Sapphire Buses
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Posts
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How do the get wi-fi? is it anything to do with the little aerials on the bus shelters?
I notice the seating capacity seems to be less than a standard double decker.
Nah those are for the radio (GSM?), so the live boards at bus stops can be updated.
The WiFi will be run off the cellular network, so it’s basically a phone attached to a wireless access point you connect to.
They are definitely worse than the trains. As fast as the announcement has told you what the next stop is, it’s telling you you’re approaching it and by the time it’s done that it’s starting again.
It is VERY annoying and to me that is the ONLY drawback to these buses (that and the squeaking lol).
An Arriva driver told me this morning that they are connected in to the GPS on the bus and the ticket machine so the only way to actually stop it, is to stop the engine. I asked him to find a fuse or a wire to yank out lol
@Welsh Dresser 6110 wrote:
Are the accouncements worse than the trains? They warn you every station to mind the gap between the train and the platform but by the time I go to get off I forget I have heard it and have to leap across the chasm. Not an elegant dismount!
The photo’s in the write up make the seats look really comfy. I want one instead of my old creaky computer chair. Mind you it could be me that creaks and not the chair!
@justjojo2011 6175 wrote:
They are definitely worse than the trains. As fast as the announcement has told you what the next stop is, it’s telling you you’re approaching it and by the time it’s done that it’s starting again.
It is VERY annoying and to me that is the ONLY drawback to these buses (that and the squeaking lol).
An Arriva driver told me this morning that they are connected in to the GPS on the bus and the ticket machine so the only way to actually stop it, is to stop the engine. I asked him to find a fuse or a wire to yank out lol
What causes the squeaking? Is it feedback? Or is it you?
Me & the wife caught one back from Chester last week, nice & comfortable but those announcements were annoying. Managed to get wifi working on my iPhone after several attempts (not the easiest thing to type on when your moving).
Will definitely use again for the comfortable seats but try to sit as far away from any speakers as possible.I’ve heard of one breaking down and another where the doors failed and couldn’t be opened! They are REFURBISHED not new buses after all- they seem to be mid 90’s vehicles on private number plates.
They’ve had to draft in some ‘Cymru Coastliners’ – these have wifi etc but no announcements.
I imagine they usually go along somewhere on the N Wales Coast, not sure where but if the Sapphires have been breaking down then i’m glad they haven’t just subbed in some of the old single deckers!
@NJones 6323 wrote:
I’ve heard of one breaking down and another where the doors failed and couldn’t be opened! They are REFURBISHED not new buses after all- they seem to be mid 90’s vehicles on private number plates.
They’re late 2008/early 2009 vehicles originally registered on CX58 plates, certainly not mid 90s! They are refurbished but at a cost of somewhere in the region of £20k per bus so hardly a light investment!
@WrexhamFootballLover 6326 wrote:They’ve had to draft in some ‘Cymru Coastliners’ – these have wifi etc but no announcements.
I imagine they usually go along somewhere on the N Wales Coast, not sure where but if the Sapphires have been breaking down then i’m glad they haven’t just subbed in some of the old single deckers!
Just the one Cymru Coastliner bus! It’s from Rhyl and usually operates the 11 service (Chester – Rhyl). It’s been covering whilst one of the newer single deck buses went off for refurbishment so that it can act as a spare for the Sapphire vehicles without looking scruffy (now registered J999 ABW, originally on a CX57 plate if anyone’s interested)!
The Cyrmu Coastliner bus will be back off to Rhyl now the spare bus has also been refurbished, unfortunately! Breakdowns should be less frequent now too – teething troubles with some of the new electrical systems installed during refurb I’m led to believe.
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