The Humber Transport Summary Timetable page now contains a Barton to Hull summary timetable; Stagecoach used to produce one but stopped including it with their 250/350 pdf timetables last year.
In recent years Hornsbys X4 between Scunthorpe and Brigg via Lakeside Retail Park and Scawby had become a primarily positioning service, albeit one that did give Scawby a peak time service to/from Brigg - with a 0750 departure from Scunthorpe to Brigg and a 1745 from Brigg to Lakeside Retail Park Monday to Saturday.
Since Thursday 2nd January, Monday to Friday the X4 has been significantly increased and has become a lot more useful, offering a direct Scawby to Scunthorpe service (as opposed to travelling via Brigg on the 4/94) as well as improving the Scawby to Brigg service. It also reinstates an 'all day' service for Brigg Road in Scunthorpe. New journeys depart Brigg at 0810, 0910, 1210, 1410 and 1540, Scunthorpe Bus Station at 1115, 1315, 1515 and 1715, plus a Greetwell Crossroads to Brigg 'short' at 0855. The 1515 and 1540 omit Scawby, instead operating direct between Scunthorpe, Lakeside Retail Park and Brigg, what the X4 did when first introduced.
It should be noted the new journeys, funded by North Lincolnshire Council, are a trial, initially to 31st March 2025.
Between Brigg and Scawby the X4 is fairly well co-ordinated with the 94 - the 94 departs Brigg at 0940. 1140, 1340 and 1540. From Scawby the X4 departs the Church at 0809, 0857, 1132, 1332 and 1732, with the 94 departing Mill Lane at 1029, 1229, 1429 and 1629.
Co-ordination with the 4 between Brigg and Scunthorpe is also good; the 4 departs Scunthorpe Bus Station at 45 minutes past the hour and Brigg Cary Lane at 40 minutes past the hour, so in the hours the X4 operates it will give half hourly departures (although there is a 1540 4 and 1540 X4 from Brigg).
The 0750 X4 from Scunthorpe was however cutback to depart Lakeside Retail Park at 0800; this journey and the 1745 continue to operate Monday to Saturday.
The 254 Barton Town Service was revised on 3rd January 2025 with an addition and a removal from the route. The service is operated by Hormsby Travel under contract to North Lincolnshire Council and with a financial contribution made by Barton Town Council. The 254 remains a Monday, Wednesday and Friday service operated hourly around the town in the morning and every 45 minutes in the early afternoon.
First though an extract from the Barton Town Council Environment Committee Minutes in October 2024, that provides some useful background:
North Lincolnshire Council Bus consultation is taking place. Members were not happy that the Leisure Centre stop will be removed, however it is evidenced that it is not used enough. Members queried whether the stops are advertised enough. It was agreed to request a stop at the Interchange as although there is one at Tesco, the Interchange would also be popular.
It is important that advertising the service is widespread. The service that is being offered is the same service but operating in a different way.
Cllr L Bennet Proposed and Cllr N Pinchbeck Seconded. To remain with the current route and add a stop to the Interchange and clearly sign the bus stops. Unanimous
Barton Town Council's suggestion to re-add Barton Interchange to the 254 was accepted and introduced as part of the January change. I doubt there will be much demand personally as the 254's limited operational hours mean the 254 cannot be used a connecting service for a trip 'out of town' in both directions. However the time penalty for serving the Interchange is minimal.
Sadly the double run along Brigg Road to Baysgarth Leisure Centre has been removed, presumably due the low usage mentioned in the Town Council minutes. The Leisure Centre is also home to the town library - it was the relocation of the library to the leisure centre that first saw the 254 amended to serve the leisure centre.
Back on 3rd December 2024, a new Tuesday (market day) service was added to Pocklington - the 594 from Fridaythorpe. Operated on behalf of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and funded from it's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation, the 594 is operated by York Pullman. The service departs Fridaythorpe at 0945 and Pocklington at 1230 taking 27 minutes in each direction and serving Millington en-route. Both Fridaythorpe and Millington were served by the Summer weekend service 200 'Wolds Explorer' between Pocklington and Thixendale last year, whilst Fridaythorpe also has a year round service to Driffield every Tuesday and Thursday.
The Humber Transport Summary Timetable page now contains a combined bus and rail summary timetable for travel between Barton, New Holland and Goxhill.
The 'Isle Shopper' service 97, operated directly by North Lincolnshire Council, became the 97A on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12th November. Service 97 continues Monday, Wednesday and Thursday between Sandtoft, Wroot, Westwoodside, Haxey, Epworth, Belton, Ealand, Crowle, Eastoft, Luddington and Garthorpe.
Service 97A departs Sandtoft at 0945 (as off 4th February) and operates per the 97 to Belton, before then routing via the A18 to Gallagher Retail Park on the western edge of Scunthorpe. From here it then operates to Crowle (effectively a positioning service), down to Epworth as per the 97 route, back to Gallagher Retail Park and back to Sandtoft. Following a lunch break, the 97A then operates from Epworth to Crowle, Gallagher Retail Park and back a final time to Epworth. Overall the main 'traffic objectives' seem to be Epworth and Gallagher Retail Park.
The thing that stands out to me most is the overlap with Hornsby service 399 that already links Westwoodside, Haxey, Epworth and Belton to Gallagher Retail Park. The only new link is that from the small villages of Sandtoft and Wroot to Gallagher Retail Park.
As it happens, this week North Lincolnshire Council decided to put the 97/97A, and also the 96 between Barton and Brigg out to tender.
COMMUNITY BUS SERVICES IN NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE – SERVICES 96 AND 97/97a – The Director: Communities submitted a report seeking approval to tender the council’s Section 22 community bus services to external operators, effective from 1 April 2025.
Service 96 was a registered Section 22 community bus service operated by the council, running between Barton and Brigg via the Low Villages. The service was vital for connecting these communities, providing essential transport for residents. It currently operated from Monday to Friday and had successfully carried 5,560 passengers in the current financial year up to 30 November 2024.
Service 97/97a was another registered Section 22 community bus service operated by the council serving the Isle of Axholme. The 97a service ran from the Isle of Axholme to Scunthorpe Tesco (Gallagher Retail Park) on Tuesdays and Fridays, offering crucial access to shopping facilities for the local population. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, the service operated exclusively within the Isle of Axholme. The service had transported 742 passengers in the same period.
Both services had been well received by the public. However, there had been occasional issues with finding driver cover, which had impacted service reliability. Since spare drivers were typically home-to-school minibus drivers, they were unable to complete a full day of service. This limitation had sometimes resulted in reduced or even suspended services.
Placing these services out for tender could significantly enhance flexibility and reliability for customers. By engaging external operators, more resources could be allocated, thereby improving service consistency and reducing the likelihood of service disruptions.
Resolved – That Option 2, set out in paragraph 3.2, that both services be placed out for tender by an external bus operator, be approved.
Looking at those usage figures the 96 is vastly more popular than the 97/97A. Using an overly simplistic assumption of 20 non-bank holiday weekdays a month, then between the start of April and the end of November (8 months), the 96 is carrying an average 34.75 passengers per day or 3.475 passengers per journey. The 97/97A is carrying an average 4.6375 passengers per day. As I am using an overly simplistic calculation those will not be precisely accurate averages, but should be close and therefore a useful indicator.
That's an awful average for the 97/97A and indicates the service is a massive over-provision. There may well be non-economic arguments to support the service, but reducing to one or two days per week would seem more appropriate, ensuring Sandtoft and Wroot maintained a timetabled bus service and that a timetabled bus service remains between Crowle and Epworth - but at far less expense.
That average may also explain the introduction of the 97A - trying something different to make the service work, and serving an important additional retail destination. However is such significant duplication with the 399 the best idea? If Sandtoft and Wroot do need a link to Gallagher Retail Park, does it need to be two days per week - would one suffice? Could the resource be better used to restore a Wroot to Doncaster service, or to increase the number of days per week the Isle of Axholme is linked to Gainsborough (currently Tuesday only)? Or even a link to Thorne one day per week? Or invest in improving the 399, for example filling the three hour gap in the afternoon from Scunthorpe? Personally I think it's time to think more beyond the 'concept' of a five day a week Wroot-Epworth-Crowle service.
A new 'Marfleet Community Minibus Service' launched in November 2024, operated by East Hull Community Transport. It is being run on a 'pilot' basis, initially until the end of March 2025 pending the 2025/26 Bus Service Improvement Plan funding and allocation being confirmed - in turn that will depend on "evidence of real demand through the number of passengers using them".
The service starts at David Lister Drive, which is in the middle of the area between Newbridge Road, Preston Road and Southcoates Lane in East Hull. It then serves Endeavour Crescent, just to the west of Marfleet Lane, Marfleet Village, Preston Road Aldi, Marfleet Group Practice Doctors on Preston Road, Bilton Grange (including Diadem Medical Practice) and Holderness Road Morrisons (also convenient for Kingston Health Centre). The service operates twice per day Monday, Wednesday and Friday, departing David Lister Drive at 0930 and 1150, and Morrisons at 1050 and 1400.
David Lister Drive and Endeavour Crescent are not served by the main Hull bus network, whilst Marfleet Village is only served on it's periphery by Hedon Road services, which don't then serve the local doctors surgeries, Aldi or Morrisons. As such the new community minibus service does offer some useful links. It is a rather convoluted route for anyone travelling 'end-to-end', but I suspect it's target market won't complain at that, instead being happy to have a direct bus service.
The full timetable is available in the Hull City Council press release, and doesn't appear to be on bustimes.org.
Saturday 9th November 2024 might go down in local bus history as a notable day - the last day of East Yorkshire operating a share of the 350 between Hull, Barton and Scunthorpe. Since I think 1981 and the opening of the Humber Bridge, EYMS/East Yorkshire had operated a one bus share of the 350 every three hours Monday to Saturday daytimes, and for various periods in the evening as well, sometimes full route, sometimes just between Hull and Barton. For most if not all of this century, EYMS/East Yorkshire had also provided a one bus share of the Sunday service.
For reasons unknown East Yorkshire pulled of the 350, leaving the route entirely to Stagecoach. Whilst there was a few weeks of uncertainty after East Yorkshire's announcement, ultimately Stagecoach have replaced East Yorkshire's share of the route. Monday to Saturday this was done on a 'like for like' basis, with Stagecoach's Hull depot picking up an extra 'diagram' so that both Hull and Scunthorpe each provide three vehicles during the daytime. Sundays have been revised though.
Previously there were seven journeys each way on a Sunday between Hull and Scunthorpe, with most extending from/to Ashby High Street. Intervals between journeys varied between one hour, two hours and three hours. Stagecoach's Scunthorpe depot provided two vehicles, albeit one only needed until 1051, whilst East Yorkshire provided one.
Since Sunday 10th November, the Sunday 350 is exclusively the domain of Stagecoach's Scunthorpe depot with a new two hourly timetable providing six journeys each way (i.e. one less) using two vehicles and no Ashby extensions. The first service from Hull is notably later at 0940 rather than 0830, as is the last service from Scunthorpe, now at 1815 rather than 1955. There is no attempt to provide train connections at Barton.
That sounds like a poorer service, and for a small number of travellers it may well be. However I think the even interval two hourly frequency makes for a better service - the inconvenient three hour gaps are gone. Connections to a four month a year Summer rail service are no longer dictating the timetable, which I think was a case of the tail wagging the dog. I fully support bus-rail connections wherever possible, but at Barton they sadly seem little used whatever the day of the week. In contrast there are plenty of bus travellers between Barton and Hull and the potential to grow with a more attractive Sunday timetable.
It's also worth noting that the Ashby to Scunthorpe section had received substantially improved Sunday services in 2024, with a new Sunday service on route 6 and extra journeys on route 4. Maybe the Sunday 350 extensions lost their purpose?
For the record, the last remnant of service 355 from Scunthorpe to Barton Wren Kitchens ceased at the start of September; the 1710 departure from Barton.
A positive change introduced as part of East Yorkshire's 10th November 2024 service changes was the restoration of the frequency of service 24 between Hornsea and Hull back to hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes. The 24 had been reduced to every 90 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes back in September 2022. The restored hourly frequency has been funded by East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation.
Previously when the 24 was hourly, a half hourly frequency was provided with service 25 over the joint section of route between Hornsea and Leven. This time services operate a 10-50 minute interval from Hornsea and at approximately the same time per hour from Leven.
East Yorkshire split service 25 between Hornsea, Beverley, Cottingham, Castle Hill Hospital, Willerby, Anlaby and Hessle into two as part of their 10th November 2024 service changes. The 25 continues between Hornsea and Beverley, with new service 26 between Beverley and Hessle.
For the section between Hornsea and Beverley, the only significant loss is the through link to Castle Hill Hospital, a connection that can still be made via Beverley or Hull. In the short term, the loss of the through Castle Hill service might even be a good thing, due to the major roadworks taking place between south Beverley and Skidby. As part of these changes, the Friday and Saturday only 1905 from Beverley to Hornsea and 1950 return now operate Monday to Saturday (with the 1950 retimed to 1945), giving an 80 minute later last service from Beverley and a 70 minute later last service from Hornsea Monday to Thursday.
For the Beverley to Hessle section, the change is far more significant. Previously the 25 had operated approximately every two hours Monday to Saturday daytimes, with six journeys in each direction. There are still six trips in each direction (other than on Saturdays from Beverley, which is reduced to five), but at varying intervals. From Hessle departures are at 0630, 0930, 1150, 1245, 1515 and 1750, and from Beverley at 0745, 1030, 1130, 1400, 1635 and 1710 (Mon-Fri only). Some journeys now serve Willerby Parkway, restoring a service to the area, but Monday to Friday there is a lot of variability in which do and which don't; from Hessle it's the 1150, 1245 and 1515 which divert, and from Beverley it's the 1030, 1400 and 1710; Saturday's everything does other than the 0630 from Hessle.
The new 26 appears to meet basic needs such as access to shops and Castle Hill Hospital. The route has disruptive long term roadworks. It has 'competition' between Cottingham and Beverley from the 180 and the train - there were 20 Cottingham to Beverley travellers on the 0930 180 yesterday (and incidentally, I was reminded whilst travelling yesterday just how scenic the area is, especially around Little Weighton). It also has overlap between Cottingham and Willerby with the 54. The areas served are quite affluent with probable high levels of car ownership. Finally, East Yorkshire have tried various ways of making services more attractive in recent years and none have lasted long. I understand why the route has ended up with such a basic service, designed around resource maximisation as opposed to an attractive timetable.
However surely something better than this can be provided, at least once the roadworks are finished and faster journeys can be offered? Beverley is a very popular destination, Cottingham, Willerby, Anlaby and Hessle are all sizeable locations. There is a major hospital en-route, a retail park, offices (at Willerby), a leisure centre, new housing developments. It feels like there is a lot of potential along the route. In addition a better service between Beverley and Castle Hill would be beneficial for connecting passengers at Beverley as well; journeys such as Hornsea or Leconfield to Castle Hill.
One of the most notable aspects of East Yorkshire's 10th November 2024 service changes was the introduction of new service X45 between Market Weighton, Pocklington, Dunnington and York, as well as substantial enhancements to the 145 between Market Weighton and Driffield.
The Market Weighton to York corridor had been provided with half hourly services Monday to Saturday daytimes across hourly routes X46 and X47 between Hull, Beverley, Market Weighton, Pocklington and York. Both the X46 and X47 remain hourly, twice per hour combined, but now at 20-40 minute intervals; this is unfortunate, but with part of the route at two buses per hour and another part now at three buses per hour, one part has to have an uneven frequency (or a long mid-route pause).
The new X45 also runs hourly, giving departures every 20 minutes from Market Weighton, Shiptonthorpe, Hayton and Pocklington to York, and from York City Centre back to Hull Road in York, Pocklington, Hayton, Shiptonthorpe and Market Weighton. The X45's route via Dunnington restores a Dunnington to Pocklington link for the first time since September 2019, as well as providing an all day service for Common Road in Dunnington, otherwise only served by First's early morning 10A.
East Yorkshire's press release also includes a 'jibe' at First's AI timetabling, which leads to uneven frequencies on Dunnington's main service, route 10. As someone who much prefers memorable evenly spaced times, I totally agree on this one:
Stuart Fillingham, Head of Commercial at East Yorkshire Buses, commented on the new services: "We are pleased to respond to the phenomenal growth of the X46 and X47 routes by introducing this new service, which provides buses up to every 20 minutes between Market Weighton, Pocklington, Hull Road, and York. We are also delighted to return to Dunnington after a long absence. Not only will customers be able to benefit from journeys to Pocklington and Market Weighton, but they will also enjoy a new hourly service to York."
Mr Fillingham added: "We’ve worked hard to ensure, where possible, our new trips into Dunnington and from York follow a consistent timetable, with departures at the same time each hour. Our customers tell us they appreciate regular, easy-to-remember departure times, and we’re looking forward to welcoming both new and returning passengers on board. Additionally, we will be furnishing our new customers with user-friendly printed timetables to help them on their journeys."
The X46 and X47 have been revised in York City Centre to operate a loop via Skeldergate, Nunnery Lane, York Station and Rougier Street, as opposed to serving Rougier Street en-route to/from the Station in both directions, and then turning round 'out of service'. The X45 also follows this loop.
Looking at some of the specific detail, the first X45 Monday to Friday from Pocklington is at 0520 Monday to Friday, arriving at York Station for 0555; previous first service from Pocklington was the 0555 X46, arriving at York Station at 0637. This is great for early morning commuters and rail connections. On Friday and Saturday evenings the 2220 Pocklington to York X47 now starts in Hull at 2115, providing a one hour later Hull to York last service.
Overall the Market Weighton-Pocklington-York corridor is rather impressive with a service every 20 minutes over a long route that includes plenty of fields. There is plenty of housebuilding to help in Market Weighton and Pocklington, but credit to East Yorkshire for really developing the market here.
Service 145 between Driffield and Market Weighton had previously operated in certain respects as two separate services; a Monday to Friday peak time service for connections to York at Market Weighton, and with the evening peak departure from Market Weighton extended to Bridlington - then a Monday to Saturday hourly off peak (with lunch break) Driffield to Lund service, operating the same route as the Market Weighton journeys between Driffield and Middleton, before then serving Lund instead off Market Weighton.
Since 11th November and funded by East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation, the 145 is now a Monday to Saturday hourly daytime service between Driffield and Market Weighton, with most services continuing as a X45 to/from York. The Monday to Friday evening peak extension to Bridlington remains. The enhanced 145 is a substantial improvement for both local and longer distance travel.
As most journeys operate as a through service at Market Weighton, it is a shame there is a service number change. Maybe this is to separate out the council funded 145 and commercial X45? Or to keep 'options open' if either the 145 or X45 don't work out?
The one place that doesn't benefit is Lund, which is no longer served by the 145. However I suspect the very small village of Lund was only served because there was spare time, rather than because of significant demand. Lund retains the 142 to Beverley.
East Yorkshire service 105 between Hull, Hull University, Cottingham and Castle Hill Hospital became the 45 on 10th November 2024, to fit into East Yorkshire's new 'Beverley Road Lines' numbering scheme. The service remains half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes, hourly evenings and Sundays. Funded by Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation, a new 1930 departure from Hull Paragon Interchange is added Monday to Saturday, keeping the half hourly daytime frequency going into the early evening.
Joining the 45 is the new 44 - a 'part route' 45 between Hull Paragon Interchange, Hull University and Cottingham Road (turning at the Cottingham Road/Hall Road roundabout). Also funded by Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation, the 44 operates four times an hour Monday to Friday daytimes (a 10-20-10-20 minute interval service) and half hourly on Saturday daytimes, to give a combined every 10 minute service with route 45 on weekdays, and every 15 minutes on Saturdays. There are also two mid-evening journeys in each direction Monday to Saturday, after the 45 reduces to hourly.
Cottingham Road has felt underserved at half hourly in recent years, so a frequency increase is welcome. Every 10 minutes Monday to Friday daytimes feels quite high though - a tripling of the frequency.
As well as the 'Anlaby Road Lines', numbered 51-59, East Yorkshire's 10th November 2024 service changes brought the concept of the 'Beverley Road Lines' to Hull - services 41, 43, 44, 45, X46 and X47. This means that all East Yorkshire services along Beverley Road in Hull (schools/colleges excepted) are now numbered in the 4x or X4x series. Intriguingly no number 42. Unfortunately within these numbers, the Hull to Beverley services are not numbered consecutively, instead being the 41, 43, X46 and X47. In this post I focus on the 41 and 43 between Hull and Beverley via Beverley Road, Dunswell and Woodmansey.
The 41 and 43 are the longstanding 121 between Hull, Beverley, Driffield and Bridlington, and the much newer 23 between Hull, Beverley and Molsecroft respectively, renumbered to fit into the Beverley Road Lines numbering system. No significant changes were made to either service. The 43 had some minor retimings compared to the 23.
The 41 has some more notable changes when looking at the precise detail, some positive, some negative. In Hull inbound services now use Brook Street all day rather than the City Centre loop. Meanwhile it appears that Monday to Friday, Hull depot are no longer operating through to Bridlington, with their involvement limited to a small number of part route journeys.
In detail Monday to Friday, the 0625 Hull to Bridlington 121 becomes the 0605 Hull to Beverley and 0652 Beverley to Bridlington service 41 journeys. Similarly the 0725 Hull to Bridlington 121 becomes the 0720 Hull to Beverley and 0813 Beverley to Bridlington service 41 journeys, with the first through Hull to Bridlington service now at 0820 from Hull (Saturdays, when Hull depot operate through to Bridlington, it is at 0630).
More positively the 1840 Hull to Beverley service 121 and 1940 Beverley to Bridlington service 121 become a 1855 Hull to Bridlington service 41. The 1935 Hull to Leconfield (Mon-Thu)/Nafferton(Fri) becomes a 1935 Hull to Bridlington service. Previously the last through service from Hull to Bridlington was at 1740 so this represents a notable improvement. Monday to Thursday the 2135 Hull to Leconfield becomes a 2150 Hull to Beverley, which is disappointing for Leconfield. Interestingly the 2135 Hull to Leconfield still runs on Sundays.
In the opposite direction the Friday 2052 Nafferton to Hull service 121 becomes a service 41 1950 Bridlington to Hull, previous last service from Bridlington at 1735, or 1840 with a change in Beverley. The Friday night/Saturday morning 0000 Driffield to Hull is withdrawn due to the 2330 Beverley to Driffield having transferred from Hull to Bridlington depot operation - seems a shame the opportunity wasn't taken to extend the 2330 to Bridlington rather than running out of service.
On Saturdays the 0735 service 121 from Hull to Bridlington becomes a 0730 Hull to Beverley and 0811 Beverley to Bridlington on service 41. There is a new 1050 from Beverley to Bridlington and the 1148 Hull to Bridlington service 121 becomes a 1250 service 41 from Beverley to Bridlington. Similarly the 1350 service 121 from Bridlington to Hull becomes a 1340 Bridlington to Beverley. A new 1540 Bridlington to Beverley is added. In the evenings the 1935 from Hull to Nafferton is extended to Bridlington,. previous last service through to Bridlington having been at 1725. The 2052 service 121 from Nafferton to Hull becomes a 1950 service 41 from Bridlington to Hull, previous last service at 1850. The 0000 service 121 from Driffield to Hull is withdrawn without replacement.
Finally on Sundays there is a new 1930 Beverley to Bridlington, whilst the 1825 Bridlington to Hull is split at Beverley.
On Monday 11th November 2024, a very logical change was made to Brough Town Service 558. The 558 was introduced in April 2024, operated by East Yorkshire hourly Monday to Saturday off peak, and funded through East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation. It had been operating from Brough Crossroads to Aldi via Welton Road in both directions, but that has now changed to a large loop from Brough Crossroads via Welton Road, Aldi and Skllings Lane back to Brough Crossroads, operating clockwise and anti-clockwise alternate hours. Loxley Way and Myrtle Way remain served between Welton Road and Aldi, though always Loxley Way before Myrtle Way. Serving Skillings Lane increases the number of residential areas served by the 558, as well as providing access to Brough Station. The section of route between Brough Crossroads, Elloughton and South Cave was unchanged.
On Sunday 10th November, East Yorkshire made a major change to cross city service 56 in Hull. Previously it operated between Asda Bilton, Longhill and Holderness Road in East Hull, Hull City Centre and Hull Royal Infirmary, Albert Avenue, Spring Bank, Wold Road and Wymersley Road in West Hull. However since the November change service 56 now replaces route 63 in West Hull, between Hull Paragon Interchange, Hull Royal Infirmary, Priory Road, Cottingham and Castle Hill Hospital to offer an Asda Bilton to Castle Hill service. New route 51 picks up the 56's previous Hull City Centre to Wymersley Road section. Castle Hill Hospital is almost certainly a far more useful destination from East Hull than Wymersley Road (a residential area), so this change does make sense - and everyone remains connected to Hull Royal Infirmary.
The 'old' service 56 had operated approximately every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, hourly Sunday daytimes and every two hours daily evenings. The 56 then combined with service 57 between Asda Bilton, Hull City Centre, Hull Royal Infirmary and Hessle to offer an approximately every 10 minute frequency over the common section of route between Asda Bilton and Hull Royal Infirmary every Monday to Saturday daytime, half hourly Sunday daytimes and half hourly or hourly daily evenings. Service 63 had operated approximately half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes and hourly evenings and Sundays.
The 'new' service 56 is little changed in terms of 'headline' frequencies compared to the 'old' 56, other than being increased to hourly in the evenings - which means an increase from 2 to 3 buses per hour for the old service 63 route Monday to Saturday daytimes. The 51 also has the same 'headline' frequency as the old 56. East Yorkshire give credit to Hull City Council Bus Service Improvement Plan funding for providing three buses per hour on the 51, so presumably the Monday to Saturday daytime frequency was at risk of being reduced?
There are also some slight early evening frequency enhancements on the 'new' 51/56/57 compared to the 'old' 56/57/63. again funded through Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation. Sadly the 2330 Friday and Saturday Hull Paragon Interchange to Castle Hill service 63 is not included in the 'new' 56, with the last bus from Paragon Interchange a rather early 2234, although it should be said that parts of the route have later alternatives on other services.
As part of East Yorkshire's 'Anlaby Road Lines' renumbering of all Anlaby Road routes into the 50's, service 66 between Hull and Hessle became service 58 on 10th November last year. The 66B extension to Bridgehead Business Park became the 59 at the same time.
Funded by Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation, there was a substantial uplift to the early evening service to coincide with the renumbering. The Monday to Friday 1800, 1835, 1850 and 1955 departures from Hull Paragon Interchange were increased to a 20 minute interval service between 1800 and 2000, whilst on Saturdays a 1925 from Paragon Interchange was added in between the 1850 and 1955 departures. From Hessle the 1810, 1845, 1915, 1930 and 2030 have been replaced by an approximately every 20 minute frequency between 1810 and 2030 Monday to Friday.
As part of East Yorkshire's network revision on Sunday 10th November, some services along Anlaby Road in Hull were renumbered, so that all Anlaby Road routes are numbered in the '50's'. For services 152 Hull to Anlaby, 153 Hull to Swanland via Anlaby and 154 Hull to Castle Hill Hospital via Willerby - the three routes which operate to the western end of Anlaby Road - that meant dropping the '1' and becoming the 52, 53 and 54 respectively.
Funded by Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation, the newly renumbered service 54 gained extra journeys from Hull Paragon Interchange at 1805 (in between the 1740 and 1825 departures) and 1940 (in between the 1910 and 2010 departures) Monday to Friday, as well as at 1930 on Saturdays (in between the 1910 and 2000 departures). From Castle Hill Hospital there is an additional 1953 departure on Saturdays (in between the 1928 and 2023 services).
On Sunday 10th November, East Yorkshire made major changes to their network which I am about to catch up on. One of the smaller revisions was to service 104 between Hull Paragon Interchange and Castle Hill Hospital via the Avenues, Endike Lane and Cottingham Village Centre. This route gained an enhanced early evening service, financed by Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan funding.
From Hull an extra journey was added on Saturdays at 1900, in between the existing 1840 and 1940. From Castle Hill, extra journeys were introduced at 1900 and 2030 Monday to Friday, filling gaps in between 1835 and 1915 and 1955 and 2051 departures respectively; on Saturdays there is an extra 2025 from Castle Hill, in between the 2005 and 2045 departures.
It's time again for my annual summary of Christmas and New Year bus services across the Humber Region. It covers the following operators, but not their services outside the region:
Starting on 7th November, Epworth, Haxey and Westwoodside gained a limited evening service three days a week. Funded by North Lincolnshire Council, two journeys on First service 359 from Doncaster to Finningley via Bessacarr were extended to Epworth via Westwoodside, Haxey and Low Burnham every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Departures from Doncaster are at 1934 and 2134, with the previous last service at 1739 Mon-Fri/1752 Sat.
Returning back to Doncaster, the bus and driver operate as new route 360, operating direct from Epworth via Haxey, Westwoodside and Cantley Lane in Doncaster (i.e. as per the 399 between Haxey and Doncaster). Whilst seemingly intended to return to Doncaster as quickly as possible, these services maybe useful for an evening in Epworth, with departures at 2035 and 2235.
The extended 359 and new 360 are a trial service to March 2025 - hopefully they are being well supported.
The previous return 359 journeys from Finningley to Doncaster prior to the extension still operate, but with a different bus and driver that runs out of service to Finningley. From reviewing vehicle movements on bustimes.org there appears to be interworking with other routes, which is presumably more efficient than operating a standalone Doncaster-Epworth service.
Summary timetables for Epworth, Haxey and Westwoodside to Doncaster, and Epworth to Haxey and Westwoodside are available on the Humber Transport Summary Timetable page. As you will be able to see, the six departures from Epworth to Doncaster now available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday are split across three different routes, as are the five from Doncaster to Epworth. Across the week, there are also three different operators involved.
On Monday 28th October, Stagecoach revised service 260 between Barton, Barrow, Goxhill and Immingham to improve punctuality. With increased running times and an apparent desire to avoid the need for a second driver by extending the operating day, it meant the mid-afternoon School Holiday and Saturday only 'short' between Barton and Goxhill at 1455 and return at 1521 no longer operates. Whilst there remains a long enough gap in the timetable to reliably operate a shorter Barton to Barrow 'short' instead, it would largely duplicate the 250.
Back on Monday 2nd September, Hornsby tweaked their services between Brigg and Kirton in Lindsey.
On Monday to Friday service 94 between Brigg, Scawby, Hibaldstow, Redbourne and Kirton in Lindsey, all journeys now serve The Nookings in Hibaldstow as opposed to just some; this means the last departure from Brigg to The Nookings is now at 1540 rather than 1342. In addition the 1540 is extended beyond Redbourne to Kirton in Lindsey, with the previous 1615 return from Redbourne to Brigg now operating as a full route 1602 Kirton to Brigg; the previous last Brigg to Kirton was at 1342, and from Kirton to Brigg at 1404.
Between Brigg and Kirton the service has been enhanced on schooldays by a previous closed door schools service H1 (and H2?) becoming public buses 94a and 94b. Both routes start in Bottesford and operate via Messingham and Scotter to Kirton, then direct via Redbourne and Hibaldstow to Brigg; the 94a serves The Vale Academy and the 94b Sir John Nelthorpe School, with both routes terminating at the town centre Cary Lane terminus. With the first Cary Lane arrival on the 94 at 1029, the 94a offers a much earlier 0839 arrival; in the afternoon the 94a at 1455 fits in nicely between the 1340 and 1540 94's.
Maybe the biggest changes in Stagecoach's Hull September service changes were to associated services 11 and 111. These major improvements were funded by Hull's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation.
Previously service 11 operated between Hull Paragon Interchange and Kingswood Retail Park via Holderness Road, Bellfield Avenue, Spring Cottage, Bransholme North Point Shopping Centre and Bodmin Road; the frequency was half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes, hourly evenings and Sundays. Service 111 operated via the service 11 route between Paragon Interchange and Kingswood with a short diversion in East Hull via Salthouse Road for Wilberforce College, before extending to Beverley via Dunswell and Woodmansey; there were two morning journeys from Beverley on college days, one college day only afternoon service to Beverley and one Monday to Friday afternoon service to Beverley.
Since 1st September, service 11 has been extended from Kingswood Retail Park to Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham via Kingswood Leisure Park, Orchard Park and Cottingham Village Centre. The 11 now operates hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes along it's full route, along with early morning and evening Paragon Interchange to Kingswood Retail Park shorts - that might sound like a frequency cut, but practically speaking it's not, as I will explain shortly.
The extended 11 provides a number of useful new all day links - from the Ings Estate, Spring Cottage and Bransholme to both Castle Hill Hospital and Kingswood Leisure Park, from Cottingham to Kingswood and from Orchard Park to Bransholme North Point and East Hull. The only slight negative comment I have here is that similar peak service 80 and college service 83 haven't been renumbered to better link in with the 11 - say to 11A and 11C.
On a more minor note, the first Monday to Friday departure from Kingswood is now at 0548 rather than 0613. Sunday's though the first departure is later at 0821 rather than 0739.
Previous service 111 has been renumbered service 110, with morning services reduced to one departure from Beverley, but all journeys now operating year round Monday to Friday. Why the renumbering? Well the 111 number is used for something far more substantial now.
The 'new' 111 runs from Paragon Interchange to Kingswood Leisure Park as per service 11, then extends to Beverley via the A1079 and Flemingate. The 111 operates hourly daily daytimes and Monday to Saturday evenings, perfectly co-ordinated with the 11 for a half hourly service over the common section of route. The new 111 even includes a very late last service from Beverley at 2342 on Saturdays. The 'new' 111 gives access from large parts of East Hull to Beverley and from Beverley to Kingswood. Personally I would have routed via Dunswell and Woodmansey as opposed to a non-stop run via the A1079, but maybe there were concerns about Bus Service Improvement Plan funding causing revenue abstraction from the 41 and 43 between Dunswell and Beverley?
Overall a significant set of improvements with notable new connections. Hopefully these changes are a success.
On Sunday 1st September, Stagecoach reworked Hull services 7 and 8. Previously the 8 had been a circular from Paragon Interchange via Beverley Road, Sutton Park, Bransholme North Point, Spring Cottage, Bellfield Avenue, Salthouse Road and Holderness Road back to Paragon Interchange, and vice versa. Service 7 then provided extra journeys between Paragon Interchange and North Point via Sutton Park, i.e. a 'part route' service 8. Now all journeys between Paragon Interchange and North Point via Sutton Park are service 7, with service 8 operating between Paragon Interchange and North Point only, via Salthouse Road. Most journeys on service 7 become service 8 at North Point, and vice versa, so 'across North Point' journeys don't require a change of vehicle despite the numbering change. Personally I prefer the new arrangement, which simplifies the service for Sutton Park.
The opportunity has also been taken to amend frequencies. On weekday afternoons from Paragon Interchange to North Point and Sutton Park, the new 7 operates every 20 minutes, compared to the old 7/8 frequency of every 15 minutes with some half hour gaps. Saturdays drop from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes all day in each direction. Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday daytimes increase from hourly to half hourly however, funded from Hull's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation. The Monday to Friday morning peak variation 7X via Sutton Fields Industrial Estate remains.
Turning to the revised service 8, and it is increased from half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes to every 15 minutes Monday to Friday and every 20 minutes on Saturdays. Sunday daytimes increase from hourly to half hourly. The last departure from Paragon Interchange is slightly earlier Monday to Friday at 2000 rather than 2020, but later on Saturdays at 2100 rather than 2020 (the nightbuses on Saturday night/Sunday morning also continue). Again these improvements benefit from Hull's Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation.
On Monday 2nd September, new bus service 34 was introduced in Hull, operated by Stagecoach and funded by Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus allocation. The route links Stagecoach's Foster Street depot with Hull Paragon Interchange via Chamberlain Road and James Reckitt Avenue in Garden Village.
Operating Monday to Saturday, the 34 has one morning peak service from Foster Street, followed by an hourly frequency in both directions during the morning and early afternoon, extending later into the afternoon on Saturdays only. There are then four one-way only departures from Paragon Interchange at 1745, 1830, 1930 and 2030.
The 34 seems to serve two purposes, restoring a bus service along Chamberlain Road and boosting the service along James Reckitt Avenue in Garden Village. I have created a new Garden Village to Hull City Centre summary timetable, which shows how from Paragon Interchange to Garden Village off peak there are now departures at 00, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour across the 33, 34 and 40 routes. The early evening service 34's mean the last departure from Paragon Interchange to Garden Village is now at 2030 rather than 1800. Co-ordination between services in the other direction doesn't work out as well, with the 34 often following another service.
As part of Stagecoach's 1st September service changes in Hull, a number of services were increased from hourly to half hourly Monday to Saturday evenings, funded by Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding:
This adds to Stagecoach services 5 and 13 that already had a 30 minute Monday to Saturday evening frequency.
One nice touch is that up Beverley Road services have been timed for a co-ordinated 15 minute evening frequency departing Paragon Interchange; the 4 at :00 past the hour, the 7 at :15 and :45 past the hour and the 6 at :30 past the hour.
Not worth a separate post, but all service 10 journeys now operate via George Street and North Bridge in Hull City Centre, as opposed to Alfred Gelder Street and Drypool Bridge. A more direct route, which should help with punctuality, but at the cost of inferior access to the Old Town area and Princes Quay. In a similar move, all service 4 journeys inbound from Orchard Park now operate direct to Paragon Interchange via Brook Street as opposed to using the City Centre loop.
Utilising some of Hull City Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding, Stagecoach service 12 in East Hull was improved from Sunday 1st September. The 12 links Paragon Interchange with North Point Shopping Centre in Bransholme via Holderness Road Shops, Sutton Village and Noddle Hill Way. Previously the 12 had operated every 20 minutes Monday to Friday daytimes, half hourly weekend daytimes and hourly daily evenings.
September's enhancements increased the Monday to Friday frequency to every 15 minutes, but with some 20 minute gaps remaining - to illustrate from Paragon Interchange between 1000 and 1200 there are departures at 1008, 1023, 1038, 1053, 1113, 1133 and 1153.
Saturday's have been improved differently, with a 15 minute frequency from North Point between 1020 and 1250, and from Paragon Interchange between 1341 and 1811. This means quite a bit of 'dead'/out of service running between Paragon Interchange and North Point in the 'counter flow' direction where the 'in service' frequency remains half hourly. There is also a new Saturday only 1941 from Paragon Interchange, filling a previous one hour gap (that remains the rest of the week).
Stagecoach service 53 between Grimsby, Caistor, Market Rasen and Lincoln was enhanced on 2nd September 2024, using Lincolnshire County Council Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding.
Previously the 53 had operated hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes between Lincoln and Market Rasen, and every two hours, with peak time extras, between Market Rasen and Grimsby. Most journeys were the same bus all the way between Lincoln and Grimsby, but there was one occasion each morning in each direction were passengers had to change at Market Rasen. Now the frequency is hourly across the whole route, and all journeys are through services. In reality this means three extra journeys each way between Market Rasen and Grimsby, but they make a big difference.
Also off note is that the schoolday only variation 53B, which operated between Grimsby and Market Rasen via Binbrook rather than Caistor, has been replaced by service 53A, which is a standard 53 via Caistor but additionally serving De Aston School in Market Rasen.
East Yorkshire made significant revisions to their Monday to Saturday daytime town services in Bridlington from 1st September.
Starting first with service 2, which operated hourly off peak to the south of the town, departing Bridlington Bus Station via the town's health centre to Cardigan Road, Belvedere Parade and Avocet Way. Service 2 was withdrawn with only a partial replacement; the daily service 136 between Bridlington and Driffield now serves Avocet Way on all journeys. On one hand this does provide new morning peak and Sunday services to Avocet Way, but Monday to Saturday daytimes are cut from hourly to every three hours. Otherwise no mitigation was provided; it is worth noting that service 136 serves Shaftesbury Road near Cardigan Road outbound from Bridlington only, and the seasonal park and ride is located at the southern end of Belvedere Parade.
Service 3 from Bridlington Bus Station to the West Hill Estate and Bridlington Hospital became the 502. There is a new timetable, but it remains hourly off peak.
Service 4 and 4A had each operated hourly from Bridlington Bus Station to the New Pasture Lane Estate via different parts of the Old Town area of Bridlington; the interval was every 20-40 minutes between the two services, combining with service 5 for a twenty minute frequency out of Bridlington Town Centre along Quay Road. With the new network, the 4 became the 501 and the 4A the 500, with each service now also incorporating a loop around Harewood Avenue, Trentham Drive and Bempton Lane. The 500 and 501 are each hourly, with a perfect 30 minute interval from Bridlington Bus Station. The 0723 Monday to Friday service 4 from New Pasture Lane to Bridlington Bus Station, and the Saturday 0823 service 4 from New Pasture Lane were not included in the new 500 and 501 timetables.
Service 5 had been an hourly service from Bridlington Bus Station to the Bempton Lane area. The new network splits the service up between three different routes. As noted above, the 500 and 501 now serve the Bempton Lane area, reinstating two buses per hour, one of the positives from these changes. Along the western part of Queensgate, the 5 is replaced by the new 503. Watsons Avenue has a frequency reduction of one bus per hour, going from the 4/4A/5 to the 500/501. However the middle section of the 5, along St Mary's Walk and Jubilee Avenue is now only served by college services and the Sunday 512.
Finally to the previous service 6, which operated hourly off peak from the Bus Station to The Crayke area. in the north east of Bridlington. The 6 is now the 503, and still does perform the same function, however rather than departing Bridlington Bus Station via the Promenade and Flamborough Road, it takes a slightly longer route via Quay Road and Queensgate - still on a hourly frequency.
In summary, the hourly 2 and 5 have been axed, with the 5 largely split between the old 4, 4A and 6 services. I haven't studied in detail, but presumably one bus was withdrawn from the Bridlington Town network as a result?
East Yorkshire operated tendered service 129 between Withernsea and Hornsea has for a number of years only had a Sunday service between Easter and early September. However, utilising some of East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding, the Sunday service is now year round.
East Yorkshire's September service change announcement also indicated the same arrangement for the historically Summer Saturday only journeys on service 130 between Hornsea and Bridlington, though I thought they had gone year round last year. 2023 or 2024, it's good news.
On Monday 2nd September, operation of tendered services 360 and 361 between Scunthorpe and Goole passed from East Yorkshire (Elloughton depot) to Stagecoach (Scunthorpe depot). The timetable for this daily service remained unchanged.
In one sense, the unchanged timetable is logical - why should the timetable alter because of a change of operator? Yet the timetable is very much optimised for operation from the 'Goole end' of the route, and some minor changes could provide a better service for probably less cost.
Perhaps the biggest oddity is the Saturday timetable, which requires two buses for the sake of half an hour, as a service 361 departs Goole at 1110, with the arrival of the 'previous' service into Goole at 1139. When operated by East Yorkshire from Elloughton Depot that may have made operational sense if a a driver and vehicle change needed to take place. However now a bus has to run 'dead' from Scunthorpe to Goole for the 1110, and another returns 'dead' from Goole to Scunthorpe after 1139. Given that Stagecoach have a depot in Scunthorpe, surely the timetable could be rejigged slightly to require only one vehicle all day, with driver swaps in Scunthorpe as required? Or if a second vehicle is required, ensure any 'overlaps' between vehicle requirements are timetabled to the Scunthorpe end of the route, to avoid large amounts of dead running? Potentially an easy cost saving (and better for the environment with less dead running).
Another oddity is with the morning peak Eastoft to Goole service Monday to Saturday and the evening peak return. The main purpose is to link the East Riding villages along the Ouse to Goole, and the road network means starting back at Eastoft in North Lincolnshire is a sensible thing to do. For an Elloughton based operator, it is also the sensible start and finish points for these journeys, as they can easily run dead to/from Eastoft via the A161. However for a Scunthorpe based operator, the marginal costs of running as full route journeys from Scunthorpe to Goole would be marginal. Missed opportunity? Could miss out Tesco Extra and Ealand village to cut marginal costs back further? Or at least start in Crowle, which has to be run through 'dead' anyway to get to Eastoft.
The timetable also requires dead running from Scunthorpe to Goole each morning and reverse in the evening Monday to Friday and Sunday. Operating a full in service 360 or 361 at these times might be a little optimistic, but is there a missed opportunity to run a Scunthorpe-Crowle-A161-Goole fast service? Or at least to reinstate the early morning Swinefleet-Goole short and early evening return - the extra mileage would be zero?
Over the Summer Holidays, East Yorkshire service 121 between Hull, Beverley, Driffield and Bridlington gained extra Monday to Friday hourly 'short' workings between Beverley and Bridlington, not previously covered on this blog.
On 1st September a new timetable was introduced, that removed most of those extras, but still provided an extra service compared to pre-holidays. Monday to Friday there is now a 0750 Bridlington to Beverley service, slotted in between the 0720 and 0820 Bridlington to Hull departures. The return leaves Beverley for Bridlington at 0855, in between existing 0813 and 0913 departures.
The all year Saturday extra journeys on this otherwise hourly daily daytime service remain.
Service 121 becomes the 41 on Sunday 10th November.
East Yorkshire service 63 between Hull and Castle Hill Hospital via Anlaby Road, Setting Dyke and Cottingham only has two weeks remaining before it is incorporated into service 56. That didn't stop one final timetable change taking place on the 63 back on 1st September.
Monday to Friday mornings gained two new peaktime 'shorts' from Setting Dyke into Hull Interchange at 0720 and 0800, with two extra afternoon peak equivalents, departing Paragon Interchange for Setting Dyke at 1625 and 1740. The 63 is generally a half hourly service, with peak time variations. Whilst the morning timetable was thoroughly revised to incorporate the extra short workings, the afternoon extras slot into previous 35/40 minute gaps.
Saturdays also got extra 'shorts'; at 1157, 1227, 1257, 1327 and 1357 from Setting Dyke, which run 10-15 minutes ahead of the main service 63, which on Saturdays daytimes is also every half hour, with some 35 minute gaps. From Paragon Interchange, Saturday 'shorts' operate at 1650, 1720 and 1800, making a 30-ish minute frequency into a 15-20 minute frequency.
Stagecoach services 9 and 10 between Waltham, Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Humberston and Hewitts Circus Tesco received a revised timetable on Sunday 21st July. Monday to Saturday daytimes each service remains half hourly for most of the day, every 15 minutes combined, but there are now occasional longer gaps of 40 minutes, or every 25 minutes on the common sections of route. Having 15 minute gaps on a 10 minute frequency is one thing - at least it's still turn up and go - but a 25 minute gap on a 15 minute frequency is more substantial and undermines the turn up and go proposition.
More positively, the first bus from Waltham is now 20 minutes earlier Monday to Saturday, at 0545 rather than 0605.
Utilising Bus Service Improvement Plan funding from North East Lincolnshire Council, Stagecoach services 3 and 4 between Laceby Road Morrisons, Grimsby and Cleethorpes were increased from every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes Monday to Friday daytimes from 21st July (occasional 15 minute gaps remain). The services continue to operate every 15 minutes Saturday daytimes, every half hour Sunday daytimes and hourly daily evenings.
On service 4 the opportunity was taken to start seven early morning journeys back in Laceby village Monday to Friday, with departures between 0420 and 0750, all before services 53 and 250 start serving the village (yes, Laceby village really does have a bus at 0420 in the morning!). Monday to Saturday two early evening journeys and two late evening journeys were also extended from Morrisons to Laceby village, after the final departures of the day from Grimsby on services 53 and 250. The last bus from Grimsby to Laceby is now at 2320. All of these extended journeys appear to be duties that start or end with a 'dead' run to the Stagecoach depot, so would appear to be worked in marginal time - certainly worth a try to see what demand is like.
From 2nd September, service 4 was further revised, with six Saturday morning journeys now starting back in Laceby village, between 0420 and 0745.
Laceby is now in the curious situation of having a very early morning bus six days a week, but no Sunday service. I suspect the reason is that early morning improvements can be made in marginal time, but providing a useful Sunday service in marginal time would be impossible. Still a bit of a contrast though between Monday to Saturday and Sunday.
The 254 Barton Town Service, operated by Hornsbys, got a revised route and timetable on Monday 13th May. It remains a Monday, Wednesday and Friday only service operating during the morning and early afternoon.
Firstly between Caistor Road and Baysgarth Leisure Centre, the 254 now operates a very slightly longer route via the Market Place, instead of using Preston Lane - a sensible change to reduce journey times to and from the Town Centre.
Secondly, rather than operating between Bowmandale and Tofts Road via Millfields, the 254 operates via Horkstow Road, serving the southern ends of Bowmandale and Tofts Road in the process.
Thirdly, Westfield Road and West Acridge - previously served only twice each operating day - have been cut from the route entirely.
Finally, a new short loop has been added three times a day from Tesco via Dam Road, Humber Road, Far Ings Road and Waterside Road back to Tesco, with connections available for Barton Town Centre. The 254 has previously done such a loop, and it partially replaces the 260 Thursday only Victoria Drive extension withdrawn in February.
The 260 Barton Villager was revised on Tuesday 7th May. The service is operated by Stagecoach under contract to North Lincolnshire Council and runs between Barton, Barrow, New Holland, Goxhill, East Halton, North Killingholme, South Killingholme and Immingham - the Immingham extension having been introduced in February.
St Chad in Barrow was reintroduced to the service, having been dropped from the route in February. In addition to the overall timetable was tweaked, with some journeys retimed by up to 10 minutes.
However the biggest development was to (re)introduce a Saturday service onto this previously Monday to Friday only route, funded by Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding. The Saturday timetable is identical to the Monday to Friday School Holiday provision, with two Barton to Immingham round trips, and three short Barton to Goxhill round trips. The 260 had a Saturday service between 2012 and 2020, for the first five years as an 'all day' service, then reduced to a single timetabled CallConnect service in each direction, timed for Barton shoppers.
For around two decades, the only dedicated town service in Scunthorpe on a Sunday has been a 'round-the-houses' circular, operating in both directions - currently numbered 1A. Out of town routes provided some additional services for local travel within Scunthorpe, notably along Ashby Road (services 4 and 350) and Frodingham Road (service 350), but at uneven intervals. Sunday buses in Scunthorpe have existed, but at a rather basic level.
Things got better on Sunday 5th May as three extra Sunday town services were introduced, all operated by Stagecoach and funded by North Lincolnshire Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding.
Firstly the 6, between Scunthorpe Bus Station, Ashby Road, Ashby High Street and Ashby Manifold Road. The 6 runs four times an hour Monday to Saturday daytimes, half hourly each by Hornsby and Stagecoach (departing every 15 minutes from Scunthorpe Bus Station, but the even interval is lost later on as they each have different timing points and running times). However despite being 'turn up and go' Monday to Saturday daytimes, there is no evening service and was no Sunday service. Along Ashby Road Monday to Saturday daytimes, as well as the 6 four times an hour along the Southern section, there is also hourly services 3, 4 and 100, plus the two hourly 103 - i.e. 7-8 buses per hour. Sunday daytimes however had just been the 350 on a frequency of every one to three hours, and the 4 on a frequency of every 90 to 120 minutes. So as can be seen, relative to the Monday to Saturday daytime service, the Sunday service was very poor.
Now there is an hourly service 6 Sunday daytimes, departing Scunthorpe Bus Station between 0900 and 1700. This fills a gap in the Manifold Road, Grange Lane South and Everest Road areas of Ashby, and provides an improved service for Ashby Road. Hopefully the Sunday 6 is a success.
Next up are the interworked services 7 and 8 in North Scunthorpe. Each service operates hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes between Scunthorpe Bus Station, Scunthorpe Hospital and Skippingdale Retail Park, each via different routes between the Hospital and Skippingdale. With the new Sunday service, each route operates every two hours, with the 7's to Skippingdale returning as an 8 and vice versa. The 7 and 8 gaining a Sunday service isn't such an obvious addition to the Sunday network, compared to the 6, but they are the only option to improve Sunday daytime buses in Scunthorpe without either duplicating or changing the 1A (which could then lead to a different route between Sunday daytimes and daily evenings - not ideal).
However rather unfortunately, the 7 and 8 leave Scunthorpe Bus Station at the exact same time each hour as the only other direct service to Scunthorpe Hospital on Sundays - the 1A. What could have been a half hourly frequency between the three routes remains an effective hourly service.
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