35 and 90 Co-ordinated on Weekdays

Back on Monday 10th June, Hornsby Travel operated, North Lincolnshire Council subsidised, services 35 and 90 were amended on weekdays only. The 35 links Scunthorpe Bus Station with Tesco, Gunness, Althorpe Station, Keadby and Amcotts, while the 90 links Scunthorpe Bus Station with Tesco, Gunness, Althorpe Station, Ealand and Crowle.

The 35 had operated hourly from Scunthorpe Bus Station daytimes off peak to Keadby Primary School, with five journeys then serving the Queens Crescent area of Keadby and four serving Amcotts. In the return direction from Keadby Primary School back to Scunthorpe the frequency was every 50 to 70 minutes. The 90 had provided a service every 2 hours daytime off peak, more frequently at peak times.

With the new weekday timetable, apart from some peaktime variations, the 35 and 90 have a common route between Scunthorpe Bus Station and Keadby Queens Crescent, serving Scunthorpe Hospital (Cliff Gardens), which was previously served by the 90 but not the 35. Off peak they each operate two hourly, giving an hourly frequency from Scunthorpe Bus Station to Keadby Queens Crescent and a service every 50 to 70 minutes in the opposite direction. All service 35 journeys serve Amcotts. The 90 continues to operate at peak times, but as with the previous timetable the 35 does not (East Yorkshire service 360 covers Amcotts at these times).

The new timetable means there are slightly less buses between Scunthorpe, Gunness and Althorpe Station, though I'm not sure this is a particular issue with the co-ordinated 35/90 timetable and the 399 also being available on this section. The Queens Crescent area of Keadby benefits substantially, going from five to nine journeys to Tesco and Scunthorpe Bus Station and gaining new links to Scunthorpe Hospital. Amcotts also gains, going from four to five journeys to Tesco and Scunthorpe Bus Station, and likewise gaining new links to Scunthorpe Hospital. Crowle and Ealand maintain the same number of journeys on the revised service 90, but with slightly longer journey times to accommodate the Queens Crescent diversion in Keadby; off peak journey times from Scunthorpe Bus Station increase by seven minutes.

Co-ordination between the 90 and East Yorkshire operated service 361 between Scunthorpe and Crowle has been compromised however. Previously the 90 had departed Scunthorpe Bus Station off peak at 0840, 1030, 1230 and 1430, with the 361 departing at 0930, 1130 and 1330, giving a co-ordinated hourly service. Now the 90 operates at 0820, 1000, 1200 and 1400. From Crowle the 90 had previously departed Cranidge Close at 0909, 1109, 1309, 1509 and 1650 off peak, with the 361 leaving Crowle at 1015, 1215, 1415 and 1615; combined there was an almost hourly interval service. Now the 90 departs Crowle off peak at 0850, 1045, 1245, 1445 and 1645.

Both the new weekday timetable and the old weekday timetable appear to require two vehicles. The new weekday timetable seems to be a way to give a much improved service to Queens Crescent in Keadby, and to a lesser extent, Amcotts, without needing a second vehicle on service 35. This comes at the expense of Ealand and Crowle passengers. As with many service changes, positives and negatives.

Saturday services on the 35 and 90 remain unchanged, so the 35 now joins the 90 in having both a different route and timetable on Saturdays. Apart from the first morning service not operating, the Saturday 35 timetable is the old weekday 35 timetable, so not serving Scunthorpe Hospital and then serving either Keadby Queens Crescent or Amcotts, but not both. The 90 continues to have five Saturday journeys, serving Scunthorpe Hospital (Church Lane) unlike on weekdays to cover gaps in service 9, and with one journey extending beyond Crowle to Luddington.