255 New Year Changes

Last time Wren Kitchens changed their shift arrangements at their Barton HQ, I said that there were positives and negatives for other travellers between Barton and Hull, and from Sunday 2nd January it will be the same again as service 255 between Barton and Hull is revised. There are also some positives for travel within the City of Hull.

However first of all, the 255 gained three extra Monday to Friday journeys from Monday 8th November; they never made it to the Stagecoach pdf timetable or got a formal announcement on the Stagecoach website, but did get onto bustimes.org. Journeys added were at 1325 from Hull Interchange (temporarily restoring the 15 minute frequency from Hull to Barton for 90 minutes between 1240 and 1410) and at 1450 and 2320 from Wren Kitchens in Barton.

Returning to the 2nd January changes, and Monday to Saturday they are as follows:

• The Tuesday to Friday only 0345 from Barton Wren Kitchens to the Beverley Road/Clough Road junction in Hull is extended to North Bransholme and operates daily.
• The 0550 from the Beverley Road/Clough Road junction to Barton Wren Kitchens now starts back in North Bransholme at 0520, serving North Point at 0535. This somewhat fills the gap between the 0435 255 from North Point via Sutton Park to Paragon Interchange (and beyond to Barton) and the 0553 first service 8 of the day from North Point via Sutton Park.
• The 0620 from Barton Wren Kitchens to the Beverley Road/Clough Road junction is retimed to 0545 and extended to North Bransholme. The current 0620 does get some use from Barton, so these passengers will have to either travel 35 minutes earlier or use slightly later 250 or 350 journeys.
• The 0805 from Hull Paragon Interchange to Barton Wren Kitchens now starts in North Bransholme at 0720.
• The Monday to Friday only 1325 from Paragon Interchange to Barton Wren Kitchens now departs at 1335 - no doubt better for a 1430 start at Wren, but creates an unfortunate 25-5 minute interval in the Hull to Barton timetable.
• The Monday to Friday only 1450 from Barton Wren Kitchens is extended to North Bransholme.
• The Monday to Friday only 1530 from the Beverley Road/Clough Road junction to Barton Wren Kitchens will also operate on Saturdays.
• The 1645 from the Beverley Road/Clough Road junction to Barton Wren Kitchens will start at Paragon Interchange at 1705 instead; this does remove the current situation of a 1700 250 and 1700 255 leaving the Interchange at the same time.
• The Monday to Friday only 1710 from Barton Wren Kitchens to the Beverley Road/Clough Road junction in Hull is extended to North Bransholme and also operates on Saturdays.
• The 1750 from Barton Wren Kitchens to the Beverley Road/Clough Road junction in Hull is extended to North Bransholme. The last service 7 from Hull Paragon Interchange is at 1747, whereas the 255 departs at 1830 so this could be a useful slightly later link from Beverley Road to Bransholme and North Bransholme. It also fits is relatively well between the 1810 and 1910 service 8's from Paragon Interchange to Sutton Park.
• The 1830 from Hull Paragon Interchange to Barton Wren Kitchens is withdrawn; there is a 1835 service 350 as an alternative. 
• The 1920 from Barton Wren Kitchens to the Beverley Road/Clough Road junction in Hull is withdrawn.
• There is a new Monday to Saturday 2235 from Hull Paragon Interchange to Barton Wren Kitchens - this is very welcome as the current last service from Hull to Barton is at 2020.
• The Monday to Friday only 2320 from Barton Wren Kitchens is extended to North Bransholme and also operates on Saturdays. Probably not the intention, but this journey is the closest service to a nightbus in Hull now, and departs Hull Truck Theatre at 0000.

A more general side-effect of these changes are more services between Hull Royal Infirmary, Beverley Road, Sutton Park, Bransholme and North Bransholme - again probably not intentional but welcome.

On Sundays the 255 is withdrawn entirely apart from a new 0345 from Barton Wren Kitchens to North Bransholme. This means there is now no arrival from Barton into Hull between 0425 and 1025, and the return of the three hour gap in departures from Hull to Barton between 1530 and 1830.

New Wren Kitchens Workers Service 455

Stagecoach are introducing a new service from Cleethorpes for employees at Wren Kitchens in Barton on Tuesday 4th January, numbered 455. Whilst very much aimed at Wren commuters, it does appear to be a public bus service.

The 455 will depart Cleethorpes Pier at 0415 Monday to Saturday, returning from Barton at 1710. Whilst the service isn't yet in Stagecoach's journey planner, nor on bustimes.org or traveline, going by Stagecoach's pdf timetable, it will operate the service 250 route from Cleethorpes via Grimsby Town Centre to Grimsby College, before serving the Nunsthorpe, Laceby Acres and Wybers Wood estates in Grimsby. The next timing point is Stallingborough Roundabout, so presumably also serves Healing, then Immingham, South Killingholme, Ulceby, Thornton Curtis and Barrow before arriving at Wren Kitchens.

The 455 will be the only non-schools timetabled bus service for South Killingholme. 

Also noteworthy, and almost certainty incidental rather than intentional, is that the morning 455 does offer a connection onto the new 0545 service 255 from Barton to Hull, providing a 0625 arrival into Hull City Centre from North East Lincolnshire. Based on timings at Wren Kitchens this is a 6 minute connection in Barton, though as Wren Kitchens is private property, anyone wanting to make such a journey would need to get off the 455 on Falkland Way in Barton and make the short walk to Barton Cemetery for the 255.

Humber Fastcat and 355 January Changes.

With effect from Sunday 2nd January, Stagecoach will be slightly revising their timetable for the 350 Humber Fastcat between Hull, Barton and Scunthorpe, seemingly in connection with revised shift times at Wren Kitchens in Barton. In total five journeys are altered:

• The Saturday 0815 from Scunthorpe to Hull will depart at 0755 and run via Wren Kitchens in Barton, as already occurs Monday to Friday.
• The Saturday 1545 from Scunthorpe to Hull will operate via Wren Kitchens in Barton, matching the equivalent Monday to Friday departure.
• The Monday to Saturday 1715 from Hull to Scunthorpe will operate via Wren Kitchens in Barton, but the 1745 and 1835 departures from Hull to Scunthorpe cease to do so.

As a result of these changes, the Monday to Friday and Saturday timetables will once again be identical. There are no changes to the 350 Humber Fastcat on Sundays.

Associated service 355 between Scunthorpe and Barton Wren Kitchens is also revised. The 0345 from Barton will operate daily rather than Tuesday to Friday mornings, whilst the Monday, Saturday and Sunday only 0620 from Barton is withdrawn. The 1710 from Barton will operate on Saturdays as well as Monday to Friday, but the Sunday only 1655 from Scunthorpe and 1820 and 1920 from Barton will also be withdrawn. The withdrawal of the 1655 does see the Sunday late afternoon service from Scunthorpe to Barton revert back to a 3 hour gap between the 1510 and 1810 Humber Fastcat's.

In connection with changes to the 255, it will be possible to travel from Scunthorpe to Hull and arrive as early as 0625, by using the 0455 355 from Scunthorpe and changing in Barton. It's a shame the service isn't a through 350 service, as Monday to Friday at least the 0455 355 has been worked by an Enviro400 MMC, so I think must be operated by Stagecoach's Hull depot rather than Scunthorpe depot - Hull depot also work the 255.

Christmas and New Year Bus Services 2021/2022

It's the time of year again for 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 (excluding JustGo)
• First South Yorkshire (Doncaster Area)
• First York
• Grayscroft Coaches
• Hornsby Travel
• Hunts Coaches
• PC Coaches
• Stagecoach 
• York Pullman (obtained via itravelyork.info)

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.

Monday 20st December to Thursday 23rd December:

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

Christmas Eve:

Predominately a normal Friday service finishing between approximately 1800 and 2000, with the following exceptions:

• CallConnect, First South Yorkshire and Stagecoach will operate a Saturday service.
• Stagecoach services 10 (Burringham-Scunthorpe), 25 (Market Rasen-Grimsby), 35 (Amcotts-Scunthorpe), 60 (Whitton-Scunthorpe), 79 (Hedon-Hull), 90 (Crowle-Scunthorpe), 260 (Barton Villager) and 277 (Hedon-Hull) will operate as normal.

Christmas Day:

No services.

Boxing Day:

No services, apart from a limited service operated by East Yorkshire (see below). This is notable in that Stagecoach will not be operating any city services in Hull on Boxing Day this year, compared to the Sunday service offered last year between 0900 and 1800, and the predominately hourly service on main routes provided for a number of years prior.

East Yorkshire will be operating the following daytime services:

• 56: Wymersely Road-Hull-Asda Bilton - Half 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

Compared to last year, the 56 is increased from hourly to half hourly, and is extended to operate between Hull City Centre and Wymersley Road, in part replacing the hourly 34 between Hull and Willerby that isn't operating this year. Also not operating this year, compared to 2020, are the 12 between Bridlington and Scarborough and the X47 between Pocklington and York (the X46 still provides a service to some of the X47 communities).

Bank Holidays Monday 27th December & Tuesday 28th December:

A Sunday service will be provided, with the exception of East Yorkshire who will provide a hybrid timetable that is a mix of almost normal Saturday timetables on some routes and service levels that are higher than Sundays but lower than Saturdays on others, with elements of Monday & Tuesday evening and Sunday provision mixed in - summary below:

• 12: Bridlington-Scarborough - Sunday service (which other than early mornings, is the same as Monday-Saturday).
• 23: Hull-Beverley - Saturday service from Hull, Cannot get the timetable from Beverley to show on the East Yorkshire website, but assume that it is also the same or very similar to Saturdays.
• 24: Hull-Hornsea - Saturday service apart from no 0630 Hornsea-Hull.
• 25: Hessle-Beverley-Hornsea - Saturday service apart from the 0700 from Hornsea starts in Beverley at 0745, whilst there is no 2340 from Beverley to Hornsea (as is usual for a Monday/Tuesday).
• 45/45A/46: Bridlington-Pocklington-York - Hourly daytime service between Pocklington to York (as normal for Monday to Saturday), 3 journeys in each direction extend to/from Bridlington (Mon-Sat usually extends hourly to Market Weighton then two hourly to Bridlington and two hourly to Holme on Spalding Moor).
• 54: Hull-Willerby - Half Hourly Daytime and Hourly Evening service.
• 55: Hull-Gilberdyke-Goole - Saturday service between Hull and Gilberdyke only, with no 0635 Gilberdyke-Hull, 0725 Elloughton-Goole or 0800 Hull-Gilberdyke. No service between Gilberdyke and Goole.
• 56: Wymersley Road-Hull-Asda Bilton - Half Hourly Daytime and Hourly Evening service.
• 57: Hessle-Hull-Asda Bilton - Half Hourly Daytime and Hourly Evening service.
• 63: Hull-Castle Hill Hospital - Saturday service from Hull apart from no 0610 and 2330 departures (the latter does not normally operate on a Monday/Tuesday, Cannot get the timetable from Castle Hill to show in full on the East Yorkshire website, but assume that it is also the same or very similar to Saturdays.
• 66: Hull-Hessle - Every 20 minutes Daytimes and Hourly Evening service.
• 75: Hull-Withernsea - Saturday service except no 0530, 0600 or 1847 from Withernsea and no 0645, 0715 or 2010 from Hull (the evening provision therefore matches a normal Monday and Tuesday)
• 104: Hull-Castle Hill Hospital - Half Hourly Daytime and Hourly Evening service.
• 105: Hull-Castle Hill Hospital - Saturday service, except no 0655 from Hull, 0700 and 0730 from Castle Hill.
• 121: Hull-Beverley-Bridlington - Saturday daytime service, except no 0605 or 0705 from Beverley to Hull. Normal Monday/Tuesday evening service.
• 130: Hornsea-Bridlington - Weekend service.
• 152: Hull-Anlaby-Bridgehead Business Park - Hourly daytime service with hourly early evening Hull to Anlaby 'shorts' (normal frequency but at different times).
• 153: Hull-Swanland - Hourly daytime service (normal frequency but at different times).
• 154: Hull-Castle Hill Hospital - Half Hourly Daytime and Hourly Evening service.
• 350: Hull-Scunthorpe - Sunday service
• X7: Hull-Withernsea - Saturday service
• X46/X47: Hull to York - Saturday daytime service, apart from no 0620 Pocklington to York X47 and the 0702 York to Hull X46 starting in Pocklington at 0740, with the usual Monday/Tuesday evening service.

The above covers all routes usually served on a Sunday, plus some that aren't. All references to normal timetables relate to the current temporary timetables due to the driver shortage.

Wednesday 29th December:

Predominantly a Saturday service, with the following exceptions:

• Hornsby Travel and PC Coaches will operate a normal Wednesday service.
• East Yorkshire services 88 (Goole-Rawcliffe Bridge) and 360/361 (Goole-Scunthorpe) will operate as normal.
• Stagecoach services 35 (Amcotts-Scunthorpe), 60 (Whitton-Scunthorpe), 90 (Crowle-Scunthorpe) and 260 (Barton Villager) will operate as normal.
• York Pullman services 36/X36 (Pocklington-Sutton Upon Derwent-York) will operate as normal.
• East Yorkshire service 142 (Cherry Burton-Beverley) will not operate.
• East Yorkshire services B1/B2/18/25/54/63/75/121/X47 Friday and Saturday only evening journeys will not operate (normal Wednesday evening journeys on the 25/54/63/75/121/X47 will however).

(As a side note, Stagecoach operated Saturday service 173 between Withernsea and Hull will be operating as part of Stagecoach's Saturday provision on Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st, so three times the normal service level this week, allowing for no service on Saturday 1st!).

Thursday 30th December:

Predominantly a Saturday service, with the following exceptions:

• Hornsby Travel and PC Coaches will operate a normal Thursday service.
• East Yorkshire services 88 (Goole-Rawcliffe Bridge), 150 (Swanland-Hessle), 196 (Aughton-York) and 360/361 (Goole-Scunthorpe) will operate as normal.
• Stagecoach services 10 (Ashby Parklands-Ashby), 35 (Amcotts-Scunthorpe), 60 (Whitton-Scunthorpe), 90 (Crowle-Scunthorpe) and 260 (Barton Villager) will operate as normal.
• York Pullman services 36/X36 (Pocklington-Sutton Upon Derwent-York) will operate as normal.
• East Yorkshire services 142 (Cherry Burton-Beverley) and 143 (North Ferriby-Beverley) will not operate.
• East Yorkshire services B1/B2/18/25/54/63/75/121/X47 Friday and Saturday only evening journeys will not operate (normal Thursday evening journeys on the 25/54/63/75/121/X47 will however).

New Years Eve:

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

• Hornsby Travel and PC Coaches will operate a normal Friday service, with early finish around 1800.
• East Yorkshire services 88 (Goole-Rawcliffe Bridge), 183 (Hessle Town Service) and 360/361 (Goole-Scunthorpe) will operate as normal.
• Stagecoach services 10 (Burringham-Scunthorpe), 25 (Market Rasen-Grimsby), 35 (Amcotts-Scunthorpe), 60 (Whitton-Scunthorpe), 90 (Crowle-Scunthorpe) and 260 (Barton Villager) will operate as normal.
• York Pullman services 36/X36 (Pocklington-Sutton Upon Derwent-York) will operate as normal.
• East Yorkshire services 142 (Cherry Burton-Beverley) and 143 (North Ferriby-Beverley) will not operate.

New Years Day:

No services (train services will be operating however, in many instances to a normal Saturday timetable apart from early morning services and engineering works related disruption).

Sunday 2nd January:

Normal Sunday Services

Bank Holiday Monday 3rd January:

A Sunday service will be provided.

Tuesday 4th January:

Services return to normal.

Thursday Only 161 Changes Operator

Operation of the tendered Thursday only 'shopper' service 161 between Market Rasen, Caistor, Brigg and Lakeside Retail Park in Scunthorpe, passed from Stagecoach to PC Coaches on Thursday 4th November, with no change to the timetable.

No more service 4 to Foxhills

On Monday 27th September Hornsby Travel amended their service 4 between Brigg, Broughton, Lakeside, Ashby and Scunthorpe. The main change arguably was the removal of the extension of certain journeys to Foxhills Industrial Estate, north of Scunthorpe - they had operated early morning Monday to Saturday, early afternoon Monday to Friday, late afternoon Saturday and in the evening peak and late evening Monday to Friday, to suit the needs of commuters.

Looking in more detail at the timetable and the Monday to Friday 0500 from Lakeside to Foxhills Industrial Estate has been withdrawn entirely, not just north of Scunthorpe Bus Station, there are however new 0615 Ashby to Brigg and 0630 Ashby to Scunthorpe journeys Monday to Friday. Journey times throughout the day are amended, with the overall Monday to Saturday daytime frequency remaining hourly. 

In the early evening Monday to Saturday, the service is improved, with the 1830 from Scunthorpe to Brigg replaced by 1845 and 2000 departures, plus a 2115 'short' from Scunthorpe to Ashby. In the opposite direction the 1910 from Brigg to Ashby is replaced by 1925 and 2040 departures from Brigg to Scunthorpe. However the residual late evening service Monday to Friday of a 2100 Lakeside to Foxhills Industrial Estate departure and 2215 return has been withdrawn entirely.

Also off note is that college day only service 13 between Scunthorpe Bus Station, Scunthorpe Station, Scunthorpe Hospital (Church Lane), Scunthorpe Colleges (North Lindsey and John Leggott), Ashby and Lakeside has been replaced by service 4c. In the morning the 4c is a service 4 journey from Brigg which diverts via Scunthorpe's Colleges, whilst in the evening there is a 'standalone' 1605 4c from Scunthorpe to Lakeside via Scunthorpe Station as well as the Colleges.

Brigg Town Service Changes

Hornsby Travel operated Brigg Town Services 91 and 92 received a new timetable on Tuesday 28th September, including a diversion of most service 91 journeys via Aldi just west of the town centre. The 91 and 92 operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only.

Service 91 to the Springbank and Churchill Avenue areas of Brigg had the biggest changes. Between Grammar School Road and Wrawby Road, the 91 now operates via Barnard Avenue on the edge of the town centre, rather than via Hawthorn Avenue. The timetable has also been substantially revised, with departures from Cary Lane in the town centre at 0925, 1045 (to the Springbank area only), 1115, 1245, 1325 and 1425 (the latter to both to the Springbank area only and operating Tuesday and Thursday only) replaced by hourly departures between 0930 and 1330, plus a Tuesday and Thursday only 1410 service to the Springbank area only. 

Meanwhile on service 92 to Cadney, Howsham and Brigg Garden Centre, the 1215 from Brigg Cary Lane is retimed to 1200, whilst the Saturday only 'short' to Brigg Garden Centre and back at 1315 is retimed to 1345, matching the Tuesday and Thursday timetable.

The Return of the 94

Service 94 between Brigg, Hibaldstow, Redbourne and Kirton in Lindsey resumed on Monday 27th September, around 13 months after it's withdrawal. It's again operated by Hornsby Travel and again is operating Monday to Friday only. There are however some key changes from it's old format.

Firstly the 94 now omits Scawby, operating direct between Brigg and Hibaldstow, an understandable decision as Scawby has the X4 to both Brigg and Scunthorpe. Omitting Scawby gives a direct Brigg to Hibaldstow journey time of 9 minutes, rather than 15 minutes.

Secondly there is also a route change in Kirton in Lindsey, where the 94 no longer 'doubles up' as a town service, including serving the former RAF base Barracks, but instead operates a simple loop via South Cliff Road, Dunstan Hill, Moat House Road, Turner Street, Church Street, Spa Hill and King Edward Street.

Thirdly the timetable is notably different; there are no peak time journeys but more off-peak services between Brigg and Redbourne. Rather than operating approximately two hourly, the 'new' 94 has 5 journeys in each direction, departing Brigg for Kirton at 0900, 1200 and 1400, with 'shorts' to Redbourne at 1000 and 1300. Two morning journeys to Brigg, and the 1200 and 1300 from Brigg, divert via the Nookings estate in Hibaldstow.

Finally, with this incarnation of the 94, there are no through journeys onto service X4 to Scunthorpe.

Hibaldstow Parish Council website notes the restored 94 is a commercial venture, not tendered as it was previously. Hopefully the 94 is 'back for good', but however it turns out, credit to Hornsby Travel for trying.