BENDY BUS ENTERS SERVICE

You Either Love Them Or Loathe Them !

Mercedes Benz Citaro BX54 UDJ ex Go Ahead London Central on trial with Ipswich Buses in Falcon Street today.

Well i just about managed to catch it with the camera today whilst it did a few circuits on the 38 town shuttle, although by lunchtime it had disappeared, quite honestly do we need them here, thats a entirely different debate i wonder how they will cope with Ipswich's narrow town street particularly Museum Street, well most enthusiasts will either love them or loathe them. If you want further pictures try Simon B's Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/26565770@N02/8800317030/in/photostream/.

IPSWICH BUSES TO TRIAL A BENDYBUS AND BORISMASTER!

IPSWICH BUSES TO TRIAL MERCEDES BENZ CITARO BENDYBUS AND BORISMASTER

MAL 98 BD57 WDC ex Go Ahead London Mercedes Benz Citaro, a type to be tried in Ipswich for possible Park and Ride duties and on the SCC Ipswich Town shuttle. Copyright Alan Lee

Ipswich Buses are to trial today an ex London Mercedes Benz Citaro Bendy Bus on the current Park and Ride service from Copdock to the town centre in the hope that they will win the Park and Ride contract which is currently up for tender with Suffolk County Council, at the moment the service is operated by First with Volvo B7RLE'S it will also be trialled tomorrow on  the 38 Ipswich Town Shuttle. Also due shortly is a London ''Borismaster also to be trialled on the town shuttle service.

ANOTHER BITES THE DUST!

ANOTHER SCANIA BITES THE DUST

65548 P548 RNG a Scania LII3 CRL/Wright-Axcess Floline on Felixstowe's last Wednesday was withdrawn at the weekend.

Another Scania in the form of 65548 P548 RNG was withdrawn last weekend, although another 65542 P542 RNG was reinstated back into service, having been in store at Northampton, this is partially due to the backlog of work since the arrival of the Basildon Scanias which have caused no end of problems, particularly the 65628/30-32 batch which seem to be often out of service. Further news is the replacement of a twice a day service for the Framlingham 63 service operated by First, PF cars of Woodbridge will run this with two through journeys daily from Ipswich one in the morning and one in the afternoon, hardly good enough i would have thought.

MORE SERVICES TO BE AXED

66981 Volvo B7RLE KXO5 MHK a new arrival from First Midlands the only one of the batch in Ipswich the rest are at First Essex in Colchester.

Volvo B7TL 30887 W742 DWX on loan from Great Yarmouth, waiting at the Great Colman Street temporary terminus whilst the Old Cattle Market is closed, about to take up a 75 to Felixstowe.

Recent news concerns two more operators services to be cut next month both who undercut First Group either on the whole route or part of the route, to be axed at the end of  June is the X14 Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds by Stephensons  the 164 Ipswich to Saxmundham and the 165 Ipswich to Rendlesham by Anglian, particularly a shame considering that Anglian were operating much more superior fare than First. Missed from the last blog is the first withdrawal of one of Ipswich Buses last three East Lancs Olympians in the form of 42 M42 EPV with engine failure. In First fleet news is the return of 32494 to Ipswich after it was partially de-roofed at Ipswich Hospital last year, the driver was charged with dangerous driving and is the first B7TL in Ipswich in the new livery. One more Scania in 65543 P543 RNG is presumed withdrawn.

ALL CHANGE!

OLD CATTLE MARKET TO CLOSE FOR 3 MONTHS 

Carters Dart MPD SN51 SXU and Galloways Optare Solo YJ55 YGK at the OCM on layover.

From Monday May 6th, the Old Cattle Market bus station will close for three months for refurbishment for more information about the progress go to the Travel Ipswich website, whilst Falcon Street and Dogs Head Street will reopen for traffic with all town services reverting to their normal routes.

Services departing from Great Colman Street: First: 63/64/A/75, IB 73A/914, From Upper Brook Street PF Travel 71,Beestons 72,Anglian 164/5, Galloways 115/6/8/9 and Simmonds 113/4, From Upper Brook Street/Friars Street, First 66/7, from Queen Street stop 1, IB 98/202, stop 2, HCT 90, Beestons/Carters 91, From Princes Street stop 1, Carters 30/A,92/3/96/A, Stop 2, Galloway 87, First 88/A, Beestons 111, Stop 3, Stephensons X14,Galloway 110,HCT 120, Fareline 121, Beestons 179. Services 76/77 and IB/Beeston 163 will go from Tacket Street.

MORE INS AND OUTS FROM FIRST IN IPSWICH

Another golden oldie to join the rest of the Scanias is 65628 V828 FSC from First Essex at Basildon.

INS

65628 V828 FSC Scania L94UB/Wright Axcess Floline N43F From First Essex, Basildon

66981 KX 05 MHK Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse Urban N43F From First Midlands, Worcester

OUTS

42431 P431 ORL Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer B35F

43488 R688 DPW Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 B37F

65546  P546 RNG Scania L113CRL/Wright Axcess Ultralow B47F

34157 P657 UFB Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine 2 B47/29F

IB AND FIRST ROUTE AND TIMETABLE CHANGES

IB AND FIRST ROUTE AND TIMETABLE CHANGES

IB Trident 20 Y436 NHK seen outside Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre whilst using the X3 stop during the Falcon Street closure which reopens on the 6th May.

The main news which i didn't quite cover last time is the abandonment of First route 63 to Framlingham, which apart from schoolday services leaves Framlingham with no service and unless some other operator will step in, the 64 as mentioned in the last blog will be separated at Saxmundham  with the 64A covering the section to Aldeburgh, the current 64A will become the 64B, while the 65 to Rendlesham will be extended to Aldeburgh via Snape, one other loser will be Wickham Market which will see a significant cuts in it's current times. IB changes are that route 8/8B will be simplified into one route with revision to the current directions and a revised timetable, it will also no longer serve the Railway Station. One other route to be lost is Beeston's 103 Stanton to Ipswich from the 4th May. As Mentioned on the caption is the reopening of Falcon Street in Ipswich on the 6th May meaning all local bus routes will go back to using the circuit round the Town Centre, and incoming country routes with the closure of the Old Cattle Market on the same day will now terminate in either Upper Brook Street or Great Colman street more on this in the next blog.

SCANIA WITHDRAWALS AND ROUTE CHANGES 

Scania/Wright Axcess Ultralow 65546 on the 70 to Sainsbury's Warren Heath on Monday whose time is nearly up.

News that i clearly omitted on the last blog i have added today, is the withdrawal of 3 Scanias  65531 R151 GSF whose time at Ipswich has been often frequented by time in the depot was withdrawn along with 65541 P541 RNG and sister 65544 P544 RNG as the early Scanias begin to be withdrawn, its worth noting that all Scanias including the L94UB V reg 65588-90 will have to be withdrawn prior to the 2015 DDA requirements, this includes most other companies buses prior to the year 2000.

ROUTE CHANGES

The end of May will see First add a 64A to their routes which will cover part of Anglians 164 between Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, whilst Sundays on the Felixstowe route will start it's Summer timetable with journeys to Landguard Fort.