Stagecoach Simplibus Amendments

Sunday 1st November was meant to see all Hull City Centre buses that use King Edward Street and Jameson Street diverted via Albion Street and Bond Street due to the start of works to pedestrianise further parts of the City Centre. Before these works could begin however, roadworks were required in Albion Street and Bond Street, however sadly these have not finished on time, delaying the changes to Hull City Centre bus routes.

In September, Stagecoach introduced their Simplibus network in Hull (see here and here). Inevitably after such a major network change, further amendments are needed, and there are also issues with increased traffic congestion. Stagecoach sensibly decided to make these amendments on 1st November since they would have to change City Centre bus routes on that day anyway. That good plan hasn't worked out with the over-running Albion Street and Bond Street roadworks however the non-City Centre changes have still gone ahead as planned. Here is a round-up of the changes, some of which are fairly significant. Apologies in advance if I have missed anything, and for this post not appearing until a week after the changes.

Simplibus 3: Orchard Park-Hull-Greatfield
The first weekday departure from Hull Interchange to Greatfield operates at 0657, 10 minutes earlier than the previous 0707. On Sundays the first service 3 from Greatfield is half an hour earlier at 0730, restoring an early service that had been provided from Greatfield into Hull until September. The Sunday 1730 from Greatfield to Hull is extended to Orchard Park delaying the start of reduced hourly evening frequency.

Simplibus 4: Orchard Park-Hull-Bilton Grange
Times for the Marfleet Lane/Barham Road timing point are amended to reduce waiting time. There is change to Stand 15 at Paragon Interchange for journeys towards Orchard Park.

Simplibus 6: Hull Kingswood
Departures from Kingswood between 0620 and 1650 will operate 5 minutes earlier due to City Centre delays. The stand used at Paragon Interchange is altered to Stand 16.

Simplibus 7 and 8: Hull-Sutton Park-Bransholme-Kingswood
Simplibus 7 arguably isn't so Simplibus anymore, as daytime, but not evening and Sunday, journeys on service 7 become a circular. Instead of operating direct in both directions between North Point Shopping Centre, Bodmin Road and Kingswood Retail Park, services to Kingswood will operate from Bodmin Road via John Newton Way, Wawne Road, Kingsbury Way, Richmond Lane and Runnymede Way to Kingswood Retail Park before returning direct to Bodmin Road and North Point.

This reintroduces daytime links between the residential areas of Kingswood and North Point lost in September, using what appears to be layover time at Kingswood. An easy and quick way to restore links but as well as giving the 7 different daytime/evening+Sunday routes it increases journey time from Sutton Park to Kingswood and the journey time from Kingsbury Way to North Point is a rather unattractive 25 minutes. More attractive solutions would be to either extend the 6 to North Point or run the 8 to Kingswood all day, but these would probably require an extra vehicle and driver(s).

Elsewhere the 3 morning peak journeys on service 8 from Kingswood will start 5 minutes earlier to improve punctuality and Monday to Saturday inbound evening services from Kingswood will depart 5 minutes later.

Simplibus 9: Cottingham-Hull-Bransholme
Simplibus 9 gains a new variation, 9k. The hourly daytime journeys between Paragon Interchange and Kestrel Avenue will adopt this variation, that sees journeys route via Lambwath Road – currently only served by infrequent service 50 – instead off the eastern part of James Reckitt Avenue and Ings Road that remains served by the ‘main’ service 9 route. Lambwath Road is a shorter route that should improve punctuality. As a result the frequency for Leads Road and Dorchester Road is no longer exactly half hourly.

Other changes see many times amended by up to 5 minutes. The eastbound Saturday only service 9 from Paragon Interchange at 1615 now operates via the peak route to Noddle Hill, rather than to Kestrel Avenue as previously. As a result the last departure from Hull Interchange to Dorchester Avenue, North Point and Kestrel Avenue is now an hour earlier at 1515, however all Saturday departures from Hull Interchange from 1545 now follow the same route. The last departure from Paragon Interchange to Noddle Hill Monday to Saturday is now at 1850 rather than 1815, as the last departure from Castle Hill Hospital no longer terminates at the Interchange.

Simplibus 10: Hull-Bransholme-North Bransholme-Wawne
3 morning peak departures from Wawne into Hull on Simplibus 10 become the x10, and omit Sutton Road and Leads Road, instead operating direct via Holwell Road; this is to improve punctuality with a slightly shorter route. Sutton Road and Leads Road remain served by all other journeys. The 0740 from Hull Interchange on weekdays no longer extends from North Bransholme through to Wawne, and the 0830 from North Bransholme on weekdays no longer starts in Wawne.

Simplibus 11: Hull-Bransholme-Kingswood
The timing point for journeys operating into Hull City Centre is moved from Bellfield Avenue to Dunvegan Road.

Simplibus 13: Hull-Salthouse Road-Bransholme-Orchard Park
The weekday peak journeys serving Hall Road will now operate as through journeys from/to Simplibus 3. The 0715 and 0745 from Hall Road will now start as service 3W from Paragon Interchange at 0650 and 0720, changing into service 13W at Hall Road. The 0700 and 0730 Simplibus 13’s from Paragon Interchange to North Point will operate at 0710 and 0740, extend to Orchard Park Tesco and then return into Hull as service 3. The 1554, 1624 and 1654 Simplibus 13’s from Paragon Interchange to Hall Road will now operate to Orchard Park Tesco then operate as service 3’s back to the Interchange via Hall Road.

There is also a new weekday 1650 journey from Orchard Park to Hull, and the 1732 from North Point to Hull now starts back at Orchard Park at 1720; previously the last journey from Orchard Park was at 1620.

The timing point for journeys operating into Hull City Centre is moved from Bellfield Avenue to Dunvegan Road.

Simplibus 16: Hull-Marfleet
Morning peak journeys operate 5 minutes earlier to remove stand clashes with Simplibus 14 at Paragon Interchange.

North Lincolnshire Council take 327 'in-house'

Since yesterday (6th November), Friday Only service 327 from Dragonby to Scunthorpe has been operated directly by North Lincolnshire Council, instead off being tendered to Hornsby Travel. Departures from Scunthorpe Bus Station are at 1015 and 1245, and from Dragonby at 1030 and 1300.