Friday 31 August 2012

10 to Hedon Road

Stagecoach in Hull Service 10 - i.e. the city circular - sees more changes from Monday 3rd September.

The main route change sees a revised route in East Hull between Bilton Grange and Hull City Centre. Instead of following the current route from Hopewell Road via Holderness Road, arguably duplicating a large part of the 52, the 52 will now operate via Marfleet Lane and Hedon Road into Hull City Centre. This reintroduces links between Wilberforce College and the Preston Road area, and establishes a link to the future industrial development planned along Hedon Road - suggesting Stagecoach are taking a long term view. I've expressed my reservations as to if the 10 is really needed at all before, but this change does at least offer something new, and removes some of the duplication of the 52 that the current route provides.

There are some timetable revisions related to a change in opening times at Andrew Marvell School and Wilberforce College.

Clockwise additional weekday journeys run at 0710 from North Point to the City Centre and at 1435 from Hull to Orchard Park, filling a 60 minute gap in the otherwise half hourly frequency on this section. The 1705, 1735 and 1805 from Hull to Orchard Park are extended to North Point, but the 1405 to North Point is curtailed at Orchard Park Tesco.

Anticlockwise on weekdays there is a new 0748 from North Point to Hull City Centre, the 0900 from North Point to Hull will start at Hedon Road and the 0905 from Marfleet Lane to Hull wil now start in Hull City Centre, operating as a 'full circular'. The 1445 from Hull to Bilton Grange is extended to North Point and there are new 1515 and 1545 journeys from Orchard Park to Hull, filling a 90 minute gap in service. There is also a new 1725 from Hull to North Point, but the 1815 from Orchard Park to Hull is withdrawn.

One other interesting change sees the 0715 clockwise circular service from Hull, and the anti clockwise 1600 from Wilberforce College back into Hull operate via Smith and Nephew, Hessle Road, Askew Avenue, Fiveways, Calvert Lane and Spring Bank West and Chanterlands Avenue, rather than Newland Avenue and Hull University. This is to serve Wilberforce College students, but operates every weekday including college holidays.

The only Saturday change is the withdrawal of the 1745, 1815 and 1845 from Orchard Park to Hull.


Finally one other interesting change sees the 0715 clockwise circular service from Hull, and the anti clockwise 1600 from Wilberforce College back into Hull operate via Smith and Nephew, Hessle Road, Askew Avenue, Fiveways, Calvert Lane and Spring Bank West and Chanterlands Avenue, rather than Newland Avenue and Hull University. This is to serve Wilberforce College students, but operates every weekday including college holidays.

Thursday 30 August 2012

Bye Bye 38 Again ... Hello More Complex 30

The link from Garden Village in Hull to Bransholme's North Point Shopping Centre has seen two changes in the past year. Monday 3rd September sees another change.

Until Monday 4th September 2011, service 38 between Hull Paragon Interchange, Garden Village, Leads Road and North Point operated once an hour Monday to Saturday daytime. Then it was replaced by the 31 which operated from Hull to Kingswood via Garden Village, Leads Road and Barnstaple Road, close to North Point every half hour, Monday to Saturday daytime. Until April 2nd 2012 when the 38 returned every hour, though omitting Leads Road and instead operating the more direct route along Holwell Road between Garden Village and North Point.

From Monday the 38 will be axed again, replaced this time by the 30W in a rather complicated set of changes to the 30/30A/30W corridor.

Currently it is fairly simple; weekday daytimes every 20 minutes a service 30 operates from Hull to North Bransholme via Holwell Road, once an hour extending to Wawne as a 30W, and every 20 minutes a service 30A operates from Hull to North Bransholme via Leads Road. On Saturdays the frequencies drop to every 30 minutes, with Wawne extensions remaining hourly.

Monday's changes retain a 30 every 20 minutes on weekday daytimes, with the Wawne extensions ceasing. Wawne services are transferred to the Leads Road services which remain every 20 minutes. There will be 2 30A's an hour between Hull and North Bransholme, following the same route as now, and 1 30W an hour between Hull and Wawne. The 30W will operate via Garden Village, replacing the 38, and between Bransholme and North Bransholme will operate directly, omitting Bodmin Road - this does speed up journey times by 5 minutes on journeys from Hull. Overall Hull to North Point, Hull to North Bransholme and North Point to North Bransholme remain every 10 minutes.

So in these changes Stagecoach have retained the Garden Village-North Point link while cutting the number of buses per hour between Hull and North Point by 1. Efficient - I guess so. Retains a marginal link - yes. Adds complexity - yes. There are now three distinct route variations, 30, 30A and 30W, as compared to just the 30 and 30A (with the 30W simply being an extension of the 30). Bodmin Road has an awkward 20 minute gap once an hour (though does have other routes into Hull).

Saturday daytimes see the same number of buses between Hull and North Point. The current half hourly 30/30A service is retained (15 minute frequency combined) with the 30W operating as an additional hourly service. This means Leads Road gains a 3rd bus per hour into Hull, but on uneven intervals, while Bodmin Road retains an even interval 15 minute service with no awkward gaps, unlike weekdays. The 'extra Saturday 30W' also means an extra bus per hour from North Bransholme to Hull - and the estate is also served by the current version of the 31 Saturday daytimes, giving up to 7 buses an hour to/from Hull - better than weekdays.

Just for a bit more complexity the Monday to Saturday Wawne journeys at 1810 and 2310 from Hull, and all Sunday Wawne journeys are numbered 30W but follow the 30 route between Hull and North Bransholme? Why not number these journeys simply as 30 - the destination blind will indicate they extend to Wawne. The 30 and (Monday to Saturday daytime) 30W routes are quite different now.

Other changes to the 30 corridor see additional running time for improved punctuality.

New Route Map
New Timetable

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Stagecoach to Smith and Nephew

From Monday 3rd September, Stagecoach in Hull are diverting some weekday journeys on Service 1 between Hull City Centre and the Boothferry Estate via English Street and Jackson Street to serve the Smith and Nephew complex; these journeys will be numbered 1W.

From Hull Interchange, the 0645, 0710, 0730, 0750, 0810 and 0830 will operate via Smith and Nephew, as will the 1706 and 2210 from Boothferry Estate (1728 and 2225 at Smith and Nephew). These journeys will be supplemented by service 10W (of which more in a later post) from Hull Interchange at 0715, and from Smith and Nephew at 1710.

I'm wondering if Hull's recent Local Sustainable Transport Funding award has prompted the Smith and Nephew diversion, with the funding intended to improve access to employment?

In addition service 1, and associated service 2, will have minor timing alterations to improve punctuality.

75 Minor Changes

From Monday 3rd September, EYMS are making two alterations to weekday journeys on service 75. The 1530 from Keyingham to Hull will now operate at 1550, while on schoolays the 1630 from Hull to Withernsea will now start at Wyke College, not Hymers College.

Tuesday 28 August 2012

151 Evening Journeys Retimed

From Monday 3rd September, the Monday to Saturday 1950, 2050 and 2150 EYMS service 151 journeys from Hull to Willerby via Anlaby, and 2020, 2120 and 2220 returns will all operate 10 minutes later.

Shop 5 Minutes Later

From Monday 3rd September, EYMS Monday to Saturday 'shopper' service 184 from Swanland and North Ferriby to Hessle shall depart Swanland 5 minutes later at 0935, and return from Hessle 5 minutes later at 1205.

EYMS Timetable

130 Retimed

From Sunday 2nd September, EYMS will be altering the times of service 130 between Hornsea and Bridlington 'to help buses run on time'. Journey times are extended by 5 minutes in both directions. The weekday 1300 from Hornsea shall depart 5 minutes ealier, and 1405 and 1715 from Bridlington shall depart 5 minutes later, as do all weekend departures from Bridlington. (Some journeys do not run year round).

Monday 27 August 2012

Beverley Town Service Changes

From Monday 3rd September EYMS will be making some amendments to their Beverley Town Services.

Swinemoor Estate service 521 will now divert to serve the recently opened East Riding Community Hospital, with revised times as a result. The 1710 service 521 from Beverley Bus Station, as well as the 1740 service 520 (also to the Swinemoor Estate) will cease to operate due to low usage. Last services are now one hour earlier.

The 1740 service 523 to Molescroft, Cherry Burton and Walkington will cease to operate on Saturdays.

Saturday 25 August 2012

Arriva Goole-Selby Changes

From Monday 3rd September, Arriva service 4 between Goole, Howden, Hemingbrough and Selby will run to slightly revised times.

Arriva Service 8 between Goole, Goole Hospital, Airmyn, Drax and Selby sees more significant changes. Intermediate times change as well as the following journeys:

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday:
  • The 0930 and 1230 from Selby to Goole North Street will depart at 0922 and 1224 respectively
  • The 1025 and 1325 from Goole to Selby will depart at 1030 and 1330 respectively
  • The 1130 from Selby to Drax will depart at 1122
  • The 1157 from Drax to Selby will depart at 1150
Wednesday and Friday:
  • The 0930 from Selby to Goole North Street will depart at 0922 and operate via Hook instead of Goole Hospital, before extending to Goole Tesco
  • The 1025 from Goole North Street to Selby will depart at 1030
  • The 1130 from Selby to Drax will depart at 1122, and is extended to Goole North Street via Goole Hospital
  • The 1157 from Drax to Selby is replaced by a 1221 Goole Tesco to Selby Bus Station via Goole North Street and Hook, but not serving Goole Hospital
  • The 1230 from Selby to Goole North Street will depart at 1224
  • The 1325 from Goole North Street to Selby will depart at 1330
It would seem the 8 will require 2 vehicles on a Wednesday and Friday lunchtime. Therefore rather than being a cost saving measure to replace Sweyne service 355, I guess Arriva simply won a tender to provide a service to Hook?

Saturdays
  • All journeys from Goole will operate 5 minutes later:

EYMS Hull to Hornsea Revisions

Services between Hull, Beverley and Hornsea operated by EYMS will have new times from Sunday 2nd September, to provide a more even spaced service across the various routes which are:

220/221: Hull-Aldbrough-Hornsea
920: Aldbrough-Hornsea
240: Hull-Skirlaugh-Hornsea
246: Hull-Beverley-Hornsea

From Hull the hourly 240 will depart at :15 minutes past the hour Monday to Saturday daytime, and the hourly 246 at :50 minutes past the hour. This compares to the current situation of both services departing Hull at :55 minutes past the hour. A significant improvement. However on the shared section of route between Catwick and Hornsea services will be at :54 and :57 minutes past the hour, compared to the current :03 and :37 minutes past the hour. EYMS are prioritising the larger Hull market.

In the reverse direction the 246 will be at :15 minutes past the hour from Hornsea, and the 240 at :45 minutes past the hour, which is a significant improvement on the current situation which sees the 246 depart at :25 minutes the past the hour, and the 240 at :40 minutes. The quicker route of the 240 means it arrives in Hull just 5 minutes after the 246 however. Overall EYMS seem to have co-ordinated the 240 and 246 the best they can considering their different lengths.

A further complicating factor is that the 246 is also co-ordinated with the 121 between Hull and Beverley via Dunswell. From Hull the even interval half hourly frequency is lost, but the service remain well spaced at :25 and :50 minutes past the hour, as compared to :25 and :55 minutes past the hour currently. From Beverley services now depart at :00 and :35 minutes past the hour, no different in terms of spacing than the current :10 and :35 minutes past the hour.

Also noteworthy is extra 240's diverting via Brandesburton. Currently served just by the 2100 from Hull Monday to Saturday (moves to 2055 in the new timetable), the weekday 1630 and Monday to Saturday 2300 will now also serve the village. In the reverse direction the weekday 0710 from Hornsea and Monday to Saturday 1830 join the existing Monday to Saturday 2200 from Hornsea in operating via the village. This provides an improved evening service for Brandsesburton, who's main service - the 246 - does not operate in the evening, as well as links to Hymers College.

Meanwhile the 220 and 221 see minor changes. The weekday 0926 220/221 from Aldbrough to Hull will now operate at 0930 while the Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1345 221 from Hull to Aldbrough moves to 1350, in line with the Tuesday and Thursday 220 1350 from Hull to Aldbrough. The Monday to Saturday 1700 220 from Hull to Hornsea moves to 1705.

The weekday 0725 920 Hornsea-Aldbrough and 0759 return will now operate 5 minutes earlier. The Monday to Saturday 920 1730 from Hornsea to Aldbrough and 1754 return is withdrawn. The 920 is tendered by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

The Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 230 between Hornsea and Hull is unaltered.

Friday 24 August 2012

Stagecoach Grimsby Cleethorpes September Changes

Stagecoach Grimsby Cleethorpes are making various amendments to service from Monday 3rd September.

Interconnect 3b (Grimsby-Lincoln): This schooldays only variation now departs Grimsby 10 minutes earlier, at 0655, with a new route in Binbrook and Brookenby. The return afternoon journey also uses this unspecific revised route.
12: See here
14 (Cleethorpes-Grimsby-Morrisons): Services from Laceby Acres will now turn right to Morrisons
45 (Grimsby-Immingham-South Killingholme): The 0645 from Grimsby to Immingham (and beyond as service 450) moves to 0630 on schooldays. A new schoolday 0645 Grimsby to South Killingholme is added as a replacement. I presume the vehicle will then work the 552 South Killingholme-Baysgarth School service.
150: See here
450: See here
Humber Flyer (jointly operated with Stagecoach Hull): Minor intermediate timing changes.

On a side note, earlier this year I highlighted some inconsistencies between different Stagecoach timetables for the 45/46/150/450. I'm pleased to see Stagecoach have corrected most, if not all, off them in their new timetables. Two things I'm not quite sure about are:
  • Does the 0715 from Barton run on Saturdays or not? According to the Humber Connections timetable it does, but there is no early Humber Flyer to get the bus to Barton, and there is a 0715 Grimsby-South Killingholme which would make no sense if it did not 'pick up' the 0715 from Barton to Immingham/Grimsby at 0750
  • Does the 0805 from Habrough run on college holidays? I'd guess not from the timetable codes, but seems rather odd to provide a 6 day a week evening peak service to the village without a morning peak service in college holidays

EYMS 56/67/66 Changes

From Sunday 2nd September, EYMS are revising Hessle and Longhill services 56, 57 and 66. The 57 links Hessle, Hessle Road, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull City Centre, Holderness Road and Longhill, the 56 is a 'short 57' between Hull City Centre and Longhill but serving Paragon Interchange both in and outbound, while the 66 links Hessle with Hull City Centre via the Boothferry Estate, Fiveways and Anlaby Road.

The 56 and 57 have, according to EYMS, been suffering from 'bunching' due to serving busy parts of Hull; the 57 is Hull's only 'cross city' bus route so this is not a surprise. EYMS's solution is to alter the frequency of both services Monday to Saturday daytimes. Currently the 57 operates every 10 minutes, with some extra 56's that aren't shown in the timetable. This will change to the 56 and 57 both running every 15 minutes, giving Hull to Longhill a bus every 7-8 minutes, a more co-ordinated service than at present.

While this maybe better for residents of Longhill travelling into Hull, the Hull to Hessle section sees a frequency reduction from every 10 to every 15 minutes. EYMS say they are retiming the 66 "so that people in Hessle still have plenty of options to get to Hull" - though the 66 remains every 10 minutes and co-ordination between the 57 and 66 is variable, as would be expected with frequencies of every 10 and every 15 minutes respectively.

However, while it is a frequency cut, it's impact probably won't be huge. Hessle to Hull remains at 10 buses an hour, Hessle Road also has Stagecoach's 1. Indeed I wonder if Stagecoach, with their their superior evening and Sunday frequencies, have perhaps been attracting more custom along Hessle Road, hence the EYMS frequency reduction? Finally it's worth noting EYMS haven't always been so frequent along Hessle Road. Back in 2002 the old 67/68 offered a combined 15 minutes frequency.

Monday 20 August 2012

E-Auctions

Following on from my post about changes to Stagecoach Grimsby Cleethorpes, Omnibuses posted over the weekend about the issue of e-auctions, and very kindly linked back here.

To read the Omnibuses e-auctions post click here (See also the discussion in the comments section)

Omnibuses has a blog post most days on various aspects of the bus industry.

X36 September Change

Transdev York's X36 is being amended next month:

PB0001873/32 - YORKSHIRE COASTLINER LTD, PROSPECT PARK, STARBECK, HARROGATE, HG2 7NY
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between York and Pocklington given service number X36 effective from 02-Sep-2012. To amend Timetable.

Friday 17 August 2012

Bad??? E-Auctions = Tender Loss = Cutbacks Elsewhere

Stagecoach have now released the new timetable for service 12 in North East Lincolnshire, from 3rd September. The 12, which links Bradley Park, Grange Estate and Grimsby to Cleethorpes and New Waltham, has seen fairly regular changes in recent years, and for a time was the X1, extending to Laceby, Humberside Airport and Hull. In April the service was proposed with withdrawal entirely. The current timetable provides a roughly hourly service Monday to Saturday, with a large mid-afternoon gap on weekdays.

From September the 12 sees significant cutbacks on weekdays. Stagecoach have placed a lengthy explanation online. The blame is attributed to North East Lincolnshire Council's e-auction system, used to tender school transport, which Stagecoach has unspecified concerns about, so does not participate in. As a result they have lost two contracts for services to Healing School.

The 12 had been interworked with those Healing School contracts, the financial return from which covered the maintenance, tax and insurance costs of the buses involved, according to Stagecoach. Therefore the company says they are unable to continue operating the current service 12 timetable. Clearly the service can only cover it's variable costs, with the remaining journeys to be operated by fitting the journeys into existing schedules.

The main market served by the 12 is the elderly, and those with mobility difficulties, who can't easily access more frequent services on main roads. Therefore it is hardly a surprise the service is marginal, with regular changes, often cuts - but very important to those who use it.

So what is the new weekday timetable? 5 journeys from Bradley Park to New Waltham at 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300 and 1400. And 5 journeys in the other directon; 1040 from Grimsby to Bradley Park, 1100, 1200 and 1300 from New Waltham to Bradley Park, and 1400 from New Waltham to Grimsby. Basic.

What to make of this? I don't know what Stagecoach's issues are with e-auctions, and how valid they are. If they are justified, then Stagecoach deserve credit for trying to find a way to keep some form of basic weekday service, on I presume a commercial basis.

The new timetable also contains a very big oddity. An unchanged Saturday timetable, including peak journeys extending from/to Waltham. On Saturdays there are some spare buses that can be used to provide an enhanced service, so an 'all-day' 'stand alone' service can easily be provided, with the fixed costs covered by weekday operations. However it seems very odd that the peak journeys remain. Who would travel on the 0715 from Waltham on Saturdays only for example? Unless they are tendered, retaining the Saturday peak service is very odd ball. At a time when councils and commercial operators alike face significant financial pressures, I'm surprised they remain.

Finally these changes once again put into focus whether the 12 is actually needed. Earlier this year I came up with some suggestions on how the 12 could be replaced between Bradley Park and Cleethorpes, with just the need for a remaining 1 vehicle Cleethorpes-New Waltham service. Any comments welcome on whether it's maybe time to put the 12 'to bed' and cover it in other ways.

Monday 13 August 2012

October EYMS Nightbus Change

From VOSA:
 
PB0000328/357 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull University and The Lawns given service number 107N effective from 04-Oct-2012. To amend Timetable.
 
The 107 currently runs in the early hours of Thursday and Sunday mornings, with journeys departing Hull University at 0215 and 0245.

Friday 10 August 2012

Hornsby 6 September Changes

Hornsby's September changes to service 6 (Scunthorpe-Ashby circular) will comprise alterations to intermediate times, resulting in better co-ordination with the Stagecoach operated journeys on the same route. The new timetable is available on the Traveline East Midlands website.

Thursday 9 August 2012

Reversing Changes

East Riding of Yorkshire Council reports a couple of changes to services in the county are being reversed.

On July 1st, EYMS revised Bridlington Town Service 506 to serve Bridlington Hospital before the West Hill Estate. From Monday 17th September, it's back to serving West Hill before the Hospital, restoring a link lost in the July changes. Service 505 will still provide a Hospital to West Hill link.

Last October saw the withdrawal of peak time services on the EYMS operated tendered Goole Town Service. A year later, on October 1st, they are being reinstated.

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Goole Town Service October Change

It would seem that the Goole Town Service is being altered from October. From VOSA:

PB0000328/358 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
Variation Accepted: Operating between Goole and Goole given service number G1/G2/G3/G4/G5/G6 effective from 01-Oct-2012. To amend Timetable.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Phoenix Buses tender win

From Sunday 16th September, Phoenix Buses have won the tender for two Sunday Bridlington town service currently operated by EYMS. The services concerned are the 506 to Bridlington Hospital and West Hill, and the 508 to New Pasture Lane, with the timetables unchanged from present. The services are interworked, and require one vehicle.

Arriva to Hook

From 5th September, Arriva Yorkshire Service 8 between Selby, Airmyn and Goole will divert via Hook on Wednesdays and Fridays, replacing current Sweyne Coaches service 355. The 355 presently links Airmyn, Hook and Goole with one journey each way every Wednesday and Friday.