Some Improvement for South Killingholme

Tomorrow - Monday 21st January - a new 'fixed'/timetabled CallConnect service is being introduced between South Killingholme and Immingham County Hotel, operating Monday to Friday peaktimes. CallConnect is operated by Hornsby Travel on behalf of North Lincolnshire Council. South Killingholme was served by Stagecoach service 5 Monday to Saturday daytimes until earlier this month, providing a service every 20 minutes to Immingham and Grimsby, the places residents of South Killingholme tend to 'look towards' for shops and services. Since then it has been left with the 450 - which doesn't serve Immingham Town Centre or Grimsby - and demand responsive CallConnect services.

On the new timetabled CallConnect service there will be one departure each way, leaving South Killinghome at 0715, arriving at County Hotel at 0725 to connect onto the 0737 service 5 into Grimsby which arrives at 0814, and a return from County Hotel at 1800 which connects out of the 1710 service 5 from Grimsby to County Hotel (arrives at 1745). This reinstates a timetabled service for South Killingholme to Grimsby commuters and students, albeit with a change en-route at County Hotel; the evening service may also be off use for afternoon Grimsby shoppers who can travel into Grimsby using a combination of the 450 and 5 services earlier in the day.

As a quick way to improve the situation for South Killingholme, this new timetabled service is logical. However it does mean the demand responsive CallConnect bus will not be available when it is needed on this fixed service, which isn't ideal. In addition there is still no timetabled link from South Killingholme to Immingham Town Centre - as I posted a couple of weeks ago the 450 could be amended to provide this - and no South Killingholme to Grimsby through service. Arguably more still to be done to replace the 5 in South Killingholme.