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RE: MP Travel - knutstransport - 11/07/2021 17:28
(11/07/2021 16:21)EDB325 Wrote: There are usually special coaches laid on from Altrincham for the show. Swan's have provided them in previous years.
The year I worked there they were plain green Mercedes non-DDA buses, which went to Manchester Airport station via Altrincham. I don't know who operated them. The Knutsford entrance shuttle was operated by a small fleet of minibuses belonging to a vehicle hire company, with event staff driving them.
Regardless those travelling from Stockport (and Intercity destinations which change at Stockport) still need to get to Altrincham and those from West Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales will still need to get to Knutsford on the replacement buses from Chester. While Stagecoach run a normal bus between Stockport and Altrincham, most people will ask for Altrincham or Knutsford when buying their rail ticket so will end up with a ticket which is valid on the RRB but isn't valid on ordinary Stagecoach buses or Metrolink.
To be honest the year I worked there I didn't hear many northern accents, other than ones from Cheshire and the Wirral. Most were from the midlands and south of England, presumably the people who travel to all the RHS shows.
The non-local event staff are also put up in hotels in Stockport due to the rooms there being cheaper than other places and there not being many hotel rooms available in Altrincham and Knutsford.
RE: MP Travel - knutstransport - 18/07/2021 13:07
720 and 722 are tracking on Chester to Stockport RRBs again today.
RE: MP Travel - Walton 46 - 14/08/2021 06:43
Announced yesterday: the X1 will be running to a reduced timetable for a period of four weeks. Service will operate hourly instead of the usual 40 min frequency and will also now operate to Castlefields all day
RE: MP Travel - knutstransport - 14/08/2021 09:46
(14/08/2021 06:43)Walton 46 Wrote: Announced yesterday: the X1 will be running to a reduced timetable for a period of four weeks. Service will operate hourly instead of the usual 40 min frequency and will also now operate to Castlefields all day
So at 13:15 yesterday they post on social media that an emergency timetable will be in operation starting tomorrow, without giving any reason why. Not the most customer friendly post!
The new timetable is on their website but there's no mention of any temporary change anywhere on their site, you have to open the timetable to know its changed.
If it's driver shortage then I hope they aren't planning to run any rail replacement services for the next few weeks. Another operator can easily pick up RRBs with it being school holidays, no-one else is going to pick up journeys they can't cover on the X1.
RE: MP Travel - iMarkeh - 14/08/2021 10:48
(14/08/2021 06:43)Walton 46 Wrote: Announced yesterday: the X1 will be running to a reduced timetable for a period of four weeks. Service will operate hourly instead of the usual 40 min frequency and will also now operate to Castlefields all dayI love how the reduced timetable is significantly better than the normal one. Standard timetable which is easier for passenger to remember and serving more of the busway all day. It's what the route needed from day 1 in my opinion. Massive improvement on the 'normal' timetable.
RE: MP Travel - knutstransport - 14/08/2021 12:42
(14/08/2021 10:48)iMarkeh Wrote: I love how the reduced timetable is significantly better than the normal one. Standard timetable which is easier for passenger to remember and serving more of the busway all day. It's what the route needed from day 1 in my opinion. Massive improvement on the 'normal' timetable.
An 'easy to remember timetable' may suit some people but if you're commuting the standard frequency is irrelevant.
For instance, say your boarding point is Runcorn High Street and you work at Halton Hospital starting at 08:30 and finishing at 17:00.
Old timetable gets you there at 08:09 and you can catch a 17:40 bus home.
New timetable gets you there at 07:59 and you can a 17:44 bus home.
All other journeys are irrelevant.
Not a huge difference at first glance but that's 15 minutes you lose every day. If you've seen comments from parents on social media about timetable changes previously (whether it's bus or train), a relatively small change can result in them being charged extra for early pick up/late drop off at a nursery/after school club.
RE: MP Travel - KXW212 - 15/08/2021 08:58
(14/08/2021 12:42)knutstransport Wrote: An 'easy to remember timetable' may suit some people but if you're commuting the standard frequency is irrelevant.
For instance, say your boarding point is Runcorn High Street and you work at Halton Hospital starting at 08:30 and finishing at 17:00.
Old timetable gets you there at 08:09 and you can catch a 17:40 bus home.
New timetable gets you there at 07:59 and you can a 17:44 bus home.
All other journeys are irrelevant.
Not a huge difference at first glance but that's 15 minutes you lose every day. If you've seen comments from parents on social media about timetable changes previously (whether it's bus or train), a relatively small change can result in them being charged extra for early pick up/late drop off at a nursery/after school club.
The 79C provides a regular service throughout the day/every day between Runcorn High St Bus and Halton Hospital and parallels the X1. I doubt anybody would commit to the X1 for that journey on a regular basis with its irregular frequency. What this does, is make for at last a balanced service and provides daytime through journeys from Windmill Hill (previously peaks only).
RE: MP Travel - knutstransport - 15/08/2021 16:38
(15/08/2021 08:58)KXW212 Wrote: The 79C provides a regular service throughout the day/every day between Runcorn High St Bus and Halton Hospital and parallels the X1. I doubt anybody would commit to the X1 for that journey on a regular basis with its irregular frequency. What this does, is make for at last a balanced service and provides daytime through journeys from Windmill Hill (previously peaks only).
I just picked two points at random which are included as timing points, without knowing the actual flows. If you know where commuters typically travel to then you should be able to say how they'll be impacted.
RE: MP Travel - Busway_Bob - 21/08/2021 18:24
New X1 timetable from 14/08/21, for about 4weeks
https://www3.halton.gov.uk/Pages/publictransport/pdf/BusTimetables/TimetableX1.pdf
As I know they run in service to Shopping City from Castlefields 08:05 etc (only £1.50)
RE: MP Travel - Busway_Bob - 14/09/2021 07:25
F18 HOW is working the X1 today (Volvo B10BLE Alexander ALX300) ,,, Im guessing TX21 ONE has failed