IB NEW ROUTES CHANGES PART ONE

Yesterday Scania Omnidekka/East Lancs 60 PJ54 YZT found itself unusually on the XI one of the routes undergoing change.
As in total the changes take up 8 pages from the VOSA site on Word i'm going to divide into two blogs the first part will include all the routes which are changing numbers or are new, two routes definitely going are the 14 and the Open Top circular 30, a chance for First Ipswich to take on the Ipswich and Felixstowe tours?
As can be see both the X1-3 have been withdrawn and renumbered as followed what is essentially the X3 to John Lewis becomes the 1 and the X1 to Greenwich becomes the 3, the 6 and 6A to Ipswich Hospital remain but the 6 will no longer have an evening service, that maybe because new route 2 covers pretty much the same ground, new service 7 will replace service 19 and be extended through  Castle Hill and Mereidith Road through to Asda. If this news hadn't come out i would have done unusual types on different routes, another one is pictured below the Notices and Proceedings.

·      

·         

·         Registration number

PF0000147/109

·         Licence Number

PF0000147

·         Variation number

0

·         Status

Registered

·         Service number.

ROUTE 1

·         Service type

Normal Stopping

·         Start point

tower ramparts bus station ipswich

·         Finish point

john lewis at home crane boulevard ipswich

·         Via

waterfront university greenwich & ravenswood

·         Date received

22 Dec 2017

·         Effective date

18 Feb 2018

    Registration number

PF0000147/110

·         Licence Number

PF0000147

·         Variation number

0

·         Status

Registered

·         Service number.

ROUTE 2

·         Service type

Normal Stopping

·         Start point

tower ramparts bus station ipswich

·         Finish point

ipswich hospital garrett anderson centre

·         Via

waterfront universtiy cliff lane ravenswood & sainsbury's warren heath

·         Service number.

ROUTE 7

·         Service type

Normal Stopping

·         Start point

tower ramparts bus station ipswich

·         Finish point

anglia retail park

·         Via

dale hall, henly road, stratford court, meredith road

·         Date received

22 Dec 2017

·         Effective date

18 Feb 2018

·         Registration number

PF0000147/78

·         Licence Number

PF0000147

·         Variation number

10

·         Status

Registered

·         Service number.

3

·         Service type

Normal Stopping

·         Start point

Ipswich, Tower Ramparts Bus Station

·         Finish point

Greenwich Holbrook Road

·         Via

·         Date received

22 Dec 2017

·         Effective date

18 Feb 2018

Another unusual spot yesterday was IB Scania Omnicity 70 YN56 NVB on the 6A

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Dennis Trident 16 LG02 FDN seen here yesterday on a rare working on a Sunday service 6.

Firstly i would like to make amends to what i said on the last post regarding Ipswich Buses as a blog i should remain impartial and that was not what happened, IB have made significant improvements in the fleet this year with 4 economical Enviro 200's 105-108 as well as the significant investment in the 14 Scania Omnicity Deckers, with 5 already entering service this will reduce the Dennis Tridents down to just 4, when completed by April next year,

the Deckers being Euro 5, cuts are being made all over the country and while not nice they have to be made, people need to use the bus, significant improvement is hopefully going to made with First Ipswich to help speed up Buses getting into Ipswich which isn't helping people getting into town, Friday was an excellent example of this with the busiest traffic of the year, and both companies did well to get extra Buses on when they could.

MB Citaro 153 BF65 HVT seen yesterday on the 9/10 to Whitton and Castle Hill.

BUSES IN USE FRIDAY 23RD DECEMBER

X1 Versa's 148/149/152, Omnicity 75, Dart 85/87, Trident 12
X3 Versa's 146/150/151, Dart 135
4  Versa 145, E200 82, Scania 69
X5  Omnicity Decker 30/35, Lowlander 55/58, Scania Omnidekka 61/62
6/A  Trident 12/13/21, Versa 147/152, Scania 69, Scania Omnidekka 60, Lowlander 57, Optare Excel 172, E200 81/107, Dart SPD 134 .
8   Scania Omnicity 70/73, Dart SPD 136/137, E200 103 and Versa 149
9  MB Citaro 153-55, Scania Omnicity 74
10 E200 77/101 Scania Omnicity Decker 40
12 E200 80/104/107
13 E200 106, E300 83, Dart 84/88, Excel 171, Scania Omnicity 71.
14 243
15/A Trident 22/25, E200 102/103/80/105, Excel 173, Omnicity 72, Dart 93/134
16 Dart 93 Versa 151
19 Dart 135/ Solo 243

Note some buses swap over during the day hence more than one apperance.

IPSWICH BUSES GOES UPHILL OR DOWNHILL.

Ipswich Buses Scania/Optare Olympus 68 YJ60 KGY on a rare trip on the 4 earlier this month .

This news has already been out for one day, but is going to be a major talking point, this is going to reflect my opinions which will be honest and truthful they may not be to everyone's liking. unhelpfully i can't actually find the changes on the government site so if anyone can help me out on that i would be grateful. Most areas such as Chantry, Whitton/Castle Hill and Whitehouse will undergo only small changes, one route that will disappear will be the 14 which is hardly a surprise as it's not commercially viable. The big change will be that night time Buses will finish between 10.00pm and 10.30pm not good if you are at the cinema or theatre and Sunday Buses at 8pm. Service 19 will change to number 7 confusing considering the Chantry via London Road has possessed that number up to a few years back since the very early days, this service will link Castle Hill to Asda. The 6/A circular service originally the 6 and 11 will split into the 2 and 6, i certainly fear for my old route the 4 if it goes hourly as that will certainly kill it off. Does Ipswich Borough Council want to kill this town further with these reductions, i would be interested to hear from the new Ipswich Buses MD and First Ipswich MD for there future plans, will we be seeing further reductions to the country network, sadly this town is dying which is a shame.

 First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69426/28 AU58 FFN/P found themselves regularly employed on the Greenwich/Gainsborough 60/61 last week along with others from the batch instead of the usual E 200's.

Seen in Ipswich Buses depot last week was a further Scania Omnicity Decker YR61 RVJ.

ANOTHER OMNICITY DECKER ENTERS SERVICE AND SATURDAY UNUSUAL SPOTS

A further Scania Omnicity Decker has entered service, this being 37 YR61 RUW on the 92 to Manningtree yesterday, meanwhile there seems to be two red liveried ones still in the depot, so 3 have departed for Hants and Dorset Trim since last weekend, 37 was also accompanied by 30 YR61 RPW on the 94 whilst Dennis Dart/EL 93 X93 LBJ see below had replaced 156 the MCV Evolution on the 97.

Meanwhile observations on town routes saw the return of  DAF/East Lancs Decker 54 tsee below o the X3 after a nearly 3 week spell on the Ex Carters routes, it re entered service after a short spell in the depot this week on the 15A 1635 service. The service 4 to Bixley/Martlesham had 3 Deckers employed in 16/58 and in the PM, Scania Omnidekka 60, it's also worth noting that the 6/A employs any of the three Optare Solo's 241/43/44 on a Saturday, this week it was 243, strangely the X5 to Ipswich Hospital had none of the new Scania Omnicity Deckers with 35/40 gainfully employed on the 10 to Castle Hill. Friday saw 3 Scania Omnicity single deckers employed on routes other than the 8/13, with 72 on the X3, 74 on the 4 with Enviro 200 106, whilst 70 was on the 6/A. First also had a Decker on the 60/61 with Volvo B7TL 32494, sadly i've lost my pictures for my visit to Cambridge on Thursday and also Friday's.

 Now seemingly a regular on town service 60/61 is First Ipswich Enviro 300 67406 SN13 CKC. Indeed more Volvo B7RLE's have been substituting most of the week with 44517 being off all this week.

IB Enviro 200 81 YX63 LGE showing the effects of the Snow ,of today's services there was a curtailment and diversion on the 13, whilst services X3/5/12/15A didn't operate. First services 60/61/75-77 and 64 didn't operate?

IB VERSA 148 RETURN/SCANIA OMNICITY DECKERS NEWS/VISITORS TO IPSWICH AND GALLOWAYS NEWS

After been missing in action for the last month of more Ipswich Buses Optare Versa 148 YK08 EPE returned to action on the Friday.With thanks to Stuart Ray these are the complete numbers and registrations of the ex Metroline Scania Omnicity deckers noticed today in the yard was 37 YR61 RUH, while in the afternoon a strange spot was Solo 244 on the X1, unusually today also saw a single decker work the 1540 15 service, which is normally worked off the 6.

30:  YR61 RPV

31:  YR61 RPY

32:  YR61 RPU

33:  YR61 RRV

34:  YR61 RSV

35:  YR61 RTV

36:  YR61 RUC

37:  YR61 RUH

38:  YR61 RUU

39:  YR61 RUV

40:  YR61 RUW

41:  YR61 RVF

42:  YR61 RVJ

43:  YR61 RVL

Visitors to Ipswich over the last week

 Daish Holidays are a popular Hotel and Coach operator running their own tours seen last week is Mercedes Benz Tourismo BJ16 KYN

 This unusual specimen belongs to Thompsons of Framlingham and is a Mercedes Benz Vario Sitcar Beluga and has been with them for a number of years

 Seen here today in the dusk is Daf Bova Europa GB04 FLG formerly RY04 ERN of Flagfinders of Braintree.

GALLOWAYS NEWS

Now withdrawn are the following Volvo Olympian M409 RVU replaced from Stephensons with M408 RVU, also withdrawn is 331 YJ60 GFA a DAF MCV Evolution, also leaving the fleet is Mercedes Benz Plaxton Cheetah 170 5516 PP re registered Y733 OGV before sale, 340 NJI 9244 re registered P736 UAH a Volvo B10M/Van Hool Astron,326 YJ14 CDX a Van Hool TX16 and 258 a DAF SB120/Wright Cadet 1754 PP re registered Y294 HUA before sale.

ANOTHER SCANIA OMNICITY DECKER ENTERS SERVICE AND OTHER NEWS

A further Scania Omnicity43 YR61 RVL, whilst 3 have remained in either the depot or the rear yard, along with withdrawn East Lancs Dart 86 has entered service last Thursday on the ex Carters routes before managing a day on the X5 on Friday before settling down in use on the 10's to Castle Hill on Saturday and today. In other  news it came to my attention after completely forgetting that the Beeston service to Sudbury has now been reduced to every 90 mins daytime Monday to Saturday.

 Visitors to Ipswich over the last week or so has seen Simmonds Volvo B12M/Van Hool 224 ENG
Grebe Coaches reside in Beccles but no fleet list exists as far as i now what i can make out is it's a Mercedes Benz Unvi MIL 3520.

 Now this is particularly unusual as it's a Bova Magiq C49FT of Cooks of Westcliffe On Sea, It started with Mayne of Buckie in 2008 as M17 YNE before passing to Cooks in 2010.

 Bought this year is Beestons Is Volvo B8R/Plaxton YX17 OHR.

BURY ST EDMUNDS SCENE

Not the greatest of photos taken long distance is Coach Services of Thetford CS67 BUS which I believe is a Volvo B9RLE with MCV bodywork on the 84 at Bury St Edmunds Bus Station.

 Stephensons have taken over most of the old First network of services, which is mainly in the hands of Enviro 200's and the Scania Omnidekka this one is 648 BV55 UCT.

Originally tried out as a Scania Demonstrator by Ipswich Buses this Scania Omnicity ended up being operated by Nottingham and is now with Mulleys for use on town services, seen here on the M22 to Nowton Estate.

Like Ipswich Buses, Coach services have invested in the later Scania Omnidekka although this particular one LX59 CPK has come the way of Stagecoach London.

 This fine machine is a Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 244 2513 PP owned since new,operating there Stowmarket to Bury St Edmunds Service

 Operating the 11 out of Bury ST Edmunds is ADL Enviro 400 19600 AE10 BXN from Stagecoach East Cambridge is the first time I have snapped a Stagecoach bus in service.

Operating the 753 service to Colchester is yet an other earlier Scania Omnidekka with East Lancs body operating with Chambers as 1502 YN55 PZD.

And yes another Scania Omnidekka/East Lancs  hiding it's age with the dateless plate WVE 284.