North East Buses

The licence for PCL Travel has now been revoked although the Rural Link licence is still in place.

Section 2.8 – Licences Revoked Without a Public Inquiry

PB1069957 SN PETER IAN COWELL
43 CAMERON ROAD, PRUDHOE, NE42 5AJ
Registered Bus Services running under this licence have also been revoked with
immediate effect.

PCL is in the news again, once again for overcrowding with their minibus allocations...
https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/18...villagers/

Your wording is a little misleading, They're providing a 16 seater as contracted, however passenger demand is higher than anticipated, and the council are in talks with them to remedy the situation.

I've updated (as best I can!) the PCL fleet list - https://northeastbuses.co.uk/fleet/list....eratorF=90&priorityF=&soldF=
I'm not 100% certain that all of the vehicles listed are still there... the business is known as Rural Link Ltd now of course, I'll look into getting it changed.
Interestingly they only have authorisation for 3 vehicles yet the timetables would suggest they operate 4 on a Tuesday with services 613, 885 and the two Morpeth buses running.
Is one of the Hexham runs sub-contracted out?

(14 May 2020, 2:52 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]I've updated (as best I can!) the PCL fleet list - https://northeastbuses.co.uk/fleet/list....eratorF=90&priorityF=&soldF=
I'm not 100% certain that all of the vehicles listed are still there... the business is known as Rural Link Ltd now of course, I'll look into getting it changed.
Interestingly they only have authorisation for 3 vehicles yet the timetables would suggest they operate 4 on a Tuesday with services 613, 885 and the two Morpeth buses running.
Is one of the Hexham runs sub-contracted out?

They regularly use stuff belonging to L&B Travel particularly on those Hexham runs on a Tuesday, an example showing one on the 885 fairly recently: https://flic.kr/p/2ghHmKN have seen them pop up in Morpeth a few times as well.

Solo M14PCL (V470GBF) is long gone I believe, they've had a few different MPDs of late but keeping up with them is a challenge. Don't think there's Primo's in service anymore but could be mistaken

(14 May 2020, 3:09 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]They regularly use stuff belonging to L&B Travel particularly on those Hexham runs on a Tuesday, an example showing one on the 885 fairly recently: https://flic.kr/p/2ghHmKN  have seen them pop up in Morpeth a few times as well.

Solo M14PCL (V470GBF) is long gone I believe, they've had a few different MPDs of late but keeping up with them is a challenge. Don't think there's Primo's in service anymore but could be mistaken

Ah I'd seen the odd photo of L&B vehicles appearing, wondered if they worked closely with them. Clearly they do!
I'm guessing there is still lots of vehicles sat in a yard somewhere from when the old licence was revoked and moved to the new licence.
There's a few missing vehicles (especially Primos!) if anyone knows what happened to them:
M14PCL (V470GBF) Solo
KX06LYS Mini Dart
KX08HLM Primo
KX08HMA Primo
KX08OLB Primo
KX58BHN Centro

The Tuesday only 613 has recently been operated by Mollys Taxis which is a sister company to L&B Travel. They have been using an eight seater Ford Transit that operates on Durham County Council Hackney Carriage plates.

I believe a lot of the Rural Link vehicles have gone. There is a black Primo that has been parked up out of use in their yard for some time now. A Dart tends to be used on the other Hexham services.

Charles

I been checking Companies House, one of the directors of L&B Travel and Mollys Taxis was appointed a director of Rural Link late last year. Peter Cowell remains a director and sole shareholder of Rural Link.

Charles

(14 May 2020, 8:16 pm)Charles41 wrote [ -> ]I been checking Companies House, one of the directors of L&B Travel and Mollys Taxis was appointed a director of Rural Link late last year. Peter Cowell remains a director and sole shareholder of Rural Link.

Charles

Ah now that’s interesting, and not surprising! Explains a lot about the links between the two companies.

Spotted what I think was KX06 LYS on the S1 the other day, has been painted plain white with "Rural Link" in bold blue lettering on the front. Will try and get a photo from the car later.

Companies House shows that Peter Cowell is no longer the controlling shareholder in Rural Link Limited. The company is now owned by William Campbell one of the directors and shareholders of L&B Travel Limited of Ryton. Mr Cowell remains a director of Rural Link Limited.

Charles

A recent addition here is Optare Solo YB06 VOM (previously with The Eden with the reg VIA 923)
Rural Link: YB06VOM by Matthew Jimmison, on Flickr

Other motors I've seen over the last few months include MPD SJ53 AWX and VW YX06 CUK
Rural Link: SJ53AWX by Matthew Jimmison, on Flickr

Rural Link: YX06CUK by Matthew Jimmison, on Flickr

A recent addition is Ex the  Eden solo MX55 WCZ

Most recent Notices and Proceedings states Rural Link are facing possible disciplinary action from the Traffic Commissioner.

Charles

(04 Jan 2021, 7:07 pm)Charles41 wrote [ -> ]Most recent Notices and Proceedings states Rural Link are facing possible disciplinary action from the Traffic Commissioner.

Charles

They must be going for a guiness world record, pretty sure they've had trouble a few times. Does anyone know what this misdemeanor is for?

Does anyone remember there being a PCL service in Cowgate?

(18 Apr 2022, 8:52 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote [ -> ]Does anyone remember there being a PCL service in Cowgate?

They used to have the 808 contract.

(18 Apr 2022, 8:56 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]They used to have the 808 contract.

Yeah, I think it was after that. Has the 808 been around since 1995? Phoenix have ran it since about 2018, I wonder if another operator might take it over soon, it was operated by Howard Snaith for a while though I believe. On Saturday I missed the 808 when a different minibus was allocated I didn't recognise.

(18 Apr 2022, 9:01 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote [ -> ]Yeah, I think it was after that. Has the 808 been around since 1995? Phoenix have ran it since about 2018, I wonder if another operator might take it over soon, it was operated by Howard Snaith for a while though I believe. On Saturday I missed the 808 when a different minibus was allocated I didn't recognise.

It's probably been operating in some format ever since long-distance bus services rose to prominence in the 1920s.

Here is a timetable from 1984;

[attachment=10036]

(18 Apr 2022, 9:32 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]It's probably been operating in some format ever since long-distance bus services rose to prominence in the 1920s.

Here is a timetable from 1984;

Thanks for that. Be interesting to see if the 808 service lasts much longer. Frustrating to miss it on Saturday because of the allocated minibus.

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(18 Apr 2022, 9:32 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]It's probably been operating in some format ever since long-distance bus services rose to prominence in the 1920s.

Here is a timetable from 1984;

Does that contain all timetables from 1984?