Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(31/10/2012 16:24)wirralbus Wrote:  I suspect a Wigan - Liverpool service will be looked at again now , considering there taste for interurban services .

I doubt a direct service would come about; the train isn't all that expensive, is a lot quicker and if they introduced a route of their own as far as St Helens, they'd then have the 10A through to Liverpool.

I wonder what the potential would be for a through service to Manchester.....

[Bevan Price]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(31/10/2012 16:24)wirralbus Wrote:  So December is the earliest that a registration deluge with VOSA could happen.

I do think Stagecoach could reinvigorate the bus market in the Wigan area .

Arriva will be watching developments with close interest now to see what there next move is .

I suspect a Wigan - Liverpool service will be looked at again now , considering there taste for interurban services .

I would be surprised if there are any major changes for a few months, whilst Stagecoach get to know the Wigan area a bit better. As for vehicles - are there any spare Darts or MAN's within the Stagecoach group that they might use to replace some of the older buses at Wigan ? And in the longer term, might Wigan take over some of Chorley depot's work (with Preston taking the rest) ?

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
There's a stack of B10BLE Renowns just been withdrawn at Gilmoss which I wouldn't be at all surprised to see turn up at Wigan as an interim solution to renew some stock.

[kuyoyo]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(31/10/2012 22:28)CX54 DKD Wrote:  There's a stack of B10BLE Renowns just been withdrawn at Gilmoss which I wouldn't be at all surprised to see turn up at Wigan as an interim solution to renew some stock.

Also a load of B10BLEs with various bodyworks sat in storage here in the North East, although most of those are now listed as disposal.

[SF07]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(31/10/2012 22:17)CX54 DKD Wrote:  

(31/10/2012 16:24)wirralbus Wrote:  I suspect a Wigan - Liverpool service will be looked at again now , considering there taste for interurban services .

I doubt a direct service would come about; the train isn't all that expensive, is a lot quicker and if they introduced a route of their own as far as St Helens, they'd then have the 10A through to Liverpool.

I wonder what the potential would be for a through service to Manchester.....

I think a service to Manchester would make sense to help link it with the main Manchester network. What route that'll be, I'm not sure. Obviously depends on what happens to the 32/33.

Hopefully, Stagecoach will expand out of Wigan to neighbouring areas like Bolton, Chorley and St Helens. Certainly will give First and Arriva something to think about. Also gives another player in the tender market along with Maytree and SLT. Wouldn't be surprised to see Stagecoach Lancs's school services eventually switch to Wigan once they've settled in and perhaps recruited a few more drivers.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
I wouldn't have thought they would attack First too much but think Arriva will probably be concerned as they will probably try and link up the areas between Wigan and Gillmoss a bit.

[gilesbus1]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
I managed to gleen bits tonight about this, initially there are no changes to ops or vehicles all vehicles where bought yesterday along with the shed and an office behind Wigan Bus Station had its rent taken on it the fleet at Wigan is now fooizen till the deal is concluded as this is now an asset that reflects the value of the business. The only unknown quantity is who will operate either the 33 Evening routes on the X34 all other routes will transfer with the depot.

The only promise that has been made is that a new Wigan to Manchester express service is to be started Next Year, wether thats an enhancement and rebranding of the 32 or something else remains to be seen remains to be seen.

Optare Excels are expected to be withdrawn after December but the likely replacements will be MAN's stored at Manchester. Arrows might hit the dust later although this is more suggestive than factual when Stagecoach Manchester gets some 02 plate Tridenst for Magic that will free up existing Low Floor Magics that could mean these get repainted to nornmal livery and moved to Wigan, likely those that are Highbridge and none standard and from independent take-overs.

Any future operations and fleet at this stage is unlikely as Stagecoach needs time to bed down here however it is likely they have bought it with some forward direction as to some future expansion some of it possibly linked to the Leigh Guided Busway in about 2 years time, and also we might logically expect a cleaning out of some competition at Wigan.

[ace]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(31/10/2012 22:23)Bevan Price Wrote:  

(31/10/2012 16:24)wirralbus Wrote:  So December is the earliest that a registration deluge with VOSA could happen.

I do think Stagecoach could reinvigorate the bus market in the Wigan area .

Arriva will be watching developments with close interest now to see what there next move is .

I suspect a Wigan - Liverpool service will be looked at again now , considering there taste for interurban services .

I would be surprised if there are any major changes for a few months, whilst Stagecoach get to know the Wigan area a bit better. As for vehicles - are there any spare Darts or MAN's within the Stagecoach group that they might use to replace some of the older buses at Wigan ? And in the longer term, might Wigan take over some of Chorley depot's work (with Preston taking the rest) ?

There's quite a few darts and MAN's at Charles Street that belong to Manchester. They were used as cover during the Olympics. Most of them are quite old and not in great shape now but they might be better than some of the inherited stock.

[M60lad]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
I might be jumping the gun here but I wonder whether when Stagecoach were initially looking at Wigan Depot whether they checked out its location as well as Bryn is virtually on the doorstep of M6 which could be of use for any planned expansion of the MEGABUS network in the near or distant future and considering Bryn was actually built by Shearings it has had coaches in there before even when Thomas Hardies Volvo had it, so would be ideal for storing any MEGABUS's overnight or for calling in for fuel etc depending what route their on

[gilesbus1]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(01/11/2012 07:10)M60lad Wrote:  I might be jumping the gun here but I wonder whether when Stagecoach were initially looking at Wigan Depot whether they checked out its location as well as Bryn is virtually on the doorstep of M6 which could be of use for any planned expansion of the MEGABUS network in the near or distant future and considering Bryn was actually built by Shearings it has had coaches in there before even when Thomas Hardies Volvo had it, so would be ideal for storing any MEGABUS's overnight or for calling in for fuel etc depending what route their on

This is now what I think having thought about it. If you look at Rugby and how profitable that depot now is and its location it kind of makes sense that thats the reason for the purchase not bus work outside Wigan.

I supect the other growth reason that they want it for is the Leigh Guided Busway because some of the routes are sheduled and always have been to cross Manchester City Centre and terminate in Stagecoach's teritory on Wilmslow Road at Owens Park. I wonder if park of the price is shutting FirstGroup off the Leigh Guided Busway.

So therefore two areas to grow Megabus and Busway.

I would add to the Megabus bit that on sevewral occasions Stagecoach Manchester has tried to run Megabus work but each time the space becomes more in demand for buses, so Megabus I would say is possibly the main one of the two reasons above, The people I spoke to yesterday suggested the site was the main reason for the purcahse and that therefore makes sense.

It is reeasonably close to Charnock Richard, Bolton West and Birch Services so they could become hubs along with closeness to Liverpool, Manchester and Preston so that would make it an ideal base for it.

I would suspect that it is reading between the lines going to become the base for Megabus services in the North West.

Gilsebus1