Monday 28 December 2020

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.

Sunday 27 December 2020

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. 

Saturday 26 December 2020

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.

Friday 25 December 2020

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. 

Monday 21 December 2020

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.

Sunday 20 December 2020

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.

    Saturday 19 December 2020

    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.

    Sunday 13 December 2020

    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.

    Friday 11 December 2020

    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.

    Sunday 6 December 2020

    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.