25 years of First Mainline (Read 1,115 times)

[donc]

Mainline became First Mainline  25 years ago, then First South Yorkshire what are your thoughts and memories of the last quarter of a century?

www.facebook.com/FirstSouthYorks

scontent.flba3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/366372005_783678327101424_9154557929202880707_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p526x395&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=rTVKAbd9xGMAX-Hw_g6&_nc_ht=scontent.flba3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDVjovLPESVz4xic_3Phn8zcA-Fyb8lTp7QYkW4ibQ23Q&oe=64E2139C

[crossscythe]

First bus have done a great job in many aspects of travel in South Yorkshire. The X78 has been a huge backbone of inter-town travel in South Yorkshire, with modern buses and 9 minute frequencies. Various schemes have given an enhanced experience for customers, such as the Dementia Friendly Scheme and the travel assistance cards for people who are non-verbal. I see the same drivers, year after year, so they must be a good employer to work for, one driver, an elderly gentleman even came back from his retirement in New Zealand to drive for First in Sheffield. First are the only operator in Sheffield to provide staff restrooms and canteens both at the depot and at the heart of operations, at the main Interchange. Drivers who have sadly passed away are often remembered with vehicles named after them.



I remember back in 1998 when the first purple and white buses started to appear, the Renowns. They felt very modern, I believe some of them had carpets in. Most of the buses were still red and yellow for many years, naturally reflecting Mainline's partnership. Then came the Alexander 400s, used primarily on route 60. The volvo Eclipse b41F caused quite a stir when they appeared on the streets of Sheffield, with many mistaking the engine room for a toilet compartment. The B7 and B9 Geminis followed in later years and in 2013, the fleet was transformed with the introduction of state-of-the-art Streetlites. Leather coach style seating, driver seatbelts and warm purple interiors gave a luxury passenger experience and enhanced safety for drivers. First is currently in somewhat of an uncertain stage as to which direction it will take next, with management changing and some of the fleet sadly going back to the leasing company.

There are some things that First could improve on. For example, the 52a finishing in the early evening, the withdrawal of buses such as service 2, which served the community of Lydgate Lane was a great shame. The 93 from Woodhouse to Meadowhall is another useful link that was lost.

It's been ups and downs but First has been a loyal server of Sheffield and South Yorkshire, often providing services in places where other operators can't be bothered, e.g. Fox House.

[The Captain]

Must have been 25 years ago then stood at Darnall Main Rd Up waiting to take my 52 over when a engineer came round the corner with 615 just back from RTC repairs minus blue and grey stripes and red First fleetnames as a changeover.
Drove the last service bus in and out of Greenland Rd before it shut.
Involved with the re-numbering of the fleet from the Mainline series to Firsts 5 digit system as devised by Simon Marsh.
Involved in the planning and integration of Halfway depot in 2007, when we looked at a maximum of 358 buses in Olive Grove but in reality stuck at 306.
Re-jigged the stacking system a few times as the fleet swayed from 31ft decker's and minibuses to 40ft saloons and the elimination of herring bone stacking indoors.
The chaos when Rotherham shut in 2017 and engineering overwhelmed for a few weeks after.
Network changes one after the other with the only prime purpose to save on staff and vehicles, the 2015 SBP changes went too far.
The 3 week all out strike in 2004.
Profitable before, loss maker ever since till Covid and the reductions that brought.
BLEs, B9s great.
B7s of any variety, Streetlites/Streetdecks poor and with numerous issues, and the other types cascaded in like Tridents, B10Ls, the oddball decker's around 2000-2002 to replace Dominators which ironically outlived then anyway.
Management and office politics.
The staff no longer with us.

[crossscythe]

Aug 16, 2023 21:13:50 GMT The Captain said:

Must have been 25 years ago then stood at Darnall Main Rd Up waiting to take my 52 over when a engineer came round the corner with 615 just back from RTC repairs minus blue and grey stripes and red First fleetnames as a changeover.
Drove the last service bus in and out of Greenland Rd before it shut.
Involved with the re-numbering of the fleet from the Mainline series to Firsts 5 digit system as devised by Simon Marsh.
Involved in the planning and integration of Halfway depot in 2007, when we looked at a maximum of 358 buses in Olive Grove but in reality stuck at 306.
Re-jigged the stacking system a few times as the fleet swayed from 31ft decker's and minibuses to 40ft saloons and the elimination of herring bone stacking indoors.
The chaos when Rotherham shut in 2017 and engineering overwhelmed for a few weeks after.
Network changes one after the other with the only prime purpose to save on staff and vehicles, the 2015 SBP changes went too far.
The 3 week all out strike in 2004.
Profitable before, loss maker ever since till Covid and the reductions that brought.
BLEs, B9s great.
B7s of any variety, Streetlites/Streetdecks poor and with numerous issues, and the other types cascaded in like Tridents, B10Ls, the oddball decker's around 2000-2002 to replace Dominators which ironically outlived then anyway.
Management and office politics.
The staff no longer with us.

Here is a picture of 615, having accident repairs (copyright Andrew S Redding). 

www.flickr.com/photos/43708133@N00/9227120273/in/photolist-f4npoz-ikWaXk-ah9nx2-fvdhwd-2nypAfT-aj4TWN-nucpqU-2iT7jtt-f4BDrY-ba5jXZ-2nypA7w-dve6F1-2k6aFqT-2k6aFoP

[metromadman]

Aug 16, 2023 20:00:55 GMT crossscythe said:

the fleet was transformed with the introduction of state-of-the-art Streetlites. Leather coach style seating, driver seatbelts and warm purple interiors gave a luxury passenger experience and enhanced safety for drivers.

I’ve never been on a luxury coach with e-leather Civic-V3 seats which are even marketed by the manufacturer as “urban seats”!

[overground]

Aside from how things have changed, times/society have changed massively. The network in the last 25 years has shrunk massively but that’s a nationwide thing and in my opinion has suffered some pretty dire service/route changes. We’ve gone from 5? garages in 1998 to 2 now. As for FSY retaining staff there is quite a turnover of staff which was accelerated by Rotherham shutting and covid. I do feel that there has been a lack of investment too, not just on vehicles but on depots too. Yes there’s been a number of new vehicles invested but there’s always been a number of cascades, some particularly ropey and FSY have really had their moneys worth out of some buses they’ve had

[pec140]

Here’s how I see it as a passenger:

Vehicles:
* initial investment in 1998 impressive (B10BLEs well designed and well suited) but quickly stalled (if it had continued into 99 it would have made a real quality difference to the whole network, but poor quality cascades undermined any progress)
* second phase of investment in 2002 more modest and some quickly cascaded elsewhere (B7 singles in particular less well designed) but again undermined by poor incoming cascades
* third phase of investment in 2007 onwards impressive (B9s excellent and well suited to terrain, deckers much needed) - pity this also wasn’t sustained (only recently received late model B9s as cascades)
* fourth phase 2013 - poor quality Streetlites not well suited to terrain and quickly deteriorated. Streetdecks likewise, though later models better. Strange addition of small non standard vehicle batches (ADLs, now being removed) cannot have helped efficiency.

Network:
* national concepts excellent (e.g. overground), but poorly implemented locally (still too many bits diluting and often competing with the main turn up and go offer)
* 2003 strike overshadowed a partly decent network change
* subsequent piecemeal and continuous negative changes laid open Sheffield for attack by Stagecoach (which was cunningly and skilfully executed)
* failure to respond to Stagecoach robustly
* perverse response to financial crash - increasing fares when real incomes falling showed little understanding of pricing theory or customer incentives
*first ‘partnership’ worked reasonably well, bringing fares back to acceptable levels
* second (2015) “partnership” generally a disaster (though one or two successes like service 20) and subsequent quarterly service reductions until 2019 made things even worse
*poor pricing killed further marginal services (e.g. £3.50 from Meadowhall to Parson Cross on the 35 - really?)
*covid restrictions further hastened decline (not First’s fault, of course) as did council closures of Pinstone Street and obsession with cycles rather than buses
*inept PTE and strange tender decisions (again, not First’s fault)

Other
* remote management and central control often inconsistent and lacking local knowledge
* short periods of more local understanding (but perhaps wasted time on unnecessary livery proliferation)
*poor centralised marketing
*inability to take tough decisions early (e.g. ditching RO)

[pec140]

Continued:
* complete abandonment of large parts of the city (Grenoside, High Green, Loxley during the day, let alone Broadway at night, to name a few) (though the PTE network map also thinks Sheffield extends no further northwards than Deerlands Avenue)
*the abandonment of large swathes of early evening services
* thinking too much like accountants: looking at the profitability of individual journeys rather than the network as a whole entity
* from September: using computer scheduling that results in non-clockface timing (though Stagecoach has done this for a while - the dreadful service 86 has a 29-41 minute frequency)

[crossscythe]

Remember the 218 to Hanley in Staffordshire? That must have been quite a journey, especially for those with a weak bladder!

[The Captain]

Aug 18, 2023 1:52:05 GMT crossscythe said:

Remember the 218 to Hanley in Staffordshire? That must have been quite a journey, especially for those with a weak bladder!

It was split at Buxton.
Had it's own 2 regular buses 60608 and 61211.

[manclad]

Aug 18, 2023 1:52:05 GMT crossscythe said:

Remember the 218 to Hanley in Staffordshire? That must have been quite a journey, especially for those with a weak bladder!

By the late 80's/90's it was the X23 then the X18. Tbf, it was only a two hour journey.

[crossscythe]

It's impressive to think that in 25 years (and beyond in Mainline days), there has mever been a scrape on Bridge Street in Bradwell. It takes real skill to drive a bus down there.

[TC60054]

Aug 24, 2023 13:28:04 GMT crossscythe said:

It's impressive to think that in 25 years (and beyond in Mainline days), there has mever been a scrape on Bridge Street in Bradwell. It takes real skill to drive a bus down there.

Trust me, there's been plenty.