Thursday 26 May 2011

York Pullman cutback service 10

After tomorrow, Friday 27th May, York Pullman are dropping their commercial journeys on service 10 from Stamford Bridge into York and Poppleton. These operated mainly during the day, including at peak times, usually in competition with First York, the main operator of service 10.

Remaining is a single return trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday mornings, and a daily late evening service - new timetable It would seem therefore that the Sunday evening service has been saved - earlier in the year it was under threat.

Sunday 15 May 2011

Cleethorpes-Barton-Hull Bus-Rail connections

To update my previous post on bus-rail connections at Barton from 22nd May (next Sunday), the first Summer Sunday train from Cleethorpes will be at 0958, not 1005 as stated in my previous post, based on the new pdf timetable available on the Northern Rail website. So no issue with the bus connection to Hull as feared.

However the last evening train from Cleethorpes Monday to Saturday does have a 2 minute connection at Barton for Hull as expected, arriving at Barton at 2151 for a bus departing at 2153. I did email EYMS, operator of the 2153 bus, a few weeks ago about operating the service slightly later and I got a reply saying it had been passed onto the relevant person. For the sake of a slightly later departure, surely this can be done? A retiming of the bus to say 2155 would give a comfortable 4 minute connection.

One connection I had not picked up on however is out of the 0700 from Cleethorpes Monday to Saturday. This arrives in Barton at 0748. Northern Rail are advertising the bus connection as the 0820 Humber Fastcat. This is actually not new, just something I had not spotted before. There is a 0750 Humber Fastcat from Barton Interchange; while the 2 minute connection time is tight, probably too tight to advertise, in reality the 0750 Fastcat doesn't always leave exactly on time and from my journeys on the 0750, the connection can normally be made. Again though a slight retiming, say a 0752 departure, would resolve the issue, and there is enough waiting time at Hull between journeys to accomodate this.

If this is not possible, then why not advertise the connecting bus as the 0810 Humber Flyer from Barton. A 22 minute wait looks a lot better than the 32 minute wait advertised?

There are a couple of 'quick wins' for integrated transport to be had here. EYMS and Stagecoach - go for the win. It's not like an entire timetable recast is needed.

Saturday 14 May 2011

48 Saved for now

As posted by a commentor earlier in the week, EYMS 48 in West Hull will not now be cancelled after operation today, but will instead continue for at least three months. EYMS are asking pensioners, if they wish, to pay voluntarily, in an attempt to save the service, which has losses of £40,000 a year. Hopefully this will be enough to save the service.

Monday 9 May 2011

EYMS 142 Changes

EYMS will be making changes to their journeys on service 142 from 15th May. The 142 is an interesting rural service, and the main operator is Acklams Coaches. In reality it is two separate services. 1 from Middleton into Beverley (though Acklams journeys also serve villages north of Middleton) and 1 from Middleton into Driffield.

Middleton-Beverley

EYMS weekday journeys are cut back with no School Holiday services at all. The 0745 Beverley-Holme and 0808 Holme-Beverley now operates on schooldays only. Meanwhile the 1610 from Beverley to Lund is withdrawn on both schooldays and School Holidays.

The only Saturday change sees the 0921 Beverley-Middleton operate 4 minutes later. The tendered Sunday service is unchanged

Middleton-Driffield

Currently EYMS provide a 0930 and 1320 from Middleton and a 1250 from Driffield on weekdays only. But from next week the weekday service is gone, but the 0930 and 1250 remain, now operating on Saturdays.

So EYMS's 142 service will be in the interesting position of having a weekend service, a schoolday service, but no weekday School Holiday service.

EYMS Withernsea Cutbacks

As already briefly noted, EYMS are to cut back the offpeak Monday to Saturday frequency between Withernsea and Hull from 2 buses an hour to hourly from 15th May.

The current arrangement is an hourly 76 via Holderness Road but not Burstwick, and an hourly 77 via Hedon Road and Burstwick. The 75 operates mainly in the evenings and on Sundays serving both Holderness Road and Burstwick.

From next week the 76 is cancelled while the 75 becomes an all day service. The new service pattern is an hourly 75 between Hull and Withernsea via Holderness Road and Burstwick, and an hourly 77 between Hull and Keyingham via Hedon Road and Burstwick. 77's still extend to/from Withernsea at peak times. The new service pattern also gives Burstwick 2 rather than 1 services an hour into Hull.

New EYMS Sunday 155 timetable

Following the loss of Sunday service 156 to Colins of Goole as off yesterday (Sunday 8th), EYMS service 155 has a new Sunday timetable; 4 journeys each way between Elloughton, Brough and Hull with the first starting from South Cave and the last finishing at South Cave. The new timetable from EYMS indicates the Sunday 155 is a fully commercial operation.

Previously the Sunday 155 and 156 was mostly tendered and comprised 4 journeys a day to each off Hull and Goole. Hopefully the revised Sunday 156 between Elloughton, South Cave, Gilberdyke, Howden and Goole maintains connections to the 155 for passengers between Gilberdyke and North Cave and Hull, for example.

EYMS Bridlington Frequency Cutbacks

EYMS are making changes to Bridlington town services from Sunday 15th May.

The 505/506 to West Hill are reduced from every 20 minutes combined Monday to Saturday to half hourly. The 505 remains hourly with the 506 going from 2 buses an hour to hourly.

Similar changes for the 507/517, reduced from every 20 minutes combined to half hourly, with the 507 seeing the frequency cut to hourly and the 517 remaining hourly.

Meanwhile the 512/3 circulars are reduced from half hourly to both operate every 40 minutes

EYMS cutback 62 to Setting Dyke

EYMS's website says there will be changes to the bus times of services 60/60A/61/62/64 from May 15th. In reality it means a frequency cut.

Currently the Hull-Anlaby Road-Priory Road corridor sees 5 buses an hour, Monday to Saturday daytimes. 1 60 or 60A to Cottingham, 1 64 to Cottingham and Castle Hill Hospital and 3 62's to Setting Dyke, giving a combined 12 minute frequency. From next week the 62's become half hourly and the combined frequency becomes every 15 minutes.

I can't say I'm too surprised. The 62 often only has Mini Pointer Darts and Plaxton Primos on it, and at times that is all it needs. Anlaby Road has enough buses already, while Priory Road still maintains 4 buses an hour, with the gap between services only extended by 3 minutes from every 12 to every 15 minutes. Also the current timetable has 2 24 minute gaps between 62's, so a half hourly service only extends the maximum gap by 6 minutes for users in Setting Dyke.

EYMS May Service Changes 'Bits and Pieces'

Some bits and pieces not really worth another thread about the EYMS service changes this Sunday (15th May):

It would seem that service 48 in West Hull has been axed completely, without any replacement, leaving a number of side roads unserved. Not aware of any complaints/campaigns to try and save it though which perhaps explains why no replacement is being provided.

Some minor time changes to the 115 from Cottingham into Hull, and a morning roundtrip on the 215/315 between Hull City Centre and Endike Lane is cancelled.

The 0730(Mon-Fri)/0800(Sat) 182 from Hessle to Beverley is cancelled, while the 1605 from Beverley now runs at 1610.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

1A and 109 cancelled by EYMS

EYMS have applied to cancel two tendered services today, the 1A and 109. They could have lost the tender, or the services could be cancelled without replacement.

VOSA - Bus Registration Search Results: "PB0000328/329 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Hull and Sibelius Road given service number 1A effective from 27-Jun-2011.
PB0000328/366 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Cottingham Railway Station and Cottingham Railway Station given service number 109C effective from 27-Jun-2011."