EXCLUSIVE IPSWICH BUSES EXTEND THE 4 THREATENING FIRST'S 66

Spare dart 143 Y294 FJN for the town routes in general seen here loading up for route four which currently terminates at Bixley Farm.

News reached me this morning which hasn't been released even for the Ipswich Star as yet, of Ipswich Buses registering an extension to the 4 to Bixley Farm which operates Monday to Saturday 7 am to 7 pm, the extension which is due to begin on the 7th July to Martlesham will take in BT, Marks and Spencers/Tesco this will partly take on First Ipswich 66 which will also now be extended to Maidenhall Green, Ipswich Buses are obviously worried enough to take on what is First Ipswich's busiest route as First have encroached onto part of their 15 to Thorington Park route, ding ding round four of the Bus Wars?

Seen here last summer on the 66 is First Ipswich Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 32488 AU53 HKD.

UPDATED FIRST CHANGES FOR MAY

First Ipswich 32653 AU05 MUV the last 05 reg Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 in the old First livery.

The following update is to one of my previous blogs the information has now been added to the First site http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/suffolk_norfolk/travel_news/service_updates/?item=11561&conf=0 . The following is the shortened version, service 53 Tower Ramparts to Pinewood will now run every 12 mins,route changed inwards via Princes Street, Friars street, Dogs Head Street, Upper Brook Street, Northgate Street to Tower Ramparts. 65 Ipswich to Aldeburgh will now have a additional departure from Aldeburgh at 1545 daily. 66 from Ipswich Rail Station to Martlesham will now extend to Maidenhall Green, Stoke Park on Mondays to Saturdays and will no longer extend to Bourne Bridge on Sunday.

A rare visitor to the Old Cattle Market yesterday was Carters ECW Leyland Olympian 427 G727 XDL alongside Beestons Scania Omnidekka YN54 OBX.

IPSWICH TRANSPORT MUSEUM ROAD RUN

Ex Lowestoft Corporation Leyland PD2 PBJ 2F

These are the highlights bus wise from today's Ipswich to Felixstowe road run, some local interest and some from further afield.

A London Country AEC RF109? LYF 464

An ex Westcliff on Sea/Eastern National Bristol K AJN 825.

A rather rough looking AEC Routemaster JJD 463D

Leyland National 1924 of Eastern National JHJ 150V 

Not Vintage but modern is First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69431 AU58 FFT

A brand new coach for Suffolk Norse is a Volvo B12B/Plaxton not sure whether this is the new body style anyone know.

Close behind was AD Enviro 400 YX63 ZXH taking people up to Felixstowe.

FIRST BUS LIVE CHAT AND CATCH THE BUS WEEK

First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69429 AU58 FFR standing at Tower Ramparts this PM in the pouring rain.

FIRST BUS LIVE CHAT

First Eastern Counties Managers Chris Speed and Steve Fountain answered questions on First Ipswich live on the Ipswich Star on Tuesday afternoon, full chat is available on this link http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/home/first-bus-live-chat, in general it was a good chat with questions on fares, next bus announcements, route changes, First Bus apps, vehicle refurbishments and cleanliness of buses.

CATCH THE BUS WEEK 

It's also catch the bus week around Britain this week with different offers all to lure the customer onto the buses, Ipswich Buses are offering free travel with there 'Happy Hour' between 10 and 11 am and First offering 20% off all there weekly network tickets.

OTHER NEWS

IB Optare solo is currently out of service being repainted i would imagine into fleet livery, Carters have recieved a new Dennis Trident/Plaxton President see picture below.

Carters latest Trident 405 LR52 KWH seen in Greenfinch Avenue on a school run, picture copyright James Long.

FIRST IPSWICH/LOWESTOFT CHANGES

66987 KX05 MHV an ex First Midlands Volvo B7RLE seen here at Tower Ramparts



The following changes are scheduled to take place on the 25th May this has been gathered from the Eastern Area Notice and Proceedings of 16th April

IPSWICH AREA

4/A Ipswich Rail Station to Futura Park

Route changes possibly cutting out Dereham Avenue, Medway Road and Wye Road which no longer have bus stops since Ipswich Buses re routed the 6 to Ipswich Hospital.

53 Tower Ramparts to Pinewood

Changes to to timetable

65 Ipswich to Aldeburgh

Changes to timetable

66 Ipswich to Martlesham

Changes to Route, stops and timetable

75-78 Ipswich to Felixstowe

Start of Summer timetable which sees an additional bus to the timetable on Sunday's the 77 to Languard Fort and some reduction of buses in the evening.

88/A/89 Ipswich to Stowmarket

Changes to timetable

LOWESTOFT AREA

In the Lowestoft area the following are all subject to route, stop and timetable changes, 101 Gunton to Carlton Colville, 102 Lowestoft to Oulton, 103 Lowestoft to Carlton Colville and the X22  Lowestoft to Beccles, there is also the start up of service 3 between Newport Caravan Park and Great Yarmouth Seashore Holiday Park for the Summer Season.

32492 AU53 HKK a Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 taking off on the 66 to Martlesham.

BUS SUBSIDIES AND FIRST IPSWICH NEWS

First  Ipswich Volvo B7RLE  69422 AU58 FFJ seen last Tuesday on the 61 to Greenwich

BUS SUBSIDIES CUTS

A piece tucked away in the Ipswich Star caught my eye on Friday, according to the Labour Party in the last four years the amount spent on uneconomic routes have dropped by 50% in Suffolk with only Northamptonshire ahead with 55%. On average services across Britain are down by 23%, Labours Suffolk Transport spokesman Sandra Gage said that the Conservatives have continued to cut funding rather than subsidise rural routes leading to more communities  being cut off.

FIRST IPSWICH UPDATE

Further to my chat with Chris Speed last month, he has updated me further that the four heritage liveries will be based on the current fleet with Ipswich possibly having a bus in classic Tilling red and cream, further newer single deckers are being considered for both Norwich and Ipswich a quantity of around 30 are available within First Group approx 4 years old however this is subject to change. A more recent interview that he did with Sam Larke of Norwich Buses blog is available here http://www.norwichbusesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/norwichbuses-blog-exclusive-chat-with.html

Ipswich Buses East Lancs Transbus Dart 86 PJ53 OLG on the 13 to Pinewood and Tesco.

VINTAGE EASTERN COUNTIES PROFILE

LFS 23 1123 PW a Bristol FS/ECW of 1961 seen here in 1973 in Ipswich OCM

As there is not a lot of news happening this week, i thought i would step back in time to feature some classic photos from my collection of times past, if there is any others you would like to see please let me know.

A classic Bristol VR/ECW in RAH 270W in a rather fetching cream/red/orange livery which suited it down to the ground.

Seen here in Colchester Bus Station was a regular Ipswich allocated Leyland National LN 587 WAH 587S in the Post Office red livery.

Back to the 1960's with this one with Bristol K5G LK 391 KNG 391 in the Ipswich OCM

A Bristol RE/ECW RL 707 VAH 707H seen here in Norwich Bus Station in the late 1970's in the pouring rain, spent out it's last years at Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds.