Puzzle Picture 1
Puzzle Picture 2
Puzzle Picture Answer?
fbb@xephos.com
COMING SOON : fbb’s grand railway infrastructure quiz.
New Trains Coming In ?? Years’ Time
and there’s more!
fbb prediction – 2030!
So there is a statistical chance your potentially 85 year old blogger (if he still exists) will never see them!
But Heaven sounds far more fun, enen than blogging!
Heritage Railway Modelling
Both are now sold by Dapol …
… and they will cost you …
… about £9 each.
… and Airfix/Dapol footbridge modified to stand on slate plinths. Also peeping in to one of the pictures; is …
… the water tower but with a tank section much reduced in height as befits the lesser capacity of the line’s little locos little water tanks.
Theoretically, the real thing …
… was designed to run as two seven coach trains. Retailers are offering a seven coach set from Hornby – at a price!
So for those who have enormous layouts or a long display shelf, the full 14 coaches will cost you a modest (!) £1070.l.
Livery Delivery At Last
Planners’ & Schedulers’ Party Time
So We Go, Virtually, To Cardiff.
Some?
For the last few months all bus operators across Wales have been working with Welsh Government, Regional Authorities and Local Authorities to work through the funding challenges that are coming to the fore as Pandemic support is being withdrawn.
So we are cutting services.
These funding challenges mean the current levels of support being made to all bus operators cannot be maintained.
So we are cutting services.
In our case, which is not the case for all operators, during pre-pandemic times more than 90% of our revenue came from customers making journeys with us. However, like all bus operators in Wales, and across the UK, when the pandemic struck we had to quickly change service levels to reflect government directions. We received new subsidies to maintain the existing network and the capacity as we moved out of those levels of restrictions. It is this support that is now coming to an end.
So we are cutting services.
At present we are seeing just over 80% of pre-pandemic customers returning to our services. This is now the new base level that we must work from as we move back to operating with reducing support. These are hard decisions, but we must make changes to maintain a sustainable network in Cardiff and eastern Vale of Glamorgan.
So we are cutting services.
The changes are set out below. For new timetables we have had to factor in additional journey time as we try and make sure these are robust to navigate the worsened levels of traffic congestion we face. We also need to fully consider the changes that have been made to road layouts, loss of highway and junction capacity for bus movements, as well as preparation for new speed limits that affect journey times.
But, really, we are cutting services.
fbb will try to sample some of the changes in due course; but it doesn’t look good. Do we assume that the £2 fare cap has had little effect?
Do we assume that the (Welsh) Government is happy to see more Cardiff folk using their cars, damaging the city, killing the planet etc etc.
Of course, a commercial Cardiff Bus company needs to manage its finances or it will go bust.
But, f we are serious about the “saving the planet” stuff, is cutting back the right way forward?
OF COURSE IT ISN’T!
The ONLY unchanged services are …
H59 & H95 Heath and Llandough Hospital Park & Rides: both services remain supported by the Cardiff & Vale University Health Board with no changes proposed at this time.
99 Cardiff (City Centre) – Cardiff Bay – Penarth Seafront & Esplanade: as a reminder the open-top Skycar route 99 …
EVERYTHING else has changed! The only positive is that Cardiff Bus has published ALL the revised timetables almost one month in advance.
Is this negativity really the right way to run public transport?
OF COURSE IT ISN’T!
A Bit More Leigh Park blog : Monday 14th August