EIGHTY-FOUR years of Fylde coast history came to an end late Sunday night, as the last ever working of Blackpool’s Line 6 bus route ran into the depot for the final time. It was the 2300 Mereside-Grange Park-Market Street working, and was in the hands of now-withdrawn Optare Delta 107 – a fitting end, perhaps, for one of the first two Deltas to enter service with Blackpool Transport back in 1990.
But what’s so significant about the 6? Why has so much Fylde history now ended? The answer is simple: the route has seen just two fundamental changes since the initial flurry in the early 1920s and has had just three primary types of vehicle – others just playing supporting roles – run on the route since 1934 – most other Blackpool bus routes have seen many more changes to the route and have been operated by a much wider variety of vehicle. The changes in question were the extensions to Mereside in 1954 and Grange Park in 1986, and the three vehicle types that have been used are Titans, Olympians and Deltas – the latter operating right through until the last day as mentioned above.
Throughout it’s life Line 6 has been known by many different names, being an early leader of route branding. February 1985 saw the route become known as “SHUTTLESIX” and recieve five Atlanteans dedicated to the service as part of an experiement which lasted for five months. After that, it become “another bus route”, until September 1987 when route branding returned with a Superman-inspired identity and the name “Super 6″. This lasted for a further two years until 1989, when the dedicated fleet was withdrawn and the identity dropped.
Then the route remained largely static and unchanged until the advent of the Metro Coastlines network in 2001 – a few minor changes were made in 1990 but the route was left completely alone in the November 1994 network changes. By 2001 the service frequency had been increased, and some minor route changes took place at the start of the Metro Coastlines era. Route branding returned in the form of Line 6 in June 2001, with 9 Optare Deltas painted into the maroon and yellow metro livery. A further one followed in 2004, before more changes in 2005, with several Deltas transferred between routes.
The beginning of the end for the 6 was back in February of this year, when the evening service frequency was cut from 20 minutes to every thirty.
And so, we come to the final days of the Six, before it is consigned to the history books – possibly forever? Not all of the branded Deltas survived the final week, with most earmarked for withdrawal and scrapping in the near future. Friday saw half of the ten required buses as branded examples, with the rest being drawn from the pool fleet. On Saturday the branded cohort rose to 6 with 4 pool buses – including all three pool-liveried Deltas – making up the numbers. The last full day of the Line Six was over.
But the final day was to come on the 25th July, a Sunday, and so a Sunday service was in operation. This required five buses and, fittingly, all five turned out were route branded Optare Deltas. The first bus out at around 0700 was 104, heading to Corporation St to start the service to Grange Park. It was followed 20 minutes later by 107. Around 0730 106 left via Yeadon Way to form the first bus from Mereside at 0740. 109 left depot at 0750 empty to Corporation Street for the 0755 to Grange Park and finally 112 left around 0750 empty to Mereside. The five buses then spent the morning and afternoon on a 20 minute frequency service. Two buses ran in at tea time, 109 finishing at Mereside at 1712 and 104 at 1812 both running back to depot via Yeadon Way. This left 106, 107 and 112 to provide the half hourly evening service. Their last three round trips were:
- 106 2200 Mereside – 2241 Grange Park – 2323 Mereside and depot
- 112 2230 Mereside – 2311 Grange Park – 2353 Mereside and depot
- 107 2300 Mereside – 2341 Grange Park – 0001 Market Street and depot.
Sunday 25th July: the end of the Six and the end of 84 years of stability. The next day a new bus network and a new timetable was in operation – but without a route 6. Although their numbers are now reduced, the Optare Deltas have recieved a stay of execution for a while yet, with their use continuing in Blackpool – and not just restricted to Line 11 or as pool buses as they were under the Metro Coastlines network. They will still be seen trundling along Blackpool’s roads in turquoise or black, but it is unlikely that a maroon one will operate ever again.
Thanks go to Paul Turner and his excellent Fylde Bus Blog for much of the informtion contained here, including the history of the Six and what happened on it’s final days. The Six’s history can be read in much more depth here, and more about the Fylde’s bus networks in general can be learnt on the blog, which can be found at http://fyldebus.blogspot.com/.
