239 Information
The changes to the 239 will be taking place on Monday 26th July in advance of this change, the following details are being circulated to people who have signed the list in the GRA, and copies will be available to collect from there as well. You can also download a copy by clicking here
From Monday 26th July, the 239 Glossop to Ashton service will be reduced from the current service to only run at the times below. Please find listed below a copy of the timetable details on why this change is happening along with (on the other side) information on alternatives routes to get to Ashton Under Lyne / Tameside Hospital
For a copy of the 239 Timetable please click here
Why is this happening ?
Up until the 26th July the 239 has being run as a tendered / subsidised service, with money being provided by the County Council to support the service being run.
This financial support was provided by way of a contract with Speedwell.
Earlier this year, Speedwell approached the county council wanting more money to provide this service, on the grounds that costs had increased since the contract was set up, and that the Mercedes Varios Speedwell use on the service are coming to the end of their lives.
However due to the existing contract for the 239 service still having a number of years to run, it was not possible for the contract to be renegotiated.
Speedwell then advised that they would be reducing the service to the timetable above and withdrawing from the contract with the County Council. This means that from Monday 26th July Speedwell will not receive any form of subsidy to run the service Speedwell have however decided to run the service with a low floor bus.
Why can’t the County Council provide an alternative service ?
Due to speedwell withdrawing from the existing contract, and with effect from the 26th July running the service as a commercial service the County Council cannot put in place an alternative service or take any action against Speedwell for pulling out of the existing contract.
What other effect’s will these changes have ?
In addition to the cuts to the 239 service, the 392 Glossop Gamesley circular is also being withdrawn, meaning that for large parts of the day there will only be two buses an hour to Glossop (the 341 at 20 past the hour, and the 394 at 5 past the hour).
What alternative are there ?
To get to Ashton Under Lyne – you will at times other than when the remaining journeys are running need to either go into Glossop, or to the Plough / Shaw Lane and catch a 236 or 237.
To get to Tameside Hospital – you will at times other than when the remaining journeys are running need to either go into Glossop, or to the Plough / Shaw Lane and catch a 236 or 237, and then change at either Stalybridge or Ashton Under Lyne.
Examples :
In place of the 6.52am (from Hollins Lane) journey to Ashton Under Lyne :
Walk from Gamesley to the bus stop at the bottom of Shaw Lane (in front of Glossop Caravans)
Catch the 6.50am 236 arrive in Ashton Under Lyne at 7.19am.
In place of the 10.13am (from Hollins Lane) journey to Tameside Hospital :
From Hollins Lane catch the 10.05am 394 to Glossop
At the Market Arcade in Glossop catch the 10.23 237 towards Ashton
Get off the 237 at Armstrong’s on Penny Meadow in Ashton
Cross over the road and catch the 11.08am 350 to Tameside Hospital
Journey planners to plan alternative routes to the Hospital, Stalybridge or Ashton Under Lyne are available at : www.gmpte.com, www.travelineeastmidlands.co.uk or by phoning travel line on 0871 200 22 33
The majority of these other routes are run by different bus companies, and Speedwell weekly or daily tickets will not be valid on these services.
You can however purchase an any bus (or system one) day ticket at £4.90 before 9.30am or £4.50 which is valid on all buses within Glossopdale and Greater Manchester (weekly and month system tickets are also available goto www.systemonetravelcards.co.uk for further details
Bus Watch
Please let us have your complaints about buses that don’t turn up, or run late.
We need specific information about the time and date to try and improve our local services goto www.anthonymckeown.info or www.gamesley.org.uk and click on Buswatch or pick up a form from the GRA for further details.
Future Changes
As soon as we here of any further / future changes, we will publicise the details by newsletter to all people that signed up at the GRA Office. Information will also be displayed on the changes at blog.anthonymckeown.info or www.gamesley.org.uk. You can also sign up to a weekly newsletter by email from Anthony’s blog on local issues, by visiting the blog or by sending an email with subscribe as the title to newsletter@blog.anthonymckeown.info