Cotswold Line RailBus Operation

[whole diary]

[CLPGMS]

Until Thursday 4th October 2012, the two Cotswold Line RailBus services (X8 - Kingham to Chipping Norton/ the Wychwoods, and C1^▸ ((on coaches) National route restriction) - Charlbury, Finstock, Leafield and the Wychwoods) were operated by RH Transport services of Witney.  This company ceased operating all its services from 5th October and is expected to go into administration.

Oxfordshire County Council has quickly stepped in to arrange some replacement services, with Stagecoach, for the X8 route, but only between Kingham station and Chipping Norton, for 5th, 6th and 8th October.  See http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/news/2012/oct/rh-transport-latest.

It is reported that First Great Western has hired Masons Coaches to temporarily replace the C1 service from Charlbury station. 

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

i never understood why rail link services are not included in the franchise

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Oxfordshire County Council has completed an amazing job of getting seven replacement bus operators in to run all 14 bus service contracts held by RH buses, including the Cotswold Line railbus services, from next Monday. RH buses ceased operations at close of business yesterday, emergency arrangements were in operation for today and Saturday, including FGW^▸ (First Great Western) arranging for a substitute railbus service for today and tomorrow for rail travellers convenience. All should be complimented restoring these bus services so quickly. For details see: http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/news/2012/oct/rh-transport-latest

[TonyK]

It certainly is a very good outcome, and shows what a council transport department can do when it has to. The new operators, Stagecoach in particular, will be happy too.

The local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) will be pleased.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Oxfordshire school routes bus firm in administration

A bus firm which runs six school routes in north Oxfordshire has gone into administration.

Jeffs Coaches ran services to Cropredy School, St. Johns School and Blessed George Napier School, both in Banbury, and Magdalen College in Brackley.

It comes less than a month after hundreds of pupils had to find alternative transport to school after RH Transport ceased business.

A new operator will run Jeffs Coaches routes from Monday.

The firm forms part of Loughborough-based Bowen Travel Group which has been unable to pay its staff and is in administration.

A total of 393 workers have been made redundant immediately with 55 staff members staying on to "fulfil remaining operations".

Councillor Rodney Rose, Oxfordshire County Council deputy leader and member for transport, said: "Jeffs Coaches is a long-established name in transport, but was in late 2005 bought out by a much bigger group from the Midlands. That group has obviously encountered financial problems and is no longer in operation. The impact in Oxfordshire is comparatively small but obviously important to the families of children who use the services in question. That's why we're acting promptly, as we did with RH Transport a few weeks ago, to bring in short-term replacements and make sure a seamless a service is provided."

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

I travelled on the No. 700 service from the Watereaton (Oxford) Park and Ride to the JR Hospital this week. Stagecoach has taken over this service but with buses that seem to be as old and rattly as RH buses (S reg.). However unlike RH, the Stagecoach buses were clean so that your clothing did not risk getting soiled, so a plus mark for Stageocach.

[eightf48544]

Bowen's going into administration has affected Slough and windsor railway Society we were going to use Jeff's coaches to get to Noyelles for the Baii de la Somme Gala at the end of April.

[TonyK]

These seem to be perilous times for bus companies everywhere. n part, this seems to be made worse by reductions in support for operators. Councils now pay less for concessionary passengers, and there has been a reduction in the fuel duty relief for bus operators. This doesn't seem to be sending the right message about public transport.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Banbury Guardian:

Jeffs Coaches buyout confirmed

It has been confirmed that Jeffs Coaches has been rescued from closure after a buyer was found for the Helmdon based coach company.

Business advisory firm Deloitte, who are acting as administrators for Jeff^s parent company, Bowen Travel Group, have confirmed the sale of Jeffs Coaches was secured on November 2 and that private-hire school services previously operated by the firm, will be safeguarded.

The company will also retain the operating name Jeffs Coaches,

Matt Cowlishaw, Joint Administrator and partner in Deloitte^s restructuring services team, said: ^It has been our upmost priority to ensure minimal disruption to passengers - young people travelling to and from school - and so the sale of Jeffs Coaches is a fantastic result for all involved. Services have now resumed, with the majority of routes unaffected and operating from the same coach depot.^

Deloitte have yet to comment on the position of the 34 employees who were made redundant when Jeffs Coaches entered into administration on 25 October.

No further information has been released about the future of Jeffs Travel in Parsons Street which also closed on October 25 with the loss of three jobs.