Thursday 29 September 2011

Hornsby 22 Re-route

Hornsby Travel operated Scunthorpe Town Service 22 will be re-routed in September. Details here.

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Hull-Hedon cutbacks

As well as changes to Hull-Withernsea services that serve Hedon, EYMS are altering 'short' Hull-Hedon journeys on services 78/79/80 from 31st October. Looks like EYMS's cuts are starting.

Currently the 78 and 79 operate roughly hourly combined Monday to Saturday daytime, but from the end of October almost all 79 journeys will cease to operate, while many 78 journeys are retimed to replace service 79.

New 78-80 timetable

Humber Fastcat November Changes get interesting

Traveline East Midlands has the new timetable up for the 350 Humber Fastcat from 7th November. Some of the changes are minor retimings, but some potentially interesting early morning changes.

The Stagecoach 0620 Scunthorpe to Barton is now extended to Hull and the 0707 Barton to Scunthorpe starts at Hull. Between Barton and Hull these services operate at the exact same times as the 0620 Hull-Barton and 0653 return EYMS journeys. However the EYMS journeys are not shown as cancelled. Stagecoach's early morning services are now shown as operating on Saturdays as well as weekdays. Saturday early morning services between Barton and Hull were withdrawn in 2006 North Lincolnshire Council cut backs.

These changes indicate that Stagecoach's Scunthorpe and Hull depots maybe 'swapping diagrams'. Hull depot would take over the current Scunthorpe diagram including the 0815 from Scunthorpe. This currently includes the 1840 from Hull to Scunthorpe. However Traveline East Midlands shows a new 1825 departure from Hull. My guess is that this replaces the current 1810 departure and the 1840 is cancelled. This would ensure the diagram starts in Hull (at 0620) and finishes in Hull.

Scunthorpe depot would operate the current Hull diagram starting with the 0805 from Hull (after a 45 minute layover in Hull). However there is no new evening journey from Hull to Scunthorpe shown on Traveline East Midlands, while the 1840 Scunthorpe to Hull, currently the last journey on this diagram is still shown as operating. So the diagram starts in Scunthorpe (at 0620) and finishes in Hull (at 1952). Unless Stagecoach plan to run out of service back to Scunthorpe, this does not add up.

So certainly more to come here. The early morning changes are very interesting though. I'd guess that EYMS get quite a few people buying weekly and return tickets on the 0653 from Barton. Are Stagecoach deliberately trying to snatch this revenue and weaken EYMS's position on the service. Or is it a 'side effect' from swapping diagrams and potentially altering (reducing?) evening services? Do EYMS not make as much as I think from the 0653 and are planning to give it up?

Thursday 22 September 2011

Hull-Withernsea October Changes Details

EYMS have released the timetables for revised Hull-Withernsea services from Sunday 30th October. As noted earlier in the month this is in response to customer feedback following cuts earlier in the year.

Currently there is one service 75 each hour between Withernsea and Hull, Monday to Saturday daytime, serving Burtswick and Holderness Road, and one service 74 each hour between Keyingham and Hull serving Ryehill and operating directly into Hull, omitting Holderness Road.

From late October the 74 is gone, while the 75 returns to being a peak time, evening and Sunday service. Monday to Saturday daytimes sees the return of the 76 from Withernsea to Hull every hour via Ryehill and Holderness Road, while the 77 will operate all day again, hourly between Withernsea and Hull via Burstwick but not Holderness Road. Both the 76 and 77 will serve Waxholme Road in Withernsea - I think only one of these services used to serve Waxholme Road prior to EYMS's first set of changes to the corridor earlier in the year.

A couple of short Keyingham-Hull journeys remain in the late afternoon, operating as either service 75 or 77. Also of note is that one Withernsea to Hull and return evening service now no longer operates Sunday to Thursday (the 7pm-ish departure from Withernsea and 8.15pm return from Hull). Meanwhile a morning gap in service is plugged with a new 0945 Hull to Withernsea on weekdays, and a 1011 Hedon-Withernsea on Saturdays.

Other timing changes affect the 277 (Hedon-Hull) and 71 (Easington-Withernsea). The 2.30pm weekdays Hull-Patrington appears to have been withdrawn.

Thursday 15 September 2011

Humber Fastcat November Changes

From Monday 7th November changes will be made to the 350 Humber Fastcat timetable. Traveline East Midlands says this affects early morning times at Barton Market Place.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Peak time Goole Town Service Withdrawn

From Monday 3rd October the peak time element of the Goole Town Service will be withdrawn. This comprises the 0630 and 0730 service 4 journeys, and the 1615, 1715 and 1815 service 5 journeys. Funding has been withdrawn by Goole Town Council.

The Goole Town Service is operated by EYMS.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

New York Pullman X36

Since Monday (5th September) York Pullman have started operating a new weekday service X36 between Pocklington and York, replacing withdrawn services on EYMS route 195. The X36 leaves Pocklington at 0635, returning from York at 1740.

Timetable

Goodbye 51X

Since Monday (5th September) Stagecoach's 0725 51X from Louth to Grimsby has become a 0710 service 51, additionally operating via Louth Hospital and Holton Le Clay. This means the end of the 51X variant to the InterConnect 51.

Changes that haven't happenned

The 360 to Scunthorpe Colleges hasn't been truncated to Barton and still starts at East Halton, correcting this post from last month.

And the 2 and 20 in Grimsby haven't ceased running, with the re-registration of service 20 appearing on the VOSA website today.

Hull-Withernsea back to half hourly

Yesterday EYMS warned of forthcoming service cuts, yet today are announcing that they will reverse a frequency cut they made earlier in May, reintroducing half hourly services from Withernsea into Hull.

There had been opposition from those affected by the May changes, and this has been a reason why EYMS are reversing the cut. On one hand it is good to see them listen to feedback, but on the other does this mean deeper cuts will have to be made elsewhere to compensate? After all the service must be struggling as it was cut back in the first place. Or does this show that EYMS and local communities working together can avoid some of the proposed cuts having to take place?

Tuesday 6 September 2011

EYMS: Service Cuts and Fares Increases Coming

On This is Hull, EYMS is warning that service cuts and fare increases are coming. Every service will be reviewed and cuts will likely hit rural and late evening services hardest; the intention is to phase in cuts to reduce their impact. A fare increase is expected before the end of the year.

On a personal note for the Humber Fastcat I suspect a fare increase is likely, probably to make fares in line with Stagecoach again. I'll put up with that, the reasons are understandable. However I hope no service cuts, particularly to the last departure in the evening (2110 from Scunthorpe Mon-Sat, 1955 from Ashby Sun) which is very handy to have as an option coming home from work.

Revised Hull Nightbus Network

From this coming weekend Stagecoach in Hull are making significant changes to their nightbus network in Hull.

Almost all Friday services are withdrawn. There wil no longer be any nightbuses on services N15, N32 or N43 on Friday nights (early hours Saturday morning). On the N2 and N51 only the 0000 and 0100 departures from Ferensway shall remain, with the 0200 and 0300 withdrawn. Return services from Hessle on the N2 are apparently unaffected - the service 2 timetable still includes an 0225 from Hessle despite the 0200 from Ferensway being cancelled.

On Saturdays the N2 and N51 are unaltered but the N15 will now start at Witham and operate via George Street (opposite direction compared to present) before joining the current route via Carr Lane and Ferensway in the City Centre. Wilberforce Drive and Alfred Gelder Street will no longer be served. Neither will Kingswood, with services curtailed to Orchard Park.

Both the N32 and N43 shall now start at Hull University's Asylum nightclub (except the first journey on each service) with the N32 operating via Newland Avenue and Queens Road to join the current route at the Welly Club, while the N43 shall operate via Cottingham Road and Beverley Road. In Hull City Centre both services shall now operate via Ferensway, Castle Street, Lowgate and Alfred Gelder Street before rejoining their current routes on George Street; currently they operate direct via Prospect Street between Ferensway and George Street. The N43 also increases from 3 to 4 journeys.

Finally something that may or may not be new, a Wednesday night N15 from Hull University Asylum to Lowgate in the City Centre. This operates via Princes Avenue (daytime 15 route) rather than Beverley Road (Saturday N15 route).

K1 Changes

Since yesterday (Monday 5th September), Hull City Council funded and Stagecoach operated service K1 has been revised to reflect changes to the Stagecoach network.

Following changes to service 52, the Kestrel Avenue loop is now shorter, omitting most of Howdale Road as well as Church Street in Sutton. The Dorchester Road section of the service remains, but between North Point and Kingswood the K1 is revised to operate directly via Bude Road, omitting Noddle Hill Way, which now has the 31 to Kingswood, and Bodmin Road. The K1 is then extended from Kingswood to North Bransholme, replacing a link offered by the now axed service 20.

Saturday 3 September 2011

Greatfield, Bilton Grange, Ings Circular Changes

From Monday 5th September, Stagecoach in Hull will revise their 'circular' 43 and 54 services that operate from Hull City Centre to Greatfield and Bilton Grange. Currently both the 43 and 54 operate every 10 minutes on weekday daytimes and peaktimes, but the 54 shall reduce to operate every 15 minutes, meaning 2 service 43's each hour shall not interwork with the 54 but instead operate as 'standalone' service 43B. Early morning 43's on weekdays shall now also start at Diadem Grove in Bilton Grange.

However Bilton Grange still retains 6 buses an hour into Hull City Centre with route changes to service 52, part of the Ings Circular, that links Salthouse Road into central Hull. This currently serves the southern part Staveley Road in Bilton Grange, but from Monday will serve the northern part of Staveley Road and Barham Road instead.

The other part of the Ings Circular, interworked service 53 also sees it's own route revision, now serving Dunvegan Road, duplicating the 51, and the eastern part of Howdale Road, currently only served by the weekday daytime K1, though the K1 will be re-routed away from Monday.

Goodbye 38, Hello 31

From Monday 4th September, Stagecoach are replacing service 38 with a new service 31. Currently the 38 operates hourly Monday to Saturday between Hull City Centre and Bransholme North Point Shopping Centre via Garden Village and Leads Road, with peak time extensions to Kingsbury Way and Kesteven Way as service 38A.

The new 31 will operate via the current 38 route as far as Barnstaple Road, close to North Point. From there is will operate via Wawne Road, Noddle Hill Way (also served by the 32) and Bude Road to Kingswood Retail Park. Services will operate half hourly Monday to Saturday, with peak variations 31A also serving Kingsbury Way and Kesteven Way. The Noddle Hill Way to Kingswood link is currently provided by the hourly weekday daytime K1, which will be re-routed away from most of Noodle Hill Way.

I'm slightly surprised to see North Point omitted from the route, though I think Barnstaple Road is within walking distance for the able-bodied at least. Other than that a significant frequency improvement for those currently served by the 38 and the K1, and some useful new links to Kingswood from Garden Village.

Thursday 1 September 2011

Replacing the 20/20W

From Monday 5th September Stagecoach in Hull are making major changes to some of their routes serving Kingswood, Bransholme, North Bransholme and Wawne with the cancellation of the struggling 20/20W which operates between Hull and Wawne via Beverley Road, Kingswood and Kingsbury Way/Kesteven Way.

The first 'unique' section of route served by the 20/20W is the Runnymede Way area of Kingswood. Stagecoach have decided to divert service 15 as a replacement, giving a significant frequency increase, from every half hour Monday to Saturday daytimes on the 20/20W to every 10 minutes on the 15, albeit via a longer, less direct route into Hull. But you can't have everything!

The 15 frequency is also dropping from every 7-10 minutes weekday daytimes to every 10 minutes. Nothing major, and hopefully it may lead to the end of two 15's following each other which does often happen on what is a very busy route that has to navigate some very congested areas.

The other notable change to the 15 is that it will now only serve Kingswood Leisure Park on evenings and Sundays meaning the leisure park is now unserved Monday to Saturday daytimes. Can see why certainly on schooldays, but surprised it will be unserved on Saturday daytimes at least.

The 20/20W also provided the main service to Kingsbury Way/Kesteven Way; this function has now passed to a revised service 28. Currently the 28 operates between Hull, Beverley Road, Sutton Park and Bransholme every 12 minutes on weekday daytimes (every 10 minutes at peak times) and every 15 minutes on Saturdays. Monday to Saturday evening and Sunday daytime services operate half hourly, and hourly services run on Sunday evenings.

Under the 28's revised timetable, services will be reduced to operate every 15 minutes during weekday daytimes as well as on Saturdays; peak services on weekdays remain operating every 10 minutes. Stagecoach say larger low floor buses will be used which should replace the capacity lost by the frequency reduction.

Almost all services will now extend beyond Bransholme, generally alternately to Kingsbury Way/Kesteven Way, and to Kingswood Retail Park via Bodmin Road; Kingswood Retail Park services being numbered 28A. This shall increase journey times slightly between Kingsbury Way and Hull City Centre compared to the 20, but shall provide all day links to the North Point Shopping Centre from Kingsbury Way. Furthermore the 28A creates a new Sutton Park-Kingswood link and retains the Kingswood to Beverley Road link currently provided by the 20/20W.

On Monday to Saturday daytimes both Kingsbury Way and Kingswood get half hourly extensions. In the evenings, and on Sundays, when the main Hull to Bransholme service is half hourly, each extension shall operate hourly. For Kingsbury Way this is an increase on the irregular frequency Friday and Saturday evening/Sunday daytime service provided by the 20. On Sunday evenings just an hourly Hull-Kingsbury Way service shall operate, providing a new Sunday evening service to Kingsbury Way.

Hopefully by attaching Kingsbury Way services to the established 28 it shall be a more viable way of serving the area.

The other major destination served by the 20W is the East Riding Village of Wawne. Again Stagecoach have decided to serve Wawne by an extension of an established service, the 30 between Hull, Bransholme and North Bransholme. Not the first time this has happenned. Wawne will see 30W extensions hourly during the day, 7 days a week, and half hourly during weekday peak times. Monday to Saturday this is broadly in line with the current 20W, but the restoration of an hourly Sunday daytime service, probably commercially, is an improvement on the current limited Sunday service of one bus in each direction. Additionally the daily 2240 and 2320 departures from Hull will extend through to Wawne. The reintroduction of the 30W also restores the Wawne-North Point link while removing the Wawne-Kingswood link provided by the 20W - again though, can't have everything!

The 30 also sees other changes, with the North Bransholme loop dropped and services operating the same route in and outbound on the estate instead. There is also a new 0555 Hull-Bransholme 30X via Sutton Fields Industrial Estate on weekdays. In the weekday afternoon peak services between Branhsolme and Hull are increased to operate every 7-8 minutes.

Finally the K1 will be revised to maintain the 20W's current link between North Branhsolme and Kingswood, but I will cover that in another post.