Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

[iMarkeh]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(27/07/2021 08:23)Rick Hunter Wrote:  2 buses an hour on the 10 One is Macc operated usually with a Solo. The other is interworked with 38 So yes at the moment the 10 is shared between Macc and Winsford. 38 is Winsford operated

Why is it shared? Staff shortages?

Also, if the 38 is all Winsford, they are running 2 buses dead to Macclesfield each day? That can't be good for viability.

[Rick Hunter]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
It's been that way since Macc reopened. It's Winsford have the chronic shortage of drivers. Macc are just 1 down which is covered by overtime working.

(27/07/2021 10:48)iMarkeh Wrote:  Why is it shared? Staff shortages?

Also, if the 38 is all Winsford, they are running 2 buses dead to Macclesfield each day? That can't be good for viability.

[iMarkeh]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(27/07/2021 10:56)Rick Hunter Wrote:  It's been that way since Macc reopened. It's Winsford have the chronic shortage of drivers. Macc are just 1 down which is covered by overtime working.

If Winsford are short of drivers, why is it running more than it did. Did some drivers not transfer back to Macc so less work could be allocated as there are less drivers there now?

Just seems interesting to change the ops in this way if there is no benefit to it.

[Rick Hunter]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
Not all the Macc drivers are back there, some are still at Winsford. There is a queue to get back to Macc

(27/07/2021 14:23)iMarkeh Wrote:  If Winsford are short of drivers, why is it running more than it did. Did some drivers not transfer back to Macc so less work could be allocated as there are less drivers there now?

Just seems interesting to change the ops in this way if there is no benefit to it.

[iMarkeh]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(27/07/2021 20:43)Rick Hunter Wrote:  Not all the Macc drivers are back there, some are still at Winsford. There is a queue to get back to Macc

So Winsford is short of drivers so the solution is to give them more work (the 38 and some of the 10s) and hold back drivers who would otherwise be returning 'home' and put them on a queue.

Have I missed something here? Doesn't sound like the best thought through way of working.

[knutstransport]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(28/07/2021 11:01)iMarkeh Wrote:  So Winsford is short of drivers so the solution is to give them more work (the 38 and some of the 10s) and hold back drivers who would otherwise be returning 'home' and put them on a queue.

Have I missed something here? Doesn't sound like the best thought through way of working.

Could it be more 'efficient' diagramming?

I recall a number of years back the 288 Altrincham-Wilmslow-Knutsford was an Arriva Wythenshawe route and the 300 Knutsford circular was an Arriva Winsford route. However, they decided to change it so Wythenshawe took the 300 and produced workings which were something like

288 Altrincham-Knutsford
300 Knutsford circular
300 Knutsford circular
288 Knutsford-Altrincham

The 300 never ran to time and drivers didn't seem to know the route but Arriva claimed it was a more efficient way of working.

[Rick Hunter]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
Arriva seem to like tagging remote routes onto others. Bolton operate 575 to Wigan then 362 Wigan to Chorley and back and 575 Wigan to Bolton. St Helens run to Wigan as 352 then do 395 Wigan to Ormskirk and back then 352 Wigan to St Helens. All ok when everything is running right but if there is a hold up anywhere then you have 2 routes buggered up.

(28/07/2021 14:00)knutstransport Wrote:  Could it be more 'efficient' diagramming?

I recall a number of years back the 288 Altrincham-Wilmslow-Knutsford was an Arriva Wythenshawe route and the 300 Knutsford circular was an Arriva Winsford route. However, they decided to change it so Wythenshawe took the 300 and produced workings which were something like

288 Altrincham-Knutsford
300 Knutsford circular
300 Knutsford circular
288 Knutsford-Altrincham

The 300 never ran to time and drivers didn't seem to know the route but Arriva claimed it was a more efficient way of working.

[knutstransport]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(28/07/2021 21:03)Rick Hunter Wrote:  Arriva seem to like tagging remote routes onto others. Bolton operate 575 to Wigan then 362 Wigan to Chorley and back and 575 Wigan to Bolton. St Helens run to Wigan as 352 then do 395 Wigan to Ormskirk and back then 352 Wigan to St Helens. All ok when everything is running right but if there is a hold up anywhere then you have 2 routes buggered up.

Others have previously claimed that Arriva depots have to bid against each other for routes, so even if Wigan to Ormskirk appeared to be best placed with the Bolton depot, if St Helens proposed a way of running it for a lower cost than Bolton then St Helens would get the route.

[Rick Hunter]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
I'm not aware of depots bidding against each other for routes but routes do get moved between depots for various reasons. the 395 ended up at St Helens when Skelmersdale closed. Bolton would likely be more viable to operate it as they are on a considerably less rate of pay than St Helens. I would guess depot capacity may have played a part.

(29/07/2021 10:35)knutstransport Wrote:  Others have previously claimed that Arriva depots have to bid against each other for routes, so even if Wigan to Ormskirk appeared to be best placed with the Bolton depot, if St Helens proposed a way of running it for a lower cost than Bolton then St Helens would get the route.

[M60lad]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
Despite what people are thinking 395 doesn't run to Ormskirk anymore it only runs from Wigan-Skelmersdate and has been this way for the past couple of years now.