Saturday 31 August 2013

Stagecoach in Hull Service 10 Changes

Stagecoach in Hull are altering their service 10 (City Centre-Orchard Park-Bransholme-Wilberforce College-City Centre and vice versa) from Monday 2nd September. Clockwise most journeys will now start from Hull Interchange at :20 and :50 past the hour instead off :05 and :35. Anti-clockwise depatures will be at :10 and :40 past the hour instead off :05 and :35. Also notable is an earlier first anti-clockwise service from Hull Interchange, at 0710 on weekdays and 0810 on Saturdays, compared to 0805 on weekdays and 0905 on Saturday prior to the change.

Finally a Saturday evening part-route journey has been added at 2340 from the Interchange to Bransholme North Point via Wilberforce College and Sutton

EYMS 195/X36 Changes

From Monday 2nd September, EYMS's 0900 weekday service 0900 from York to Pocklington will instead start in Newton on Derwent at 0930.

The 0900 is a slightly odd journey, with no return journey available from Pocklington on Mondays and Thursdays. As it is a commercial journey on a mainly tendered route I guess it may have been a 'positioning journey' back to Pocklington depot for a vehicle that had worked a morning peaktime service into York on another route? The new 0930 will be even more odd however as a vehicle will have to position 'dead' to Newton on Derwent, and there isn't a same-day return service to Newton on Derwent on any day of the week (The 1240 Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 195 from Pocklington runs only as far as Sutton on Derwent).

The 195 also has another odd journey - a Tuesday only 1255 Newton on Derwent to York for which the vehicle must have to position 'dead' to Newton on Derwent to operate the service.

Another change sees the Saturday 0705 Pocklington-York and 1740 return renumbered from 195 to X36 - the X36 is the number of the weekday equivalent operated by Transdev. I don't know if these means the Saturday journeys have become tendered rather than commercially operated? Or if EYMS have just decided to make the change themselves?

Friday 30 August 2013

K1?

Last month I reported that Hull City Council had decided not to award a contract for the weekday daytime K1 service in the Bransholme area currently operated by Stagecoach. The service has been removed from the September edition of Stagecoach's Hull route map. Yet no mention of it's withdrawal in Stagecoach's September service change list. Another late change of plan from Hull City Council to cancel it's withdrawal, along with this week's decision to reverse the planned 1A/1C/1E change? Or was the council decision I reported not the full story?

Later journey added on 110

On Monday 2nd September, Stagecoach in Hull will introduce a new, later 1810 service 110 journey from Hull to Castle Hill Hospital via the Bricknell Estate and Cottingham on weekdays (there is already an 1810 on Saturdays). The current last journey on weekdays is at 1710.

Thursday 29 August 2013

Ferrybus Weekend Change

From Saturday 7th September, the 1715 weekend and bank holiday Stagecoach service 70 'Ferrybus' from Hull Interchange to the P&O Ferry Terminal at King George Dock will operate earlier at 1700, in line with the equivalent weekday journey.

Holderness Road timing points removed

From Monday 2nd September, Stagecoach in Hull are withdrawing timing points on Holderness Road from services 10, 31, 32, 42, 43, N43, 51, N51, 54 and 54A "to remove excess layover time".

STOP PRESS - 1A/1C/1E Changes Cancelled

At the request of Hull City Council the merger of EYMS operated tendered services 1A and 1C into new service 1E, planned to happen from Monday 2nd September, has been cancelled. Services 1A and 1C will operate to their present timetable and route until further notice.

Blog post on the planned 1E

Wednesday 28 August 2013

677 Route Change

Stagecoach in Hull is altering the route of weekday service 677 between Hull City Centre, Clough Road, Leads Road, Ings Road and Cranswick Foods Preston from Monday 2nd September. Due to congestion in the Marfleet area, the 677 will no longer operate from Ings Road to Preston via Maybury Lane, Marfleet Lane and Hedon Road, but instead operate via Holderness Road and Bilton. Apart from the removal of the Saltend timing point, the timetable is unchanged.

EYMS 246 Schoolday Change

From the start of the new school term in September, EYMS's 0740 service 246 journey from Hornsea to Beverley, on schooldays only, will divert via Molescroft and Longcroft School, as opposed to the regular 246 route via Norwood.

There is no equivalent afternoon journey via Longcroft School on the new service 246 timetable.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Goodbye 1A/1C, Hello 1E

From Monday 2nd September, EYMS tendered services 1A (Hull-Sibelius Road) and 1C (Kingswood-Hull-Sibelius Road) will be replaced by new route 1E, following a decision made by Hull City Council.

Like the 1C, the 1E will provide an hourly Monday to Saturday daytime service. Unlike the 1C however, the 1E will no longer start/finish at Kingswood Retail Park, but instead at Mizzen Road/Compass Road. From here it appears to follow the current 1C route via Hull City Centre and Hull Royal Infirmary then pick up the current 1A route via Rawlings Way, Hessle Road, Boulevard, Selby Street, St Georges Road, Hessle Road Asda, Hawthorn Avenue, Anlaby Road and Anlaby Park Road North to Sibelius Road.

Assuming this is correct (there is no detailed route description available yet for the 1E) then for areas currently served only by the 1A such as the Boulevard and Hawthorn Avenue this is a major increase on the current 80 minute morning/early afternoon frequency currently provided. But are Askew Avenue and Pickering Road, currently served only by the 1C, left unserved?

Overall this appears to be an attempt to replace both the 1A and 1C with the same amount of resources as used by just the 1C at present, hence the withdrawal of the Kingswood section and seemingly omitting Askew Avenue and Pickering Road.

UPDATE - Detailed route information for the 1E now available, and Askew Avenue and Pickering Road will be served. See the comments to this post

Monday 26 August 2013

EYMS 121 Minor Change

From Monday 2nd September, the 0820(weekday)/0820(Saturday) Hutton Cranswick to Bridlington via Driffield service 121 journey shall start in Driffield instead at 0853. Alternatives from Hutton Cranswick operate at 0759 on weekdays and 0814 on Saturdays.

EYMS Easington Changes

From Monday 2nd September, EYMS are altering service 71 and 972 following "changes in school contracts". They have lost the 972, primarily a schools service which had also operated during school holidays, and have also cancelled the associated positioning journeys. Saturday services are unaffected.

The 0750 71 Withernsea-Easington will be withdrawn (alternatives remain at 0725 and 0830).
The 0819 972 Easington-Patrington will be withdrawn (alternatives remain at 0753 and 0858)
The 0906 71 Patrington-Withernsea will be withdrawn (alternatives operate at 0911 from Patrington, and 1018 from Holmpton)

The 1430 71 Hull-Patrington will be withdrawn (alternative 76 journey available from Hull at 1415)
The 1519 972 Patrington-Easington will be withdrawn
The 1600 71 Easington-Withernsea will be withdrawn (an alternative operates at 1603)

As can be seen these changes are unlikely to cause any major 'hardship', and if anything may increase usage of the alternative journeys listed. According to an earlier comment, Pearsons Coaches are taking over the 972 (schooldays only, or all weekdays?).

One question - how does the vehicle for 1430 71 currently get to Hull? In or out of service? And if 'in service', any other related changes due to happen?

Sunday 25 August 2013

EYMS Minor Cutback Service 142

From September, EYMS's schoolday only 0745 service 142 from Beverley to Holme will no longer operate. This is due to it rarely being used. The journey was effectively a positioning journey for the 0808 Holme-Beverley, but EYMS must feel it is no longer worth running 'in service'.

Saturday 17 August 2013

East Riding Contract and Service Changes

East Riding of Yorkshire Council have started to confirm details of September's changes to bus services in the county, some of which have already been mentioned on previous blog posts and in comments.

The folllowing tendered services will see operator changes, but no changes to the timetable or route:
  • Weekday afternoon peak service 270 between Driffield and Beeford will pass from EYMS to Busking from Monday 9th September
  • Weekday peak, Winter Sunday daytime and Monday to Saturday evening service 502 between Bridlington, Flamborough and Buckton will pass from TD Travel to Busking from Monday 9th September
  • Sunday Bridlington Town Services 506 and 508 will pass from Busking to EYMS from Sunday 15th September
  • Driffield Town Service 530 will pass from Acklams Coaches to Busking from Monday 9th September
Lords Coaches operated Saturday service 173 between WIthernsea and Hull will pass to EYMS from Saturday 14th September. Additionally the 1555 from Withernsea to Hull and 1740 return (which operates as service 175) will be withdrawn, leaving just the 0930 from Withernsea and 1320 return from Hull. Pearsons Coaches service 76C 1600 from Withernsea provides a partial alternative for some customers of the 1555.

Finally one services that is not changing operators, Busking's 136 between Driffield and Bridlington will see some changes to departure times from Bridlington from Monday 2nd September, along with a new part route journey from Bridlington to Beeford at 2200. At a guess this is a positioning journey run 'in service' back to the depot following Busking's win of the 502 contract. Certainly a welcome benefit, though with the last bus into Bridlington from Beeford at 1525, it's usefulness maybe limited.

Saturday 10 August 2013

North Yorkshire County Council proposes significant bus cuts

North Yorkshire County Council are proposing deep cuts to supported bus services within the county, reducing spend by £1.1 million. Cuts to local bus services are due to happen from 7th April next year, following an extensive consultation process. To their credit, the council have published very detailed information online. The cuts include withdrawing all supported town bus services (with a dial-a-ride replacement), and reducing frequencies on tendered routes with a frequency greater than every two hours. These cuts come after earlier cuts to all supported evening and Sunday services in North Yorkshire.

The impact on cross-boundary services into East Yorkshire is just limited to the proposed withdrawal of the weekday Arriva operated service 401 journey at 0628 from West Cowick to Selby. Some journeys on EYMS service 121 wholly within North Yorkshire are also proposed for withdrawal.

Saturday 3 August 2013

Busking Changes

Busking yesterday cancelled the following services with VOSA:
  • 126 Driffield-Langtoft, Saturday Only, cancelled with effect from 13th September
  • 136 Driffield-North Frodingham-Bridlington, Monday to Saturday, cancelled with effect from 2nd September
  • 431 Middleton-Driffield Schools Service, cancelled with effect from 2nd September
  • 506/508 Sunday Bridlington Town Service, cancelled with effect from 13th September, Probably going back to EYMS
But also registered some others:
  • 270 Driffield-Beeford, Monday to Friday with effect from 9th September, currently operated by EYMS with one evening peak journey, but EYMS have cancelled the service with effect from 2nd September
  • 502 Bridlington-Buckton, Daily with effect from 9th September, currently operated by TD Travel
  • 530 Driffield Town Service, Monday to Friday with effect from 9th September, currently operated Monday to Saturdays by Acklams Coaches

NB - From now on I will use the Busking label, not the Phoenix Buses Label

EYMS Hull-Cottingham Changes

More September changes for EYMS, this time covering their Hull-Cottingham services and probably timed for the start of the new year at Hull University.

Altering are the 105, 115 and 154, while the existing 103 gets it's own VOSA registration.

PB0000328/426 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS

  • Registration Accepted
  • Starting Point: The Lawns
  • Finish Point: Hull
  • Via: Newland Avenue
  • Service Number: 103
  • Service Type: Normal Stopping
  • Effective Date: 29-SEP-2013
  • Other Details: The Lawns - Hull

Thursday 1 August 2013

EYMS Amending 510 in Late September

Another September change for EYMS:
  1. PB0000328/72 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
    • Variation Accepted: Operating between Bridlington Bus Station and Flamborough given service number 510 effective from 30-Sep-2013. To amend Timetable.

EYMS sell Finglands Bus Operations

First Group has today announced the purchase of the bus operations of EYMS Group owned Finglands for £50,000, subject to Office for Fair Trading Approval. Finglands currently operates in south Manchester and their operations will be incorporated into First Manchester.

The deal includes existing service registrations, approximately 100 staff and the lease on the existing Wilmslow Road, Rusholme depot. Not included are the coach opeations or any vehicles, though some maybe used temporarily by First. This could (i.e. me speculating) create opportunities for cascades to EYMS enabling the EYMS bus fleet to become fully low-floor.