Zooming about

After a few weeks in York, I've spent a few days back at home. Having been launched just over a week ago, I decided to give Trent Barton's new Zoom service a go.

Zoom was launched to provide faster journeys between Long Eaton, Borrowash and Derby. Starting at Long Eaton Green, it follows the Indigo route as far as Borrowash before branching off and joining the A52, running non-stop to Derby. The service uses four branded Optare solos, two '51' plates (fleet numbers 439 and 440) and two '02' plates (fleet numbers 446 and 452). All the buses have been refurbished internally and repainted into a dark grey and purple livery.

As well as the improved journey time,  Zoom has also Trent Barton's responce to Yourbus' 'Y5' service which mimics Indigo between Derby and Beeston (with the competition being extended to Nottingham in October).

I took a journey from Derby Bus Station to Long Eaton. I took the 11:17 journey using bus 439. I was one of two passengers as far as Breaston, from there I had the bus to myself. Other journeys I saw had better loadings, and one bus I saw last night had a full seated load.

I arrived at the stand quite early but my bus was already there, showing ample layover time which is always good for reliability. The driver was in the 'new' uniform (essentially a new tie and blazer with the new logo) and was very friendly; the zoom team has been hand-picked for their friendliness.

The livery was stunning and looks far better in real life compared to photos, with the two base colours complimenting each other and standing out. The bold white logo also draws the eye. The inside was also very tidy, with the seats having been reupholstered with the new black fabric with recycled purple handrails so the outside colour scheme continued. As per usual there was an array of internal adverts promoting the service including various ticket options and the new Trent Barton alive real time system. The phrase "try me, like me, or get your money back" is on the outside, next to the passenger door, promoting the no quibble guarantee that Trent Barton prides themselves on.

The bus left and arrived at Long Eaton on time. The bus went along the A52 at a fair pace but the engine was very noisy, which would have meant conversation would have been difficult. It seemed the bus made too much progress along the stretch of dual carriageway, having zoomed along we crawled to Long Eaton to avoid early running and even had to stop for a few minutes at a number of bus stops which is infuriating for passengers onboard. This overly flexible timetable was perhaps my main criticism.

So to summarise:

Positives:
- the buses look fantastic both inside and out
- the driver was very friendly
- there is a noticeable reduction in journey time

Negatives
- the overly flexible timetable, even if you're early, sitting in a layby when you want to be at your destination is not good
- the buses are very noisy and don't seem to be designed for dual carriageway running. This creates an unpleasant environment during the fast stretch.

Overall, zoom is a good service. It provides a better product than was previously available and in a stylish way. With a few tweaks, it is a service with real potential.