Major EYMS Changes between Hull and Goole

On Sunday (21st May), EYMS are making significant changes to it’s services along the ‘A63 corridor’ between Hull and Goole. There is a major simplification of services, some positives and some significant negatives.

At present the Monday to Saturday daytime service comprises an hourly Petuaria Express between Hull Interchange and Goole via Hull Royal Infirmary, Rawling Way, the A63, Brough, Elloughton then either the A63 again, Newport, Gilberdyke Village Centre and Eastrington (service X55) or South Cave, North Cave, Newport and the 'main road' in Gilberdyke (B1230) (service X56), before both variations 'reunite' and serve Howden into Goole. This is supplemented by service 155 between Hull and South Cave via Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Boothferry Road as far as Darleys Roundabout, residential parts of North Hessle (Swanland Road, Barrow Lane and Ferriby Road), North Ferriby High Street, Melton, Welton, Brough, Elloughton, Brantingham and Ellerker, operating just over every 2 hours.

The above is very much a simplification, at peak times/mornings some journeys on service 153 between Hull and Melton West extend to Brough, Elloughton and in some cases South Cave. Some 155 journeys operate as far as Goole, some journeys as service 155A serving Anlaby instead off Boothferry Road, while some Petuaria Express journeys operate as route X57 serving South and North Cave as well as Gilberdyke Village Centre and Eastrington. On top of this there is also service X4 between Hull and York via North Ferriby, Brough, Elloughton and South Cave.

After operating on Saturday 20th May the X4 is being withdrawn entirely, due to what EYMS say is "low numbers of regular passengers meaning that this high-mileage service costs more to run than it takes in fares". In so far as the 'A63' corridor is concerned the big change is the loss of links to Market Weighton and York, as the service was timed with York passengers in mind, however the X4 did still form part of the overall service offer between Hull, North Ferriby, Brough, Elloughton and South Cave operating every two hours. (I'll cover the other impacts of the X4 withdrawal separately).

As the X4 ceases to form part of services along the A63 corridor, the 153 becomes a lot less significant, with only one evening journey operating west of Melton each way Monday to Saturday.

Simplification is also achieved on the Petuaria Express as the X56 and X57 are gone, with a revised X55 remaining. The X55 will no longer use the Clive Sullivan Way leaving Hull, instead routing along Anlaby Road, the full length of Boothferry Road and serving the new Bridgehead Business Park before picking up the A63 to Brough. This maybe less prone to delays and will certainly mean more opportunities to pick up additional passengers. After serving Brough and Elloughton the X55 operates direct to South Cave, with certain journeys then serving North Cave, Newport, Gilberdyke Village Centre, Eastrington, Howden and Goole. The 'new X55' will operate hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes between Hull and South Cave, with extensions to Goole every two hours; the South Cave 'shorts' will serve Water Lane, which is currently served by the 155.

The off peak Monday to Saturday daytime 155 will now link Hull and Elloughton via it's existing route, operating every two hours (exactly!). At peak times, and late afternoons (when there are various changes to the standard pattern), some journeys run as far as Goole, using the same route as service X55 (barring some services via Brantingham). Some 155A variations also remain early morning and on one weekday late afternoon journey.

Looking in more detail at what the changes mean for certain communities - Go back about ten years and Boothferry Road between the Hull City boundary and Darleys roundabout had the 155 every hour, and the 350 every hour (Mon-Sat daytime frequency). Over time this has evolved with the 350 going half hourly and the Humber Flyer routing along here, but the 155 being approximately halfed. With these changes the 155 frequency isn't much different but the X55 adds a further hourly service along here, and Stagecoach become a little less dominant in this small part of traditional EYMS territory.

Between Darleys Roundabout and the Humber Bridge it was just the hourly 350, but with the addition of service X55 there are now 4 services per hour along this part of Boothferry Road, which is seeing new housing development. Boothferry Road has certainly seen a substantial improvement in frequencies over the past decade.

Whether by accident or design the new 155/X55 co-ordinate well with the 350/Humber Flyer leaving Hull Interchange Monday to Saturday daytimes. The hourly X55 leaves at :25 past the hour; perfect co-ordination between the :10 past :40 past 350 departures. The 155 in the hours it does run departs on the hour, fitting in perfectly between the :50 past Humber Flyer and :10 past 350. Sadly going into Hull it's not so good; the X55 leaves Bridghead Business Park at :46 past the hour, with a 350 leaving the comparable Humber Bridge stop at :42 past the hour.

For Brough and Elloughton, journey times to/from Hull on the Petuaria Express increase with the revised route, from 25 minutes inbound off peak from Brough, to 38 minutes. On a more positive note the journey time differential with the 155 reduces, which now only takes 10 minutes longer, so maybe passengers will perceive a '3 buses per every 2 hours' frequency rather than hourly plus an occasional slow bus? Although there is the loss of the X4 to consider as well.

Decimated would be an appropiate word to describe the impact of these changes on the village of Brantingham between Elloughton and South Cave. Currently it enjoys a daytime service every 2 and a bit hours on the 155, but from next week it will be served only by the weekday 0619 North Cave to Hull, the 0725 Elloughton to Goole, the weekday 1428 Goole to Hull, and by evening journeys - i.e. what I think are the East Riding of Yorkshire Council supported journeys. The only other bus service to Brantingham is the 3 day a week 143.

However what for Brantingham is a decimation of service 155's, is a total elimination for nearby Ellerker, and it will be left with the 143 as it's only bus service.

Another big negative is on the Newport to Goole section of route, which goes from hourly to every 2 hours. For Eastrington and parts of Gilberdyke village it's already two hourly, but for Newport, Gilberdyke as a whole, Howden and Goole it's a halving of service. The first arrival into Goole on weekdays is also significantly later at 0827 into Goole Interchange as opposed to 0702 at present. Hull to Goole, Hull to Gilberdyke and Gilberdyke to Goole does have the train as an alternative, but the location of the station in Howden is a long way from the town and not on the route to Goole. Rail also isn't an option for Newport.

One small piece of good news in Goole is that the Petuaria Express will serve Goole Hospital in and outbound instead of just inbound as at present (with outbound passengers needing to travel via Goole Town Centre).

Aside from the 1820 X57 from Hull to Goole becoming a 1800 service 155, Monday to Saturday evening services are unchanged. On Sundays the X57 between Hull and Gilberdyke becomes the 155 between Hull and South Cave; this means the end of Sunday buses for North Cave, Newport and Gilberdyke which had enjoyed three X57s' each way. The new Sunday 155 provides four daytime journeys each way and reintroduces Sunday services to parts of Hessle. It does however duplicate the 153 in Melton and Welton.