by Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent
“A little help from my friends…” is a Beatles pun
Anyone expecting RMs to appear on the streets of Liverpool will, of course, have been disappointed but not surprised. This being Merseyrail, whose parent company is Serco-Abellio (formerly Serco-NedRailways), the vehicles used are all NedRailways’ subsidiary Abellio London cast-offs, operated in partnership with Selwyn’s of Runcorn. So much for a fleet of “famous double-decker buses”. They’re basically 11-year-old ALX400s delivered to Connex and the only thing iconic about them is their colour and that’s stretching a point. Still, the headline probably grabbed people’s attention even if the real thing’s somewhat more ordinary. Indeed, inside, the vehicles show that they’ve been in front line London service, seeing thousands of feet and bottoms.
Friday afternoon at the peak period would normally see Central station alive with passengers... just look at it now
If anything, another London icon might’ve been better suited to these services: the articulated bus. If only they could easily pull into the Great Charlotte Street bus stop. But Liverpool already has former London articulated buses and it’s these, if anything, that could reasonably be called London “icons”.
Of the expected incoming artics, one senior politician was moved to say, “We need to challenge the need and the rationale for Arriva wanting to introduce them. I have never been a fan of bendy buses, I have seen them abroad and in this country and they do not strike me as safe.”
He was only saying what everyone else was thinking. There’s a general perception that artics are dangerous. The fact that London is deliberately now rid of them adds to that perception. In reality, they’re more manoeuvrable than an 11m and, from my own London observations at a tight junction near Oxford Street, it was the artics rather than the double decks that sailed through. The near wheels of the deckers got very close to the kerbline whereas there was more than a comfortable margin for the artics.
The artics have been with Arriva now since 2011 and are used on the Liverpool Airport to Liverpool South Parkway shuttle 501, Liverpool to Liverpool Airport 500 and the 699 Liverpool University halls. Plans for the Shiel Road circulars (The Belt) were dropped.
What’s more, they appear to have nicked the image off Wikipedia.
9 comments:
Memeories are short, I remember MTL running red ex-London Leyland Titans in Liverpool. These then underwent refurbishment, losing the middle door in the process, at Edge lane. I think the last of the red paint was finally covered up in about 1997
I often wonder what the cost per passenger carried is on this sort of short-distance replacement service. On a visit to the city six weeks ago the maximum load arriving at Liverpool One bus station was three.
All very mysterious! Has Busing abandoned us for ever? Has he emigrated? Gone on his hols?
Or been transported for life for heinous offences and blasphemies various!
Only joking (-:
Very mysterious indeed!
These sorts of services are always odd. Central station is closed for a long period of time due to the major renovation work and alternative transport options have to be provided. It's also the busiest station in Liverpool, by quite some margin. Telling people to walk simply isn't an option for the TOC.
In reality, though, people will walk. Central station is deep underground, part of the Merseyrail system (it's a national rail line but has more in common with S-bahn), and by the time people have got out of the train tunnels at Moorfields or Lime Steet Low Level they may as well walk. It's probably just as quick for a healthy adult. But not everyone is a healthy adult, so the bus must run.
The only thing I'd say is that counting passengers at Liverpool ONE bus station isn't neccesarily fair. It's a poorly sited bus station, not even that convenient for the shopping centre it takes its name from. Further up the road would show more passenger usage, I'm sure.
Come back Busing, all is forgiven :-)
"I often wonder what the cost per passenger carried is on this sort of short-distance replacement service."
I imagine, as David says, most will just walk to/from Moorfields. It's not far, and it's not an unpleasant walk either.
So maybe an on-demand minibus for those unable to walk would have sufficed.
Neil
But everyone knows the Liverpool Echo was only ever good for one thing, and since they abolished standing in the Kop, you can't even use it for that any more!
Interesting blog, thanks for sharing this informative article on omni buses.
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