Extra Scunthorpe Sunday Town Services

As already noted in the comments on this blog, Stagecoach are increasing the Sunday daytime frequency of Scunthorpe town services 31A and 32A from hourly to half hourly from November 5th.

The 31A/32A operates as an amalgam of the 31, 32, 33 and 34 Monday to Saturday daytime routes. They operate via the 33/34's Cemetery Road route in Brumby then 'cut across' to join the 31/32's Warley Road route before serving Ashby High Street and then rejoining the 33/34 route down Bottesford Road and Bottesford Lane to Cambridge Avenue. They then travel up Messingham Road, part of which is also served by the 31/32, part of which only by the 100/103. The 31A/32A then follow Burringham Road, served by the 10 Monday to Saturday daytimes, before serving the Willoughby Road, High Leys Road and Quebec Road areas served by the 33/34. From Enderby Road the 31A/32A then follow the 31/32 route back into Scunthorpe via Plymouth Road, Berkeley Circle and the hospital, but with the addition of a diversion via Tesco Extra.

The frequency increase means that some parts of Scunthorpe have a better Sunday daytime service than at any other time of the week. The High Leys Road area has two buses an hour into Scunthorpe Monday to Saturdays, but four on Sunday daytimes with the new arranagement (2 31A's, 2 32A's). Cemetery Road just has an hourly Stagecoach service Monday to Saturday, but now half hourly on Sundays. Tesco Extra isn't connected to the Scunthorpe Town or Stagecoach network Monday to Saturday daytimes, but now gets extra Sunday services.

Another interesting aspect of the change is that Stagecoach have opted to retain and enhance the 31A and 32A rather than simplify the network and remove the variation in favour of hourly 31's, 32's, 33's and 34's on Sunday daytimes, following the Monday to Saturday daytime routes.

For at least the last 15 years or so (which is as far back as I can recall) evening and Sunday town services in Scunthorpe have been provided by one hourly clockwise and one hourly anti-clockwise circular, attempting to serve as much as the town as possible using as few resources as possible. An approach that had it's merits when there was little demand for services at these times - therefore something was better than nothing - but now increasingly outdated as Sunday daytimes in particular become busier.

In Scunthorpe's case retaining the 31A and 32A is probably the right thing to do for now. Hourly 31's, 32's, 33's and 34's wouldn't deliver the frequency increase arising from Stagecoach's forthcoming change. Plus it's not like the 31A and 32A take forever. A roundtrip takes just under an hour.

New 243 Timetable Announced

East Riding of Yorkshire Council have announced the timetable for their new directly operated weekday service 243 between Withernsea and Beverley from November 5th.

From Monday 5 November 2012 new service 243 Withernsea to Beverley, operated by East Riding of Yorkshire Council will start. The service will operate Monday to Friday departing Withernsea Memorial Avenue at 10.30am and will serve Roos (10.40am), Burton Pidsea (10.45am), Humbleton (10.51am), Sproatley (10.56am), Bilton (11.03am), Skirlaugh (11.15am) arriving in Beverley at 11.35am. 

The return journey leaves Beverley Bus Station at 1.25pm and will serve Skirlaugh (1.45pm), Bilton (1.57pm), Sproatley (2.04pm), Humbleton (2.09pm), Burton Pidsea (2.15pm), Roos (2.20pm) arriving in Withernsea Memorial Avenue at 2.30pm.

The service shall overlap the East Riding of Yorkshire Council tendered, Stagecoach operated, service 242 from Hedon to Beverley which serves Sproatley, Bilton and Skirlaugh over an hour earlier than the 243 towards Beverley - good co-ordination - but leaves Beverley just 5 minutes after the new 243 in the afternoon - very bad co-ordination, though maybe interworked schools services dictate the times?

It is good to see new links being tried, and a welcome increase in the limited bus service offered to the villages off Burton Pidsea and Humbleton.

 

More nightbuses

From next week EYMS nightbus 107 from Hull University Asylum nightclub to Cottingham gains extra journeys at 0145 on Wednesday and Saturday nights (Thursday/Sunday morning), and at 0315 on Saturday nights. The 107 runs during University semesters only.

107 timetable

Hornsby 4 October Frequency Increase

From Monday 1st October, Hornsby are enhancing their service 4 between Brigg, Broughton, Ashby and Scunthorpe. Currently on Monday to Saturday daytimes the service runs hourly. The new timetable is available on the Traveline East Midlands website.
 
On weekdays the frequency increases from hourly, to 'hourly with a few extra journeys'; at 0935, 1135 and 1350 from Scunthorpe and 1025, 1225 and 1445 from Brigg. These journeys are co-ordinated with the existing timetable so some hours the frequency is half hourly as shown below (this is not the all day timetable):

Scunthorpe D. 0905 0935 1005 1105 1135 1205 1305 1350 1423
Brigg D. 0900 0955 1025 1055 1155 1225 1245 1355 1445 1510

Of course being half hourly some hours is not a memorable full half hourly frequency. In fairness the tendered 95 from Brigg to Scunthorpe via Scawby does fill some of the hour long gaps (e.g. there is a 1235 from Scunthorpe), but not all.

On Saturdays Hornsby are delivering a slightly more marketable frequency improvement - from hourly to every 45 minutes during the morning. From the timetable it appears that this can be acheived using 2 vehicles, the same as at present.

Maybe these improvements are due to extra demand at certain times of day after the end of the Stagecoach 90? Maybe this an attempt to 'test the water' for a full half hourly service? If so is it a sensible test to avoid committing too many resources at first, or is it a half-hearted attempt doomed to fail? Increased bus services are welcome, but it is a slightly odd timetable!

If Hornsby are serious about a half hourly Brigg to Scunthorpe service, and these enhancements are a success, I wonder if it would be worthwhile incorporating the 95 (currently tendered so would need to be made commercial)? Three out of four services every 2 hours could run as a 4 via Broughton, and one every two hours via Scawby, as a 5. Yes this would retain an 'odd' timetable for Broughton (though they would still have a minimum hourly service) but it wouldn't be much extra mileage since the 95 would be axed and it's passengers would hopefully transfer to the 'new 5'. Plus it would allow a marketable half hourly Brigg-Ashby-Scunthorpe service. The 94 could then provide a more frequent Lime Sidings to Brigg service, with perhaps a through Scunthorpe service from Redbourne and Hibaldstow retained on Saturdays.

As ever post any comments on the service change and my thoughts on it in the comments section below.

See also this post from earlier this year on the Brigg to Scunthorpe market.

Stagecoach South Bank November Service Changes

Stagecoach in Grimsby Cleethorpes are amending the 9/9A between Waltham, Grimsby and Cleethorpes, as well as the 45 group of services between Grimsby, Immingham and South Killingholme from November 5th. From the same date, Stagecoach are also amending the 31, 31A, 32 and/or 32A town circular services in Scunthorpe. All info from VOSA.

Holloways 55 November Change

Holloways Coaches service 55, operated under contract to North Lincolnshire Council, is being amended from November.

PB0001403/10 - HOLLOWAYS COACHES LTD, COTTAGE BECK ROAD, SCUNTHORPE, DN16 1TP
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Scunthorpe Bus Station and Winterton given service number 55 effective from 06-Sep-2012. To amend Route and Timetable.

New Service 243: Withernsea-Beverley

What's interesting here is not just a new weekday link between Withernsea and Beverley (I guess this is a 'shopper' service similar to the 242 from Hedon to Beverley). but that it is being operated 'directly' by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

PB0004001/12 - EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE COUNCIL T/A FLEET MANAGEMENT & PASSENGER TRANSPORT UNIT, UNIT 10, ANNIE REED ROAD, BEVERLEY, HU17 0LF

• Registration Accepted
• Starting Point: WITHENSEA MEMORIAL AVENUE
• Finish Point: BEVERLEY BUS STATION
• Via: BURTONS PIDSEA
• Service Number: 243
• Service Type: Normal Stopping
• Effective Date: 05-NOV-2012
• Other Details: Monday 5th November 2012 Monday to Friday one journey in each direction

Hornsby 4 October Change

Hornsby service 4 between Brigg and Scunthorpe is being amended from October 1st. From VOSA:

PB0001410/4 - HORNSBY TRAVEL SERVICES LTD, 51 - 53 ASHBY HIGH STREET, SCUNTHORPE, DN16 2NB
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Scunthorpe Bus Station and Brigg, Cary Lane given service number 4 effective from 01-Oct-2012. To amend Timetable.

First October Changes

First South Yorkshire amending the 59 and 91/391 from October. It is unclear whether journeys into North Lincolnshire will be affected. From VOSA:

PB0002307/195 - FIRST SOUTH YORKSHIRE LTD, MIDLAND ROAD GARAGE, MIDLAND ROAD, ROTHERHAM, S61 1TF

Variation Accepted: Operating between Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange and Finningley, Elm Drive given service number 91/391 effective from 29-Oct-2012. To amend Route and Timetable.

PB0002307/290 - FIRST SOUTH YORKSHIRE LTD, MIDLAND ROAD GARAGE, MIDLAND ROAD, ROTHERHAM, S61 1TF

Variation Accepted: Operating between Doncaster and Wroot given service number 59 effective from 29-Oct-2012. To amend Timetable.

Hornsea Town Service Change

From Monday 17th September most journeys on the Hornsea Town Service 550, operated by EYMS, will be diverted to serve the town's Tesco store. The frequency will be reduced from every 40 minutes to hourly to ensure punctuality without requring an extra vehicle.

First 88 October Change

First's 88 between Goole, Thorne and Doncaster is being amended from 29th October: From VOSA:

 

PB0002307/83 - FIRST SOUTH YORKSHIRE LTD, MIDLAND ROAD GARAGE, MIDLAND ROAD, ROTHERHAM, S61 1TF

Variation Accepted: Operating between Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange and Goole Interchange given service number 88/88A effective from 29-Oct-2012. To amend Route and Timetable.

X62 October Change

Stagecoach in Hull's X62 is to have a timetable change at the end of October. From VOSA:

PB0001987/294 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NORTH BRIDGE STREET, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ
Variation Accepted: Operating between Hull Interchange and Goole given service number X62 effective from 29-Oct-2012. To amend Timetable.

PB0001987/295 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NORTH BRIDGE STREET, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ Variation Accepted: Operating between Goole and Castleford given service number X62 effective from 29-Oct-2012. To amend Timetable.

PB0001987/296 - CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD T/A STAGECOACH NORTHEAST, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NORTH BRIDGE STREET, SUNDERLAND, SR5 1AQ Variation Accepted: Operating between Castleford and Leeds Bus Station given service number X62 effective from 29-Oct-2012. To amend Timetable.

Stagecoach in Hull September Overview

Here is an overview of Stagecoach's changes in Hull from Monday 3rd September:

1 (Boothferry Estate): Some services diverted via Smith and Nephew. Timing Changes. More here
2 (Boothferry Estate): Timing Changes to improve punctuality
10 (Circular): Diverted via Marfleet Lane and Hedon Road instead of Holderness Road. Revised times, extra journeys and one service via Smith and Nephew, Hessle Road, Fiveways and Spring Bank. More here
13 (Orchard Park): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
14 (Orchard Park): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
15 (Orchard Park/Kingswood): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
28/28A (Sutton Park/Kingswood): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality. New 0813 North Point-Hull on weekdays
30/30A/30W (North Bransholme/Wawne): Revised times. One journey per hour via Garden Vilage, but omitting Bodmin Road. Increase from 4 to 5 services per hour on Saturdays. More here
31 (North Bransholme): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
32 (Bransholme): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
38 (Garden Village/Bransholme): Replaced by the 30W. More here
41 (Greatfield): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
42 (Greatfield): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
43 (Greatfield): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
46 (Marfleet): Revised timetable to improve punctuality
51 (Bransholme/Kingswood): Revised timetable and diverted over North Bridge to address punctuality issues
54 (Bilton Grange): Revised intermediate timings to improve punctuality
110 (Cottingham): Revised timetable to imrpove punctuality
Humber Flyer (Hull-Cleethorpes): Minor timing changes in the Grimsby area.

Stagecoach information

Finally a thanks for the tip off about all these change posted here