Wednesday 27 November 2013

Trying Again with the 1E

Back in September, Hull City Council had planned to merge tendered services 1A and 1C into a new service 1E, operated by EYMS. However less than a week before the changes the plan was cancelled with the 1A and 1C remaining in operation. Today's VOSA registrations indicate the 1A and 1C will now be replaced by the 1E in January:

PB0000328/428 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Kingswood and Sibelius Road given service number 1C effective from 20-Jan-2014.

PB0000328/429 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Hull and Sibelius Road given service number 1A effective from 20-Jan-2014.

PB0000328/434 - EAST YORKSHIRE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, 252 ANLABY ROAD, HULL, HU3 2RS
  • Registration Accepted
  • Starting Point: Mizzen Road
  • Finish Point: Sibelius Road
  • Via: Hull City Centre
  • Service Number: 1E
  • Service Type: Normal Stopping
  • Effective Date: 20-JAN-2014
  • Other Details: Mizzen Road - Sibelius Road

Monday 25 November 2013

Hornsby Travel February 2014 Changes

Hornsby Travel are amending two of their services in February. From VOSA:

PB0001410/6 - HORNSBY TRAVEL SERVICES LTD, 51-53 ASHBY HIGH STREET, SCUNTHORPE, DN16 2NB
Variation Accepted: Operating between Scunthorpe BS and Scunthorpe Hosp given service number 9 effective from 01-Feb-2014. To amend Timetable.

PB0001410/32 - HORNSBY TRAVEL SERVICES LTD, 51-53 ASHBY HIGH STREET, SCUNTHORPE, DN16 2NB
Variation Accepted: Operating between SCUNTHORPE BUS STATION and CROWE/LUDDINGTON given service number 90 effective from 01-Feb-2014. To amend Route and Timetable.

Friday 8 November 2013

Acklams Coaches revise Beverley Town Services

On Monday 4th November, Acklams Coaches amended two of their Beverley Town Services; the 6 and the 522. The 6 has been reduced from 4 to 3 journeys while all journeys on the 522 operate 15 minutes later than previously.

All Acklams Coaches timetables can be viewed on their website.

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Stagecoach's new 31X

From Monday 4th November, Stagecoach in Hull have converted the Monday to Friday 1710 service 30W journey from Hull to Wawne into a service 30A, omitting Garden Village. Meanwhile the Monday to Friday 0747 service 30W from Wawne To Hull has become a 0750 30A from North Bransholme to Hull, omitting Wawne and Garden Village.

Elsewhere the weekday peaktime service on route 31 between North Bransholme and Hull has been withdrawn; 4 morning peak journeys were provided at 0710, 0730, 0750 and 0810 from North Bransholme, returning from Hull in the evening peak at 1630, 1700, 1730 and 1800. Along Summergangs Road and Gillshill Road the enhanced 10 minute frequency on the 32/32A replaces these journeys.
For other parts of the 31 route, and for Wawne and Garden Village, the above changes are replaced by new service 31X. The 31X operates from Hull via Garden Village (service 30W route), Holwell Road (service 30 route), Barnstaple Road, Noddle Hill Way and North Bransholme (service 31 route) to Wawne. Journeys depart Wawne at 0725 and 0745, and Hull Interchange at 1710, 1730 and 1750. This provides an enhanced peak time service to Garden Village and Wawne, but provides slightly less peak time Noddle Hill Way-Holwell Road buses.

The current version of the 31 has always been an unusual service, designed to ‘fill the gaps’ on the 30 and 32, avoiding adding resources to both routes simultaneously, as well as providing a few new links to employment areas around Sutton Road and Holwell Road. The new 31X in part seems to be a reaction to the 32/32A increased frequency along Summergangs Road, meaning the 31 is no longer needed at peak times.
Finally the 31, now just a daily evening service, operates via Drypool Bridge/Alfred Gelder Street instead off North Bridge/George Street to match the 32, with which it provides a co-ordinated service.

Stagecoach cancel Grimsby services 1, 2 and 20

Stagecoach have today cancelled their registration for services 1, 2 and 20 in North East Lincolnshire with VOSA:

PB0001484/271 - LINCOLNSHIRE ROAD CAR CO LTD, PO BOX 15, DEACON ROAD, LINCOLN, LN2 4JB

Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Riby Square and Europarc given service number 20/1/2 effective from 01-Jan-2014.

The 1 links Wybers Wood, Europarc Industrial Estate, Gilbey Road, Lord Street with Grimsby Town Centre, while the 2 links Europarc Industrial Estate, Gilbey Road and Corporation Road with Grimsby Town Centre before continuing to serve Victor Street and Riby Square. Both services operate hourly on weekday daytimes. Meanwhile the 20 provides a limited weekday early morning and evening service between Wybers Wood, Europarc, Corporation Road, Grimsby Town Centre and Cleethorpes, mainly to serve shift changeovers at Europarc.

The 1, 2 and 20 are part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and North East Lincolnshire Council to serve the Europarc Industrial Estate, but also provide the only bus services to the Gilbey Road, Lord Street, Corporation Road and Victor Street areas.

As ever, there is always a chance that Stagecoach or another operator could re-register the services.

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Stagecoach Significant Changes to 32 and 51

Since Sunday 2nd November, Stagecoach have significantly revised services 32 and 51 in North Hull.

The 51 has had a 51A variant added. It follows the current 51 route from Hull City Centre via North Bridge, Holderness Road, Bellfield Avenue, Dunvegan Road and Howdale Road before operating via Noddle Hill Way and Bude Road to Kingswood, instead off serving North Point, Tiverton Road and Bodmin Road as the 51 does.

The combined 51/51A frequency is every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, with each route operating every 20 minutes; the combined frequency matches the previous weekday frequency and provides an increase from every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes on Saturdays. Sunday daytimes have a combined 15 minute frequency, with each route operating every half hour – an increase from the current half hourly on service 51 only. A half hourly daily evening service is provided on the 51 only, matching the previous Monday to Saturday evening service and doubling the previous hourly Sunday service.

One notable aspect is the first 51A from Noddle Hill to Kingswood is not until 1010 Monday to Saturdays due to a lower outbound morning frequency from Hull City Centre.

The aim of this is to provide a Noddle Hill Way to Kingswood link, though it comes at the expense of a lower frequency link to the North Point Shopping Centre. Bodmin Road also has the 28A and 30 so remains well served despite the frequency reduction on the 51.

All service 51’s and 51A’s will be extended to Kingswood Leisure Park, however Monday to Saturday daytime journeys will cease to operate into Kingswood Retail Park on their outward journey from Hull. I presume this is to save putting extra resource into the service, which already has a lengthy detour along Holderness Road on inbound journeys due to road safety issues with turning right onto Holderness Road. While the outbound journeys will still operate to the main retail park bus stops for any ‘bag-laden’ shoppers, this is not exactly ideal.

Major changes have also been made to the 32. Since Sunday, the 32 has also gained a 32A variant. With the 51A now serving Noddle Hill Way, only half the 32’s do. Other journeys operate as a 32A, following the 32 route from Hull via Summergangs Road and Gillshill Road to Sutton Village before operating a loop around Howdale Road and Dunvegan Road. This reintroduces a link from the Old Town area of Hull City Centre to Howdale Road and Dunvegan Road that the 51 can not provide without extra resources being put into the service, and also provides a means of ‘turning round’ journeys no longer serving Noddle Hill Way and North Point.

Monday to Saturday daytimes the 32 and 32A combined provide a service every 10 minutes between Hull and Sutton, an increase from the previous 15 minute frequency on the 32 only. Each variant operates every 20 minutes, which again means the new service pattern has come at the expense of less frequent links to North Point. Sundays retain a half hourly daytime service on the 32, while daily evenings retain a service 32 every hour along with a service 31 every hour.

As a result of these changes the 32 and 51A will combine to provide a service every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime between Hull and Noddle Hill Way, compared to the previous 15 minute frequency.

Overall these changes do include significant enhancements, with new Noddle Hill Way-Kingswood links, new Old Town-Howdale Road/Dunvegan Road links and enhanced frequencies for many. However the changes have made the network more complex and reduced links to North Point. Is complexity a price worth paying sometimes? Do reduced frequencies to North Point matter when 20 minute frequencies remain?

Monday 4 November 2013

Stagecoach Peak Time 28A Extension

Today (Monday 4th November) Stagecoach in Hull have extended a small number of peak time journeys on service 28A between Hull City Centre, Beverley Road, Sutton Park, North Point and Kingswood Retail Park to Kingswood Leisure Park – though I guess the Leisure Park is merely a convenient terminus. Between the Retail and Leisure Parks they operate via new housing development around Runnymede Way, Richmond Lane and Barnes Way. Services will operate from the Leisure Park at 0700, 0720, 0740 and 0800 Monday to Friday, and at 0700, 0730 and 0800 on Saturdays. Return journeys to the Leisure Park from Hull Interchange operate at 1702, 1732 and 1802 Monday to Saturday.