How to spend 4.5 million...

about a week ago we had this story:

Plymouth City Council has issued a warning to people who use the number two bus between Plymouth and Mount Batten. The council has said the service is at risk of being withdrawn unless more people use it.

The Council has stepped in to offer temporary funding support for a number of journeys that Stagecoach South West says are no longer commercially viable.

The services the council is supplementing include departures from Mount Batten Pier towards the city centre at 8.30pm, 9.30pm,10.30pm and 11.30pm and departures from the city centre towards Mount Batten Pier at 8.01pm (from Sugar Mill), 9pm, 10pm, 11pm and 11.58pm every Monday to Friday.

On Saturday's the council will also be running departures from Mount Batten Pier towards the city centre at 8.30pm, 9.30pm,10.30pm and 11.30pm and departures from the city centre towards Mount Batten Pier at 8pm (from Sugar Mill), 9pm, 10pm, 11pm and 11.57pm.

The council will also cover some services on a Sunday and Bank Holidays, these include departures from Mount Batten Pier towards the city centre at 8.30pm, 9.30pm,10.30pm and 11.30pm and departures from the city centre towards Mount Batten Pier at 8.10pm (from Sugar Mill), 9pm, 10pm, 11pm and 11.55pm.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “We understand how important this service is to the residents of Hooe, Mount Batten and Turnchapel and how much of an impact withdrawing these evening journeys would have. Stagecoach South West had planned to withdraw them from 3 November but we have been able to step in with temporary support until 31 March 2025, demonstrating our commitment to providing services that connect people to key places.

“However, we have to stress that this is being funded by a short-term grant, in the hope that passenger numbers will increase enough for Stagecoach to continue the journeys on a commercial basis. I’d encourage people to use the evening services wherever possible to secure their long-term future.”

The temporary subsidy is being funded by the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan Phase 2 grant, which has also been used to boost the frequency of the service throughout the day between 7am and 7pm. Stagecoach South West says an additional 35 passengers are needed each evening to ensure the commercial viability of these services. This is around four or five additional passengers per journey.

A spokesperson for Stagecoach South West said: “We are committed to connecting the people of Plymouth to the people and places they need to get to the most.

“Like all transport providers some routes are more popular than others and we are currently seeing a decline in patronage on the Service 2 in the evenings. We are working with our partners at Plymouth City Council to continue to provide a regular services in the evenings on this route thanks to the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan Phase 2 funding. We now need the local community to support this service in the evenings to secure its long-term future.”

To view the latest timetable, visit www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables.

Plymouth Live

The today we get this..

Plymouth has been given £4.5m from the Government to improve bus services. The cash is part of a wider £1bn funding package for councils across the country to invest in bus services and is designed to enhance popular routes, protect rural services and increase bus use for shopping, socialising, and commuting.

Moor View’s Labour MP Fred Thomas welcomed the windfall in Parliament and praised the Government for investing in Plymouth, its people, communities and buses. In the House of Commons, Mr Thomas said: “What a fantastic day for every person in Plymouth who uses the bus and we welcome, strongly, the secretary of state’s announcement of £4.5m being invested in our buses over the next couple of years. But the secretary of state said that this doesn’t just represent an investment in buses but also an investment in people and in communities, and that is fantastic to hear. And will she agree with me that this represents today the Labour Government investing in Plymouth?”

Louise Haigh, secretary of state for transport, answered Mr Thomas by saying: “I’m very grateful to confirm that we are investing in Plymouth and Plymouth’s people and Plymouth’s buses. Buses are an enormous engine of social justice because, as I said earlier, it is particularly the most deprived that rely on them the most and I’m afraid that is why they have been so badly neglected in this place for so long. But with this Labour Government that absolutely turns around and buses are my priority and this Labour Government’s priority.”

Labour said that under the previous Conservative Government, thousands of bus services in England were cut. The effects of that were felt in Plymouth under a Conservative administration when five routes were cut in 2022, Mr Thomas said.

Since then, he said, the Labour administration has managed to restore some of those routes and the newly announced additional funding will support further improvements to the city’s bus network. Mr Thomas said: “This news is incredibly welcome in Plymouth. There are many folks here who rely on our buses but under the previous government, and recent local Conservative administrations, we have suffered cuts to our services.

“This new funding will allow the council to invest in our buses and deliver better services for people in Plymouth. During the general election we promised that we would deliver better buses for every community, and this news just shows that we are already delivering on that promise.”

Mark Coker, Plymouth City Council ’s cabinet member for transport, said: “This is a very welcome announcement and shows how seriously this Labour Government takes investment in our bus network. I look forward to announcing in due course what specific improvements to our city’s bus services in 2025/6 this funding will enable.”

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/massive-boost-plymouth-bus-users-9726774

It will be interesting to see what plans they come up with for Plymouth. Will the Mount batten buses be saved? Should the Mount Batten buses be saved?

I know many readers will have their own suggestions so go ahead – how would you spend the money to improve our buses in Plymouth?

I will be looking at the other areas across Devon & Cornwall to see how they spend their allocation too… If you see anything in your local area I might have missed please let me know!

This is BIG NEWS...

Quickly posting this during my lunch hour as its pretty big news…

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, has today (22 March 2024) announced the winners of £143m Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme.

The fund sees 25 councils win a share of the money, which will be invested in 955 buses. Rural areas have been prioritised in this second tranche of ZEBRA funding, with the first £40 million for rural communities.

The south west is to receive the largest share of the funding, with £43,400,000 due to go to the region to pay for 352 buses. The second biggest share is to go to the south east, which is set to receive £30,200,000 for 179 buses (see below for a breakdown of how much each region is due to receive).

Today’s investment follows over £270 million to 16 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and councils from the first round of ZEBRA funding, bringing the total government support to roll out zero-emission buses to more than £413 million across 41 LTAs.

Over half of electric buses from the first round of the ZEBRA scheme are manufactured in the UK.

The new zero-emission buses follow £4.7 billion of reallocated HS2 funding invested directly into the North and Midlands through the Local Transport Fund.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “As part of our plan to improve local transport across the country, we’re providing a further £143 million to improve journeys for bus passengers particularly in rural areas, with almost a thousand brand new, zero-emission buses due to hit the road.

“This latest investment into our bus fleet comes on top of the £3.5 billion we have invested into our bus network since 2020, protecting and improving bus routes into 2025 as well as extending the £2 bus fare cap until the end of 2024, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.”

South West

Cornwall Council - £1,300,000, 8 buses

Devon County Council - £5,300,000, 41 buses

Gloucestershire County Council - £5,900,000, 58 buses

North Somerset Council - £2,100,000, 24 buses

Plymouth City Council - £9,500,000, 50 buses

Somerset Council - £2,200,000, 25 buses

Torbay Council - £7,100,000, 49 buses

West of England Mayoral Combined Authority - £6,600,000, 74 buses

Wiltshire Council - £3,400,000, 23 buses

South West total: £43,400,000, 352 buses

https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/zebra-2-funding-announced/

so I make that 148 new buses for Devon & Cornwall…

I will start looking at these schemes in more detail over the coming week but felt it good to get this out there today!

Electric Future?

A Council-led bid could see 50 electric, zero-emission buses on the roads of the city and the Rame peninsula.

The Department for Transport is making £129m available to support the introduction of the buses in England and the Council is leading a bid to the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, in partnership with Plymouth Citybus Ltd (part of The Go-Ahead Group Ltd) and Cornwall Council.

If successful the bid will see the introduction of 50 zero-emission, electric, double- decker buses on routes operating in Plymouth and the Rame peninsula as well as the necessary associated charging infrastructure at the Plymouth Citybus depot in Milehouse.

This will mean better transport to places of work, education, leisure and healthcare and improvements in air quality. It will also strongly support the climate change ambitions in our Net Zero Action Plan.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport said: “If successful, this bid will not only mean we can introduce modern, zero-emission buses on some of our key routes but also cascade existing Euro 6 diesel buses displaced from electrified routes onto other services in Plymouth and South-East Cornwall, modernising the Plymouth Citybus fleet in the Plymouth travel-to-work area.”

Councillor Tom Briars-Delve, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, added: “Cutting emissions from the transport sector is a top priority for the Council and its partners. The introduction of electric buses within Plymouth and its wider travel-to-work area would be an important step on our path towards net zero whilst supporting cleaner air. Our ZEBRA bid shows how seriously the Council is taking climate change locally.”

The value of the bid is around £34 million, with the Council making a financial contribution (funded from the Community Infrastructure Fund levy) of £750,000.

The deadline for bids is 4pm on Friday 15 December and the outcome is due to be announced by April.

https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/council-bids-zero-emission-buses

Fingers crossed that this time Plymouth actually gets the money – its certainly needed!

Green Bus Stops and Fares Cap Extended

I will be posting final details of next weekend timetable changes later in the week as quite a few of the new timetables have yet to appear on Traveline. So just a few bits of pieces tonight…

Green Bus Stops

LIVING-ROOFED bus shelters are making a scheduled stop in Tavistock.

The town council, in partnership with Launceston firm Fernbank Advertising, is providing the new shelters with mini-gardens on top this month.

The shelters have started appearing in the town centre and their roofs will be planted in the next few weeks.

The roofs will be planted with sedums, lit by solar power and use a dusk-til-dawn light sensor. Sedums are tolerant of dry windswept conditions in shallow soils. Environmental gardeners have already welcomed the garden roof as yet another ‘green’ initiative to support the council’s policy of sustainability and environmental commitment. The idea is for the gardens in the sky to help capture carbon emissions from traffic, encourage insect life and reduce run-off and flooding.

Tavistock Today

Bus Fare Cap Extended

Bus passengers in England will be able to keep travelling for £2 after the government extended funding by another £500m, easing fears about a further decline in local services.

The fare cap on most local buses, brought in as a temporary measure last year to boost patronage, will be extended until the end of October and then for another 13 months at £2.50 for a single journey, in a move that the Department for Transport said would support people with the cost of living and ensure stability in the sector.

Bus operators, who had warned that up to 15% of routes could be lost when existing funding was due to run out at the end of June, welcomed the news but said it would not be enough to save every service.

The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “By extending the £2 fare cap, we’re making sure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for everyone, while helping to ease cost of living pressures.

“Buses connect our communities and play a vital role in growing the economy; they transport people to work, take our kids to school and make sure patients can get to doctors’ appointments. That’s why we’re determined to protect local routes and encourage more people on to the bus, ensuring people can get around easily and in an affordable way.”

Guardian

Sounds Good?

Buses journeys in Plymouth are going to get a lot noisier over the next few years:

Local bus services in Britain will provide audible announcements and visual displays to improve accessibility for disabled passengers. Under new rules announced on Thursday, the route and direction of a service, each upcoming stop and any diversions will all be identified, the Department for Transport (DfT) said. The aids will be introduced as part of vehicle upgrades, with £4.65 million funding being made available to the nation’s smallest bus and coach companies

Alongside audio announcements and displays, it’s really important that bus companies ensure their drivers are educated on best practice such as always stopping at bus stops when they see a blind or partially sighted passenger and letting them know the number and direction of the bus

“Simple and effective audible and visible information should be a baked-in feature of a modern bus service to help people reach their destination, wherever they travel in Great Britain.”  Evening Standard

Although I would prefer quieter bus journeys myself, especially going to work in the morning, anything which helps accessibility for disabled passengers has to be a good thing and should be welcomed. I Can't imagine that its going to be cheap though fitting the equipment in all buses, as I see funding is promised for only “the smallest bus and coach companies, so I guess that rules out First, Go Ahead and Stagecoach!

The other thing is the short roll out for this scheme. The changes will be implemented over the next few years, with almost all vehicles required to comply by October 2026. That's only three and half years away.

£2 Fare Deal Extended until end of June!

Millions of passengers across England will benefit from £155 million in government support to cap bus fares at £2, maintain services and ensure people can travel affordably. The Transport Secretary today (17 February 2023) confirmed £80 million from 1 April to 30 June 2023 to protect vital bus services people rely on for work, education, medical appointments and shopping.

The government has also announced plans to provide up to £75 million so that bus operators can continue to cap single bus fares outside of London at £2 until the end of June, saving passengers money and encouraging more people back on the bus. With the average single local bus ticket costing £2.80, passengers can save almost a third of the ticket price. Bus operators that are continuing the £2 fare cap scheme will be confirmed in due course.

During the pandemic, bus usage dropped as low as 10% of pre-pandemic levels, and the government has provided unprecedented financial support totalling more than £2 billion since March 2020.

With bus patronage still at around 85 to 90% of pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) levels, there are a number of ongoing challenges for bus operators. The government is working closely with the sector on the challenges they face with changing travel patterns since the pandemic and will continue to work on delivering the National Bus Strategy.

The government’s existing £60 million investment to cap single bus fares has already shown early signs of increased bus use, with an independent survey of 1,000 people from passenger watchdog Transport Focus showing 7% of people saying they are using the bus more. During these difficult economic times, these trends already indicate that the government’s support to cap fares is a welcome intervention, helping families, commuters and all passengers to ease the cost of living.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

I want to make bus travel affordable for all, that’s why we’re continuing to cap fares at £2 and protecting local routes, ensuring we have a modern and efficient network that’s accessible for everyone.

Getting more people onto reliable and affordable buses will strengthen communities and help grow the economy – connecting people to jobs, driving pensioners to see friends and family, and helping people attend medical appointments or access education.

I’m determined to ensure that no matter where you live, you have the same opportunities to get around easily and can feel pride in your local area – which is why protecting our local bus services is so important.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Travelling by bus remains the most popular option for commuters and families across the country, but the sector is still trying to recover after the end of the pandemic.

We’re providing £155 million to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes – helping with the cost of living and enabling people to get where they need to in an affordable and convenient way.

The recovery grant support comes in addition to government investment of £3 billion in bus services by 2025, including over £1 billion to improve fares, services and infrastructure.

In 2021, the government published the National Bus Strategy, and asked all English local transport authorities outside London to publish their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) setting out local visions for the step-change in bus services that is needed, driven by what passengers and would-be passengers want.

Since then, over £1 billion has been awarded to 34 counties, city regions and unitary authorities to deliver service improvements, bus priority and ambitious fares initiatives. In addition, £5.7 billion investment has been provided to 8 mayoral combined authorities in England to support integrated, cross-modal transport networks over the next 5 years through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), including supporting bus infrastructure.

Link

It does say that operators that will continue to participate in the scheme will be announced in due course. I would be surprised if our local operators decided against it!

Lack of drivers driving the country down

It wont have escaped your attention that the country seems to be very short of drivers at the moment. This is seen in the number of empty shelves in supermarkets, missing products when shopping online and longer delivery times for many online retailers. Of course the bus companies are no exception and are all desperate for drivers.

Plymouth Citybus has always been very good at keeping passengers up to date on Twitter and has now actually set up a page with all the services that are being cancelled currently, trying to space them out across their network:

We are having to make reductions to some of our bus routes with immediate effect. https://www.plymouthbus.co.uk/changes-bus-services

This is due to challenges we are facing with staff availability, a problem facing many transport operators. We believe this issue will be short term as we move through the current spike of absence and progress the training of over 40 new drivers in our recruitment system.

Services affected are:

Monday-Friday

5/A

Removing buses running from Royal Parade to Elburton at: 07.25, 9.25, 10.35, 13.05, 15.25

Removing buses running from Elburton to Royal Parade at: 7.35, 9.55,  11.05, 13.35, 15.55

Removing buses running from Royal Parade to Callington Road (Saltash) at: 8.10, 14.10

Removing bus running from Callington Road (Saltash) to Royal Parade at: 8.40, 14.40

8/9

Removing buses running from Royal Parade to Torridge Way at: 11.22, 15.32, 16.17, 18.15

Removing buses running from Torridge Way to City Centre at: 11.34, 15.52, 16.37, 18.30

16

Removing buses running from Royal Parade to Kings Tamerton at: 8.25, 15.55

Removing buses running from Kings Tamerton to Royal Parade at: 8.48, 16.18

21/A

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Barne Barton at: 7.05, 9.35, 13.35, 16.55, 19.30, 21.45

Removing buses running from Barne Barton towards Royal Parade at: 7.34, 10.04, 14.04, 17.28, 22.08

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Plympton at: 8.15, 10.45, 14.45, 15.35, 18.20, 22.40

Removing buses running from Plympton towards Royal Parade at: 8.54, 11.21, 15.21, 16.14, 18.49, 23.12

27

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Deer Park at: 10.30, 11.30

Removing buses running from Deer Park towards Royal Parade at: 10.48, 11.48

28/A

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Crownhill at: 9.15, 9.45

Removing buses running from Crownhill towards Royal Parade at: 9.45, 17.25

40

Removing bus running from Royal Parade towards Southway at 13.25

Removing bus running from Southway towards Royal Parade at: 13.56

42

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Mainstone at: 6.45, 8.50, 11.50, 15.50, 17.55

Removing buses running from Mainstone towards Royal Parade at: 7.37, 9.45, 12.45, 16.50, 18.45, 19.58

Removing bus running from The Ship towards Mainstone at 19.21

42A

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Tamerton Foliot at: 12.00, 18.05, 20.30

Removing buses running from Tamerton Foliot towards Royal Parade at: 12.49, 18.49, 21.13

42C

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Woolwell at: 13.40, 15.10, 16.40, 22.00

Removing buses running from Woolwell towards Royal Parade at: 14.21, 15.56, 17.26, 22.49

43

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Ernesettle at: 10.15, 12.15, 14.15, 17.05

Removing buses running from Ernesettle towards Royal Parade at: 10.47, 12.47, 14.53, 17.38

50

Removing buses running from Royal Parade towards Derriford Hospital at: 9.25, 11.05, 12.05, 14.25, 16.05

Removing buses running from Derriford Hospital to Royal Parade at: 10.20, 15.20, 17.05

61

Removing buses running from Royal Parade to Transit Way at: 7.05, 14.35

Removing bus running from Transit Way to Royal Parade at 15.10

You can see all current timetables on our website or via the Plymouth Citybus app, and can contact our Customer Experience Team on 01752 662271

We’ve tried to focus our resources on routes which get students to school, key workers to their jobs, and patients and visitors to healthcare, but we know that this will cause inconveniences for some of you, for which we apologise. We’re working to get more drivers on the road, and are actively recruiting and training. The driver shortage has been compounded by delays at the DVLA, slowing down the paperwork we need before someone can drive for us.

If you’re interested in becoming a driver, you can find out more here: https://www.plymouthbus.co.uk/careers

Stagecoach are also having major problems

Thursday 9th September 2021

The following journeys will not operate:

Exeter

A From  Alphington 0646, 0811, 0941, 1111, 1241, 1411, 1541, 1712

From  Thornpark Rise 0620, 0739, 0903, 1033, 1203, 1333, 1503, 1633, 1803

E From  Exwick 0625, 0705, 0753, 0902, 0959, 1059, 1159, 1259, 1359, 1503, 1607, 1710, 1818

From  City Centre 0610, 0650, 0741, 0840, 0940, 1040, 1140, 1240, 1340, 1440, 1540, 1640, 1750

F2 From  Summerway 0755, 0920, 1050, 1220, 1350, 1520, 1650, 1820,

From  City Centre 0740, 0900, 1030, 1200, 1330, 1500, 1630, 1800

F2 From  Savoy Hill 0627, 0655, 0725, 0835, 1005, 1135, 1305, 1435, 1605, 1735, 1900

From  City Centre 0612, 0640, 0710, 0815, 0945, 1115, 1245, 1415, 1545, 1715, 1845,

K From  Science Park 0746, 0846, 0948, 1048, 1148, 1248, 1348, 1448, 1558, 1648, 1748, 18458, 2005

From  City Centre 0720, 0820, 0920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320, 1420, 1520, 1620, 1720, 1830, 1930

GREEN From  Matford P&R 0745, 0925, 1649, 1845,

From  Sowton P&R 0833, 1002, 1615, 1755, 1920

R From  Rifford Road 0735, 0810, 0850,0930, 1010, 1050, 1130, 1210, 1250, 1330, 1410, 1450, 1530, 1610, 1650, 1730, 1810

From  City Centre 0750. 0832. 0912. 0950, 1030, 1110, 1150, 1230, 1310, 1350, 1430, 1510,1550, 1630, 1710, 1750, 1825

S From  Rifford Road 0725, 0800, 0840, 0920, 1000, 1040, 1120, 1200, 1240, 1320, 1400, 1440, 1520, 1600, 1640, 1720, 1800

From  City Centre 0742, 0822, 0902, 0940, 1020, 1100, 1140,1220, 1300, 1340, 1420, 1500, 1540, 1620, 1700, 1740, 1820

J From  Tesco Superstore 0717, 0817, 0917, 1017, 1117, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1605, 1710, 1810

From  City Centre 0652, 0754, 0855, 0955, 1055, 1122, 1222, 1322, 1422, 1522, 1630, 1736, 1835

57 From  Exeter 0640, 0710, 0740, 0815, 0905, 0930, 1000, 1045, 1130, 1200, 1230, 1315, 1400, 1430, 1505, 1550, 1635, 1705, 1740, 1825

From  Exmouth  0523, 0715, 0728, 0802, 0833, 0918, 1005, 1035, 1105, 1150, 1235, 1305, 1335,  1420, 1504, 1534, 1613, 1658, 1750, 1816, 1842

Torbay                

12           From     Paignton Bus Station      13:27:00,09:08,12:35,14:35,15:22

12           From     Brixham               14:10:00,07:50,10:40,13.00,10:10,14:30,10:30,12:50,15:00,18:00,12:00,17:30,14.30,

12           From     Cary Parade        08:01,

12           From     Newton Abbot  14:30:00,08:50,11:30,16:30,10:40,13:30,16:00

12           From     Torquay Harbour             09:47,

12           From     Newton Rd Asda              06:55, 09:20,

13           From     Newton Rd Asda              12:51:00,14:05

13           From     Brixham               14:00

22           From     Dawlish warren                11:05

22           From     St Marychurch   115:35,18:30,

22           From     Torquay Strand 11:20:00,

22           From     Paignton Bus Station      09/01/1900  09:03:12,13:46,

22           From     South Devon College     14:23,17:03,

23           From     Paignton Bus Station      15:48,16:13,16:53

23           From     South Devon College     15:53,16:33,17:13

32C         From     Grammar School              16:05

77           From     Sherborne Rd    8:52

35A        From     Torquay Harbour             11:40,13:00

35C         From     Torquay Harbour             06:27,07:00,11:40,13:00

FOX        From     Paignton Bus Station      11.00,11.30

North Devon

21           From     Barnstaple - Westward Ho!       0545,

From     Westward Ho! - Barnstaple       0630,

From     Barnstaple - Ilfracombe                0732, 1325,

From     Ilfraocmbe - Barnstaple                0820, 1420,

21A        From     Barnstaple - Appledore               0706, 0740, 0910, 0940, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1340,

From     Appledore - Barnstaple               0809, 0839, 1009, 1039, 1109, 1209, 1309, 1409, 1439,

10/10A  From     Barnstaple - Gorwell      1155, 1455, 1525,

From     Gorwell - Barnstaple      1202, 1502, 1532,

11A/11C               From     Barnstaple - Whiddon Valley    0755, 0835, 0915, 0955, 1035, 1115, 1155, 1235, 1315,

From     Whiddon Valley - Barnstaple    0811, 0853, 0933, 1011, 1053, 1133, 1211, 1253, 1333,

Plymouth

101         From     George P&R       07:30 07:45 09:00 09:22 10:22 10:37 11:37 11:52 12:52 13:07 13:22  14:22 14:37 15:37 15:52 17:00 18:05 18:25 19:15

101         From     Royal Parade     07:05 08:10 08:30 09:45  10:00 11:00 11:15 12:15 12:30 12:45 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:00 15:15  15:45 16:15 16:30 17:15 17:45 18:00 18:45 19:45

1              From     Tavistock             05:50  08:05 10:00 11;15 12:00 13:30 14:45 15:45 17:10 18:20

1              From     Royal Parade     06:10 06:51 09:08 09:51  10:51 11:51 12:06 12:51 14:21 15:51 16:42

2              From     Mount Batten   07:53 09:20 10:20 11:00 11:40 12:00  12:40 13:00 14:00 14:20 15:20 6:43 17:03 17:38 18:00  18:30 18:53  19:23 20:23 21:23 23:23

2              From     St Stephens        06:32 09:03 10:22 10:42  12:02 12:42 13:42 14:02 16:24 16:44 17:25 18:04 19:23 20:18 22:18

2A           From     Sherford              07:42 08:22 09:10  11:30 11:50 12:10 13:50 14:10 15:10 15:22  15:51 16:12 16:53 17:14 17:44  17:54 18:13 18 :41 19:53

2A           From     Saltash 06:20 07:36  08:51  09:31 10:10 10:30 12:50  13:10  13:50 14:30 14:50  15:10 15:51 16:12 16:31  17:05 17:51 18:11 18:52 19:15 19:46

Falcon   From     Plymouth            02:00 am 05:00 am

Falcon   From     Bristol   6:30 am 10:00 am

There is a similar list for Friday 10th on the same page

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-24/08/2021-17:43:03:382

Of course with all of this going on you can expect any competent government to be doing its best to get things moving and put into place a proper well thought out plan to help operators. Sadly however we do not have a competent government in this country so good luck…

Of course they blame covid for all of this, and I am sure covid certainly plays its part in making things worse – however covid exists all around the world at the moment – and nowhere else seems to having the same chronic staff shortages as we are.

A New Route for Local Buses

“At the 2019 Annual Meeting, with bus services under threat across England, Wales and the Islands, WI members passed a resolution calling on both local and national governments to take action. Bus services play a vital role in ensuring communities remain sustainable, helping to reduce social isolation and ensure access to employment, education, local facilities and health services. Our Get on Board campaign seeks to raise awareness of the importance of local bus services and the impact of cuts on communities. “

The opening paragraph for a nice little report calling government action to protect and grow local bus services, especially in rural areas

You can download the full report here

https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/news-and-events/national-federation-of-womens-institutes-nfwi-launches-new-report-into-local-bus-services

or view my library copy HERE

their own summary plots it out nicely

All in all its a nice simple report that even a Conservative Government Minister could understand. The Government is sayings lots of good things about public transport at the moment although I for one remain sceptical on a lot of the detail I really do hope that they are taking all of this on board.

Today we've launched a new report, 'A New Route for Local Bus Services', as part of our Get on Board campaign which calls on both local and national Governments to take action to enable an adequate provision of services. 1/2

Download the report https://t.co/lU0GbBZhT7 pic.twitter.com/o2soPPxjKz

— Women's Institute (@WomensInstitute) April 20, 2021

Dare we dream of Superbus Networks?

One of number of recent announcements made by the current government (if you can still call it that) is of interest to those that follow the passenger transport industry:
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has announced today (30 September) plans for ‘Superbus’ networks in Britain.
The cutting-edge plans will see bus fares fall and service frequency rise with new all-electric buses. The government package, worth £220m in the first year, includes better passenger information and contactless payment available on all city buses.
The West Midlands and elsewhere will feel the benefit of ‘express lanes’ and more frequent services in rural areas where bus service numbers have fallen in recent years.
Apps are being developed that can be used to keep passengers in the loop regarding bus routes, fares, timetables from all different operators across England all in one convenient place.
Part of the announcement is the committal to the UK’s first-ever long-term bus strategy, included in this is support for local authorities who want to create franchised services in their areas. 
Cornwall will be the first county to feel the Superbus benefits, where pilot projects will go ahead from next year to improve quality, frequency and capacity of rail and bus services, with an integrated transport system for the region.
A disproportionate number of people on lower incomes uses buses over any other form of transport.
Cornwall was chosen as a county with significant deprivation and social exclusion, with people who struggle with the cost and unreliability to get to work. The new scheme hopes to connect people with jobs, education and social opportunities.
The Superbus networks will continue to pop up throughout the country, with priority given to similar places that suffer from under-achieving public transport.
With city buses switching to wireless electric vehicles and country buses becoming hybrids, pollution and operating costs will be dramatically reduced.
This is something many local councils are keen to tackle because of climate change targets they need to reach after many declaring a ‘climate emergency’.
The long-term funding package will be outlined in the 2020 spending review. It is set to show plans to support local authorities wanting to pursue London-style bus systems in their regions. 
Greater Manchester is in the most advanced stage of this proposal, and are due to consider adopting a proposed franchised model in 2020.
Is there an election coming up? Call me a cynic but I find it hard to get too excited at anything being announced by the government at the moment as there are an awful lot of big announcements which very quickly get followed by disappointments when you realise just how vague they are. I sincerely hope that this is indeed the start of something new but the £220million quoted above wont go very far at all unless its followed by some serious money pretty quickly.
Just like in Plymouth where we were told of a new £600 million to rebuild Derriford Hospital which very quickly became a vague promise of £100 million across the whole country with hopeful promises of more to follow eventually…
Having said all of that though, the promised scheme in Cornwall does at least seem more likely to happen at the moment…

Passengers boarding at the bus station in Truro
Public transport in Cornwall has received a significant boost with the Chancellor’s promise of a £23.5m funding package over the next four years for a “Reduced Bus Fares” pilot.
Due to begin in May 2020, Cornwall is the first rural area to be given the opportunity to run and fund a pilot scheme to bring down the cost of travelling by bus.
Cornwall Council Cabinet member for transport Geoff Brown said: “One of the issues for our residents is the cost of using buses to get around. So we put forward a case to the Department for Transport to help us encourage people to use the buses by reducing bus fares.

“If more people use the buses then the plan is that over the four years of the pilot project, the lower cost of fares becomes financially sustainable. More journeys by bus means more fares being paid which means keeping fares down.”

He added: “We know that good public transport is important to our residents to connect communities for work, education and socialising. Promoting and providing affordable public transport is also important in tackling climate change and getting cars off the road.
“That’s why improving public transport in Cornwall is a priority for this council. We’ve already seen public transport passenger numbers in the South West growing faster than anywhere else in the UK. Last year, 19.2 million journeys were made on public transport in Cornwall.”
Sarah Newton, MP for Truro and Falmouth, supported the bid to the Department for Transport.
She said:  “This investment will help existing bus service users and will enable more people to afford to access education, employment and social activities. It encourages more people to switch to public transport.
“We have new, low-emission buses and, with this government subsidy, lower fares, so I hope many more people will use them. Switching from cars saves money, helps tackle climate change and improves the air quality of our natural environment.”
Cornwall Council signed a Devolution Deal with Government in 2015 aimed at delivering a cost-effective customer-focused integrated public transport system. It said the resulting One Public Transport System for Cornwall project is delivering upon its objectives to improve public transport.
A spokesman said: "It has seen the introduction of new buses, improved roadside shelters, bus and rail station infrastructure and digital timetable information. It’s also the first rural authority to introduce contactless payments on buses.
"Encouraging more residents to use public transport rather than using the car supports the council’s determination to tackle the Climate Change Emergency by helping to reduce emission levels."
Councillor Brown added: “There are more people using buses but we want to encourage even more. One of the barriers is high bus fares, particularly for short journeys. You need only look at the significant increase in travel since the Concessionary Bus Pass Scheme was introduced to see that people will use public transport if the price is right.
“The Truro park and ride is another example where offering a high-quality service with good value for money fares can attract people to public transport. Last year we had 1.2m passenger journeys on the Park and Ride, taking 1,500 cars per day from the city’s roads.”
The pilot will run for four years from May 2020.

Cornwall does seem to be the place to watch at the moment. They do seem keen to work with the operators rather than like some northern areas which seem determined to wrestle control from the operators by force.  This should result in a much better service across the whole county.
We should also soon by hearing the results of the last batch of tenders put out earlier this year – I know Citybus were keen to take on more Cornish work!
Cornwall has of course seen some big improvements over the last few years – even five years ago if anyone told you there would be brand new double decker's operating in Cornwall you would have laughed!

What do people think? Is this the start of something big or am I right to be a cynic? 

© Tom Carter

Bidding for cash

Plymouth City Council:

Plymouth City Council is bidding for a further £1.68 million from the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) to support ‘smarter travel’ projects. The Department for Transport (DfT) has invited councils across England to bid for additional funding made available for projects that support the local economy, boost growth and reduce carbon emissions by promoting walking, cycling and sustainable transport. Submissions also need to show strong integration with local enterprise partnerships’ strategic economic plans and the Heart of the South West LEP fully endorses the Council’s proposals.

The first bid focuses on two of Plymouth’s designated growth areas – Derriford and the Royal William Yard – and looks to build on the success of the city’s current LSTF programme, Plymotion. It aims to encourage more people living in, working in or visiting these areas to travel by bus, by bike and on foot and includes plans for an enhanced bus service between the city centre and Royal William Yard.

The second bid is to support the work of South West Smart Applications Limited (SWSAL) as it continues to improve smart ticketing for public transport in the region. The organisation is made up of 15 local authorities and bus companies and is hosted by Plymouth University. If the bid is successful, funding will be used to help create a centre of excellence for smart ticketing development in Plymouth, which will be drawn on by bus companies and local authorities from across the UK that want to set up innovative smart ticketing schemes. Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “The opportunity to bid for additional funding from the LSTF is really exciting for Plymouth and could make a big difference to local residents and visitors travelling around the city. The current Plymotion programme has been very well received and is encouraging people to walk, cycle and use the bus more. If this second Plymotion bid is successful it will enable the project to continue for at least another year and mean residents and business in the north of the city can also benefit from the programme.”

Chairman of SWSAL, Dr Andrew Seedhouse said “We are delighted to work with Plymouth City Council and the regional LEPs in this innovative bid submission and thank them for their support. At its heart is making smartcard ticketing easier for businesses and residents of the South West, supporting multi-operator travel and helping encourage more car users to use the bus. Smart ticketing provides a great platform for both sustainable economic growth as well as contributing to reducing emissions, and so the more bums on seats we can get – the better for everyone."

Although some of this does seem a bit wishy washy on first glance, there are some interesting things here which need a more detailed post at some stage in the not-to-distant future. I certainly hope that the council do the the money!

Sorry for the lack of extra blog links etc today - I had them all copied into my editor which then threw a wobbly and promptly lost the whole lot! Its too late to go back through everything to find them again.

Time to put the Great back in to Great Western?

The current contract to operate the Great Western rail franchise is about to enter its last year. First Group are not taking up the option to extend the franchise will will now come to an end in March 2013. First are almost certainly among those operators who will have registered their interest in taking the new 15 year franchise. The deadline to register an interest has now expired so I am sure it wont be too long before we hear exactly who wants to run our trains for the next 15 years.

There was what first appeared to be an interesting development when the BBC claimed that “Passenger levels on railway branch lines are being grossly underestimated in documents given to firms bidding for a franchise” Reading into the story it appears to be one station (Lelant Saltings) on one branch line (St Ives) so isn't quite the scandal that the headline promises.

 

Another railway news headline that caught my eye recently was equally disingenuous:

Plymouth MP almost missed launch of £100million train campaign - because there was no train

She didn't almost miss the meeting because there was no train. She checked the timetables and realised there was no suitable train available so she made alternative arrangements to get there. This is no different to checking your local bus timetable and discovering there is no direct bus to where you are going. You look to see what other options are available and then make plans accordingly. That's life.

Many will agree that “It is ridiculous that I am unable to travel to Plymouth in time for a meeting starting at 10:30am.” Sadly her government when it was in power did little to make such a journey possible. The current government are spending a lot less on transport so are unlikely to achieve that much. This is not me trying to make a political point as neither party seems to have a clue when it comes to public transport. Transport is one of the very few areas that Labour have actually agreed with most of the current government spending cuts.

Apart from the sensational headline the rest of the story is straightforward enough explaining that "Leading rail industry consultants Steer Davis Gleave were jointly commissioned by the Chamber and the Council to look into the economic case for better rail connectivity and found that for an additional operating cost of £10 million a year, the economy stands to gain £94 million” This may well be the case but someone has to find that additional £10 million and Plymouth wont be the only area that will try and make such claims.

I am sure we will be hearing a lot more about the Great Western franchise over the coming months. The start of the new franchise in April 2013 is indeed a great opportunity to do something different and actually gain an improved railway service. I just wish I had the confidence in those in charge to actually take the opportunity…

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Recommended Links

Remember: an innocent fbb has asked the Metrolpolitan Transportation Authority's journey planner for a trip from Central Park Zoo to The Statue of Liberty Public Transport Experience

I read every single comment that comes through the Blogger comments system. The odd bit of spam creeps in (and I delete it as soon as possible) but generally Blogger is good at trapping spam Omnibuses

At least we now know one thing for certain. The UK is not alone in providing enquirers with duff electronic information. Good Ole' U S of A can be just as daft! ? Public Transport Experience

So this Sunday Lost Scenes - of a Plymouth B6 in Bude - will very soon be repeated. Many thanks to a commenter on this post which tipped me off - this has now been confirmed. Interesting times ahead from April 1st. Southern England Bus Scene

Simply, once a zonal fares structure is introduced, it is a nightmare to remove - I'd go so far as to say commercial suicide. I don't envy any operator who has introduced one - usually during the Times of Plenty. A Transport of Delight

Its long and thin

Another quickie transport story...


The current economic difficulties in the UK threaten planned projects to improve the transport infrastructure in Devon and Cornwall, a report has said. The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has categorised the region's infrastructure as "at risk". Severe weather and congestion on major routes can "effectively cut off Devon and Cornwall", it said.


"It's a long, thin peninsula and the rail system and the motorway network system is quite fragile"


For the rest of this vague report: BBC News


The full South West Regional Report (PDF) from ICE can be previewed here on PT Google Docs.

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PTOTPA: Swan Update

Leon Daniels: New Bristol Flyer

TGP Public: Down in the woods today

Transport Links need improving

" Our response aims to give a picture of the current level of transport provision and future needs across the region as a whole ”

ROAD and rail links with the rest of the country need to be improved if Plymouth is to grow economically This is the assertion by Plymouth City Council to the South West Regional Select Committee. At the end of the inquiry, the committee is aiming to draw up a checklist of priorities for improving the transport system which will be presented to ministers. Plymouth City Council was among the bodies making submissions before Thursday's deadline. "Our response aims to give a picture of the current level of transport provision and future needs across the region as a whole," a council spokeswoman said. Existing transport systems need to be improved to help Plymouth grow in an environmentally sustainable way. Priorities for improvement need to reflect aspirations identified in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy for growth and regeneration up to 2026. Any new regional transport strategy needs to promote better access to the South West and explain to Government that to deliver economic development in Plymouth it is important to improve road and rail networks that join the city to the rest of the country. More funding is needed to deliver improvements to strategic and local transport networks. The region must deliver projects encouraging people to travel in a greener way, and focus on providing travel options that offer viable alternatives to the private car. Regional agencies must ensure resources are allocated where they can bring the most benefit for the whole South West. Full article on This is Plymouth There are as usual plenty of comments made by readers, including a couple of detailed, well thought out comments (makes a change!): If Labour are serious which I doubt, the first thing needed is for the rail line to be moved inland from Dawlish and electrified,(It will never happen) Secondly the M5 needs to be brought all the way to Plymouth again that will never happen, and Thirdly the Plymouth runway needs an urgent extension again that will never happen and certainly not in the worst recession for 100 yrs. Of course there is one comment that links the sale of Citybus to this whole topic: I have a brilliant idea for helping improve transport for Plymouth. How about our so called leader of the council Vivien Pengelly NOT SELL OUR LOCAL BUS COMPANY!! Finally, my favourite comment: One good way of sorting out the transport problems would be to move the whole of Plymouth up near Bournemouth, where they have excellent rail and road links to London, and have their own international airport. But I don't think my suggestion will ever happen! He might well be right there!

The Wider View: National Express East Coast

" It is simply unacceptable to reap the benefits of contracts when times are good, only to walk away from them when times become more challenging. ” More links on this story: National Express v DfT

©Carlos62 (Flickr Creative commons) Since my posting on the 30th June the National Express story has moved on a lot so it seems a good time to bring it up to date: Richard Bowker has resigned as chief executive of National Express. Bowker oversaw the record £1.4bn bid for the London-to-Edinburgh route, which committed the group to annual payments that rise from £85m in 2008 to £395m by 2015 which is the cause of all the problems they have at the moment. The transport secretary, Lord Adonis, is adamant that a franchise secured by Bowker in 2007 will not be altered. It is understood that the group has also been warned that it will be stripped of its remaining rail franchises – National Express East Anglia and c2c – if it hands back keys to the east coast ahead of a rights issue. The Guardian Sure enough Lord Adonis takes action against National Express: The government says it intends to take the East Coast rail service, run by National Express, into state ownership. Ministers have refused National Express's requests for its contract with the government to be renegotiated. BBC business editor Robert Peston said that National Express had tried to buy itself out of the franchise with an offer of "well over £100m". However, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis decided to reject the approach "on principle". The franchise is operated by a subsidiary of National Express, NXEC, which is a stand-alone company. National Express dismissed suggestions that NXEC had already defaulted on payments or that the parent company was suffering any financial difficulties. The terms of its franchise mean National Express would not lose more than £72m if it walked away. National Express indicated that it would walk away from the loss-making route, and not put further money into it, after failing to alter the terms of its franchise agreement. Lord Adonis told the BBC: "The government is not prepared to renegotiate rail franchises, because I'm simply not prepared to bail out companies that are unable to meet their commitments”. BBC It might be even worse for National Express: The government has a strong legal case for nationalising the c2c and National Express East Anglia franchises after the announcement by National Express that it will hand back its £1.4bn east coast contract, according to a respected rail industry lawyer. National Express is refusing to relinquish its two remaining rail contracts when it walks away from the London-to-Edinburgh route, as it is expected to do later this year. Lord Adonis, the transport secretary, is determined to strip the group of its other franchises under cross-default guidelines. The Guardian One rail industry source cautioned that the DfT might need to hire more personnel in order to cope with the demands of running three busy franchises. The DfT announced on Wednesday that it had drafted in Elaine Holt, the former head of the First Capital Connect franchise, to run the east coast route on behalf of the government. But not without a fight from National Express: National Express today said it will go to war with the Government after the Department for Transport sacked it from the East Coast Main Line out of King's Cross and threatened to strip it of its Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street franchises. Noting that King's Cross operator GNER defaulted and has now been effectively barred from the UK rail business, Adonis said: "A company which had defaulted in the way National Express now intends would not have pre-qualified for any previous franchises let by the Department. It is simply unacceptable to reap the benefits of contracts when times are good, only to walk away from them when times become more challenging." National Express hit back, saying leading counsel has told it that the DfT cannot exercise a "cross-default" and strip it of its other franchises. It said: "It has been recognised that the challenges facing East Coast are purely financial and brought about by the economic downturn. National Express believes that the Secretary of State would not be permitted to execute the right of cross-default. The Standard ©Carlos62 Then, as if things couldn't get any worse for National Express we get this story: A junior transport minister has warned of fears among National Express staff that a "major accident is just around the corner" on the east coast mainline, partly because of the pressure of staff cuts. The minister, the Gillingham MP Paul Clark, spelt out a series of concerns to National Express in a letter following a meeting with an employee of the company who lives in his constituency. The worker claimed that due to reduced maintenance checks, some trains were in use with defective brakes, an allegation strongly denied by the company, which said it would "never compromise on safety" The Guardian All of this comes as a big headache for the Government. Money is extremely tight: The full scale of the funding crisis facing Britain's transport system was exposed today as the country's most expensive rail contract was nationalised, while details emerged of a potential £30bn spending gap. A leaked industry memo seen by the Guardian warned of "looming spending cuts" on major transport projects after Department for Transport officials described the consequences of restoring order to public finances. The DfT's financial constraints were exacerbated as National Express announced it will hand back its £1.4bn east coast contract at the end of the year. It also emerged that the DfT is braced for a reduction in its capital expenditure plans that could total £28.9bn over the next decade. The Guardian FEARS of spending cuts in regional transport budgets were last night ratcheted up after Gordon Brown refused to guarantee their future. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has failed to offer protection to regional budgets. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson on Monday also announced cuts in the Department for Transport budget to pay for new housing. He was questioned whether Northern cities are being starved of cash while money is ploughed into new rail links in London and for the Olympics. Mr Brown failed to answer the question, instead saying: “I think it is important to recognise that spending on transport is up nearly 100% in real terms over the last 12 years. A lot of that investment has been in the railways.” JournalLive And yet in all of this we keep getting grand promises of extra trains running at high speed all over the country. I started to keep a note of the so called Super Express Trains that have been promised but there have been so many announcements and promises, none of them with any finding identified, that I have given up. Later this month the The Prime Minster is expected to announce more electrification of routes. It will be welcomed by all, but will there be any money to actually pay for it? As usual it will be impossible to work it out from any statement he makes, it will all come out in the small print later, or not at all. Christian Wolmar makes an interesting point looking at how high speed trains are being introduced: “because the way we run these projects in the UK, always pretending that they can be done economically and with private involvement, means that they are always complex, lack transparency and generally come out more expensive than if the procurement exercise had been kept simple” Lets leave the last words to David Milliband as he gives us his self assessment of Labours record in power: Poor at transport, environment and local government, but good at everything else. While many would disagree with the ending, few would argue with the beginning statement.

Related articles by Zemanta

• National Express's decision to quit East Coast franchise is a lose lose for nearly everyone (telegraph.co.uk)
• National Express may lose contracts (guardian.co.uk)
• National Express to defy Adonis (guardian.co.uk)
• Renationalising the railways: End of the line (economist.com)
• DfT pledged deal on National Express east coast line (business.timesonline.co.uk)
• National Express faces legal fight to keep remaining rail franchises (telegraph.co.uk)
• Bowker's £1.4bn bid was a heavy burden on National Express (telegraph.co.uk)
• National Express urged to do a deal with FirstGroup (dailyexpress.co.uk)

What the buses are up against

" Cars were used for 78 per cent of all trips of 2-3 miles ”

A new survey out today shows the number of cars has gone up by 30 per cent, from 22.7 million to 29.6 million in the last ten years, while the population only increased by 4 per cent. The survey found that 85 per cent of households in rural areas have adults with a car licence, compared to 65 per cent in urban areas larger than 250,000 people. In all, 46 per cent of cars clocked up less than 5,000 miles a year, with 8 per cent of all trips under half a mile in length using a car. Cars were used for 78 per cent of all trips of 2-3 miles and 80 per cent of journeys longer than five miles. News source: The Scotsman For original photo under creative commons by Jigisha click here * * * * * This is a cross over post from my numberzz blog as it shows just what the bus companies are up against. The fact that cars are used for 78 percent of all trips of 2-3 miles is a lot higher than I thought it would be. Even a ten percent swing back in favour of public transport would make a big difference in the city centres. Of course we have just had a budget which purports to be a green budget so you would expect measures are being put in place to help with this swing back to public transport. A balanced blog posting on the Omnibuses2.0 site would suggest otherwise!

Not so Super Express

"good news for passengers that we are taking the steps necessary to improve their rail journeys.” Further reading: RailNews UK Christian Woolmar

HST Leaving Plymouth 21 April 2008 from ToRnAtlc07 You Tube. It seemed like a great good news story when the government proudly announced that a new fleet of high speed trains was being introduced initially on the East Coast main line but then on the Great Western main line “in the south-west of England”. The new trains will be cleaner, greener and generate less noise than those they will replace. Even more good news was the promise that “2500 jobs would be created “ and also “A further 10,000 jobs would be secured as a knock-on effect” the DfT said. Good news all round? eh no! For a start none of this is happening any time soon. The Great Western part is not planned to happen until 2015 and we all know how these big government projects slip in time anyway. It also seems clear that there is a lot of spin in the numbers of new jobs being ‘created’ with many suggesting that as few as 500 jobs might get created at most. Even the initial suggestion that the scheme is British led is clearly spin as its very much Japanese technology and design, just some assembly work in the UK - the inventor of the train! It also seems that trains themselves are no better than the old HSTs they are replacing. Described by the Department for Transport as Super Express trains, the new vehicles are in fact no faster than the 35-year old InterCity 125 – and have a top speed that is actually lower than the 140mph theoretical maximum of trains now on the east and west coast main lines. Some of the trains will be ‘Bi-mode’ The government argues that this will allow trains to keep running where the wires run out, but the small print suggests their performance will be worse than the trains they replace. A real step backwards! Government rail experts working alongside the rail industry have created a new specification for these trains that will offer more seats, more reliable services and reduced journey times.” An example being a promised cut of 15 minutes to the current 2 hours 2 minutes between Cardiff and London. Sounds impressive - but way back in 1977 the journey only took 1 hour 45 minutes! The government record on promised improvements is poor to say the least. Not just one, or two, but three consecutive secretaries of state for transport have promised us more carriages, yet the bulk of these have not even been ordered. And as a result of the Department for Transport's excessive micromanagement (they now have more control over the railways than in the days of British Rail) few of these carriages are due to arrive before the middle of the next decade. Of course even if the trains are a bit late, and maybe not a brilliant as made out, and maybe even if there are not the number of British jobs promised then at least there will be an improvement in the end? Well not for Plymouth at least! ”South West England” as far as the government is concerned stops at Bristol! Matthew Taylor, Truro and St Austell MP, says south west England will not benefit enough as the trains will only come as far as Bristol. I am sure I will be covering this story a lot over the coming months (and probably years) but in the meantime there is plenty of time to go out and enjoy the sight and sound of the wonderful HSTs pulling out of Plymouth Station. For a more detailed report of the story so far check out my extra page

Just eight new carriages for region's railways

 

"If the Government seriously thinks eight carriages over the next eight years is sufficient additional supply for the whole of the South West network, it simply confirms they haven't the slightest interest in the transport issues facing our region.

Just eight new carriages for region's railways

a future for ftr in Plymouth?

© Happybuses (Flickr blog)

This is Plymouth reports tonight:

Plymouth City Council has revealed the full scale of £80 million plans to beat traffic congestion and pollution on key main routes in and around the city.The authority wants £58million from the Government and £22million from private sources to finance a number of initiatives, including building a Deep Lane park-and-ride and widening the road at Laira Bridge.It needs the cash because proposed housing developments at Sherford and Plymstock Quarry, and the Langage power station, are likely to increase dramatically the city's already heavy traffic flow.

Its 'do-maximum' wish list also includes spending £10million on improvements to Laira Bridge and £25million sorting out the Deep Land junction.It is also planning to spend £16million on a High-Quality Public Transport (HQPT) system, dubbed the 'superbus' scheme, taking commuters into the city centre and on to Millbay and linking Sherford to Colesdown Hill, near the Plympton by-pass.As part of that scheme the authority wants to splash out £4million on 11 futuristic 'bendy' buses.The articulated single-decker concept came to Britain with a scheme in York this year where 'Streetcars' with a streamlined snub nose, a low floor and concealed wheels were brought in.

Well it seems that Plymouth City Council were impressed when the ftr was demonstrated last year. Of course there is a long way to go before anything like this happens in Plymouth:

It must show the Department for Transport by next summer that the scheme will offer value for money if it is to get conditional approval to proceed with its plans.

With this citys poor record in getting things done and the current governments even worse record in allowing schemes to run across the country I dont hold out much hope.