Oxford, High Wycombe &
surrounding areas
from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE
Your reports are welcome at malcolmhc@aol.com
updated
Sunday 15th July 2001
the
next update will be on Sunday 22nd July 2001
Issue nr. 155
Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the
Editors' and in no way constitute
any official points of view from the bus companies
mentioned, or indeed any other official body.
As a news page we reserve the right to
make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.
Problems with the pictures ! -
sometimes it seems that the pictures do not load.
I have found a solution which does work normally -
RIGHT CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND THEN CLICK ON "SHOW PICTURE"
Good luck !
Welcome to issue 155, with news from a large number of correspondents plus Headington's Transport Strategy is unveiled.
Improved bus
services are the key
to traffic congestion generated by hospital move.
Oxford's Radcliffe Hospital is due to be moved to the John Radcliffe site, which it is believed will cause a significant increase in traffic in the Headington and Marston area of the suburbs. Councillors have employed consultants John Buchanan & Partners who have devised a transport strategy for the area. Recommendations include improving bus services, creating bus only link roads to the J.R. and developing cycle links. Old Marston Parish Council believe that a solution is to build a car park off the northern by-pass and introduce a shuttle bus to take people to the J.R. The public were able to see what is proposed at public exhibitions in the Baptist Church Hall, Old High Street, Headington, which took place on three days last week. Thanks to Vic Gacowski for drawing my attention to this matter. His more detailed report is included here:
Headington and Marston Area Transport Strategy
Consultation July 2001 Extracts from the consultation document
Why the strategy is needed
The strategy is needed as traffic congestion is a problem in the Headington and Marston areas with the main flows being for Local Schools , Hospitals and Brookes University. At Peak times more than half the traffic on certain roads can be Hospital related. Both the Hospitals and Brookes University have expansion plans which will lead to an increase in traffic flows.
The transport strategy
The strategy in general is to promote travel other than by car . Some of the key components being -
More and better pedestrian facilities and routes.
New and improved cycle routes.
Improved bus services - new routes and more buses on existing routes.
High quality bus shelters and passenger information.
Bus priority measures to improve journey speeds and make bus travel more reliable and attractive.
New direct Park and Ride services from existing / already planned car parks.
The prevention of all day parking by commuters , but allowing some short term parking for shoppers and visitors.
Environmental
improvements
Bus service improvements
In the strategy one of the key features is the improvement of local bus services with the following proposed -
A new 20 minute service - Kidlington to Wheatley via the John Radcliffe , Churchill and Nuffield Orthopedic Hospitals and Brookes University.
Increasing the
SCO 10B service between
Blackbird Leys and the Hospitals to 20 minutes frequency.
An express
service Witney - Eynsham - Headington serving the Hospitals and Brookes University
The Kidlington to Wheatley service could call at Thornhill and Pear Tree Park and Ride sites.
Also possible are Park and Ride services to Headington and Marston from existing P&R sites.
The possibility
of a new P&R site at Marston has been rejected for the present.
Measures to Assist buses
Various
proposals are detailed to assist the free flow of bus services through the
Headington and Marston areas. These include Bus Lanes and priority traffic
signals etc.
Cycle route improvements
Various proposals are detailed to aid the cyclist
Thanks to Vic for this detailed
report.
Passengers compliment Oxford express for Radiohead travel success.
Following on from the report last week, Oxford Bus Company has received numerous complimentary letters from passengers who travelled to the Radiohead concert last Saturday. One letter was from someone who expected to have to wait for a long time for a coach in each direction. They were praiseworthy of the fact that they boarded a coach very quickly and waited no more than minutes rather than hours. Indeed both companies, as we know ran many extra vehicles and a significant number of passengers were moved in quite a short space of time. I think both Oxford express and Oxford Tube should be congratulated.
FROM THE
DRIVING SEAT
A weekly commentary on your
Editors favourite pastime.
The Neoplan coach seen outside Milan's main railway station waiting to operate
the 14.35hrs departure to Malpensa Airport, a journey of 50 minutes.
The driver of the Malpensa Shuttle chats Italian style on his mobile phone!
This week saw me in Milan and there was chance to take a trip on the Malpensa Shuttle. Two operators run on this route with a 20minute headway by each company. My journey was on the coach pictured above., It was a smooth an fast journey taking just 40minutes instead of the scheduled 50 minutes. One matter of some amusement to me was the driver using his mobile phone and in true Italian fashion waving his free hand to emphasize his words. The coach maintained a straight line at around 110 kph. Somehow I thought the speed limit was 100kph in Europe but maybe Italy is not part of the Europe we are in!!!!
Saturday saw me back on my usual two London's, this time with coach 6. The first three trips were uneventful but the last trip was BUSY. With Pavarotti singing in the park, many people were up in London for the night. I left with a full coach and still some waiting at Marble Arch and Gloucester Place. It seems the Tube was just as busy.
My week was somewhat influenced by the Italians! - Next week it's Miami so watch this space.
How many readers who use the M40 have noticed this message.
It is on a fence on the London bound side of the M40 just before the M25
junction.
I think it is most appropriate, don't you?
George Street re-opened as mentioned earlier. Here we see the nice smooth
surface.
Somehow it won't be the same without the holes and bumps.
Well more thoughts next week.
Company reports - to 15th July 2001
AIRLINKS
The new coaches on the 757/767 group of services have additionally fielded D319. It now seems that the batch is D301-319. Compared to me interior shot of last week the Jetlink branded coaches are 49 seaters with toilets. Some of this batch have now appeared on Heathrow, Gatwick and London services. I am told some have now moved to Crawley depot.
Arriva serving the Shires and Essex.
This line up included 5074, 5834 (just repainted) and coach seated 5824. It is
sad to note that
5824 has suffered nearside roof damage following an incident with a tree up at
Ibstone.
This close up view of the damaged roof and corner pillar shows the extent of the
damage.
It may be that, as a result, this bus is first of the trio to receive Arriva
colours.
Matt Wheeler
writes to note that one morning last week
he spotted Mercedes 811D "minibus" 2109 (M 39 WUR), very recently
repainted into Arriva livery and on route 260 to Oxford. This leaves only one
Aylesbury based minibus still to gain Arriva livery, that being 2139 (N 369 JGS)
which was last week still in Blue/Yellow. A
couple of arrivals from Colchester over the past month have been 5377 and 5383,
both being Roe bodied Leyland Olympians already in Arriva livery. 5377 is TPD
107X, 5383 is TPD 123X. These appear to have allowed some of the similar
remaining ECW examples at Aylesbury to be withdrawn. He *thinks* 5056 might be
one of the withdrawn ones, but he is not sure on the others, but the remaining
examples recently were 5057, 5060 and 5063.
Alexander bodied Olympian 5101 (G 651 UPP) has had its electronic destination display replaced. It now has a unit presumably taken from one of the withdrawn ECW bodied Olympians, and the same as those in Wycombe's Volvo B6s.
Finally, for Aylesbury, there was a notice up announcing some service changes to take place as of 22 July. These are as follows:
16: New Sunday service from Aylesbury to Waddesdon, Quainton and the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.
61: New Hourly Mon-Sat service (currently roughly every 2 hours).
61A, 63, 64: some minor changes, no doubt because of the increased frequency on route 61.
260: New Sunday service between Aylesbury and Thame. Also some minor changes to weekday timings.
280: Sunday service increased to Hourly for the full route from Aylesbury - Oxford.
No timetables are available yet, but will no doubt appear on the Bucks CC travel info website soon, and a new Aylesbury area Travelguide will be published for 22 July. Although it could be late. In his own opinion, the hourly 61 and hourly Sunday 280 are long overdue service enhancements that will hopefully be well used.
Nigel Peach writes to report from Wycombe. Lynx 3076 and London Dart 3817 have both found their ways to the pits after languishing in Newlands Bus Station out of service for some weeks.
I notice
that Olympian coach 5823 (ex 241 ex 1823 ex 823!) has had all its fleet
numbers removed. It had never received 5823 but was displaying 241 until
recently. 242 has been devoid of fleet numbers for some weeks now. I find it
most bizarre!
Good to see the buses going through the town centre again.
Olympian 5834 has received Arriva corporate livery during this last week still leaving two Lynxs to be repainted. 3807(302) is now back in service. The Sainsbury's Merc (2820) is withdrawn.
The road through to the town centre from the Oxford Road has reopened.
Work still remain to be done but our picture above shows 3824 passing one of the
new bus shelters.
The change of training buses
continues and this week sees this Leyland Swift with
Wadham Stringer bodywork - 3087 : G97VMM - new in 1989.
Heyfordian
Further to recent pictures Roland Cox writes to say:
In response
to your question on the Bus Page for 1st July about the Heyfordian coach (ex
National Express) RIW 9067 I think the following information may be useful:-
The three
Leyland Plaxton coaches ex Dunnett's are ,
LIL 9964 ex FAV 564Y (297),
HUI 4566 ex FAV 566Y (299)
RIW 9067 ex FAV 567Y (300).
New to Premier Travel Cambridge. The fleet numbers are shown in
brackets for Premier.
A fourth ex
Dunnett's is B352 WNG (now 7298 RU) (not from Premier Travel).
I have not been using the Internet for very long but I do enjoy all the information you provide on your site and find it very interesting.
Thanks to Roland for that information and his kind words, which make it all worthwhile.
Oxford Bus Company (City of Oxford Motor Services)
Volvo/Plaxton Excalibur nr 9
being repainted and rebranded to X90 livery.
Plaxton's have retrofitted high
visibility grab rails in the latest
batch of coaches 23-28.
404 was operating 6 road on Sunday and is seen here between journeys in the
city.
41 - SHA645G - now preserved at BAMMOT. Photo by Alan Gelson (copyright)
IAlan Gelson wriote to enclose the photo taken above. He says:
t was taken by me in Bournemouth on the 5th of may 1984. It was on service 929 Oxford/Bournemouth/Birmingham/Oxford
Thanks to Alan. This coach ran for Oxford from 1978 until June 1985 when it was acquired by BAMMOT museum.
Following last weeks report on 224 going to London, I would like to show the times when Olympians did run to London. New at the time this 1982 shot by Neil Gow says it all. Running on the 390, 203 would have followed the Thames through Wallingford, Henley and Maidenhead taking some two and half hours to reach the capital.
This last week saw an interesting working in the City with 224 appearing on the X3. This is now a regular working to assist with the foreign language students.
Stagecoach in Oxford.
Matt Wheeler, my Aylesbury correspondent, was in Canterbury over last weekend, and on Sunday popped by the Bus Station with his Camera. As he arrived, a Mercedes 709D with Reeve Burgess bodywork and DP seats pulled in off route 335 (Canterbury - Faversham - Sittingbourne - Maidstone). The registration being E 309BWL, which he believes was once a Thames Transit (and possibly Stagecoach Oxford) bus. 335 is a Sunday only Kent County Council contract service operated by Tim's Travel of Sheerness and runs 2 hourly. The picture is of this bus taken from the City wall that looks over the bus station.
The Saga of route 50
Olympian 514 arriving at Gloucester
Green last Saturday afternoon is mentioned
in Neil Gow's report below.
Interest in the revised route 50(X50 as was) continues with a number of correspondents writing to me about workings and views. Neil Gow writes to say:
Just to amplify Richard Sharman's report, I tried out the new 50 via Moreton on Saturday. The Warwickshire 920 he refers to is of course now Thames Transit 527 and works the car that starts at Shipston at 0750 and finishes at Stratford at 2004, although what it does between arriving at Oxford at 1504 and departing at 1830 isn't obvious from the timetable (but I know it does those journeys because I caught it to ST, pictured it returning and saw it again whilst returning to Oxford in the evening). 934 was running 70 minutes late after replacing a broken down vehicle, arriving and departing at the same time as 527 on the 1115/1320 departures. There is also a second car that overnights in the Stratford area, which starts on the 0650 ex Stratford and I think finishes at Chippie at 1908/1915. There is a balancing working which finishes Stratford 1905/1925 and starts from Chippie in the morning - but not sure which one. It's just about impossible to work out the route workings from the timetable because of inter working with the 20 and different service patterns on Mon-Fri and Saturdays. Add to that the fact I see loads of buses running dead between city centre and Horspath Road off the 20, so if any of these are involved with the 50 too it gets a complete mess. For example, Richard saw 834 on the 1204 arrival in Oxford, but 903 went out on the 1215 and return. 514 was running the 1825 (last journey) back from Stratford but I hadn't seen it on 20s or 50s earlier in the day - good idea to provide a decker for that journey though, as the loadings could be high (as it happens a high-capacity SD would have sufficed on that particular day.
Vic Gacowski also writes twice regarding the 50 service and I quote his notes below:
With
reference to Richard Sharman's report on the new 50 / 20 road timetable (20 Road
is to Old Woodstock only) I intend to do a survey in
the next week or two. He is correct in that it appears this may not be an
exclusive SCO operation although today (Sunday) 904 was operating the 1850 GG to
SOA due in SOA at 2028 with no return balance. However there is a 0650 journey
ex SOA in the morning with no
inward balance so I wonder if the SCO vehicle actually Night Stops at
Leamington. The other theory is that dead running occurs SOA to Chipping Norton
but this to be confirmed. There is no doubt that Chipping Norton Depots workings
have changed in a big way. There are journeys starting there in the morning so I
assume the 3 vehicle allocation still stands although there could even be
another vehicle allocated but I know Chippy are struggling to cover what drivers
they do have at that outpost. Also
worthy of note is that a Witney vehicle off a 20 journey during the week works
back to Witney from Old Woodstock on the 42 road via Hanborough. There is a
corresponding journey the other way on weekdays. The single journey each way on
42 road on a Sunday detailed by me on the page some weeks ago is now withdrawn.
Also in the 50 / 20 road timetable are the following journeys shown as operated by PETES TRAVEL. The timetable clearly states that the vehicle will not be in SCO livery.
2245 SOA to Shipston on Stour due 2303 FS Only
2305 Shipston on Stour to SAO due 2328 FS Only
The Alster
Grammar School Trips detailed by Richard were incomplete . The full service in
the 50 / 20 road time table is (Schooldays only)
0750
ex Shipston on Stour due SOA 0820 continues to Alster Grammar School arriving
O845
0910ex SOA starts Alster Grammar School 0845
(This may be a CN allocation - Something runs dead to Shipston on Stour and in
the previous timetable this was confirmed at a Chippy vehicle)
1315
ex GG due SOA 1500 continues to Alster Grammar School arriving 1525
1615 ex SOA
starts Alster Grammar School 1550
Also today (Sunday 8th) 901 was working 27 Road to Bicester. This always was Chippy based. (It still is Ed. 902 was working 1s on Saturday!!!!)
From by observations on Sunday I can confirm that the card for 904 I observed was a Stratford to Stratford balance.
0940
Stratford to Oxford GG 1112
1120 Oxford GG to Old
Woodstock 1145 (20)
1147 Old Woodstock to Oxford GG 1212 (20)
Break
1320 Oxford GG to Stratford 1456
1540 Stratford to Oxford GG 1712
1720 Oxford GG to Old Woodstock 1745 (20)
1747 Old Woodstock to Oxford GG 1812 (20)
1850 Oxford GG to Stratford 2028
In addition the first 20 Journey to Oxford on Sundays is the 0900 Chipping Norton to Oxford which always was a Chippy Vehicle off the Bus Park. However there is no Oxford to Chipping Norton return trip later in the day as there used to be. A vehicle may run dead to CN to balance. This is the first timetable for a long time where vehicles do not balance and the first time we may have a depot operating other than Oxford or Chippy on the corridor route. The timetable shows the logo "Stagecoach South Midlands" but there is no reference to another Stagecoach Company other than Oxford and the one journey operated by PETES TRAVEL.
To keep the historical theme going the Oxford to Woodstock / Chipping Norton and Stratford route was for many years advertised jointly by COMS (Chipping Norton Garage) and STRATFORD BLUE MOTORS and the route number in those days was 44. I can remember as a young Schoolboy seeing the three new Leyland Atlanteans delivered in 1967 (NAC 415-7 F ) on the route in their bright blue livery. These vehicles were later absorbed into Midland Red and then of course passed to COMS in 1971 as 904 - 906. 905 is today preserved at the Oxford Bus Museum
During the
mid 70s the X50 Oxford to Woodstock
/ Chipping Norton / Stratford and Birmingham was operated jointly with MIDLAND
RED. The Midland Red vehicle also
covered a couple of Oxford to Woodstock and back trips before working home.
Often these would be operated by Daimler Fleetline/Alexander Double Deckers from
the 5xxxHA series dating from the Mid 60s. This
was a long run for an ageing Double Deck in those days and can be thought of in
the same context as Olympian 224 returning to Victoria recently. Readers
will also remember that COMS acquired some of these vehicles from Midland Red to
operate the Park and Ride service in their distinct Blue/White "Starskey
and Hutch" Livery.
Worths Motor Services have also operated along side other operators on the Oxford to Woodstock route for many many years. Again back in the late 60s / early 70s I can always remember my mother choosing to go by Worths as they were cheaper than COMS for a period although they were made to bring fares into line later. To show the cooperation with COMS the services operated by Worths were shown in the COMS timetable and these ran as 44W. Tickets were not however interchangable.
Today Worths
still operate but the service number is now 70 and they issue a timetable for
their services only.
An interesting fact is that unlike COMS whose vehicle registration number is in general the fleet number Worths had a different approach. During the 1970s and 80s most new vehicles in the Worths fleet incorporated the numbers 322 in their registrations. This was the company phone number which was at that time Enstone 322. Today this practice has ceased as the phone number is now 6 digit but registrations still incorporate the numbers 322.
Finally on the 50 saga, Richard Sharman writes to note:
This week saw the use of 725/ 6/ 8/ 9/ 844/ 903/ 907/ 915 and Warwickshire's 917. The use of 844 today seemed rather useless as Saturday loading's used to need a Tube coach to cope!.
Keith Wood writes also regarding Stagecoach in Warwick. I quote his letter below.
I've been reading your web page for some time now with great interest ! I don't get down to the south of the county very often so it's nice to have up to date news.
As Stagecoach South Midlands now covers former Oxford / Midland Red fleets I hope the attached list of Midland Red repaints is of interest to you.
Stagecoach
In Warwickshire / Stagecoach in Banbury |
||||
Vehicles
in New Livery |
||||
Fleet
Number |
Registration
Number |
Chassie |
Body |
Depot |
203/205 |
M203/205
LHP |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS DP48F |
NN |
210-212 |
N210-212
TDU |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS B49F |
NN |
214/215 |
N214/215
TDU |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS DP48F |
NN |
219/220 |
P219/220
HBD |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS DP48F |
LN |
225/226/228 |
R225/226/228
CRW |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS B49F |
RY |
229 |
P557
ESA |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS B49F |
LN |
233/238 |
N803/808
DNE |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS B49F |
LN |
242 |
N812
DNE |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS B49F |
RY |
246 |
N816
DNE |
Volvo
B10M-55 |
Alexander
PS B49F |
LN |
342 |
M342
LHP |
Mercedes-Benz
709D |
Alexander
Sprint B23F |
LN |
347 |
N347
AVV |
Mercedes-Benz
709D |
Alexander
Sprint B25F |
LN
(Unconfirmed) |
349 |
N349
AVV |
Mercedes-Benz
709D |
Alexander
Sprint B25F |
NN |
359 |
N359
AVV |
Mercedes-Benz
709D |
Alexander
Sprint B25F |
RY |
457 |
P361
DSA |
Volvo
B6LE |
Alexander
ALX200 DP36F |
BY
(Unconfirmed) |
856/857 |
P320/321
EFL |
Volvo
B6LE |
Alexander
ALX200 B35F |
BY |
915 |
S915
ANH |
Volvo
Olympian |
Alexander
AR H51/36F |
LN |
Also I know some Optare Solos are on order for the South Midlands fleet but do you know where they will go ? A new showcase route in Nuneaton is suppose to be running by now (50/51 Camp Hill Circulars) with low floor buses. The associated Kerb / Shelter work has been done although low floor B6LE's and B10M'S / 709D'S are still sharing the work. Any information on this matter would be gratefully received.
If anyone has any information for Keith please let me know.
There were some interesting workings on Saturday with 902 on route 1 to Blackbird Leys. The new livery is now appearing on many more buses and a selection of those buses so far adorned are shown below.
Dart 710 was on route 3 on Saturday and some wag put up Heathrow on the
blind before
parking it up on Sunday, which is when I caught up with it.
759 is seen here working the City
Circle. I have been led to believe that this service
is to be withdrawn?
Dart 725 enters Gloucester Green on X1 whilst Oxford Bus van V2 leaves showing
off
its new vinyls. New liveries all round!!
Tube Nr 60 surprised me greatly when it appeared from Queen Street, London
bound
on Saturday afternoon. Having my camera ready, I caught it fair and square in
the lens.
I must be misinformed but I thought coaches were banned from Queen Street before
6pm?
PHOTO CORNER
If you have a digital camera and wish
to submit photos for this page please send them to the me at
malcolmhc@aol.com
Stagecoach's new livery now adorns this United Counties Volvo, 186. It is seen
arriving
Oxford's Gloucester Green coach station last Saturday.
Hardings were in town on Sunday morning with this Van Hool Alizee - W5HCR.
Possibly the most colourful coach in town on Sunday was this Spanish
Iveco/Ayats awaiting it's passenger, a large group of Spanish school children.
Crossing Folly Bridge, city bound was this Optare Solo of Thames Travel on
the
X39 from Henley. X49YVV was last pictured in Wallingford and still lacks any
vinyls.
I welcome your
photos for inclusion on this page.
malcolmhc@aol.com
Visitor count since 19th April 1999.