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Author Topic: Villa Park Redevelopment  (Read 528676 times)

Online dave.woodhall

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1125 on: August 08, 2022, 03:45:11 PM »
I'm only basing my thoughts on what happens elsewhere. At Cheltenham and here for the CG they use Stagecoach but at Edgbaston it's your common or garden WMPTE and it's that shuttle service that would be easiest to replicate if the service is viable at all.

Again, it might be timescales. For Villa Park virtually everyone is getting there over a period of two hours before and 30 minutes after. I would guess Edgbaston crowds are more spread out.

Offline paul_e

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1126 on: August 08, 2022, 03:52:44 PM »
I'm only basing my thoughts on what happens elsewhere. At Cheltenham and here for the CG they use Stagecoach but at Edgbaston it's your common or garden WMPTE and it's that shuttle service that would be easiest to replicate if the service is viable at all.

Again, it might be timescales. For Villa Park virtually everyone is getting there over a period of two hours before and 30 minutes after. I would guess Edgbaston crowds are more spread out.

From experience at the stadium this week I'd have to say that the 2 hours before and as short a window as possible afterwards is exactly how it went so whatever company is involved that's what needs to be delivered.

Online ian c.

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1127 on: August 08, 2022, 04:04:32 PM »
It wouldn't just be one journey each way, you have a number of vehicles doing the journey a number of times depending on demand, that's how it works at other large entertainment or sporting events. For it would start at a given time, perhaps 1pm from town with the last bus departing at 2.15/2.30.
The return journey's start immediately after the final whistle and continue until there is no one left to pick up.

Post match beer and entertainment would, hopefully, spread demand over a couple of hours. You could screen highlights of the game, Stevie's post match excuses / digs at players, player interviews and stuff.

Offline chrisw1

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1128 on: August 08, 2022, 04:24:06 PM »
Are there enough spare buses these days to have them hanging around for a few hours on Saturday afternoon?
Nope, this is the key issue.  And it doesn't sound like a particularly attractive option for a private operator.

Offline Mister E

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1129 on: August 08, 2022, 04:26:55 PM »
We need a speedy shuttle service from the Lichfield road area(plenty of space around ) that can use the bus lanes and carry people back to the city centre in 5 minutes ,a fair price would be £4 return.
Four fucking quid???? - you serious??!!!
Yes? Around the price it would cost with TFWM service
Sorry - I was being a little flippant. I no longer live in the area and so have no idea what comparative prices are like.

Offline artvandelay

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1130 on: August 08, 2022, 04:27:18 PM »
They manage to have bus shuttles running from Liverpool City Centre to Anfield and Goodison, they work pretty efficiently going to the stadium. I don't know if the clubs subsidise those?

Offline Ad@m

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1131 on: August 09, 2022, 10:26:10 PM »
Am I imagining it or did a private company (Zeelo?) try to run buses to VP and back a few years ago and gave up because it wasn't financially viable?

There are some similarities with Edgbaston but it's not identical - Edgbaston crowds are half what we get at the Villa and Edgbaston is served by much larger roads with "normal" bus routes all over them.  So it arguably takes less for them to top up with specials to meet demand. 

That said, at VP, they shouldn't try to get everyone home on a bus.  The key issue is the overcrowding at Aston Station back in to town so they could put some shuttle buses on Lichfield Road and Witton Road back in to town to try to alleviate that specific issue.

Offline PeterWithe

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1132 on: August 10, 2022, 06:14:28 AM »
Are there enough spare buses these days to have them hanging around for a few hours on Saturday afternoon?

I read somewhere (actually, it might have been a previous page on this thread but I can't be arsed to look now I've stopped typing) that they had to bring in buses from all over the country to run these shuttles, so no, I suspect there wouldn't be.

I was in Cornwall yesterday and, as I sat in a traffic jam returning North, a fleet of 40/50 buses in Cornish livery came past the other way with Birmingham 2022 in the destination sign.

Offline amfy

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1133 on: August 10, 2022, 07:33:06 AM »
Are there enough spare buses these days to have them hanging around for a few hours on Saturday afternoon?

I read somewhere (actually, it might have been a previous page on this thread but I can't be arsed to look now I've stopped typing) that they had to bring in buses from all over the country to run these shuttles, so no, I suspect there wouldn't be.

Definitely true - We’ve actually had a reduced bus service running in Lancaster and Morecambe during the games  (& just before) because Arriva sent so many buses to Birmingham!

Offline wittonwarrior

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1134 on: August 10, 2022, 07:44:48 AM »
I just don't understand as to why they don't recommence special buses back to town.  Worked really well in the 70's.

Offline sid1964

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1135 on: August 10, 2022, 08:33:04 AM »
When i was 12 - 17 years of age me and my mates, used to catch the football special that ran from Stourbridge to Villa Park (used to get on at the Hawbush, Brierley Hill)

If they brought that back I would use it again, it would save me turning up at Villa Park 3 hours before the game starts to get a parking place.

Online Flamingo Lane

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1136 on: August 10, 2022, 08:36:41 AM »
The special buses used to just be lined up in a road that was to the side of the park. Sycamore Road, I think. Can't remember how many buses there would be, possibly not that many, but it seemed to work well and easy.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2022, 08:51:21 AM by Flamingo Lane »

Offline chrisw1

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1137 on: August 10, 2022, 08:53:49 AM »
I just don't understand as to why they don't recommence special buses back to town.  Worked really well in the 70's.
If you read the posts above your it will give you a clue.  Not enough buses, not financially viable.  It's just not an atractive solution for a commercial operator.


Online Flamingo Lane

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1138 on: August 10, 2022, 09:09:33 AM »
I just don't understand as to why they don't recommence special buses back to town.  Worked really well in the 70's.
If you read the posts above your it will give you a clue.  Not enough buses, not financially viable.  It's just not an atractive solution for a commercial operator.

In which case, the challenge for the club, the authorities and the operators is to work out a way to make it an attractive (or viable) solution because, as they say, doing nothing is not really an option.

Offline chrisw1

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #1139 on: August 10, 2022, 09:18:43 AM »
I just don't understand as to why they don't recommence special buses back to town.  Worked really well in the 70's.
If you read the posts above your it will give you a clue.  Not enough buses, not financially viable.  It's just not an atractive solution for a commercial operator.

In which case, the challenge for the club, the authorities and the operators is to work out a way to make it an attractive (or viable) solution because, as they say, doing nothing is not really an option.
There's no way of making it commercially viable.  It will need to be subsidised.

 


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