Introducing the Humber Fastcat

Its what I've been waiting for the details on for a while, but now the details of the 350 improvements have been released.

We already knew it was going half hourly Monday to Saturday daytime and the new times will be 15 and 45 minutes past the hour from Scunthorpe and 5 and 35 minutes past the hour from Hull. Times change at peak hours to accomodate the heavier traffic. It will take a bit of getting use too, but the greater flexibility of a half hourly service will make that worthwhile.

Another key point of the improved service is that journeys from Hull will run via Primark Monday to Saturday daytimes, following the city centre loop used by almost all other services down Anlaby Road in Hull. The route map produced by Stagecoach indicates only a stop at Primark on Carr Lane, and no stop on say Prospect Street. But great for laden down shoppers, or those not wanting to walk back to the Interchange.

In Scunthorpe, the service will operate via the current 360 route along Frodingham Road - I would presume the current 360 service that supplements the 350 between Scunthorpe and Winterton is withdrawn.

The roubustness of the connections to the train from Barton to Cleethorpes are improved, with buses now arriving in Barton at 40 minutes past the hour from Hull for a 58 minutes past departure. Arriving trains at 48 minutes past connect to a Hull departure on the next hour. Though evening arrivals 1957 and 2157 at Barton Station makes connections onto the 1958 and 2158 train departure very tight - for some reason the current 1925 and 2125 departures from Hull are put back 5 minutes in the new timetable.

Which leads me nicely onto discussing the evening service. No more changing at Barton in the evening; all buses run through from Hull to Scunthorpe and vice versa, and the 2130 departure from Hull to Barton is restored on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays (plus the 2158 from Barton to Hull). The early evening service is also improved with the 1830 from Hull being replaced by a 1810 and 1840, and a new 1845 from Scunthorpe. That 1840 from Hull is especially welcomed by me!

The only 'split journey' at Barton remains the first service of the day, which still only operates on weekdays. The first service from Scunthorpe has been moved forward to an 0620 from Scunthorpe to connect with the 0653 Barton to Hull.

The Sunday and Bank Holiday service increases from 5 to 6 journeys a day, with new services from Ashby (the Sunday service extends from Scunthorpe to Ashby) to Hull at 0855 and from Hull to Scunthorpe at 1930. In effect these seem to be positioning journeys. The other journeys are at existing times, based around connecting with trains at Barton. Therefore there remains some 3 hour gaps at key times for Sunday shoppers. There is no bus from Barton to Hull between 1055 and 1355, and no departure from Hull between 1530 and 1830. The publicity produced so far makes no reference to Veolia, current operators of the Sunday service alongside EYMS. Have Stagecoach taken Veolia's Sunday services on?

Indeed as yet there is no information on what journeys will be operated by Stagecoach Hull, Stagecoach Scunthorpe and EYMS, though EYMS will probably operate the journeys timed closest to their existing one. Also it is not yet clear which early morning, evening and Sunday journeys remain subsidised.

Another question is the provision of services from Barton to the Scunthorpe Colleges. Currently there is a dedicated 350 service, and a special 360 service that starts in East Halton. The new timetable indicates one service 350 journey will serve the colleges at start and finish times, but that alone is unliekly to be enough.

There will be a new £25 weekly ticket called the megarider fastcat, which is great for regular users. But will EYMS sell what is a Stagecoach ticket? The introductory price will be £22.

The new timetable has a Hull Royal Infirmary timing point, which is great to highlight this stop. Details of the improved service are also on the Stagecoach Hull website which will help create awareness on the North Bank.

There will be a new brand, called the Humber Fast Cat, and Stagecoach's new buses will wear a distinctive orange livery. Oddly the new route branding will mention Hessle, despite the service only serving the outskirts of the town.

There is even a new mini website for the service - http://www.stagecoachbus.com/scunthorpe/fastcat.html

Overall you might be able to tell I am very exixted and impressed with the imprivements and can't wait for them to start on March 23rd.

More on the April Service Changes

Yesterday we reported numerous service changes planned for 20th April. There have been some more reported on the VOSA website today, by Stagecoach in both Grimsby and Hull.

PB0000163/2 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Cancellation Accepted by SN: Operating between Bradley Park and Europarc given service number 20/5/5B effective from 20-Apr-2009.
PB0000163/13 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Variation Accepted: Operating between Grimsby Bus Station/Asda and Wybers Wood given service number 16 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0000163/38 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Cancellation Accepted by SN: Operating between Grimsby, New Waltham and Hull, Anne Street given service number X1 effective from 20-Apr-2009.
PB0000163/43 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Humberside Airport
Finish Point: Cleethorpes
Via:
Service Number: HF
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 20-APR-2009
Other Details: Monday to Saturday hourly
PB0001987/138 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Wawne given service number 20 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/235 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Cottingham Castle Hill given service number 63 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.

While no official details have been released yet it looks like the X1 will be renumbered HF (Humber Flyer) and no longer extend beyond Cleethorpes to New Waltham. It will also be operated on two separate registrations, for what I presume are technical reasons.

The Cleethorpes to New Waltham section shall be replaced by new service 12B (Bradley Park-Grimsby-Cleethorpes-New Waltham). Service 12 operated between New Waltham and Cleethorpes (and beyond to Grimsby and Laceby) before the service was merged into the X1.

The 12B shall start at Bradley Park, currently served by service 5, which today an application has been put in to cancel. However will the Gilbey Road areas of Grimsby, and Europarc Industrial Estate, gain a replacement service? (These are also served by service 5)

Numerous changes to bus services on both banks of the Humber in April

Theres numerous service changes due to services in both Hull and Grimsby this April, mostly to Stagecoach services. All are taken from the VOSA website. Some service registrations are combined with other services and therefore all services listed below may not change. Service changes could be very minor.

Stagecoach Grimsby Cleethorpes

PB0000163/8 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Variation Accepted: Operating between Grimsby Bus Station and North Sea Lane given service number 8/8B effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0000163/9 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Variation Accepted: Operating between Bradley Cross Roads and Cleethorpes Pier given service number 13/14/14A effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0000163/10 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Variation Accepted: Operating between Grange Estate and North Sea Lane given service number 7 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0000163/12 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Variation Accepted: Operating between Waltham and North Sea Lane given service number 9/9A effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.

The following are particularly interesting as they both follow part of the route of service X1, not that there has been an application to alter that service (though theres still time).

PB0000163/41 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Bradley Park Grimsby
Finish Point: New Waltham
Via:
Service Number: 12B
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 20-APR-2009
Other Details: Monday to Saturday hourly
PB0000163/42 - GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT CO LTD T/A STAGECOACH GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Hull
Finish Point: Humberside Airport
Via:
Service Number: HF
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 20-APR-2009
Other Details: Monday to Saturday hourly.

EYMS

PB0000328/25 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull, Albion Street and Hornsea, EYMS Depot given service number 246 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0000328/54 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull, Albion Street and Sutton Bank given service number M1/M14/M2/M3 effective from 05-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.

Stagecoach Hull

PB0001987/53 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Boothferry Estate given service number 1/2/N2 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/54 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Orchard Park given service number 13/13A/13B/14/14A/14B/93M effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/55 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Kingswood Asda given service number 15/N15 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/59 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and North Bransholme given service number 30/30X effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/60 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Sutton Park given service number 28/28A effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/61 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Bilton Grange given service number 54/54A effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/67 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Greatfield Grange Road given service number 43/N43 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/140 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Greatfield given service number 40/40A/42/42A/42C effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Route and Timetable.
PB0001987/218 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and North point Shopping Centre given service number 32/N32 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/219 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Kingswood given service number 51/51A/51F/N51 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/252 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Saltshouse Road given service number 52/52C/53/56 effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.
PB0001987/255 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Hull Interchange given service number 10/10B effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.

PB0001987/256 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WHEATSHEAF, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Kingswood given service number 38/38A effective from 20-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.

Minor Service 51 Changes

From Monday 2nd March the 1820 service 51 Grimsby-North Thoresby journey will extend to Louth, operating Mondays to Saturdays. The 51 timetable was altered early this year by operator Stagecoach in Lincolnshire and this change fills a 190 minute gap in evening buses from Grimsby to Louth.

The tracks open, but your going by bus

Thats whats passengers who travel on the first Barton Line service of the day look set to be told. As regular readers of this blog will know, I have expressed doubt that there will be an available train to operate the first Cleethorpes-Barton and return service of the day during the Scunthorpe-Doncaster rail blockade. After contacting the Friends of the Barton Line they have said it's looking likely the service will be operated by a bus.

This totally undermines efforts to develop the line - not the way to attract regular passengers when you have services being needlessly being replaced by buses.

The situation has to be looked at in a wider perspective. Transpennine Express operate the first service of the day with one of their Class 185 trains. During the Scunthorpe-Doncaster blockade this summer they will not operate any services to Cleethorpes - despite the Cleethorpes to Scunthorpe section of the line being open - and therefore have no train at Cleethorpes to operate the Barton service with.

Transpennine Express provide a train to Northern Rail, whose service it is. They do not have a spare unit it appears to operate one service a day with - understandable since it would be a waste of a train for it to operate for just two hours a day.

Having got my suspicions confirmed, time for a few emails to be sent. Not that I suspect it will acheive anything but my arrangements for passengers during the Scunthorpe to Doncaster rail blockade are being done on the cheap with very little regard being paid to what is best for passengers.

There will be no Cleethorpes-Scunthorpe rail service this summer

Earlier in the month a guest posted a comment to say that there would be a Cleethorpes to Scunthorpe train service during the Scunthorpe to Doncaster rail blockade this summer. Well it appears not so.

This Northern Rail poster says Transpennine Express will operate buses between Cleethorpes and Doncaster - one serving Grimsby Town only, and the other serving Grimsby Town, Habrough, Barnetby and Scunthorpe. Which is a good arrangement for passengers travelling to Doncaster. But why should passengers between Cleethorpes, Scunthorpe and stations in between have to use buses when the rail line is open between these places?

Northern Rail will divert their Scunthorpe trains to Thorne North and operate buses from Scunthorpe, Althorpe, Crowle and Thorne South to link into the train service at Hatfield and Stainforth station.

They say that East Midlands Trains Grimsby to Newark and Northern's own Barton to Cleethorpes service will be 'largely unaffected'. Does that mean the first Barton Line service of the day, operated with a Transpennine Express unit, will be operated by a bus? I can't see Transpennine Express isolating a train at Cleethorpes for three months to operate one service a day.

As I have said before, the replacement services for passengers are being done on the cheap, and are not the best they could be.

Hull Bus Forum Minutes

A few points from the minutes of the Hull Bus Forum on Tuesday 28th January.

350: Hull-Barton-Scunthorpe

Firstly the 350 changes. As well as the known about daytime increase, the evening service will be improved and the Sunday service altered.

In recent years the evening service on the 350 between Hull, Barton and Scunthorpe has been heavily cutback. At one point it was hourly (same as the daytime service) until the 21.10 from Scunthorpe/21.25 from Hull departures with an extra service each way an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays - all subsidised by North Lincolnshire Council. Then the 20.10 from Scunthorpe/20.25 from Hull were axed and the evening service split into two at Barton, though connecting. In September 2006, North Lincolnshire Council cut funding a number of services in the county including the 21.25 from Hull and return from Barton Mondays to Wednesdays. If it wasn't for a petition, the same journey would also have been axed on Thursdays and Fridays.

So overall a pattern of decline in evening service provision, that looks to be reversed, which is very welcome. On a personal note a 18.55 from Hull to Barton would be very welcome!

The Sunday service has actually been increased in recent years from 4 to 5 return journeys with a 8.25 from Hull and 20.10 from Scunthorpe. Like the evening service it is subsidised by North Lincolnshire Council and the timetable is based around connecting to the Summer Sunday Barton to Cleethorpes rail service. Will be interesting to see what the changes will be. Stagecoach Lincolnshire have introduced new Sunday services on a number of routes recently, such as the Connect 3, so maybe they will be taking on all, or part of the Sunday service commercially?

Stagecoach Hull Service 53

Service 53 between Hull, Garden Village, the Ings Road Estate and Salthouse Road will increase to every half hour in April. Services currently continue as service 52 from Salthouse Road down Holderness Road back into Hull City Centre. Service 53 receives financial support from Hull City Council in the Garden Village area.

Walton Street Park and Ride

The proposal to cut Walton Street Park and Ride is part of the Hull City Council budget for the 2009/10 financial year, though if the budget is not approved the service will continue to operate. The service has received support from local residents. A new park and ride site is due to open however near Saltend.

Stagecoach Hull Service 28

This service will receive low floor buses later in the year.

Trains replaced by buses on the Yorkshire Coast Line

Northern Rail are replacing trains with buses between Beverley, Driffield, Bridlington and Scarborough from today (Saturday 14th) until Friday 20th due to engineering work between Beverley and Bridlington being carried out by Network Rail. Replacement buses will not be calling at Arram however - Northern Rail can arrange alternative transport for passengers to Arram if required.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7890100.stm

Stagecoach Hull improved evening services in April

Buried with an announcement about buses to the KC Stadium for Hull FC fans;

"In April our evening services will be improved to make it even easier to get to the KC by Bus"

Good news for passengers in Hull

It's not every day theres a TV Crew on your bus...

...but there was today. Having just got settled in my seat on the 350 in Barton this morning and having decided to catch on some textbook reading (boring, but it needed doing and the bus is an ideal place to do it), a reporter and cameraman from BBC Look North got on at Barton Station. Rather surprised to say the least, but it made my bus journey far more interesting than reading a textbook all the way to Hull.

What you probably want to know is why the BBC were filming a bus journey? The answer is the Humber Bridge Tolls. As has been widely reported locally the Bridge Board want to increase the tolls. The BBC were attempting to cover the story from the perspective of less car drivers using the bridge, and more people using the bus instead. The Bridge Board have cited reduced usage and therefore reduced revenue as a reason for their proposal to increase crossing prices.

Within the piece prepared is the official announcement of the 350 going half hourly. You can see one version of the report here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7884002.stm This version was shown on the 6.30 bulletin. The 1.30 bulletin had a very different report with more footage from onboard the bus.

A nice bit of publicity for the bus, and a general good story for public transport. Plus it highlighted the very important issue of bridge tolls. Now I await the new 350 timetable. Going by the VOSA application, the change date is Monday 23rd March.

Scunthorpe-Doncaster rail blockade update

According a comment on my previous blog entry on this subject, Transpennine Express shall be operating a Cleethorpes to Scunthorpe shuttle during the Scunthorpe to Doncaster rail line blockade this summer, which shall also mean they can continue to provide a train for the first service of the day on the Cleethorpes to Barton line. So the Barton Line should be unaffected, a local passengers between Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe don't have to needlessly catch a bus.