Tameside Bus Service Changes, Spring 2012: A Very High Peak Practice

Changes to former SpeedwellBus services and electric hybrids the order of the day

Prior to the middle of this April, Stott's of Oldham's only presence in Mossley have been on school services and the 353/354 routes. From then on, their low floor buses (one third smaller and tidier than this double decker above), seen on the 41 route will be a regular feature of the 343 route on weekdays.

Spring 2012’s raft of changes [16 April 2012] will be the first ones to take effect after the Coalition Government’s cut in the Bus Service Operators’ Grant. At the moment, nothing too catastrophic (yet) in the way of service cuts have reached Tameside. Operator changes and the introduction of electric hybrid buses set the agenda.

The biggest news set to affect Tameside and Glossop passengers is the formation of ‘High Peak’, the joint venture of Centrebus and Wellglade (of Trent Barton fame). From this coming Sunday [1st April], they will take over the 199 (Manchester Airport – Stockport – Buxton), 61 (Buxton – Glossop) and 62 (Marple – Hayfield) routes.

Gaining the most tenders from this set of changes is Stotts of Oldham. The 202 (Hyde – Broadbottom – Glossop) service will see the Lees Road company taking its evening service, along with its daytime counterpart, the 341. Stagecoach Manchester will continue to operate the Sunday and Bank Holiday services. The service will be largely unchanged apart from the fact Simmondley would no longer be served on weekdays.

In its place, High Peak will launch a part-route working of the 202 service, from Glossop to Chisworth via Gamesley and Charlesworth. On weekdays, it will serve Simmondley with a hourly daytime frequency, whereas Stotts of Oldham will take over on Saturdays, on the 341 route. From the middle of April, Simmondley bus users would have to grapple with three different operators, necessitating a trip to Hyde bus station or Hattersley’s Co-op for their System One Buscard. Whilst this may be a cinch for adult passengers, pity the BLine concessionary pass holder who travels regularly between Hyde and Glossop (given that children’s System One passes only cover the Greater Manchester boundary).

Returning to former SpeedwellBus routes, the 342/344 (Hyde – Backbower Circulars) will be taken over by Stagecoach Manchester at the expense of Stotts. On the other hand, Stotts of Oldham will gain the weekday 343 (Oldham – Mossley – Hyde) route. Given the length of the route, there should be some positive changes to its timekeeping, owing to reduced dead time between its garage and the centre of Oldham. Therefore, Stagecoach Manchester’s MAN single deckers will be usurped by their comfortable Optare Solos, unless they’ve got some more single deckers up their sleeve for the busy schooldays journeys.

At this moment in time, there is no other information regarding the fate of the 395 and 396 services operated by Bluebird, nor the 188 (Manchester – Ryder Brow) service also operated by the same company. However, it is also rumoured that this April’s changes may exceed the 100 mark, so there may be news of other changes between now and the 16th April.

What’s definite though is that Stagecoach’s 205, 206, 207 and 358 services will see minimal changes in terms of retiming. Evening peak journeys on the 205, 206 and 207 will depart from Piccadilly Gardens five minutes later than at present. On the 358, there has been some changes made to mid-point timings.

Everything’s Going Green?

Tameside passengers using the 168 route or odd journeys on the 345 at nighttimes will have seen Transport for Greater Manchester’s electric hybrid Solo SRs at Stand B or F at Ashton bus station. In the last month, some of the Stagecoach Manchester’s Enviro 400s have been seen on the 219 route. It is anticipated that mid April will see their electric hybrid vehicles in more regular use along Ashton Old Road.

There is also speculation that the 41 (Crowhill – Ashton-under-Lyne – Dukinfield, Tennyson Avenue) and the 419 (Ashton – Middleton) routes would be taken over by electric hybrid Solo SRs. At present, First Manchester’s Dukinfield garage operates them on the 380 (Stockport – Romiley Circular) and 386 (Stockport – Greave) routes. A further quartet have made their way to Rothesay Garage, so the 41 seems a likely candidate. Owing to capacity issues at Dukinfield, the 419 will be taken over by Oldham garage.

Before I go…

It may be clichéd to say this, but interesting times are ahead. Would the 41 experience a boon owing to a more modern fleet of environmentally friendly Solos? What other delights or cupboard skeletons are we awaiting?

As ever, feel free to comment on any glaring omissions, errors and other last minute changes. Till then…

S.V., 28 March 2012.