Beverley Locals

On Monday 6th September, East Yorkshire revamped it's Beverley Town Services with new routes B1 and B2 - branded Beverley Locals - replacing it's previous 520 and 521 services, plus in part also replacing the Acklams Coaches operated tendered 522.

Service 520 and 521 had each operated hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes off peak from Beverley Sow Hill Bus Station to the Swinemoor Estate, providing a 30 minutes combined frequency. The 520 also served Holme Church Lane and Flemingate, whilst the 521 additionally covered East Riding Community Hospital and Grovehill Road. Meanwhile service 522 served Lincoln Way and Normandy Avenue every hour off peak and during the evening peak; Lincoln Way is now covered by East Yorkshire's 25.

The new B1 operates from Molescroft Butterfly Meadows via the old 122 route to Sow Hill Bus Station, then via the Railway Station, Swinemoor Estate, East Riding Community Hospital and Holme Church Lane replacing the 520 and 521, before serving Hull Road and Lidl and using the relatively new Minster Way (effectively Beverley Southern Bypass) to Morrisons. From Morrisons the B1 routes via Normandy Avenue back to Beverley Bus Station, including serving Armstrong Way for Flemingate and the Railway Station again. The B2 then operates the same in reverse.

The B1 and B2 each operate hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes, reducing to two hourly in the peaks Monday to Friday. There is also an evening service every 90 minutes on each route on Fridays and Saturdays.

Overall the Beverley Locals have a number of positives, but also one negative on the old Beverley Town Network. On the positive side is the new peaktime provision for most areas of the town, and the new evening services on Friday and Saturday. A 2357 last departure from Beverley Bus Station to Molescroft is later than anything from Hull City Centre these days! There are new links to Lidl and Morrisons, and almost all parts of Beverley and Molescroft now have a through bus to the Community Hospital.

The one negative I can see is the Swinemoor Estate Monday to Saturday daytimes - whilst it does still have two buses an hour to and from Beverley Town Centre, it's effectively reduced to one. Taking the Warton Avenue timing point, the direct B2 leaves at 28 minutes past the hour, is timed at Greenwood Avenue at 38 minutes past the hour, then arrives at the Bus Station at 45 minutes past the hour. The indirect B1 leaves Greenwood Avenue at 20 past the hour, Warton Avenue at 30 minutes past the hour, arriving at the Bus Station at 58 minutes past the hour. Unless you turn up at Warton Avenue at 29 minutes past the hour, the indirect service is unlkely to be used for town centre travel. The indirect service is similarly off little use in the opposite direction for travel between Beverley Town Centre and the Swinemoor Estate. In addition most of Grovehill Road is now unserved.

With the introduction of the B1 and B2 to Molescroft, the 122 between Hull, Beverley and Molescroft - currently temporarily suspended due to driver shortages - has been slightly revised. Copandale Road and Scrubwood Lane are now omitted and left to the B1 and B2, with the 122 operating direct via Woodhall Way. Buses towards Molescroft now operate via the entirety of Woodhall Way, with St Lenoard's Road covered by the B2. For Molescroft, the B1 and B2 double their East Yorkshire operated Monday to Saturday daytime service from hourly to twice an hour, but unfortunately with 15 and 45 minute intervals between services.