Barton Town Service Update

When the 254 Barton Town Service returned from it's COVID-19 suspension in August, it did so with a new - and much better - timetable. The 254 is operated by Hornsby Travel under contract to North Lincolnshire Council and with some funding contributed by Barton Town Council. It operates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

In May 2019 the service was significantly altered following the move of Barton Library from the town centre to Baysgarth Leisure Centre, with the resulting service being what I called a convoluted mess. It was slightly improved in December 2019 and also revised to include Lidl.

Now the 254 is operating an almost consistent circuit of Barton on every journey. Every service leaves Tesco and operates direct to the Market Place and Barrow Road before serving the Caistor Road Estate via Meadow Drive, Caistor Road, Eastfield Road (turn round at the end) and Caistor Road. The service then routes via Preston Lane and Brigg Road to the Leisure Centre, before double backing down Brigg Road to Holydyke and then turns onto Bowmandale. From Bowmandale the route goes via Millfields and Forkedale to Lidl, then via Warrendale, Tofts Road, Ferriby Road, Holydyke, Market Place, Whitecross Street and Burgate to the High Street. All but two journeys then go to Tesco, but the other two serve Westfield Road and West Accridge en-route. Departures from Tesco are at 0915, 1015, 1115, 1230, 1315 and 1400 (to Baysgarth Leisure Centre only).

Is the new timetable and route perfect? No. The Caistor Road Estate to Tesco for example involves going via Baysgarth Leisure Centre, Lidl and the Town Centre. Westfield Road to the Market Place involves a 24 minute wait at Tesco. Tesco to Westfield Road requires a half hour tour of Barton en-route. The simplification has also slightly reduced the number of services in parts of the town, for example Westfield Road has two rather than three services per day.

However at least it's more simple. For example the December 2019 timetable had six services via Forkedale; the 0936 went via the Market Place and Westfield Road to Tesco, the 1017 via the Market Place to Tesco, the 1117 and 1317 via the Market Place, Caistor Road Estate, Leisure Centre, Market Place again and Westfield Road to Tesco, the 1232 via the Market Place, Caistor Road Estate, Leisure Centre and Market Place again to Tesco, but not Westfield Road, and the 1412 was a part route journey that went to the Market Place and Caistor Road Estate before terminating at the Leisure Centre. Now from Forkedale it's 0936, 1036, 1136, 1251 and 1336 to Tesco, the 0936 and 1136 via the Market Place and Westfield Road and the others via the Market Place but not Westfield Road. 

The timetable is trade off between offering a clockface service - provided in the morning - and making efficient use of the vehicle and driver - as done at lunchtime following the drivers break between 1151 and 1230. A roundtrip from Tesco has a journey time of 32 minutes excluding Westfield Road or 36 minutes including Westfield Road - too long for a half hourly service with one vehicle, not ideal for an hourly service (the morning timetable includes a 24 and a 28 minute layover at Tesco).

There are a couple of changes I think it would be worthwhile to make to this new route and timetable. Firstly between Caistor Road and the Leisure Centre, to serve the Market Place rather than Preston Lane; this would probably add a couple of minutes to the timetable, but would offer a direct service from the Caistor Road Estate to the Market Place, and from the Market Place to Bowmandale, Millfields, Forkedale, Warrendale and Tofts Road. If time needed to be made up, then the Leisure Centre could be served by double backing from the Bowmandale/Millfields roundabout, rather than double backing along Brigg Road which I doubt generates much custom. Secondly I would include Westfield Road on all journeys since it wouldn't prevent the 45 minute interval lunchtime frequency.

Service 35 Autumn Changes

Last December, North Lincolnshire Council tendered service 35 between Scunthorpe, Keadby and Amcotts - operated by Hornsby Travel - was revised to operate hourly from Scunthorpe Monday to Saturday daytimes. I can't recall if the service was suspended in the Spring due to COVID-19 or not, but over the Summer it was operating every two hours. 

In September a new timetable was introduced, restoring the hourly frequency between Scunthorpe and Keadby, but not extending to Amcotts on any journeys, and omitting Scunthorpe Hospital. In some respects this was a positive, omitting Scunthorpe Hospital saves three minutes outbound from Scunthorpe, and not serving Amcotts on some journeys enabled an even interval service in each direction. However it left Amcotts with the demand responsive JustGo North Lincs service as it's only off peak provision, and removed the link to Scunthorpe Hospital from parts of Keadby (other parts of the 35 route are also served by the 90 and 361 that do serve the Hospital).

October saw a partial 'u-turn' as Amcotts was restored to the timetable on four journeys in each direction (three on Saturdays), and as was the case pre COVID-19, it came at the expense of an even interval service from Keadby to Scunthorpe. I'd argue that loss is worth it though, as it provides an easy, and presumably cost effective, off peak timetabled service for Amcotts. 

Hornsby Service 9 Update

Hornsby Monday to Friday circular service 9 between Scunthorpe Bus Station and Scunthorpe Hospital is currently operating to a reduced peaktime timetable, compared to what was provided pre COVID-19. The 9 had operated every 20 minutes between 0700 and 0900 then half hourly until 1600 before resuming a 20 minute frequency until 1840 - however presently it is operating half hourly between 0800 and 1800.

Hornsby Travel: What's Operating Normally or Almost Normally

Whilst the Hornsby Travel network is substantially revised compared to their pre COVID-19 offering, some services are currently operating to their pre COVID-19 timetables:

• 13: Scunthorpe Town Service (College Days Only Service)
• 91: Brigg Town Service
• 92: Brigg-Howsham

Service 90 between Scunthorpe and Crowle is operating to it's pre COVID-19 timetable Monday to Friday, but is retimed by up to 15 minutes on Saturdays; additionally Saturday inbound journeys to Scunthorpe Bus Station that serve the Hospital now use Cliff Gardens as on weekdays, rather than Church Lane. 

Meanwhile Scunthorpe Town Service 12 is only slightly altered; journeys run 5 minutes later and the first service from Ashfield into Scunthorpe is not currently operating on Saturdays. 

Christmas and New Year Update - Deja Vu

Stagecoach have today updated their Christmas publicity and sadly it's a repeat of last year - Stagecoach not initially announcing all the exemptions to their Saturday service provision on the normal weekdays between Christmas and New Year. It is rather disappointing to see the same issues reoccur and doesn't help travellers plan or support patronage.

As a result of a revised Christmas pdf leaflet added to the Stagecoach website today, the 260 Barton Villager will run as normal on 29th/30th/31st December, and so will Scunthorpe service 10 on the 29th and 31st December - the latter service having been reinstated until the end of the year as per a VOSA registration last week, not that it's listed in the latest timetables section of the Stagecoach website. 

Historically a normal weekday service would be provided in North Lincolnshire on the normal weekdays between Christmas and New Year, and that is the provision offered by Hornsby Travel and that still seems to be attached to tendered service contracts. However in recent years Stagecoach have adopted a Saturday service for their commercial operations in line with other parts of their East Midlands region - not a big deal considering how little Stagecoach commercial Saturday and College Holiday timetables vary in the area. This disparity though between Stagecoach's commercial provision and their tendered service requirements is potentially what led to the initial incorrect publicity being issued. In contrast the initial Stagecoach Lincoln leaflet did manage to list all exemptions to the main Saturday service.

Christmas and New Year Bus Services 2020/2021

Below is my annual summary of Christmas and New Year bus services across the Humber Region. The following operators are included, but not their services outside the region:

• Arriva Yorkshire
• CallConnect
• East Yorkshire (including JustGo)
• First South Yorkshire
• First York
• Grayscroft Coaches
• Hornsby Travel
• Stagecoach 
• York Pullman

Please check exact details before travelling as I have only summarised here, or for any occasions were publicity is incorrect (it's happened before!). If you have any further information for other operators, or to correct any details listed here, please post a comment.

UPDATED 21/12/20 REGARDING SERVICES 10 AND 260.

Monday 21st December to Christmas Eve:

Normal services, except First South Yorkshire who will be operating a Saturday service. 

Christmas Eve:

Normal services, except for CallConnect and First South Yorkshire who will be operating a Saturday service. Services will finish at approximately 2000.

Christmas Day:

No services.

Boxing Day:

Daytime services will operate on selected routes in Hull and East Yorkshire. 

This year, as opposed to special timetables, Stagecoach have opted for a Sunday service between 0900 and 1800 on all 'local' routes within Hull, which results in a notable uplift in Boxing Day services:

• The 1 and 2A in West Hull go from hourly last year to half hourly this year.
• The 6 operates for the first time on Boxing Day, albeit in part serving as a replacement for the 10a.
• Sutton Park goes from one bus per hour last year on service 8 to three across services 2A and 8.
• North Branshome goes from an hourly 10a last year to a half hourly 2A and hourly 6 this year.
• The 12 goes from hourly last year, as the 12a, to half hourly this year.

The 11 drops from a half hourly 11a last year to hourly this year, but service 8 provides a second hourly frequency over part of the route.

East Yorkshire will be operating the following daytime services (same pattern as last year):

• 12: Bridlington-Scarborough - Every two hours
• 34: Hull-Willerby - Hourly
• 56: Hull-Asda Bilton - Hourly
• 63: Hull-Castle Hill Hospital - Hourly
• 66: Hull-Hessle - Hourly
• 75: Hull-Withernsea - Every two hours, with an extra morning journey to Hull and an extra afternoon journey from Hull.
• 104: Hull-Castle Hill Hospital - Hourly
• 121: Hull-Bridlington - Every two hours
• 154: Hull-Castle Hill Hospital - Hourly
• X46: Hull-York - Every two hours
• X47: Pocklington-York - Every two hours

Sunday 27th December:

Normal service.

Bank Holiday Monday 28th December:

Sunday service, except for First York who will provide a Saturday service with extra early morning journeys.

Tuesday 29th December:

Predominantly a Saturday service, with the following exceptions:

• Hornsby Travel will operate a normal Tuesday service.
• East Yorkshire services 88 (Goole-Rawcliffe Bridge) and 360/361 (Goole-Scunthorpe) will operate as normal, as will JustGo North Lincolnshire.
• Stagecoach services 10 (Ashby Parklands-Scunthorpe), 25 (Market Rasen-Grimsby) and 260 (Barton Villager) will operate as normal.
• York Pullman services 195 (Allerthorpe-Pocklington) and 199 (Huggate-Pocklington) will operate as normal.
• First York will operate extra early morning journeys.
• East Yorkshire service 143 (North Ferriby-Beverley) will not operate (it wouldn't normally operate on a Tuesday, but would on a Saturday).
• Grayscroft Coaches Tuesday service 28 (Sandilands-Grimsby) will not operate.
• East Yorkshire services 18/75/121/X47 Friday and Saturday only evening journeys will not operate (normal Tuesday evening journeys on the 75/121/X47 will however).

(Hunts Coaches usual Tuesday service to Grimsby is not operating due to COVID-19 restrictions).

Wednesday 30th December:

Predominantly a Saturday service, with the following exceptions:

• Hornsby Travel will operate a normal Wednesday service.
• East Yorkshire services 88 (Goole-Rawcliffe Bridge) and 360/361 (Goole-Scunthorpe) will operate as normal, as will JustGo North Lincolnshire.
• Stagecoach service 260 (Barton Villager) will operate as normal.
• First York will operate extra early morning journeys.
• East Yorkshire services 18/75/121/X47 Friday and Saturday only evening journeys will not operate (normal Wednesday evening journeys on the 75/121/X47 will however).

New Years Eve:

Predominately a Saturday service finishing at approximately 2000, with the following exceptions:

• Hornsby Travel will operate a normal Thursday service.
• East Yorkshire services 88 (Goole-Rawcliffe Bridge) and 360/361 (Goole-Scunthorpe) will operate as normal, as will JustGo North Lincolnshire.
• Stagecoach services 10 (Ashby Parklands-Ashby), 161 (Market Rasen-Lakeside) and 260 (Barton Villager) will operate as normal.
• York Pullman service 196 (Aughton-York) will operate as normal.
• First York will operate extra early morning journeys.
• East Yorkshire service 143 (North Ferriby-Beverley) will not operate (it wouldn't normally operate on a Thursday, but would on a Saturday).

New Years Day:

No services (train services will be operating however, in many instances to a normal Friday timetable apart from early morning services).

Saturday 2nd January:

Services return to normal.

Scunthorpe Town Service 6 remains on reduced frequency

Completing my review of Stagecoach services, and starting my review of Hornsby Travel services, Scunthorpe Town Service 6 between Scunthorpe Bus Station and Ashby has not yet returned to it's pre COVID-19 frequency. Rather than each operator operating every 20 minutes for a combined 10 minute frequency Monday to Saturday daytimes, each operator currently provides a half hourly service on the route, for a combined 15 minute frequency.

Scunthorpe 1 Reduced and 2 Dropped

The biggest COVID-19 impact to Stagecoach's network in Scunthorpe has been to town circular routes 1 and 2, the latter of which has been dropped entirely.

Starting with service 1 and it is currently operating every half hour in each direction Monday to Saturday daytimes, down from every 20 minutes in each direction pre-COVID-19. Additionally it now serves Lakeside Retail Park and Bellingham Road, replacing service 2. The change increases journey times on the 1 by 5 minutes in each direction, but the link to Lakeside Retail Park may well be useful for some, and Bellingham Road benefits significantly. It goes from being served by an hourly circular in each direction Monday to Saturday daytimes with no morning peak service, to a half hourly circular in each direction Monday to Saturday daytimes, including a morning peak service (though it is not served by the first two morning anti-clockwise journeys, which also omit Lakeside); unlike the 2, the 1 also provides links to Gallagher Retail Park on the other side of Scunthorpe, and indirectly a service to Scunthorpe Hospital. So some positives despite the 1's frequency cut - I guess time will tell if the reduced frequency is permanent or not

Now to the 2, which had operated hourly in each direction Monday to Saturday daytimes. Going anti-clockwise, the 2 operated from the Bus Station via Ashby Road, West Common Lane, Scotter Road, Lichfield Avenue, Bridges Road, Manor Farm Road, Willoughby Road, Manby Road, Quebec Road, Moorwell Road, High Leys Road, Enderby Road, Willoughby Road, Chancel Road, Bottesford Road, Ashby High Street, Fulbeck Road, Queensway, Lakeside Retail Park, Bellingham Road, Queensway, Ashby Road and Station Road back to Scunthorpe Bus Station.

The western section of the route between Scunthorpe Bus Station and High Leys Road/Ogilvy Road is also covered by service 3, as is Chancel Road between Cambridge Avenue and Bottesford Lane, so here the overall service falls from a half hourly circular in each direction over services 2 and 3 to an hourly circular in each direction on service 3 only - a significant drop, but could be worse, examples coming up! Quebec Road, Moorwell Road and parts of High Leys Road now join Cemetery Road in Brumby with having double the number of services on a Sunday daytime with service 1A, compared to the Monday to Saturday daytime provision. Talking of the 1A, this evening and Sunday service is now the only service for most of High Leys Road and parts of Enderby Road, joining parts of Burringham Road, Manor Road and East Common Lane with this 'distinction'. Chancel Road between Messingham Road and Cambridge Avenue now only has the 1A and early morning 11, whilst Willoughby Road between Enderby Road and Messingham Road is left only with the early morning 11. Bottesford Road retains the 3 and 4 Monday to Saturday daytimes, but Fulbeck Road is left unserved, whilst Station Road is now only served by college services, early morning service 11, weekday services 360 and 361 from, but not to, Scunthorpe Bus Station and one morning extension of the 350 to Scunthorpe Station.

Scunthorpe Service 10 Withdrawn

In October, North Lincolnshire Council tendered service 10, operated by Stagecoach, was withdrawn (I can't recall for sure but I think 9th October was the last day of operation). The 10 operated on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with differences each day; on a Tuesday the 10 linked Ashby Parklands, Glover Road and Brumby Wood Lane to Scunthorpe Bus Station, on a Thursday it linked these areas to Ashby High Street and on a Friday it provided a link to Scunthorpe Bus Station again, but also served Burringham. On each day one morning trip to Scunthorpe or Ashby was provided along with a lunchtime roundtrip from either Scunthorpe or Ashby.

As a result Burringham, Ashby Parklands and Brumby Wood Lane no longer have a scheduled bus service, whilst Glover Road is only served by college services. The JustGo demand responsive service provides an alternative for Burringham and Ashby Parklands, but cannot be used for journeys within the Scunthorpe Urban area, so is not an option for Glover Road or Brumby Wood Lane to the centre's of either Scunthorpe or Ashby. For some on Glover Road the 3 on West Common Lane would be an alternative option to use.

Stagecoach in North Lincolnshire: What's Operating Normally or Almost Normally?

Most, but not all, Stagecoach services in North Lincolnshire are currently operating to their pre COVID-19 timetables, or with only relatively minor changes.

These are the services which are 'back to normal' (or in some cases I think never altered?):

• 4: Scunthorpe to Brigg (only the Stagecoach operated Sunday service is back to normal, the Hornsby Travel Monday to Saturday service is amended, more in a future post)
• 11: Scunthorpe Monday to Saturday Early Morning Town Circular
• 100: Scunthorpe to Lincoln
• 161: Market Rasen to Lakeside Retail Park
• 260: Barton 'Villager'
• 398: Belton to Gainsborough
• 399: Scunthorpe to Westwoodside (only the Stagecoach evening peak service is back to normal, not the main Isle Coaches operated service, which is not currently operating on a Saturday - this creates the odd situation of the only Saturday timetabled bus service for many communities in the southern Isle of Axholme such as Epworth being the Stagecoach 1740 from Scunthorpe and 1845 from Westwoodside)

Meanwhile these are the 'almost back to normal' services:

• 1A: Scunthorpe Evening and Sunday Town Circular - exact times are amended, but remains half hourly Sunday daytimes and hourly daily evenings in each direction
• 3: Scunthorpe Town Circular - exact times are amended, but remains hourly Monday to Saturday daytime in each direction. The clockwise timetable now gains a morning peak service at 0750 from Scunthorpe Bus Station, presumably to partially replace withdrawn service 2, but looses it's evening peak 1745 departure, last clockwise departure now 1650 with a later anti-clockwise service at 1720
• 7: Scunthorpe to Skippingdale Retail Park - exact times are amended by up to ten minutes, but remains hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes
• 8: Scunthorpe to Skippingdale Retail Park - exact times are amended by up to ten minutes, but remains hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes
• 60: Scunthorpe to Whitton - The pre COVID-19 Monday to Friday timetable is operating Monday to Saturday, providing an extra Saturday journey for most communities on the route compared to pre-pandemic
• 103: Scunthorpe to Lincoln - the main Lincoln service is operating as normal but the three Monday to Saturday daytime Scunthorpe to Messingham 'shorts' have not returned to the timetable, giving Messingham three buses every two hours to Scunthorpe between the hourly 100 and the two hourly 103 Lincoln service.
• 350: Scunthorpe to Hull - back to the normal half hourly Monday to Saturday service, but the final 'full route' journey in each direction Monday to Saturday at 2010 from Scunthorpe and 2120 from Hull is not currently operating, with last journeys currently one hour earlier. In addition neither are the Saturday only 2220 and 2330 Hull to Barton and 2255 Barton to Hull 'shorts' operating, though there is a new 2330 Hull to Barton service 255 journey. A planned April change to the Sunday service, to provide a two hourly frequency, did not take place and it remains six services each way on an uneven frequency, jointly operated with East Yorkshire. As a side note, the last service from Scunthorpe on a Sunday remains at 2010, so an hour later than the rest of the week.

Stagecoach in North East Lincolnshire Status

Here's a brief overview of the current Stagecoach service provision in North East Lincolnshire:

The following services are operating to either their pre-COVID-19 timetables, or are little changed from their pre-COVID-19 timetable:

• 1: Grimsby-Europarc-Wybers Way Top
• 2: Victor Street-Grimsby-Europarc 
• 7: Laceby (peaks only)-Grange Estate-Grimsby-North Sea Lane - times are changed but the core half hourly Monday to Saturday daytime frequency remains. The first journey from Laceby at 0622 now operates on Saturdays as well as Monday to Friday (previous first Saturday service at 0652).
• 20: Cleethorpes-Grimsby-Europarc-Wybers Way Top
• 25: Grimsby-Binbrook-Market Rasen
• 53: Grimsby-Caistor-Market Rasen-Lincoln

Services 3 and 4 between Laceby Road Morrisons, Grimsby Town Centre and Cleethorpes Town Centre have both been increased from every 12 minutes Monday to Friday daytimes and every 15 minutes Saturday daytimes pre-COVID-19 to every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes. Monday to Saturday evening provision drops from every 30-60 minutes to hourly whilst Sunday frequencies match the pre-pandemic service of half hourly on each route in the daytime and hourly in the evening. The evening and Sunday service 4 diversion via Curzon Avenue is not currently operating, whilst there are some notable earlier first journeys Monday to Saturday; 0510 rather than 0555 (Mon-Fri)/0710 (Sat) from Cleethorpes Pier on service 3 and 0425 from Morrisons instead off 0510 (Mon-Fri)/0700 (Sat) on service 4.

Service 5 between Grimsby Town Centre, the Willows Estate and Immingham and Service 6 between Grimsby Town Centre, the Willows Estate and Wybers Wood were last revised on Sunday 1st November and have a different Monday to Saturday pattern compared to pre-pandemic. Instead of a service 5 every 20 minutes and a service 6 every 20 minutes, there is presently a service 5A every half hour omitting the Cromwell Road loop in the Willows Estate and service 6 every 10-20 minutes to give an overall 10 minute frequency between Grimsby Town Centre and the Willows Estate (excluding the Cromwell Road loop). Evening and Sundays have the same provision as pre-pandemic with an hourly service 5 also serving Cleethorpes and North Sea Lane (evenings only), supplemented by service 6 hourly Sunday daytimes. Three Monday to Saturday morning service 5 journeys start back at Cleethorpes Pier at 0500, 0530 and 0600 compared to 0435 (0440 Sat), 0540 and 0640 from Humberston via North Sea Lane and Cleethorpes Pier pre-pandemic. The peak 5m variation to Catch Training is still provided.

Service 8 between Grimsby Town Centre, Grimsby Hospital, New Waltham and North Sea Lane is reduced from half hourly to hourly on Sunday daytimes, compared to the pre-pandemic timetable, but remains half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes and hourly daily evenings. Times are revised and the first Saturday service from North Sea Lane is now at 0610 rather than 0720. 

Services 9/10 between Waltham, Grimsby Hospital, Grimsby Town Centre, Cleethorpes Town Centre and North Sea Lane remain every 15 minutes combined Monday to Saturday daytime, with service 10 hourly daily evenings. The Sunday daytime service 10 is presently hourly as opposed to half hourly until March, and the Monday to Saturday morning increase from half hourly to every 15 minutes across routes 9 and 10 combined between Waltham and Grimsby now starts at 0635 rather than 0810, but between Grimsby and North Sea Lane commences at 0710 instead off 0625 (Mon-Fri)/0640 (Sat).

Service 12 between Bradley Park, Grange Estate, Grimsby Town Centre, Cleethorpes Town Centre, New Waltham, and at peak times, Waltham, is operating Monday to Saturday to it's pre-pandemic Monday to Friday timetable, with some slight retimings. This means a reduced Saturday service, with the 'oddball' Saturday morning peak only 0745 Bradley Park to Grimsby not operating, the last service from Grimsby to Bradley Park being at 1337 rather than 1737 and rather than an hourly afternoon service from Grimsby to New Waltham, a gap exists between 1420 and 1740.

Service 50 between Grimsby and Saltfleet is operating to it's pre-pandemic Monday to Friday School Holiday timetable Monday to Saturday, including term times apart from the morning peak service from Saltfleet serving Humberston Academy and Grimsby College on schooldays. As a result the Saturday only 0920 Grimsby to Saltfleet and 1600 Saltlfeet to Grimsby have not been restored to the timetable.

The section of service 51 between Louth and Mablethorpe has been withdrawn and replaced by a lower frequency extension of Stagecoach's Lincoln to Louth service instead. Between Grimsby and Louth the 51 is operating to it's pre-pandemic hourly Monday to Saturday daytime frequency.

Service 250 between Cleethorpes, Grimsby and Hull was re-routed between Keelby and Barton as off 1st September, whilst service 450 between Immingham, Barton and Brigg was withdrawn after operation on Saturday 29th August due to the cessation of the North Lincolnshire Council tender, more details on both changes here.

Stagecoach 4 and 14 Update

On November 2nd, Stagecoach further updated the timetables of service 4 between Bilton Grange, Hull City Centre and Orchard Park, and service 14 between Hull Paragon Interchange and Greatfield. On both services the Monday to Friday daytime frequency was increased from every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes - greater than what was provided pre-COVID 19. In addition on service 4, a new Monday to Saturday 2210 departure from Paragon Interchange to Orchard Park was also added (over three hours after the last departure to Orchard Park), along with a 2237 return working, presumably in connection with the then 2200 closure of hospitality venues.

Service 4 and 14 August Changes

Stagecoach Service 5 in Hull

Stagecoach service 5 in Hull between Paragon Interchange, the Avenues, Orchard Park and Kingswood has seen changes in both route and timetable this year.

Starting first with the route, and in Kingswood the service now operates direct between the Leisure Park and Retail Park, providing a quicker service to the Retail Park from the Avenues and Orchard Park. This is instead off the previous route via Barnes Way, Barnes Road, Runnymede Avenue and Runnymede Way. The 5 now also extends from the Retail Park to Kingswood Health Centre via Runnymede Way, Runnymede Avenue, Barnes Road and the previously unserved Richmond Way. 

Pre the COVID-19 pandemic, the 5 operated to the following frequencies:

• Monday to Saturday daytimes every 15 minutes Paragon Interchange to Kingswood and extra 'shorts' every 15 minutes between Paragon Interchange and Orchard Park Medical Centre.
• Monday to Thursday evenings every half hour Paragon Interchange to Kingswood and extra 'shorts' every half hour until 2100 between Paragon Interchange and Orchard Park Medical Centre, operating as service u5 via Inglemire Lane.
• Friday and Saturday evenings every half hour Paragon Interchange to Kingswood and extra 'shorts' 'all evening' every half hour between Paragon Interchange and Orchard Park Medical Centre, operating as service u5 via Inglemire Lane.
• Sunday daytimes every half hour Paragon Interchange to Kingswood and extra 'shorts' every half hour between Paragon Interchange and Orchard Park Tesco.
• Sunday evenings every half hour Paragon Interchange to Kingswood.

As off Sunday 30th August the 5 was operating:

• Monday to Saturday daytimes every 20 minutes Paragon Interchange to Kingswood and extra 'shorts' every 20 minutes between Paragon Interchange and Orchard Park Tesco.
• Monday to Saturday evenings every 30-60 minutes Paragon Interchange to Kingswood (no additional 'shorts' or u5 variation)
• Sunday daytimes every half hour Paragon Interchange to Kingswood.
• Sunday evenings every hour Paragon Interchange to Kingswood with a couple of extra 'shorts' from Paragon Interchange to Orchard Park Tesco.

Subsequently from 2nd November, the Monday to Friday daytime pattern was amended to double the number of 'short' services per hour between Paragon Interchange and Orchard Park Tesco from three to six, giving a frequency of every 6-7 minutes over this section along with the 'full route' Kingswood journeys. In addition the Monday to Saturday evening service is now hourly Paragon Interchange to Kingswood alongside an hourly Paragon Interchange to Orchard Park Tesco 'short'.

Overall frequencies are not back at pre-pandemic levels, but under the circumstances seem reasonable.

First service from Kingswood Health Centre is currently 0450 Monday to Saturday and 0730 Sunday compared to pre-pandemic first departures from Kingswood Retail Park at 0535 Monday to Saturday and 0700 Sunday. From Paragon Interchange services currently commence at 0530 Monday to Saturday and 0750 Sunday as opposed to 0613 Monday to Friday, 0713 Saturday and 0758 Sunday. Last departure from Kingswood Health Centre is presently at 2235 Monday to Saturday and 2230 Sunday instead off 2320 daily from the Retail Park. In the opposite direction the 5's last service from Paragon Interchange leaves at 2320 Monday to Saturday and 2220 Sunday as opposed to 2330 Monday to Saturday and 2328 Sunday.

Hull to Barton Update

Time for a success story. It was only in February that Stagecoach introduced service 255 between Hull Paragon Interchange, Barton Market Place and Barton Wren Kitchens operating 5 journeys from Hull and 3 from Wren Kitchens Monday to Friday. As off 28th September, the 255 is operating as follows:

From Hull:

• 0450 Daily from the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction (then via Beverley Road to Paragon Interchange at 0505)
• 0550 Monday to Saturday from the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction (Paragon Interchange at 0605) - on weekdays currently being operated by four double deckers to allow for social distancing
• 0805 Monday to Saturday from Paragon Interchange
• 1410 Monday to Saturday from the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction (Paragon Interchange at 1425)
• 1550 Monday to Friday from Paragon Interchange
• 1630 Saturday from Paragon Interchange
• 1730 Monday to Saturday from Paragon Interchange
• 1830 Monday to Saturday from Paragon Interchange
• 2330 Monday to Saturday from Paragon Interchange

In addition the 0715 250 from Hull Monday to Saturday serves Wren Kitchens.

From Wren Kitchens:

• 0350 Monday to Thursday to the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction
• 0848 Monday to Saturday to Paragon Interchange
• 1550 Monday to Saturday to the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction - again operated by four double deckers Monday to Friday
• 1710 Monday to Saturday to the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction
• 1820 Monday to Saturday to the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction
• 1920 Daily to the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction
• 0020 Tuesday to Sunday morning to the Beverley Road/Clough Road Junction

In addition there are service 250 departures from Wren Kitchens to Hull at 1608, 1723 and 1823 Monday to Saturday.

Quite the increase - some of these services are effectively positioning journeys but even still a significant uplift in provision for Wren Kitchens workers. It's great to see more people commuting by bus, and any reduction in car traffic through Barton Town Centre is definitely a positive. In addition the 255 forms part of the overall Hull to Barton service provision, so it's not just Wren Kitchens workers who can utilise the 255. Before I come to the wider Hull to Barton service, whilst most of the 255 services operate 'out and back' from Hull, and the 0550 (or at least one vehicle from it) works back over the Humber on service 250, the following operate out of service in the opposite direction:

• 0350 Monday to Thursday Wren Kitchens to Beverley Road/Clough Road
• 0450 Daily Beverley Road/Clough Road to Wren Kitchens - could form a useful pre 0630 arrival into Hull from Barton
• 1920 Sunday Wren Kitchens to Beverley Road/Clough Road - there is already an 1830 service 350 departure from Paragon Interchange so running in service from Hull to Barton would duplicate an existing service

Pre COVID-19, the Monday to Saturday daytime service between Barton and Hull was every 15 minutes, split between the half hourly 250 and half hourly 350. The two services shared a common route entering from Humberside Airport/Scunthorpe via Ferriby Road then routing via Barton Market Place, Pasture Road, Butts Road, Barton Interchange and Fleetgate back to Ferriby Road and across the Humber Bridge to Hull, and vice versa from Hull. The 250 'short' working each hour between Hull and Humberside Airport was due to be replaced with an hourly 255/255X between Hull and Barton in April, but this change was never implemented.

Since Tuesday 1st September, the Barton to Hull service pattern has been the 350 as normal (apart from evenings) and one 250 per hour operating a revised route. It arrives from Barrow via Falkland Way to Butts Road and Barton Interchange then 'double backs on itself' along Butts Road to Pasture Road, Barton Market Place and Ferriby Road (early morning variations excepted). This gives a three buses per hour service between Barton and Hull, which at the current time is probably a fair frequency. However it does mean an uneven timetable, with services at 10/20/30 minute intervals from both Barton Interchange and Barton Market Place to Hull, and at 15/15/30 minute intervals from Hull. In addition the 250 and 350 now leave from opposite sides of the road to each other in Barton Market Place and on Pasture Road (though the 250 and 255 now serve the same side of the road in Barton Market Place). This isn't ideal, but with the 250 coming from Barrow and the 350 from Scunthorpe there are no easy answers; given the use of full size single deckers the only suggestion I have is to route the 350 the opposite way around Barton in each direction, so that from Scunthorpe buses operate straight to Barton Interchange then as the 250 route to Hull via the Market Place.

Looking in more detail at the overall Hull to Barton timetable, when adding in the 255, a 15 minute frequency remains from Hull in the 1400, 1600 (Saturday Only) and 1700 hours. The 1550 Monday to Friday 255 isn't great as it sits in between the 1540 350 and 1555 250, before then waiting at Wren Kitchens for 44 minutes. Presumably this is driven by Wren Kitchens shift patterns, as the Saturday arrangement with the 250 at 1630 makes for a far more even timetable out of Hull. Later on the arrangement of service 350 leaving Hull at 1825 and the 255 at 1830 isn't ideal - I'd suggest either move the 255 to 1840 or move the 255 to 1825 and the 350 to 1840/1845 to provide a better spread of departures.

Wren Kitchens will shortly be starting an 'inhouse' commuter coach service from Hull to Barton - how that impacts the 255, if at all, I'm unsure off.

Humber Flyer Rerouted and 450 axed

Back in 2014, a revised timetable for Stagecoach's 250 Humber Flyer appeared on the Traveline East Midlands website, for a re-route of the service at the start of 2015. The Humber Flyer links Hull, Barton, Keelby, Grimsby and Cleethorpes with the plan back then being to re-route between Barton and Keelby away from Barnetby Top, Humberside Airport and Great Limber and instead serve Barrow, Thornton Curtis, Wootton and Ulceby. The change was intended to be temporary due to roadworks on the A18 rail bridge at Melton Ross, but never happened. Flash Forward to Tuesday 1st September 2020 and, aside from the first morning Grimsby to Hull journey, it did happen and not just as a temporary measure.

Saturday 29th August was the last day of operation for route 450 between Immingham, Barton and Brigg (having operated throughout the height of Spring COVID-19 restrictions as normal). The 450 was a North Lincolnshire Council tendered service operated by Stagecoach. It ran four times a day in each direction Monday to Saturday, though on schooldays the third journey from Brigg terminated in Barton and the fourth terminated in Goxhill, meaning the last bus from Barton to the villages of Thornton Curtis, Wootton, Ulceby and South Killingholme was at 1205 rather than 1605 as on Saturdays and in School Holidays. This was down to schools requirements, with the 450 itself providing a schools service to Brigg for out of catchment area students and also being interworked with a Baysgarth School (Barton) service (the 450 used two vehicles each day).

The only new mitigation provided to replace the 450 was the 250's re-routing as described in the first paragraph. This meant that the Barton to Ulceby section of route swapped a basic provision of two to four services a day Monday to Saturday for an hourly service that also serves Hull, Grimsby and Cleethorpes and the last departure from Barton on schooldays is now at 1943 rather than 1205. Quite an upgrade here! The 250 will probably benefit as well from more passengers, as Barrow, Thornton Curtis, Wootton and Ulceby will likely generate more custom than Barnetby Top, Humberside Airport and Great Limber.

As far as routing goes, in Barton, aside from some early morning exceptions, buses from Hull now serve the Market Place, Pasture Road and Butts Road before Barton Interchange, then retrace their route along Butts Road before operating along Falkland Way to Barrow. Last time I checked sadly no stops installed along Falkland Way. Some journeys divert into Wren Kitchens off Falkland Way.

In Barrow, rather than follow the 450 route via Ferry Road, Barton Lane, the Market Place, High Street, Church, Beck Lane and Wold Road, the 250 takes a more direct route via Ferry Road East, Barton Street, the Church, Market Place and Thornton Street. This means that at the Church and Market Place bus stops, the 250 departs towards Barton from the opposite side of the road to the 260 (not ideal), and the Ferry Road and Beck Lane bus stops are not served (still served by the 260). On the plus side the Barton Street bus stop gains it's first all day service in some years. The change is probably driven by a desire to maintain an hourly frequency with four buses whilst still serving the main Market Place and Church bus stops.

Wootton is 'skimmed' by the 250, stopping at the Nags Head public house at the east end of the village only. This compares to the 450 which provided comprehensive coverage of the village by serving the High Street. Again though journey times are probably the issue here; the 250 can do Thornton Curtis to Ulceby in 5 minutes whereas the 450 took 9 minutes.

In Ulceby the eastern end of the village is missed, the but main western part of the village is served and more comprehensive coverage of the village would require a reversal and consume extra time.

Looking at the 250's timetable, compared to pre-COVID-19, the Hull to Grimsby/Cleethorpes service is back to hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes. A planned two hourly Sunday service that was due to start in April (possibly Summer only?) never did. What has changed though is that there are no 'short' Hull to Barton/Humberside Airport journeys, apart from the 0723 Barton Market Place to Hull (that operates the 250's 'old' route/the 350's 'current' route around Barton). Pre-pandemic hourly shorts were provided between Hull and Humberside Airport, though these were due to be replaced in April with 255/255X 'shorts' between Hull and Barton only, that like the 250's Sunday service, never started. I will cover Hull to Barton, including the 255, in more detail in a separate post.

Returning to the 450's demise and for a lot of the remaining communities, North Lincolnshire Council's demand responsive service, which changed from CallConnect to JustGo in September, is now the only option. It's also the only option for anyone in Barton, Barrow, Thornton Curtis, Wootton or Ulceby who need/want to travel to Brigg or Immingham (school services excepted).

At the eastern end of the 450, South Killingholme two years ago had a 20 minute service to Immingham and Grimsby in addition to the 450. Now no 'scheduled' service at all apart from schools which is a very disappointing development. (To be fair, that 20 minute service was no doubt only so frequent due to the village's proximity to employment sites, rather than because the village itself justified it). Ulceby Skitter which the 450 served is home to Ulceby railway station, so here rail is now the only 'scheduled' public transport provision.

Turning to the Barton to Brigg section, the first village out of Barton was South Ferriby, which is served by the half hourly 350 between Hull, Barton and Scunthorpe. The main loss here is the Brigg link, and the service to the south of the village not served by the 350. Horkstow, Saxby, Bonby, Worlaby and Elsham now have no scheduled bus service apart from schools/college services. Finally Wrawby does have the X4 to Brigg and Scunthorpe as an alternative, but Monday to Friday only.

Barton to Brigg has been tried as a 6 day a week subsidised service for over 20 years at frequencies varying from uneven intervals to hourly, and with many journeys omitting Elsham to save time for a period. I myself used the service for 7 years for school/college travel and towards the end of that time had reason to use some of the non-schools journeys - they were never busy. Schools demand justified double deckers for the last 15 years, but North Lincolnshire Council are now diverting this traffic to Sherwood Travel schools services. Horkstow, Saxby, Bonby, Worlaby and Elsham are small villages. The only village that has much demand for Barton is South Ferriby, as noted also covered by the 350. In Wrawby the 450 hasn't been the 'main' service since the 68 Wolds Villager was introduced in the mid-noughties. Other than schools travel, people in Barton aren't likely to visit Brigg on a regular basis. People in Brigg aren't likely to visit Barton much at all. Barton to Brigg has been given a 'good go', particularly in the noughties. If it's not working as a 6 days a week service I can understand it - though I do think it's a shame at least a Thursday 'market day' bus to Brigg hasn't been retained.

X62 Remains Suspended

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stagecoach's X62 between Hull, Brough, Goole and Leeds has not operated. The Hull timetable page of the Stagecoach website calls the X62 'suspended' as opposed to withdrawn, so there is still a chance the route returns. The same also applies to the N(6)2 between Hull and Brough.

Stagecoach in Hull: What's Operating Normally or Almost Normally?

While many Stagecoach services in Hull are currently operating to different timetables (and in some cases routes) compared to pre-COVID-19, there are a couple of exceptions where the pre-pandemic service is currently being provided:

• 242: Hedon to Beverley
• 677: Hull Paragon Interchange to Preston Cranswick Foods

In addition the following services currently only have minor changes compared to the pre-pandemic provision:

• 16: Hull Paragon Interchange to Preston Road - the Saturday only 0840 departure from Paragon Interchange is not operating, the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1440 departure from Paragon Interchange and 1509 return now operate at 1450 and 1519 respectively Monday to Saturday. Some other journeys have also been slightly retimed.
• 123: Beverley to Bransholme North Point Shopping Centre - the college day extension to/from Wilberforce College is not currently operating (unless it's a 'closed' schools service extension?)
• 350: Hull Paragon Interchange to Scunthorpe - the final 'full route' journey in each direction Monday to Saturday at 2010 from Scunthorpe and 2120 from Hull is not currently operating, with alternate journeys one hour earlier. In addition neither are the Saturday only 2220 and 2330 Hull to Barton and 2255 Barton to Hull 'shorts', though there is a new 2330 Hull to Barton service 255 journey (more in a future post). A planned April change to the Sunday service, to provide a two hourly frequency, did not take place. As a side note, the last service from Scunthorpe on a Sunday remains at 2010, so an hour later than the rest of the week.

Bricknell Estate Update

Stagecoach service 3b between Hull Paragon Interchange and the Bricknell Estate currently continues to provide a hourly Monday to Saturday off peak service as it did pre-pandemic, however it has been cut back at the start and end of the day. In the morning, the peak service has been withdrawn with the first journey from the Bricknell Estate now at 0902 Monday to Saturday rather than 0653 Monday to Friday and 0753 Saturday, and from Paragon Interchange at 0945 Monday to Saturday rather than 0835 Monday to Friday and 0945 Saturday. In the afternoon, the 3b now has final departures from Paragon Interchange at 1345 Monday to Friday and 1445 Saturday as opposed to 1445 Monday to Friday and 1645 Saturday. From the Bricknell Estate the last service is now at 1402 Monday to Friday and 1502 Saturday instead of 1502 Monday to Friday and 1702 Saturday.

Stagecoach's 7, 8 and 11 in Hull

Pre-pandemic, Stagecoach services 7 and 8 combined to offer a service every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes between Hull Paragon Interchange, Beverley Road, Sutton Park and Bransholme North Point Shopping Centre. The 7 then continued half hourly to North Bransholme via Bodmin Road before forming a circular with service 6 between North Bransholme, Kingswood and Paragon Interchange. Service 8 also extended back to Paragon Interchange half hourly, but without a change in number, via Midmere Avenue, Howdale Road, Dunvegan Road, Salthouse Road and Holderness Road. The 8 also had two variants; the 8a omitted Midmere Avenue and Dunvegan Road in favour of Biggin Avenue, part of Noddle Hill Way, Kestrel Avenue and the central and eastern sections of Howdale Road and operated as an hourly off peak variation, while the 8x was a weekday morning peak variation via Clough Road and Sutton Fields Industrial Estate. Evenings and Sundays the 7a operated half hourly (hourly Sunday evenings) mostly following the service 7 route but serving Honiton Road and Wawne Road instead of Bodmin Road, and extending from North Bransholme to Kingswood Retail Park via the service 6 route.

Looking at the arrangements in Stagecoach's 30th August network and there has been some significant changes. Firstly the 7 and 8 are no longer co-ordinated, with the 7 operating half hourly and the 8 every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, giving an extra bus per hour between Paragon Interchange and North Point, but at uneven intervals.

The 7 now had a totally different route beyond North Point, with Bodmin Road and North Bransholme no longer served, and the 6 operating as a 'standalone' service. As such Bodmin Road no longer has a link to Beverley Road, though the 2 and 10 provide services from both Bodmin Road and North Bransholme to North Point and Hull City Centre five times an hour combined Monday to Saturday daytime, and the 11 provides an extra service every 20 minutes for part of Bodmin Road. 

Instead the 7 now operates a loop from North Point via Honiton Road, Biggin Avenue, part of Noddle Hill Way, Kestrel Avenue, the central and eastern sections of Howdale Road, Sutton Village and the southern part of Wawne Road back to North Point. This loop is largely to replace the withdrawn 8a variant, but also covers for the loss of the 9 on Honiton Road. The half hourly frequency of the 7 represents a doubling of frequency for Biggin Avenue, Kestrel Avenue and the parts of Howdale Road that were only served by service 8a hourly pre-pandemic. The loop does not operate at peak times, and the morning peak service is inbound only to Paragon Interchange, with the afternoon peak service outbound only from Paragon Interchange.

Turning to service 8, and aside from the withdrawal of the 8a variant, the other route change is a diversion away from a small portion of Salthouse Road to serve part of Bellfield Avenue and Middlesex Road - the pre-pandemic 11a route. This provides a new Monday to Saturday daytime service for Middlesex Road. As already noted the frequency has increased from half hourly to every 20 minutes; the 8X variant remains and now also operates on Saturdays. 

Looking in more detail at the timetable, the first clockwise service 8X from Paragon Interchange is now at 0537 Monday to Saturday, rather than the first Sutton Park departure being at 0617 on service 7 pre-pandemic. From North Point the first departure for Sutton Park is now at 0553 on service 8 Monday to Saturday rather than 0455 Monday to Friday and 0555 Saturday. 

The evening and Sunday 7a has been withdrawn; with the reversion of the evening and Sunday 12a variant to operate via the main 12 route, the northern section of Wawne Road is covered, and service 6 has gained an evening and Sunday service to replace the 7a around Kingswood and North Bransholme, albeit at a lower frequency - hourly at all times rather than half hourly Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday daytimes. Service 8 has gained an hourly early evening Monday to Saturday and Sunday daytime service, but otherwise Sutton Park is served daily evenings (hourly) and Sunday daytimes (half hourly) by the 2A. Sunday daytimes, the 2A and 8 combination provide Sutton Park with three services an hour, compared to two pre-pandemic.

Finally to service 11 between Hull Paragon Interchange, Holderness Road, Bellfield Avenue, Dunvegan Road, Howdale Road, Midmere Avenue, North Point, Tiverton Road, Bodmin Road and Kingswood Retail Park. Routing wise, the 11 no longer operates direct between Bodmin Road and Kingswood Retail Park, but instead routes via Kingsbury Way and Richmond Lane to Kingswood Health Centre, replacing service 9, before changing number on most journeys to service 5 then serving Kingswood Retail Park. The evening and Sunday 11a variant for Salthouse Road is gone with the main 11 route operating at all times, replaced by the 8 along Salthouse Road Monday to Saturday early evening and Sunday daytimes only. Finally Monday to Saturday morning peak services no longer serve Hull Royal Infirmary and Smith & Nephew.

Service 11 frequency is currently every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes and hourly evenings and Sundays, compared to every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes and half hourly evenings and Sundays pre-pandemic, though the 8 parallels the 11 for most of it's route between Paragon Interchange and North Point, and it's frequency improvements replace the 'lost' service 11 journey each hour during the daytime.

First service from Kingswood Retail Park is 0432 Monday to Saturday and 0728 Sunday compared to 0645 and 0715 respectively pre-pandemic - though earlier 'short's were provided from North Point starting at 0455 Monday to Friday and 0555 Saturday. First service from Paragon Interchange is now at 0550 Monday to Saturday and 0740 Sunday rather than 0555 Monday to Friday, 0655 Saturday and 0735 Sunday. Last service from Paragon Interchange is now at 2320 Monday to Saturday and 2210 Sunday as opposed to 2330 daily, whilst from Kingswood Retail Park the final service leaves at 2252 Monday to Saturday and 2158 Sunday rather than 2340 daily.

Replacing Service 9 (and Service 12 Updates)

During the Summer, Stagecoach withdrew service 9 in Hull. The 9 linked Hull Paragon Interchange with James Reckitt Avenue (Garden Village), Ings Road, Cavendish Road, Sutton Road, Leads Road, Midmere Avenue, Bransholme North Point Shopping Centre, Honiton Road, Wawne Road, Kingsbury Way, Richmond Lane, Kingswood Health Centre, Runnymede Lane and Kingswood Retail Park. Off peak alternate services operated as variant 9a via Lambwath Road rather than the eastern part of James Reckitt Avenue and Ings Road. The frequency was half hourly combined across the 9 and 9a Monday to Saturday daytimes. I think the service was due to be withdrawn in Stagecoach's cancelled April changes, but it kept going a bit longer, including a brief period running between Paragon Interchange and the Ings Road area only.

Replacing the 9/9a in Garden Village is service 12 variant 12a. Pre-pandemic the 12a was an evening and Sunday variant to service 12, the 12 operating between Paragon Interchange, Holderness Road, Summergangs Road, Gillshill Road, Sutton Village, Noddle Hill Way and Wawne Road and North Point, whilst the 12a diverted to the edge of North Point on Barnstaple Road in between serving Sutton Village and Noddle Hill Way, then after serving Noddle Hill Way diverted to Kingswood Retail Park. Now the 12a is a Monday to Saturday daytime variant serving Garden Village rather than Holderness Road and Summergangs Road.

Since 30th August, the 12 and 12a have each operated half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes for a combined 4 buses per hour, and the 12 additionally half hourly Sunday daytimes and hourly daily evenings. That has maintained the half hourly Monday to Saturday daytime service for Garden Village compared to service 9, but at the expense of Garden Village's Kingswood link, a less frequent services for Summergangs Road, and from the service 12 route to the Holderness Road shops. Pre-pandemic the 12/old 12a variant had been operating every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, half hourly Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday daytimes and hourly Sunday evenings; so it's only Monday to Saturday evenings which still have a reduced frequency, rather understandable with the restrictions on the evening economy. 

The first service from North Point (Kingswood Sundays) pre-pandemic was at 0530 Monday to Friday, 0600 Saturday and 0750 Sunday, but is now 0455 Monday to Saturday and 0800 Sunday - an enhancement 6 days a week. From Paragon Interchange first services were 0647 Monday to Friday, 0717 Saturday and 0855 Sunday but are now 0610 Monday to Saturday and 0825 Sundays. Last service pre-pandemic was at 2330 daily from Paragon Interchange, but currently is 2310 Monday to Saturday and 2210 Sunday, whilst from Kingswood the last departure was at 2235 Monday to Saturday and 2155 Sunday but is now at 2245 Monday to Saturday and 2130 Sunday from North Point.

From Monday (2nd November) the 12/12a has a new timetable, with the Monday to Friday daytime frequency increasing to every 20 minutes each on the 12 and 12a, for a combined six buses per hour. That's a 50% increase for Garden Village and for the combined 12/12a route compared to pre-pandemic, presumably influenced by the need for social distancing. Weekend and evening frequencies remain unchanged.

Turning to the eastern section of James Reckitt Avenue, with the withdrawal of the 9, this is left with the East Yorkshire operated Monday to Saturday off peak service 50 only, though one side of the road is East Park and part of the other side a school, so the 50 may suffice here. Parts of Ings Road, Cavendish Road and part of Sutton Road are left only with the Cranswick Foods workers service 677, and Lambwath Road becomes unserved. For some passengers, a short walk to Gillshill Road for the 12 and 12a maybe an option. Also left unserved is Leads Road between Sutton Road and Midmere Avenue; here passengers will need to either walk to the 2 on Sutton Road or the 8 and 11 on Midmere Avenue. The 8 and 11 give Midmere Avenue a service every 10 minutes to Paragon Interchange and a service every 20 minutes to Kingswood Retail Park, so the loss of the 9/9a is not significant here.

Honiton Road is now covered by revised service 7, of which more in a future post, but retains a half hourly Monday to Saturday daytime off peak service to Paragon Interchange, whilst loosing it's peak time service. The section of Wawne Road that the 9 served is also covered by the 12/12a, so the main loss here is the Kingswood Retail Park link.

Turning to the Kinsgwood estate and Kingsbury Way is now served by service 11, retaining links to Hull City Centre, Holderness Road, North Point and Kingswood Retail Park and operating every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes rather than the 9/9a's half hourly service, albeit via a longer route to the City Centre. Richmond Lane is served by the 6 and 11, whilst as noted in a previous post, the half hourly 6 is now the only service for Runnymede Lane with the link to North Point lost.

Linking the Boothferry Estate and North Bransholme

Stagecoach services 2 in West Hull and 10 in North Hull had been two separate routes in Stagecoach's city network - a period of early morning 2's continuing as a service 10 at Paragon Interchange aside - until earlier this year. Quite early on during the COVID-19 outbreak the 2 and 10 merged as a cross city service under the service 2 number, providing a through service from Hull Royal Infirmary to Bransholme and North Bransholme. Since Stagecoach's most recent changes on Sunday 30th August, the 10 is back in addition to the 2 in North Hull.

Pre-pandemic the 2 linked Hull Paragon Interchange and the Boothferry Estate in West Hull via Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road and Anlaby Park Road, and at the Boothferry Estate operated as a through route with service 1 between Paragon Interchange and the Boothferry Estate via Hessle Road. Some 2S variants did not begin as/continue as service 1, but instead extended beyond the Boothferry Estate a short distance to Hessle Sainsbury's. Monday to Friday daytimes the 2 and 2S each operated every 15 minutes for a combined 7-8 minutes frequency and on Saturday daytimes, the 2 and 2S each operated every 20 minutes for a combined frequency of every 10 minutes. Service 2 operated every half hour Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday daytimes, and every hour Sunday evenings.

The 2S variant didn't last beyond March and since then all journeys have been operated as service 2 (or 2A following the same route in West Hull). The current service 2 frequency in West Hull is every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, half hourly Sunday daytimes and hourly daily evenings. This provides the same frequency compared to pre-pandemic on Saturday daytimes and all day on Sundays, the weekday daytime service remains frequent and the evening reductions are understandable given current restrictions. There are more frequent Monday to Saturday journey opportunities to/from Hessle Road via the service 1 through service, though no more links to Sainsbury's (a variant only introduced last November).

Alternate Monday to Saturday daytime journeys are through services between North Bransholme and the Boothferry Estate with journeys from North Bransholme not serving Bond Street, Albion Street or Paragon Interchange in Hull City Centre, instead using Carr Lane. The other journeys in West Hull are 'shorts' that start at Paragon Interchange and operate the City Centre loop via Carr Lane. Evenings and Sundays all services from North Bransholme do serve Paragon Interchange, but not Carr Lane. All journeys from Boothferry Estate serve Paragon Interchange, but at the expense of Carr Lane (at least on through journeys to North Bransholme). 

The first journey from Hull Royal Infirmary (there is no City Centre timing point on journeys that don't serve Paragon Interchange) is at 0513 Monday to Saturday compared to 0430 Monday to Friday and 0615 Saturday pre-pandemic from the Interchange. From the Boothferry Estate the first departure is 0510 Monday to Saturday compared to 0502 Monday to Friday and 0628 Saturday. In the evenings the last service from Paragon Interchange is at 2320 Monday to Saturday compared to 2330 and from the Boothferry Estate at 2300 compared to 2350. This is perhaps a good time to note that the last service of the day Monday to Saturday from Paragon Interchange, previously numbered N2 and before that N62, is presently not extending beyond the Boothferry Estate to Hessle, North Ferriby and Brough. The Stagecoach website calls the N62 'suspended', which would indicate it hasn't been given up on entirely, though I imagine it has no chance of resuming until at least the night time economy is significantly more opened up again.

On Sundays the first service from the Paragon Interchange is at 0900 compared to 0745 pre-pandemic and at 0757 from the Boothferry Estate compared to 0800 pre-pandemic. Last service is at 2200 from Paragon Interchange compared to 2330 and from the Boothferry Estate at 2157 compared to 2325.

Turning to North Hull and pre-pandemic the 10 linked Paragon Interchange, Cleveland Street, Stoneferry Road, Leads Road, Sutton Road, Holwell Road, North Point Shopping Centre, Bude Road, Bodmin Road and North Bransholme, with some journeys continuing to the East Riding village of Wawne. Between Paragon Interchange and North Bransholme, the 10 operated every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, half hourly Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday daytimes and hourly Sunday evenings. Wawne was served hourly daily daytimes with some weekday peak extras and the last two services from Paragon Interchange (one on Sundays) also extending to the village. All evening and Sunday services operated as service 10a serving Kingswood Retail Park, Runnymede Lane (now covered by the 6), Richmond Lane and Kingsbury Way (now covered by the 11) whilst some weekday morning peak services from Paragon Interchange operated as service 10x via Sutton Fields Industrial Estate. Finally some early morning services Monday to Saturday from North Bransholme served Hull Royal Infirmary and Smith and Nephew.

Since 30th August the arrangements are a bit unusual with both service 2 and service 10 operating between Hull City Centre and North Bransholme, but to an un-coordinated timetable. The 10 also misses out Leads Road and Sutton Road, adopting a faster route via the southern-most section of Holwell Road (an old service 10 route). 

Looking at service 2 first, all North Bransholme services operate to/from the Boothferry Estate via Hull Royal Infirmary. There is a 2X variant for some morning peak services via Sutton Fields Industrial Estate to replace the 10x, whilst evening and Sunday services operate as 2A via Sutton Park which has lost most of it's evening services via Beverley Road to Paragon Interchange and otherwise has only an hourly, rather than half hourly pre-pandemic, Sunday daytime service. Frequency is every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, half hourly Sunday daytimes and hourly daily evenings.

Compared to the 10 pre-pandemic, first departure from North Bransholme on service 2 is at 0425 Monday to Saturday and 0815 Sunday compared to 0435 Monday to Friday, 0550 Saturday and 0800 Sunday. From Paragon Interchange the first service is at 0540 Monday to Saturday and 0820 Sunday rather than 0525 Monday to Friday, 0612 Saturday and 0810 Sunday. Last service from North Bransholme is at 2230 Monday to Saturday and 2115 Sunday as opposed to 2253 daily, whilst from Paragon Interchange it remains at 2330 Monday to Saturday and moves from 2330 to 2220 on Sundays.

Overlaid on top of this is service 10, which extends beyond North Bransholme to Wawne. Service 10 operates half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes, with some college day afternoon gaps. This gives Wawne double it's pre-pandemic Monday to Saturday daytime service, but no Sunday daytime or late evening service.

Overall frequency between Paragon Interchange and North Bransholme is therefore five buses an hour Monday to Saturday daytimes, an increase from four pre-pandemic,, but not on a co-ordinated every 12 minute frequency, instead two separate 20 and 30 minute frequency services. Sunday daytimes remain every half hour and Sunday evenings remain hourly, with Monday to Saturday evenings reduced from half hourly to hourly.

The improved access to Hull Royal Infirmary is a clear positive, and there are other smaller gains such as Wawne Monday to Saturday daytimes. However the un-coordinated five buses an hour to North Bransholme is messy, as are the routing arrangements in Hull City Centre westbound, especially with westbound journeys having different routes Monday to Saturday daytimes compared to evenings and Sundays.

Hull Service 6 becomes 'independent'

Stagecoach service 6 in Hull has become 'independent', at least in the sense that it no longer operates as a circular with service 7. I can't recall exactly when this change was implemented over the Summer, but this alteration has been in place since at least Stagecoach's Sunday 30th August changes. 

The service 6 route is largely unaltered compared to pre-pandemic when it was linked with service 7. From Hull Paragon Interchange it continues to operate direct via Beverley Road to Kingswood Leisure Park, then serves Kingswood Retail Park and the residential areas of Kingswood before using Pioneer Way to North Bransholme. It's North Bransholme where there has been a slight change, in that rather than changing to/from a service 7 here, the 6 now provides a one way loop around Pennine Way and Wawne Road, to maintain the North Bransholme to Kingswood and Beverley Road link (service 7 no longer serves North Bransholme, more on that in a future post). 

The half hourly Monday to Saturday daytime frequency provided pre-pandemic is also provided in the current (30th August) timetable, though the option of two additional services per hour via the longer service 7 route is no longer available for Kingswood residents. First services remain at similar times. The 6 is now the only service for Runnymede Lane in Kingswood, following the withdrawal of the 9 (again more in a future post). 

Due to these changes, Runnymede Lane and Pioneer Way no longer have links to North Point Shopping Centre. 

Service 6 has also gained an hourly evening and Sunday service, however it does partially replace other services. Along Beverley Road, compared to pre-pandemic, the 4 no longer has an evening service and has been reduced from half hourly to hourly on Sunday daytimes. The half hourly Monday to Saturday evening and Sunday daytime, and hourly Sunday evening 7A has been replaced with an hourly service 8 Monday to Saturday early evening and Sunday daytimes only. In Kingswood, the 6 replaces the 7A and 10A, the latter had also been operating half hourly Monday to Saturday evening and Sunday daytime, and hourly Sunday evening. As such the new evening and Sunday service 6 isn't as much of an enhancement as it might superficially appear, though it does at least simplify the Kingswood network. 

Stagecoach Services 3, 4 and 14 in Hull

Like most routes, services 3, 4 and 14 were impacted by Stagecoach's changes in Hull on Sunday 30th August. 

The 3 and 4 link Orchard Park, Hull City Centre and Greatfield via different routes, and since the Simplibus relaunch had, on most journeys, operated as a through service from one route to another at Greatfield Grange Road - not any more though. Now the 3 continues via Amethyst Road, replacing the 4, to perform an anti-clockwise loop around Barham Road and Staveley Road in Bilton Grange, with the 4 also using this loop to terminate rather than extending to Grange Road. 

Service 3 is currently operating every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, half hourly Sunday daytimes and at varying intervals between 30 and 65 minutes daily evenings. Compared to pre-COVID-19, this maintains the Monday to Friday and Sunday daytime frequency, reduces the Monday to Saturday evening frequency from half hourly all evening and increases the Saturday daytime frequency from every 15 minutes and the Sunday early evening frequency from hourly.

Looking in more detail, the first departure from Orchard Park is now at 0425 Monday to Saturday and 0745 Sunday compared to 0500 Monday to Friday, 0530 Saturday and 0800 Sunday pre-pandemic; from the new Bilton Grange terminus, the first departure is at 0440 Monday to Saturday and 0750 Sunday compared to 0430 Monday to Friday (to Paragon Interchange only), 0555 Saturday and 0745 Sunday from Greatfield. Mostly positive changes. 

At the end of the day the last service from Paragon Interchange to Orchard Park is at 2325 Monday to Saturday and 2230 Sunday, compared to 2330 daily; from Orchard Park the last departure is now at 2250 Monday to Saturday and 2150 Sunday compared to 2300 Monday to Saturday and 2230 Sunday. To Bilton Grange the last departure from Paragon Interchange is currently at 2320 Monday to Saturday and 2225 Sunday rather than 2330 Monday to Saturday and 2300 Sunday. From Bilton Grange the last departure is presently at 2250 Monday to Saturday and 2155 Sunday as opposed to 2237 Monday to Saturday and 2257 Sunday from the old Greatfield terminus. Not too bad considering the restrictions on the evening economy now in place.

The weekday off-peak half hourly extensions from Orchard Park to Bransholme North Point Shopping Centre via Sutton Park have not been resumed, leaving Cheltenham Avenue in Sutton Park unserved and no through bus from Orchard Park to Ennerdale Leisure Centre and Sutton Park (North Point has an indirect through service via routes 5 and 11). Also not resumed is the daily evening 3A variant, replaced by reinstating service 14's evening service, of which more later; instead all evening services now run as service 3. This simplification does have the effect of removing the evening only service from Hopewell Road in Greatfield however.

Service 4 has a couple of further route changes in addition to the new Bilton Grange loop; Marfleet Lane is no longer served, with services now routing between Holderness Road and Bilton Grange via Diadem Grove, and in Orchard Park, the 4 now follows the 5's route between Ellerburn Avenue and Tesco via the western part of Orchard Park Road and more of Hall Road, instead of taking the quicker route via the eastern part of Orchard Park Road. 

The service 4 daytime frequency remains every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday compared to pre-COVID-19, but drops from half hourly to hourly on Sundays. The first service from Orchard Park is currently 0550 Monday to Saturday and 0807 Sunday compared to 0608 Monday to Friday, 0555 Saturday and 0810 pre-pandemic. From Bilton Grange services start at 0655 Monday to Saturday and 0805 Sunday compared to 0610 Monday to Friday, 0605 Saturday and 0730 Sunday from the previous Grange Road terminus.

Evening services had been operating pre-COVID 19 as service 4A, omitting the Orchard Park Estate in favour of a direct routing from Orchard Park Tesco to Hull City Centre via Beverley Road, whilst in East Hull the 4A omitted parts of Holderness Road and Marfleet Lane to serve Portobello Street. The 4A operated half hourly Monday to Saturday and hourly Sunday. Now though, apart from some early evening Monday to Saturday journeys operating as service 4, the evening service has been withdrawn.

It is worth noting that for travel to/from Hull City Centre, the 4 duplicates other services for the vast majority of it's route, especially now the 3 serves Bilton Grange. 

Turning finally to service 14 between Hull Paragon Interchange and Greatfield Falkland Road, the daytime frequency is back at it's pre-pandemic 15 minute frequency Monday to Saturday, but is hourly rather than half hourly Sundays. First departures are 0555 from Greatfield Monday to Saturday and 0835 Sunday, compared to 0555 Monday to Friday, 0700 Saturday and 0805 Sunday pre-COVID-19. From Paragon Interchange the 14 presently starts at 0720 Monday to Saturday and 0800 Sunday compared to 0720 Monday to Friday, 0715 Saturday and 0830 Sunday.

As already mentioned, the 14 has it's evening service restored, replacing the 3A and 4A variations and simplifying the network, albeit hourly daily rather than half hourly Monday to Saturday and hourly Sunday. Falkland Road, which was and is now only served by the 14, regains an evening service. (I say the 14's evening service has been restored, but pre-pandemic Monday to Saturday there was a solitary 2330 departure from Paragon Interchange).

Stagecoach along Hessle Road

Stagecoach haven't returned to pre-Covid-19 service patterns or overall frequencies along Hessle Road in Hull, though for some customers, frequencies have actually improved compared to the start of the year.

Service 1 between Hull Paragon Interchange, the Thornton Estate, Hessle Road and the Boothferry Estate, where it operates as a circular with service 2, was reduced in frequency last November in favour of a rerouted service 20 Priory Park Park and Ride along Hessle Road. This meant the weekday daytime frequency dropped from every 10 to every 15 minutes and on Saturday daytimes the frequency reduced from every 15 to every 20 minutes. Since 30th August the Monday to Saturday daytime frequency of service 1 is every 10 minutes, reversing last year's weekday change and more than reversing the Saturday change. For the Thornton Estate and travellers between the Boothferry Estate and Hessle Road in particular this is an enhancement.

Looking at the rest of the service 1 timetable, Monday to Saturday evenings are currently hourly rather than half hourly pre-pandemic; Sunday's remain half hourly daytimes, hourly evenings. The weekday early morning 1K variation that saw journeys from Boothferry Estate to Hull City Centre extend to Kingswood Retail Park via Stoneferry Road and Sutton Fields Industrial Estate has been withdrawn, and the number of 1W variations via Smith and Nephew rather than the Thornton Estate has been reduced.

The first journey from Paragon Interchange is at 0510 Monday to Saturday and 0830 Sundays, rather than 0435 Monday to Friday, 0600 Saturday or 0730 Sunday. From the Boothferry Estate, the first journey is now at 0433 Monday to Saturday and 0820 Sunday rather than 0500 Monday to Friday, 0642 Saturday and 0815 Sunday. Positives, especially on Saturdays, and Negatives. Last journeys in the evening are understandably mostly earlier at the current time; 2235 rather than 2330 Monday to Saturday and 2130 rather than 2300 Sunday from Paragon Interchange; 2338 rather than 2330 Monday to Saturday and 2220 rather than 2355 Sunday from the Boothferry Estate.

Priory Park Park and Ride service 20 has reverted to using the A63 Clive Sullivan Way en-route between Priory Park, Hull Royal Infirmary and Hull City Centre, rather than Hessle Road. The service frequency has been reduced to every 20 minutes rather than every 15 minutes pre-pandemic. This is pushing the limits of 'turn up and go', but again an understandable cut in the current environment. The first departure from Priory Park is at 0700 rather than 0730. Early Evening variation 22 via Askew Avenue and the KC Stadium is not operating, with journeys remaining as service 20 instead (though service 22 remains on the Stagecoach Hull bus map). 

For Hessle Road compared to pre-pandemic, with the 20 rerouted away, Stagecoach are down from eight to six services per hour Monday to Friday daytimes and from seven to six per hour on Saturdays. Still frequent, still 'turn up and go'. 

East Yorkshire Buses: (Almost) Back to Normal Since July

East Yorkshire Buses returned to normal timetables across most of the Humber Region on 5th July. Coastal services 129 and 130 remained on their winter timetables until 19th July, but have been operating as normal for the time of year since then.

The Bridlington Beachcomber Open Top Service did not operate this year as far as I'm aware, and Hull nightbuses 106 and 107 understandably remain suspended. Also, due to the 2200 mandatory closing for pubs and restaurants, since Friday (2nd October), the Friday and Saturday only 2300 journey from York to Holme on Spalding Moor on service 18 now departs at 2230 'until further notice'.

On the positive side, the Summer service 12/13 Coaster timetable between Bridlington and Scarborough has been extended to Sunday 29th November this year, rather than reverting to a Winter timetable in early November as normal. This means the Bridlington to Scarborough frequency will be half hourly rather than hourly for an extra month.

Thornes 1 Re-routed

Following the withdrawal by Arriva of service 4 between Goole, Howden, Hemingbrough, Cliffe, Osgodby and Selby at the end of August, Thornes Independent have re-routed their service 1 via Hemingbrough, Cliffe and Osgodby, to provide a limited off peak service to these villages on Monday and Friday. The 1 links Holme on Spalding Moor (Monday Only), Bubwith and North Duffield to Selby with one journey morning journey to Selby and an afternoon return, though with the new route and timetable, Thornes have added a one-way additional Selby to Hemingbrough morning 'short' at 1020. Afternoon return times from Selby have been consolidated at 1300, rather than 1215 Friday and 1345 Monday.

Arriva Changes in the East Riding

From Bank Holiday Monday, 31st August, Arriva are making some extensive changes to their Selby area services. Arriva's services into the East Riding of Yorkshire are included in these revisions, as detailed below.

The biggest change is the withdrawal of service 4, and associated college variant X4, with only the X4 being replaced. Service 4 links Goole Town Centre, Goole Hospital and Howden with the North Yorkshire villages of Hemingbrough, Cliffe and Osgodby, before terminating in Selby. Monday to Friday the 4 offers an off peak service of three journeys from Goole to Selby, two from Selby to Goole and a single additional service in each direction between Hemingbrough and Selby. The X4 (pre COVID-19 suspension) provided an additional service between Goole and Selby in each direction on college days only. Service 4 also operates on Saturdays, with four return journeys between Hemingbrough and Selby only.

The main loss from the cancellation of the 4 is in North Yorkshire, with Hemingbrough, Cliffe and Osgodby set to be without an off peak or Saturday bus service. For the East Riding, Howden no longer has a bus link to Selby (college service excepted) and there are set to be slightly less services between Goole and Howden (link maintained by East Yorkshire services 155/X55) and Goole and Selby. Arriva state "unfortunately the number of customers using this route has been in decline for some time, and the service is no longer financially viable".

Service X4 is replaced largely by new service 3 between Thorne, Moorends, Rawcliffe Bridge, Goole Hospital, Hemingbrough, Cliffe, Osgodby, Selby College and Selby Bus Station. The 3 will operate on college days only at 'peak-time'. I cannot currently find a timetable but Arriva note there will be a morning bus to Selby and a return bus in the afternoon. It is also worth noting that Thornes Independent operate service 4A between Hemingbrough, Cliffe, Osgodby, Barlby and Selby Monday to Friday, with a 0750 departure from Hemingbrough and 1610 return from Selby Bus Station; on schooldays this also serves Selby schools.

For Howden the X4 is replaced by new service 2 between Newport, Gilberdyke, Eastrington, Howden, Airmyn, Camblesforth, Selby College and Selby. There is also a new (for Arriva) service 1 between Market Weighton, Holme on Spalding Moor, Bubwith, North Duffield, Selby College and Selby. Like the 3, I can't currently find an available timetable, but Arriva state they are both peak time college day only services. The 1 does provide a little extra flexibility from Holme on Spalding Moor, Bubwith and North Duffield to Selby alongside Thornes Monday and Friday service 1.

Arriva's main route into the East Riding will remain the 401 between Goole, Rawcliffe, West Cowick, Snaith and Selby, which continues to operate hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes but to a revised timetable. The Monday to Friday service 400 variation via Goole Hospital and Airmyn, which operated at peak and college times, is withdrawn in favour of all services running as route 401; the new services 2 and 3 provide a replacement for Selby College passengers and Airmyn retains a Monday to Friday off peak service on East Yorkshire service 88. So far I can only find the new 401 timetable on bustimes.org, but it seems the Monday to Friday 0702 Rawcliffe to Selby 'short' is withdrawn (first service from Rawcliffe now at 0718), as is the 1810 Selby to West Cowick 'short'  (last service now at 1745 weekdays or 1717 Saturdays) and the Monday to Friday 1823 Goole to Selby (last service now at 1740).

Blog Notice

When bus services started to be cut in March due to COVID-19, I decided not to try to follow all the changes in the Humber region. It would have been very time consuming and not particularly enjoyable for someone who wants to see buses thrive. Now that the situation is moving back more towards normality, it's time to start covering developments again, or at least those which look to be permanent or non-COVID-19 related.

80 reroute in Hessle

From Monday 6th April, East Yorkshire will be rerouting service 80 between Hessle and Beverley within Hessle. Currently the 80 operates between Beverley Road and First Lane via Richmond Road and Seaton Road, along which it is the only service. Due to this route "frequently being blocked by badly parked cars", the 80 is to be rerouted via the parallel Sunningdale Road and Cottesmore Road (the service 66 route). There are no timetable changes associated with this.

Bridlington to Scarborough Changes

East Yorkshire commence their Summer timetable on the 12 and 13 'Coaster' branded services between Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough on Saturday 7th March - Summer on these routes running for 8 months of the year. Times of many journeys are changed slightly compared to the 2019 Summer timetable, with the more significant alterations covered below. The 'core' daily daytime service remains 1 service 12 per hour, 1 full route service 13 per hour and 1 service 13 'short' per hour between Scarborough and Filey, creating a 20 minute combined frequency between Filey and Scarborough, and two buses per hour between Bridlington and Scarborough (half hourly from Bridlington, 20/40 minute spacing from Scarborough). All comparisons are between the Summer 2019 timetable, and the East Yorkshire website timetable for the 7th, 8th and 9th of March 2020.

The Monday to Friday only service 119 from Primrose Valley (south of Filey) to Scarborough via Eastfield Industrial Estate (south of Scarborough) is replaced by a Monday to Friday only 0630 service 12A from Bridlington to Scarborough via Eastfield Industrial Estate. This provides an arrival from Bridlington into Scarborough nearly an hour earlier than previously available.

The daily evening timetable is enhanced for travel between Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough, and for passengers to/from the various holiday villages along the coast served by service 13, though is reduced for passengers on service 12 which focuses on the villages between the towns rather than the holiday centres. The 2020 service 12 and 2050 service 13 departures from Bridlington Bus Station are replaced by service 13 departures at 2000, 2100 and 2200; the last service 12 departure from Bridlington is now at 1930. Leaving Scarborough the 1845 service 13 and 1945 service 12 departures are replaced by service 13 departures at 1840, 1940 and 2040, plus a 2140 from Scarborough to Reighton Sands Holiday Village; the last service 12 departure from Scarborough is now at 1810. (The service 12 last departures are in line with the winter timetable).

Nightbus 106 Changes

East Yorkshire are amending Saturday nightbus 106 from 29th February. The first three journeys at 2330, 0030 and 0130 from Hull Old Town to Cottingham via the University remain unaltered. However the 0225 from Spiders Nightclub on Cleveland Street to Cottingham via the City Centre is replaced by two journeys from Spiders to Hull University only, at 0215 and 0245. The 0215 will operate year round but the 0245 only during University Term Times. These two 'shorts' have no timing points between the George Street/Charlotte Street stop (on the edge of Hull City Centre) and the Beverley Road/Trafalgar Street stop so would appear to operate via Freetown Way, omitting most of the City Centre.

East Yorkshire's announcement states 'Our Late Night Service 106 is proving so popular that we're adding an extra journey', and for travel during university term times between Spiders, The Welly Club and Hull University that is true. The change does represent a cut though for anyone travelling from the majority of Hull City Centre and/or to Cottingham, whose last service will be an hour earlier. To have a nightbus at all though is a rarity these days sadly, and it should be noted The Lawns student accommodation in Cottingham closed last year, so a reduction in Cottingham demand would not be surprising.  

New Wren Kitchens Commuter Bus

Stagecoach will be introducing new Monday to Friday service 255 from Hull Paragon Interchange to the Wren Kitchens HQ in Barton on Monday 3rd February. Departures will leave Paragon Interchange at 0605, 0805, 1425, 1630 and 1730, and Wren Kitchens at 1550, 1720 and 1810. The 255 will follow the 250 Humber Flyer route from Paragon Interchange via Anlaby Road, Boothferry Road and the Humber Bridge to Ferriby Road in Barton and then operate via the Market Place and Barrow Road to Wren Kitchens.

The new service 255 journeys come at the 'expense' of some of the 250 Humber Flyer 'shorts' between Hull, Barton and Humberside Airport, but I'm not sure this will be a huge issue as I often see the 'shorts' arriving and departing Humberside Airport empty, or almost empty. Service 250 journeys withdrawn, all Monday to Friday only, are the 0645 from Paragon Interchange to Barton Market Place, the 0825, 1425, 1630 and 1730 from Paragon Interchange to Humberside Airport and the 1525, 1740 and 1840 from Humberside Airport to Paragon Interchange.

Reviewing in more detail the changes and their impact on the overall Hull to Barton service, the first service from Hull to Barton will be 15 minutes earlier than at present with the 0605 service 255, but there will be a 35 minute gap between the 0620 and 0655 service 350 departures from Hull to Barton - probably not a significant issue at that time of day. The new 0605 presumably works 'onto' the 0723 Barton Market Place to Hull service 250. The replacement of the 0825 255 with the 0805 250 is a very slight worsening of the Hull to Barton service at this time of day, which fits in between the 0755 and 0840 service 350 departures from Hull to Barton, but again probably not a significant issue at this time of day heading out of Hull. The 0805 service 255 presumably works 'dead' upon on arrival at Wren Kitchens to Humberside Airport to 'pick up' the 0925 service 250 from the airport to Hull.

In the afternoon, the 1425, 1630 and 1730 departures from Hull Paragon Interchange becoming a 255 rather than 250 means they will not serve the Interchange, Butts Road or Pasture Road in Barton, which is unfortunate and does slightly undermine the afternoon every 15 minutes service from Hull to these areas of Barton. Three buses an hour is still very good though. Likewise replacing the 1525 service 250 from Humberside Airport with the 1550 from Wren Kitchens not serving Pasture Road, Butts Road and Barton Interchange, and also serving the opposite side of the Market Place to other 'Hull-bound' journeys, does 'spoil' the 'headline' 15 minute service, but in this direction at this time of day, I don't think it's a major issue. 

The replacement of the 1740 and 1840 service 250 journeys from Humberside Airport with the 1720 and 1810 service 255 from Wren Kitchens is actually an improvement between Barton and Hull however, as between Barton and Hull these 250 journeys had been leaving at the same time as service 350 journeys, but will no longer do so.

Last year Wren Kitchens received approval for a new factory adjacent to their Barton HQ which will generate an initial 525-535 extra jobs, potentially rising to 1260-1285 extra positions. The planning application economic impact assessment noted that in April 2019, Wren Kitchens employed 1551 people at Barton, with 807 (52%) living in a HU (Hull and East Riding) postcode. There is an existing market for Stagecoach to serve here, and one that will grow significantly when the new factory opens. With largely concentrated shift start and end times, it seems ideal for commuter bus services, and any reduction in cars travelling through Barton Town Centre is very welcome on air quality, congestion and safety grounds. On an anecdotal basis, my personal observations are that there is a near constant flow of vehicles coming off the Humber Bridge through Barton to Wren Kicthens around 0630-0640 each morning. There is also a lot of vehicles leaving the site around 1730.

Hopefully the 255 will provide some useful 'contraflow' traffic to the overall Hull to Barton service and help ensure the success of Stagecoach's increase of the Barton to Hull service to four departures an hour Monday to Saturday daytime.

The 250 Humber Flyer journeys serving Grimsby and Cleethorpes are unaffected, as is the Saturday service.

Transport for the North Proposals for the Humber

I never got round to covering this at the time, but last year (2019), Transport for the North released various reports containing suggestions for how to improve the north's transport network. Below are some of the ideas covering the Humber area and I have tried to leave out those which are already confirmed as going ahead. Not much in the way of detail or timelines though and then there is the issue of funding the ideas.

New Station Between Habrough and Barnetby

The suggestion that caught my attention the most was the idea of a new station between Habrough and Barnetby, listed under the outcome of "Improve access to International Gateways in the Southern Pennines SDC". That could indicate the new station is meant to serve Immingham Docks, but Habrough does that and Immingham Docks is only an international gateway for freight, or it could be a reference to the Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport TransPennine Express (TPE) service calling at the potential new station. The other option though is that the new station would be sited near Humberside Airport.

Leaving Humberside Airport aside for a minute, there probably is not the need for a new station if it wasn't for the constraints on expanding parking at Barnetby station. Barnetby is ideally sited as a parkway station being close to the A15, A18, A180 and M180; however there is limited room for extra parking and access involves travelling through parts of the residential area of the village and then up a narrow lane to the station. Making more use of Habrough station, which started last month as almost all TPE services now call there, can potentially help if all Immingham area passengers now use Habrough rather than Barnetby, but Habrough is very unlikely to be attractive for potential users from say Brigg or Caistor.

So long term there maybe a need for a new station. Unless a new station is built at Wrawby Junction with a new access road from the A18 which would be very expensive, then there will be a need to look east of Barnetby, or accept that a new station could not serve the Lincoln and Brigg lines. Taking the latter option, which it does not seem is under consideration in any case, where the Wrawby Junction to Scunthorpe line crosses the A18 between Wrawby and Barnetby could be a potential new station location, but the railway is in a cutting here from what I recall, so again a new station would be expensive. Elsham station could be reopened, but road access would not be good from the likes of Caistor.

East of Barnetby the logical location to me would be where the railway crosses the A18, which happens to be in the vicinity of Humberside Airport. Such a location could form a parkway station not only for local villages but even for customers as far away as Louth who could travel on the A16/A18 to access the station. There could also be very limited commuter use for the airport business park and Singleton Birch at Melton Ross. It's not perfect though; the airport terminal would be slightly beyond walking distance, not that the airport would likely generate many rail passengers, and any traffic from the west (e.g. Brigg) would have to travel through Melton Ross village on the A18 to access the site. As such I expect any new station would be a reliever for Barnetby, not a replacement.

Services between Hull and Doncaster

For future services between Hull and Doncaster the following is suggested:

• 1 per hour Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) fast service via Selby
• 2 per hour 'conventional' fast services via Selby
• 1 per hour stopping service via Goole

At present there are two services an hour via Goole and some hours a further service via Selby (mostly provided via Hull Trains). The extra services between Hull and Doncaster are welcome, but what about Goole that currently has a fast service every hour as well as the stopping service? The idea could be to add a Goole to Doncaster stopping service and/or have a regular Hull-Goole-Pontefract-Leeds service, which could mitigate for the loss of the current fast service via Goole, but that is just speculation on my part.

Other Rail Possibilities

Other ideas mentioned, all of which sound positive:

• Gauge enhancements and journey time improvements between Hull Docks and Selby for railfreight
• Hull to Scarborough journey time and frequency improvements
• Hull to York service improvements (further details not specified)
• An 'additional NPR service' between Cleethorpes, Doncaster and Sheffield. Does that imply the current TPE service between Cleethorpes and Manchester Airport will be part of NPR (hopefully so), hence a second service between Cleethorpes and Sheffield being an additional NPR service? 
• Journey time and capacity improvements between Cleethorpes and Doncaster - this is listed under 'before 2027' in the proposed investment programme (table 3)

Road Suggestions

I don't usually cover road schemes on here, but quickly some of the road schemes suggested for the Humber area:

• A63 relief route
• A63 technology improvements
• A63/A1033 junction improvements (unspecified as what the improvements would be)
• New M62 junctions between Goole and Selby (locations not specified)
• A1079 Hull to York improvements (unspecified)
• Dualling the A164 between the Humber Bridge and Willerby - this would then link up with the existing dual carriageway between Willerby and Castle Hill Hospital.
• A180 upgrade (unspecified) 
• Grimsby western relief road
• 'A15 junctions (A63 to M180) including A1077 improvements' - presumably something is being worked up for the section of the A15 between the Humber Bridge and Barnetby Top, as well as for the A1077
• A15 improvements (unspecified) between the M180 and Lincoln

Links

Central Pennines Strategic Programme Outline Case

Investment Programme

Passenger Rail Strategic Programme Outline Case

Southern Pennines Strategic Programme Outline Case