Stevenson on 303/4

[Reece S]

Would the answer lie in here? I will have a look when I get back from work.

[Reece S]

I have found the answer MRW took the 303/304 over from Sep 26th 1994. I just remembered someone was selling a leaflet on eBay a few weeks back with those changes on and it also states replacing Stevesons journeys on the 303 timetable. I have posted not sure if it will work though.

[Reece S]

I have tried to post the photo but it keep saying it to big so here the link to the item that was for sale on eBay a few weeks back.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Midland-Red-W ... true&rt=nc

[asb]

I have finally had a chance to look at my old Council timetables. Prior to 28th August 1993 MRW ran a 293, 303 AND 304 every two hours between Kidderminster and Worcester. Nearly all were subsidised.

Stevensons took over the 304 on 28th August 1993, again every two hours. MRW kept the 293 mostly commercially every two hours, with the 303 mostly between Worcester and Ombersley only every two hours, subsidised.

25th September 1994 MRW took over the 304 at similar times.

During this period, Stevensons also operated in the Wyre Forest:

Sundays 292 Birmingham to Kidderminster, some 15A and 305 M-F only and school service 877.

They lost the 15A and 305 19th Feb 94 to MHS.
The 877 went to MRW and the 292 to WMT in September 94.

[AdamH]

Thanks for all the information people.

I have uploaded a selection of Midland Red West timetables to the main site...

From May 1994 during the period when Stevensons were about. If you click at the bottom to remove the variations you see there is hardly anything left for Midland Red West. Link.

And the September 1994 timetable with the Stevensons journeys now being worked by Midland Red West. Link.

Also of interest is the August 1989 timetable where the 304 had been withdrawn and replaced by the X94 through to Birmingham. That didn't last for very long either, and the 304 was re-instated shortly after! Link.

[AdamH]

An interesting observation!

Midland Red West Timetable Update No.1 dated 28th August 1993 says on page 3...

Service 305 KIDDERMINSTER - HARTLEBURY - STOURPORT
New Service - see separate page within this booklet for full details.

I've looked at every page in that booklet and there is no further mention of this new service, and we know from Mike Walton's website (link earlier in this thread) that the contract for new Service 305 was won by Stevensons at the same time as the Service 304 contract.

Were Midland Red West so confident of winning the new route they included in their timetable book, with "New Service" in bold print, then forgot to remove this note when the contract went to Stevensons?

As far as I can see, Midland Red West never operated this route as it was withdrawn before Stevensons sold their operations to West Midlands Travel.

[asb]

MRW ran the Saturday service on 305

[AdamH]

MRW ran the Saturday service on 305

Ah yes, it's shown as an extract on the 303/4 timetable but isn't shown on this list of extracts, which is given as just 22A/293/294.

A bit confusing, but I stand corrected!

[MattW]

Amazing where all this information appears from!
Well done people!

[Reddibus]

The Stevenson's business model was to look at any commercial service that was withdrawn or any tender that came up for retender and look at what they could register commercially.

What this quiet often meant was they took large chucks of routes with the tendering authority left with odd journeys to tender. Having the bus already there on the commercial service meant they picked up the tendered journeys with marginal prices. Their other way was to take the whole route and then pick at it withdrawing odd journeys again hoping they could pick up under tender .

They weren't the only operator doing this at the time Pete's Travel also do it. I suspect MRW expected to win the journeys under tender. Both Pete's and Stevenson's became in the 1990's a disruptive influence in the MRW game of maxing out the amounts they could get from the tendering authorities in both Worcestershire and in the West Midlands