Shorter Shorts

Back in September, Stagecoach replaced the three Monday to Saturday Scunthorpe-Messingham-Scotter 'shorts' on service 100 with Scunthorpe-Messingham 'shorts' on service 103. I'm calling these journeys 'shorts' as the full route 100 and 103 services run Scunthorpe to Lincoln - the 100 via Gainsborough and the 103 via Kirton in Lindsey.

The 'shorts' still leave Scunthorpe Bus Station at 1000, 1200 and 1400, contributing to the half hourly Scunthorpe to Messingham off peak frequency provided between routes 100 and 103, but return from Messingham at 1024, 1224 and 1424, rather than at 1038, 1238 and 1438 as with the previous service 100 'shorts'. This somewhat spoils the usual standard 8 and 38 minute past the hour departures from Messingham into Scunthorpe. I presume the intention is to maximise 'recovery time' at Scunthorpe Bus Station. I think the 'shorts' then work the 1100, 1300 and 1500 service 103 departures from Scunthorpe to Lincoln, and used to arrive into Scunthorpe Bus Station at 1055, 1255 and 1455, giving just five minutes 'turnaround'. With the 'shorts' no longer serving Scotter they get back into Scunthorpe Bus Station seven minutes earlier, giving a longer twelve minute 'turnaround' before their next service.

This change is a reduction for Scotter from three buses every two hours back to a hourly service. It is worth noting that these 'shorts' only ran to Scotter since April 2017, when they were diverted from Kirton in Lindsey.