Some Positives, Some Negatives

From Monday 2nd July, North Lincolnshire Council subsidised service 94 between Brigg and Kirton in Lindsey was substantially revised and mostly improved on weekdays, incorporating the 354 Kirton Town Service, and associated service 95 was replaced by the new X4. The 94/X4 are, and the 95 was, operated by Hornsby Travel, whilst the 354 had been operated 'in-house' by North Lincolnshire Council. This post covers the weekday arrangements only, for Saturday services, now provided by the C4, see here.

The 94 had been linking Lime Sidings, Kirton, Redbourne, Hibaldstow, Scawby and Brigg, with three 'full route' journeys from Lime Sidings to Brigg, and two in the other direction, plus a 'one-way' Kirton to Brigg journey and one Redbourne to Brigg journey in each direction. With the new timetable the service is now roughly every two hours, with six journeys in each direction between Brigg and Kirton. Scawby is omitted on the first two morning journeys from Brigg, whilst The Nookings in Hibaldstow is served by four journeys between Kirton and Brigg, and two from Brigg to Kirton, compared to two journeys in each direction with the old timetable. There is a new evening peak service from Brigg at 1730. The small settlement of Gainsthorpe/Lime Sidings is no longer served, with most of the old 354 Kirton Town Service route incorporated into the 94 instead. Kirton Garden Centre from 354 route is no longer served however, and if the Traveline East Midlands route map is correct then Richdale Avenue and East Dale Drive in the north western part of Kirton may no longer be served. The 354 had operated on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday with five morning/lunchtime journeys so the 94 trades morning/lunchtime frequency on those three days for a five day a week service that operates for longer and runs through to Brigg.

Most journeys on the 94 had previously continued as/started as a 95 between Brigg and Scunthorpe, via Scawby, Greetwell Crossroads, Lakeside Retail Park and Brigg Road, a function which has now switched to the new X4 that operates direct via Lakeside Retail Park and Brigg Road (i.e. not serving Scawby or Greetwell Crossroads). This is a faster more direct route between Brigg and Scunthorpe, and avoids the need for Hibaldstow and Redbourne passengers to/from Scunthorpe to travel through Scawby twice. For Scawby however the withdrawal of the 95 means the end of direct (i.e. not via Brigg) off peak services to Scunthorpe, and a frequency reduction between the village and Brigg. The 95 had provided four Brigg to Scunthorpe services in each direction, and one Brigg to Lakeside one-way service that then extended to the Hornsby depot in Ashby. The 1735 95 from Scunthorpe has been partially replaced by diverting the 1730 service 4 from Scunthorpe via Scawby. It is also worth noting that the first through 94 to X4 service is the 1022 from Kirton, arriving into Scunthorpe at 1125, compared to a first 1004 arrival on the old 94/95 - this is quite late but with suitable returns from Scunthorpe at 1300/1500/1700 a usable shopping service remains.