Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire

[enrag2000]

RE: Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire
Service 685 (Carlisle-Newcastle) has been "relaunched" today as Cross Pennine. Running times have been increased to deal with the regular late running which this service has long struggled with and two sections of route are altered, both of which will save a bit of time. Journeys into Carlisle now run direct to Carlisle Bus Station via Victoria Place omitting Lowther Street and the route east of Haltwhistle has been amended to use the A69 direct to Melkridge omitting Whitchester (as already happens on Sundays).

Both Arriva and Stagecoach services are supposed to be with a common green livery and branding. Although Arriva have vehicles in the new branding, Stagecoach have not done it yet. One of the two allocated vehicles 27142 has been off the road awaiting repairs for several months and 27141 is still in standard livery, with the other board usually covered by a MAN (24120 today). Wifi is promised on the service but the 59-reg MANs are not fitted - the ex-East Scotland MANs are the only ones fitted and they do not have high-backed seats - another advertised feature. It is a pity that Stagecoach vehicles could not be branded before the launch even if it meant postponing it for a few weeks, perhaps to the end of the month when Hexham's new bus station is opened.

The new timetable gives extra wheel-turn time to the two Stagecoach boards which used to do only two trips each to Newcastle plus the 1807 Hexham turnround but now do three trips each to Newcastle - the hour-long layovers in Carlisle are no longer needed with the service being registered in three sections to comply with EU regs. With each bus being out 15 hours a day, a standard-liveried bus will appear frequently even if 27141/142 are eventually given the new branding.