An Amazing Day on the Atlantic Coast

An Amazing Day on the Atlantic Coast... That was so amazing it turned into Two!!! - Trip: 11th/16th October 2020 - Written 28th March 2021

Those who have made a visit to Cornwall will know a must do is the AMAZING Open Top Atlantic Coasters Services provided by First's Cornwall by Kernow division. The routes are: A1 - Penzance - Land's End, A2 - Penzance - St Ives, A3 - St Ives - Land's End, A4 - St Ives - Gwithian/Camborne, A5 - Newquay - Padstow & A17 (Not open top) - St Ives - Madron/Pendeen. In normal years, all Atlantic Coaster routes would have connected with one another making it possible to do all five in one day. However, we all know 2020 was anything but a normal year, the A4 was only running to Camborne from St Ives instead of to Newquay so the A1/2/3/17 will be reviewed.

Sunday 11th October

When in Cornwall, as I study there, I am based out of Falmouth so getting to Penzance is not too much of an ordeal. This day commenced with me catching the first bus to Penzance of the day. The 08:22 U4 on 66 plate Enviro 400 MMC 33471 in the U-Lines livery - one of only two in Cornwall (at the time of writing) with the rest being on loan to another of First's Operations - Somerset Passenger Solutions to provide extra capacity for services for Hinckley Point Power Station. As I use U-Lines on a regular basis, I will review all four routes in a future review no doubt. I arrive into Penzance Bus Station, a shadow of its former self may I say, with around a forty minute wait until my St Ives bus - plenty of time for a brew! Close to departure time, I was left with two options as to how to get along to St Ives - The A2 that would become an A3 on arrival to St Ives or The A17 which at least offered me the chance to sample out another bus and give me time in St Ives for a few photos. I boarded the 11:15 A17 to St Ives which was provided by Volvo B7TL 37165 - a recent transfer from First Solent. The A17 and the A2 effectively follow the same route to St Ives - with the exception that the A2 serves Marazion and St Ives Caravan Park. Arriving into St Ives's Malakoff Bus Station, now just basically a turning circle with one stand for the A3 and a stand up the road due to the cliff it is on being unable to support the weight of more than one bus, a half hour of gawping at the stunning sight of the St Ives Bay and Open Top President 32211 arrived in from Penzance, still in the tip-top condition it was in when spotted in Penzance, ready to work the 12:15 A3 service to Land's End. In my opinion, the A3 is the most picturesque of the three of them! I'll let the pictures below do the talking! A quick turnaround at Land's End onto Gemini 37058 back to St Ives concluded that day's A3 action. A quick A17 hop to Penzance on Gemini 32683 - which had transferred down from Bristol - left me with an hour until the last bus to Falmouth of the day. Just enough time to do half of the A2 route. The A2 takes on a similar route to the A17 to St Ives but also serves the beautiful Marazion - home to St Michael's Mount - as well as having its uses for the holiday makers of St Ives Caravan Park. A quick hop to Canonstown (Near St Erth) and back on 32200 and 32209, both Presidents in immaculate condition for 18 year old vehicles, respectively killed some time before my bus back to Falmouth - Trident 33173 - and the conclusion of Day One.

Friday 16th October

As a result of University work, the following Friday was the next day I had available to pop down and finish what I had not started. The day started with U-Lines branded trident 32757 up to Truro on Route U1 in anticipation of one of the ex Bath Uni W Reg ALX400s, 32014, which had been spotted working Tinner T2's. I caught this to Redruth before a quick refurbed HST hop, which will never be the same without the slam doors, to Penzance. From there it was a ride on Gemini 32554 on an A17 to St Ives in anticipation for another journey on the stunning A3 route. This time, I had President 32202 for the journey towards Land's End and once again the views were stunning! I opted to jump off at the glorious Sennen Cove for an Ice Cream and a walk to Land's End - the weather was nice enough not to and this time I had plenty of time to do so. An hour or so's slog across the cove brought me to the Land's End Experience - somewhere I was not willing to pay the extortionate tourists prices for everything - and to where I would be catching my next bus to Penzance from. Kernow's only B9TL chassis Gemini, 37729, had been working the A1 between Land's End and Penzance all day and was my chariot back. It seemed as if this tank had made the A1 its own taking in the sights of the Penwith Countryside including Porthcurno and charging up St Buryan Hill's 14% incline (with very little momentum to go off) in no time at all! Upon arrival into Penzance, and having seen it on its journey to Land's End on the A1, I realized that V reg ALX400 32027 (New to London Central as their AVL24) was out and about and would be the perfect way to end the day. A quick hop to St Ives on Gemini 32549 (A17) allowed me to arrive in time for the old girl's departure on the 17:15 A2 Service to Penzance. It is insane to still be able to ride a vehicle in such good condition considering it will be 22 years old by the end of 2021 and every moment spent on this old beast was most certainly enjoyed. The perfect way to end my day!

The Future

2021 sees First South West introducing a number of new services, branded "Adventure by bus" for the summer and others being changed ever so slightly. The Atlantic Coasters are to be split into two identities. The AC branding will stay for what is currently te A4 and A5 - however they will be merged to become the "Atlantic Coaster" service. Whilst the A1/2/3 will be rebranded into the All New Land's End Coaster using existing Presidents which will be painted into an all new livery (seen below).

Will you be making a trip to Cornwall once you are able to? Will you go on an Adventure By Bus this year? In my opinion - yes you should!!! The routes are stunning, the vehicles are in immaculate condition and are a credit to First Kernow. I look forward to returning to sample these routes again this summer. ^WL