34 via Garden Centre

Another change I failed to cover at the time, was the the introduction of a revised timetable for EYMS operated route 34 between Holme Upon Spalding Moor and Market Weighton from Monday 8th April. As far as I can tell the main change involves one weekday journey each way being diverted via Langlands Garden Centre.

New timetable

April Selby-Goole Changes

Apologies for being rather behind covering recent service changes. In March I tried to work out what the new timetable for service 8 between Selby and Goole would be. The actual new timetable for the Utopia operated journeys is here (it's a bit different). The 8 is operated under contract to North Yorkshire County Council, and Utopia won the tender for the route commencing 15th April, except for a college day only working that remains with the previous operator Arriva.

Sadly I no longer have a copy of the old service 8 timetable to compare with the new one, but the weekday service is reduced, two services remain to/from Goole along with two short Drax-Selby return journeys, maintaining all key links offered by the route. The Wednesday and Friday diversion via Hook is however withdrawn, replaced by the 355. The two hourly Saturday frequency however seems to be unchanged.

As a result of the service 8 reduction, services between Airmyn village and Goole are reduced on weekdays to two return daytime services, an extra Wednesday and Friday daytime link with the 355, plus peak time journeys on the 400. The village is however better served on weekends, with the peaktime 400 plus two hourly service 8 on Saturdays, and a two hourly service 400 on Sunday daytimes.

Also since mid-April, Arriva's 4, 400 and 401 betwen Goole and Selby have seen some timing changes, but I don't think there have been any withdrawn or extra journeys.

Any clarification, additions or corrections to the above welcome.

Holloways Not Rebidding

Holloways Coaches have 'handed back' [SEE UPDATE BELOW] two tendered services to North Lincolnshire Council from the end of July - the 55 between Scunthorpe, Appleby, Winterton and Burton, and the 90 between Scunthorpe, Crowle and on Saturdays only, Garthorpe. North Lincolnshire Council's press release initially says they have stepped in to 'save' the two routes, but later refers to having "breathing space to decide what to do", which leaves open the possibility of changes when the routes are retendered.

The 55 was substantially improved a year ago, from a very basic service between Scunthorpe, Appleby, and on some journeys Winterton, to a 90 minute frequency over the full route, and further extended to serve Burton.

Meanwhile the Holloways operated 90, which started last July replacing a former Stagecoach service, fills gaps in the Scunthorpe to Goole service provided by Sweyne Coaches on weekdays and Stagecoach on Saturdays.

UPDATE - This post was originally called 'Holloways Hands Back Contracts', but the Doncaster Free Press reports the contracts expire at the end of July and Holloways do not intend to rebid for them - so not handing them back early, but at the expected end date. Apologies if I have given the wrong impression based on my interpretation of North Lincolnshire Council's press release.

Thanks to the first comment on this post for alerting me to this.

Stagecoach Grimsby and Cleethorpes Evening Service Changes

From Easter Monday the daily evening service on routes 13 and 14 has been terminating at Cleethorpes Pier, in line with the daytime service. The evening terminus had previously been on Cleethorpes High Street.

Furthermore since Tuesday 2nd April, the 2245 service 8 on Mondays to Saturdays from Grimsby Bus Station has been terminating at North Sea Lane, in line with all other journeys on the route. Previously the journey had extended to Riby Square via Cleethorpes High Street. In reality this makes little difference, as the 2245 service 8 does still continue to Riby Square as a new 2310 service 9, which then continues beyond Riby Square back to Grimsby Bus Station via Freeman Street

Stagecoach enhance Saturday 16

Since Saturday 6th April, the 15 minute Saturday daytime frequency on Stagecoach service 16 between Grimsby Asda, Grimsby Town Centre, the Willows Estate and Wybers Wood has started half an hour earlier than previously, with a new 0918 departure from Wybers Wood and a new 0920 from Asda filling a former half hour gap between services.

Stagecoach in Hull Greatfield Minor Reductions

Since Easter Monday, Stagecoach in Hull have revised services 41 and 42 between Hull City Centre and Greatfield. Many weekday journeys from Greatfield operate 5 minutes earlier than previously, and the weekday afternoon frequency post 1430 from Greatfield has been reduced from every 10 to every 15 minutes combined between the 41 and 42 (half hourly on each route). Combined departures on weekdays from Hull City Centre between 0900 and 1000 have also been reduced from every 10 minutes combined to every 15 minutes.

On Greatfield's other Stagecoach route, the 43, the weekday frequency from Hull Interchange between 1305 and 1405 has dropped from 'up to every 10 minutes' to every 15 minutes, as has the weekday frequency from Greatfield between 1335 and 1435.

Isle of Axholme Service 58 Changes

Back in February, North Lincolnshire Council cancelled their registration for the 58 Isle of Axholme local service connecting Wroot, Epworth, Belton, Sandtoft and Crowle. It hasn't however been withdrawn, nor tendered to a private sector operator - since Wednesday (10th April) the Wednesday and Friday only service has continued to be operated directly by North Lincolnshire Council with a reduced route and timetable. The service no longer serves Crowle, and the hours of operation are reduced from '0900 to 1340' to '1000 to 1245'. The new timetable is on the Traveline East Midlands website.

Not that this press release gives the impression of a reduced service; "New Route", "We have listened to residents and taken action", “I am sure this new route for the Isle Shopper will be very much welcomed by residents and it will provide another important link with the town centre of Epworth”. If the truth is that budget pressures have forced a reduced service, then why not be honest and say so? It can still be 'spun' as good news - e.g. 'under threat service saved from axe'.

Stagecoach in Hull 15 Minor Improvements

Since Easter Monday, Stagecoach in Hull service 15 between Hull City Centre, the Avenues area, Hull University, Orchard Park and Kingswood has operated to a slightly improved timetable. The weekday peak service from Kingswood has been increased from every 15 minutes to 'up every 10 minutes' between 1650 and 1750. Meanwhile a new Monday to Saturday 2335 journey from Kingswood to Hull Truck Theatre has been added, 30 minutes later than the previous last journey on Monday to Thursdays, though earlier than previously on Fridays due to the withdrawal of the Friday night N15.

Stagecoach in Hull 28/28A Morning Peak Revision

Since last Tuesday (April 2nd), Stagecoach in Hull have revised the weekday morning peak timetable of the 28/28A from Kingswood, Bransholme and Sutton Park into Hull City Centre. Previously the 28 or 28A from Kingswood ran every 15 minutes, with 3 extra short Bransholme North Point-Hull City Centre journeys for a frequency of up to every 7/8 minutes. Now either the 28 or 28A runs every 10 minutes along the full route, providing slightly more buses from Kingswood, and slightly less from Sutton Park and Beverley Road.

New Summer Skegness-Cleethorpes Service.

Stagecoach have registered a new Summer weekend and school holiday Cleethorpes-Louth-Skegness service with VOSA today:

PB0001484/291 - LINCOLNSHIRE ROAD CAR CO LTD, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB

1. • Registration Accepted
   • Starting Point: Cleethorpes Pier
   • Finish Point: Louth Bus Station
   • Via:
   • Service Number: SKE
   • Service Type: Normal Stopping
   • Effective Date: 25-MAY-2013
   • Other Details: New Summer Service from Cleethorpes Pier on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Mon& Fri on School Holidays. Hail & Ride where safety and traffic conditions allow.

PB0001484/292 - LINCOLNSHIRE ROAD CAR CO LTD, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB

1. • Registration Accepted
   • Starting Point: Louth Bus Station
   • Finish Point: Skegness Interchange
   • Via:
   • Service Number: SKE
   • Service Type: Normal Stopping
   • Effective Date: 25-MAY-2013
   • Other Details: New Summer Service from Louth Bus Station to Skegness on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Mon& Fri on School Holidays. Hail & Ride where safety and traffic conditions allow.

I'll continue reviewing the Stagecoach changes in Hull and Grimsby last weekend soon.

110 Weekday Peak Service Reduced

From tomorrow (Tuesday 2nd April), Stagecoach service 110 between Hull City Centre, the Bricknell Estate, Cottingham and Castle Hill Hospital will have a reduced weekday evening peak service; the Stagecoach paper timetable states this is due to 'low usage'. Previously the service operated every half hour from Hull Interchange at this time, however the frequency is to be reduced to the daytime frequency of hourly, with the 1640 and 1740 short journeys from the Interchange to the Bricknell Estate withdrawn - the last journey is now at 1710.

No other weekday journeys are affected, nor is the Saturday service, which has a later last departure at 1810.