Tesco Brigg Services Cancelled

Holloways Coaches have today cancelled their VOSA registrations for the 4 Tesco Brigg services - TB1-4, with effect from 28th March 2013. The TB1 ran from Thornton Curtis, the TB2 from Howsham, TB3 from Goxhill via Barton and TB4 from Kirton.

Holloways Coaches services to Tesco in Gainsborough have also been cancelled including the TG3 from Kirton and the TG5 from the Isle of Axholme.

Contract Swap?

Two VOSA registrations today appear to show that EYMS and Busking (Phoenix Buses) have each won a contract from each other. Busking have registered the Monday to Saturday daytime 183 Hessle town service from April 1st, a route which EYMS currently operate.

PB1084446/9 - BUSKING LTD, 52 MAIN STREET, NORTH FRODINGHAM, DRIFFIELD, YO25 8LG

• Registration Accepted
• Starting Point: HESSLE SQUARE, HESSLE
• Finish Point: HESSLE SQUARE, HESSLE OR SAINSBURYS HESSLE
• Via: HESSLE TOWN
• Service Number: 183
• Service Type: Normal Stopping
• Effective Date: 01-APR-2013
• Other Details: Mondays to Saturdays Excluding bank holidays

Meanwhile EYMS have registered the Summer weekend 133 route between Driffield and Malton which was operated last year by Busking.

PB0000328/408 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS

• Registration Accepted
• Starting Point: Driffield
• Finish Point: Malton
• Via: Wetwang
• Service Number: 133
• Service Type: Normal Stopping/Rural Bus Service
• Effective Date: 30-MAR-2013
• Other Details: Driffield - Malton

Arriva Goole-Selby Changes

Arriva are making couple of minor changes to Goole-Selby services from Monday 28th January. The weekday 0925 service 4 via Howden will operate 5 minutes later. Many services on the 400/401 via Snaith will also operate 5 minutes later throughout

EYMS 920 change

East Riding of Yorkshire Council reports that EYMS will cease to run the 0720 Hornsea-Aldbrough service 920 and 0754 return during school holidays from February.

"From Monday 11th February 2013 East Yorkshire Motor Services service 920 Hornsea to Aldbrough will no longer operate during school holidays at 0720 from Hornsea to Aldbrough and 0754 from Aldbrough to Hornsea. There is no change to the schoolday service." 

(I would guess the 220/221 are unchanged, and the title of this blog post last year was misleading)

EYMS Friday Nightbus 106 Axed

From 28th January, EYMS Nightbus 106 between Hull and Cottingham will cease to operate on Friday nights. The Saturday night service is unaffacted.

EYMS A63 Corridor Changes

From Sunday 27th January, EYMS are making some fairly minor changes to services on the A63 corridor. The 155, X55, X56 and X57 between Hull, Brough, Howden and Goole all see some retimings to improve punctuality. Additionally some journeys to Hull switch between X55's (via Gilberdyke Village) and X56's (via North and South Cave). Newport Industrial Estate is no longer served by the X55 while most 155's from Hull no longer have a timing point in Welton.

EYMS York Buses Changing

Alongside the hourly (Monday to Saturday daytime) X46 between Hull and York, the section between Market Weighton, Pocklington and York is supplemented by a variety of other services, principally the 744 and 746. The 746 operates every hour between Market Weighton, Pocklington and the University of York into York City Centre, while the 744 provides some additional journeys between Pocklington and York via Dunnington but not the University - the 744 starts in Bridlington and operates via Driffield, and between Driffield and Pocklington is itself supplemented by the 743.

From January 27th, it's goodbye to the 743, 744 and 746, and hello to the 45, 46 and 46A. Together these new services will provide an hourly Monday to Saturday daytime Pocklington to York service alongside the hourly X46 - a slight reduction on the current hourly 746 + extra 744's.

The 45 replaces the current 744 between Bridlington and York, but with a diversion via the University of York, offering new links to the university from Bridlington, Driffield and Dunnington. There is an extra journey per day via Dunnington into York, and the early morning bus from Bridlington extends to York rather than terminating in Pocklington. But no significant frequency changes compared to the 744.

The 746 becomes the 46/46A, and operates to a reduced timetable between Market Weighton, Pocklington and York. The frequency to/from Market Weighton drops from hourly to 4/5 buses per day, with some extra journeys between Pocklington and York to maintain the hourly 45/46/46A combined frequency mentioned above. While this is a significant reduction, Market Weighton retains the hourly X46 into York, as well as 4 journeys per day on the X4, so still has regular links to the city.

Improvements however for Market Weighton come with a new link to/from Driffield. The 46/46A extend beyond Market Weighton to Driffield, replacing the Middleton on the Wolds/Bainton service provided the 743 and offering new York links from these villages. One service each day further extends to Bridlington. The 46A variant covers one journey each way on weekdays only via Tibthorpe.

Evening/Sunday frequencies on the 744/746 are unchanged, with the routes renumbered/altered to the 45/46 in line with the Monday to Saturday daytime changes. The last bus from York to Pocklington Monday to Saturday at 2305 will operate as a 45A, not serving the University of York, but serving Dunnington.

If that is all a bit confusing then have a look at the new timetables on the EYMS website. Simply it's slightly less buses between Market Weighton, Pocklington and York, but new links between Market Weighton, Driffield and Bridlington. Hopefully the new links created are well used.

Also to note, the X4 between Brough, Market Weighton and York diverts via North Newbald, and is consequently retimed, from January 28th. Meanwhile from the same date the 1620 (1610 Sat) Full Sutton Prison to York journey on the 747 will cease to operate.

35 up for tender

There is a lengthy report on the City of York Council regarding tendered bus services in the city, which is to be presented to the cabinet member for transport on Tuesday. One of the affected services is the Transdev York operated 35 from York to Holme on Spalding Moor. The service is tendered by City of York Council, but also receives funding from North Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire Councils.

The report proposes the 35 is retendered, though the actual reason for retendering is not specifically stated. It maybe simply that the current tender has expired? In 2012 the subsidy per passenger was 58p (a slight improvement on the previous year) with 14 passengers travelling per bus hour. It is expected annual costs will however increase with the new tender.

The 35 currently operates every two hours to Monday to Saturday (some journeys a variation X35), along with extra weekday peak time journeys and a limited Friday and Saturday evening service between York and North Duffield. It is proposed that the tender will be issued based on "broadly" the current timetable, although East Riding of Yorkshire Council are looking at extending the service to Market Weighton, I guess by merging it with the EYMS operated 34, that links Holme upon Spalding Moor to Market Weighton every hour Monday to Saturday mornings and early afternoon. Any Market Weighton extension to the 35 would be East Riding of Yorkshire Council funded. An all-day Market Weighton extension could offer better connections to Beverley and Hull from Holme upon Spalding Moor, for example for commuting, as well as offering 6 day a week Bubwith to Market Weighton links.

Between 2006 and 2008 the 35 had been run commercially as the 18 by First York - and the EYMS operated Sunday service between York and Holme on Spalding Moor remains numbered 18A.

Details of how associated service 36 between Elvington and York may or may not be impacted are not given in the City of York Council report.

Rationalisation = New Journey Opportunities???

This week Network Rail revealed their Strategic Business Plan. I won't go into all the details - sadly electrification of the line to Hull is no nearer - but buried within the Network Rail Route Specification 2012 - London North Eastern document on page 236 is a table relating to the Barton branch. In the project description column it says "Rationalisation and Infrastructure Improvements on the Barton On Humber Branch". The output change is listed as "New journey opportunities". From recent Friends of the Barton Line meeting minutes I recall a mention of singling some or all of the double track section between Oxmarsh (New Holland) and Ulceby. So how does reducing capacity facilitate new journey opportunities?

Page 235 has some more information, linespeed is planned to alter from predominantly 60mph to (simply) 60mph and the service levels will be unchanged. And typical Barton to Cleethorpes journey time remains 24 minutes ... If you know how to do Barton to Cleethorpes at 60mph in 24 minutes please post let me know!!! (someone has mixed up Cleethorpes with Ulceby).

Being serious again there is nothing planned to facilitate new journey opportunities at all, just to maintain the current timetable at hopefully less cost, which I presume is the idea behind singling under-utilised double track sections. One of those schemes which provokes mixed emotions - reducing costs is essential, but would it be regretted some time in the future? But why not just be honest about why it is being done?