetable to complement commercial service from First Kernow
PH0000135.261	GC0M6 (M6)	Penzance	Mousehole	30-Aug-2020	All journeys withdrawn except schoolday journeys at 0755 from Mousehole & 1510 from Humphry davy School
PH0000135.224	GC014 (T1)	Penzance	Truro	06-Sep-2020	Formal registration of changes during Covid-19 period. service T2 withdrawn, Sunday & Bank Holiday service T1 withdrawn, Mondy to saturday service revised. Revisions are to complement commercial service provided by First Kernow.
PH0000135.262	GC0U4 (U4, 2)	Penzance	Penryn Campus	17-Aug-2020	Additional service 2 Penzance - Praa Sands to fill gap identified by Cornall Council

I expect quite a large number to appear for First South West shortly too…

Coombe Dean School Services

Coombe Dean School have announced that their school bus services will be run by Plymouth Citybus from September as Stagecoach have withdrawn them.

CityBus are taking over the service from September

Many of you will know that since ‘lockdown’ Stagecoach has suspended the bus services on which a large proportion of our pupils rely on to get to school. A few weeks ago, we learnt that Stagecoach had decided to de-registered these routes as they deemed them commercially unviable.

I am delighted to announce that Plymouth CityBus have agreed to take over these routes, and that pupils who were used to travelling on the 806 (from Devonport) the 807 (from Woolwell ) and the 808 & 809 (from Mannamead) will still be able to do so from September. We will also continue to operate the 810 ‘late bus’ service, in partnership with CityBus.

Ticket Type	Cost	Equivalent Cost Per Week
1-week	£14.50	£14.50
4-week	£55.50	£13.87
13-week	£174	£13.38
Annual	£585	£11.25 (only best if pupil travels regularly in school holidays)

I acknowledge that the ticket prices for these routes have increased and that this will be an additional financial burden on our families at a difficult time. We are working on a plan to continue our subsidised weekly tickets for low-income families, and will provide details of this scheme as soon as possible.

Please remember that CityBus, like all public transport operators, have faced significant difficulties through the pandemic. I am very grateful that they have chosen to support the education of young people across Plymouth by taking on the routes that had been de-registered by Stagecoach.

Please do everything you can to buy tickets in advance. This will ensure that the buses run on time and is also much safer for all involved, as it reduces the need for queuing and for pupils to wait in close proximity to the driver and one another whilst they purchase tickets.

• Traveline Timetable 806
• Traveline Timetable 807
• Traveline Timetable 808
• Traveline Timetable 809
• Traveline Timetable 810