Barton Wren Kitchens services reduced

Today - Sunday 19th February - has seen reductions to Stagecoach's Barton Wren Kitchens services 255, 355 and 455. These follow changes to Wren shifts, most notably Wren no longer seem to have Saturday factory and warehouse shifts. The three routes are open to the general public, but very much designed around the needs of Wren workers.

Service 255 from North Bransholme to Wren via North Point, Sutton Park, Beverley Road and Hull Paragon Interchange has lost all it's weekend services, namely:

• 0345 Barton to North Bransholme
• 0430 (Sat Only) North Bransholme to Barton
• 0520 (Sat Only) North Bransholme to Barton
• 0545 (Sat Only) Barton to North Bransholme
• 0710 (Sat Only) North Bransholme to Barton
• 0720 (Sat Only) Barton to Paragon Interchange
• 0850 (Sat Only) Barton to Paragon Interchange
• 1335 (Sat Only) Paragon Interchange to Barton
• 1450 (Sat Only) Barton to North Bransholme
• 1530 (Sat Only) Beverley Road to Barton
• 1705 (Sat Only) Paragon Interchange to Barton
• 1710 (Sat Only) Barton to North Bransholme
• 1750 (Sat Only) Barton to North Bransholme
• 2235 (Sat Only) Paragon Interchange to Barton
• 2320 (Sat Only) Barton to North Bransholme (2345 from Hull Truck Theatre)

From the perspective of non-Wren passengers most of these services either operate at times of low demand and/or there are similar timed journeys on other routes. Perhaps the most unfortunate withdrawals are the evening services, with the last Hull to Barton service on a Saturday now at 2030 and from Paragon Interchange to Sutton Park and North Bransholme at 2330. Presumably though there were not enough non-Wren passengers using these journeys to justify their continuation. 

Most Monday to Friday journeys on the 255 are unaffected, other than the withdrawal of the 0345 from Barton to North Bransholme and 1530 from Beverley Road to Barton. There are no alternatives for the 0345, but I can't imagine it got much use by the general public at that time in the morning. With the 1530 withdrawn, it would be good if Stagecoach could add a 1625/1630 from Paragon Interchange to Barton as an 'in-service positioning journey' for the 1710 from Barton, which would fill a 35 minute gap in the Hull to Barton service.

Turning to the 355 from Scunthorpe to Wren and the daily 0345 from Barton to Scunthorpe is withdrawn, as are the 0455 from Scunthorpe and 1710 from Barton on Saturdays only (continue to operate Monday to Friday). Again no alternatives for the early morning journeys.

Finally the 455 from Cleethorpes to Wren via Grimsby and Immingham has lost it's Saturday services, now operating Monday to Friday only. Withdrawn are the 0415 from Cleethorpes and 1450 and 1710 from Barton. 

There are no changes to the 250 and 350 journeys that operate via Wren Kitchens, including those that serve Wren on Saturdays.

I have also observed a new Stagecoach C256 in Barton recently, which as far as I can tell from bustimes.org is operating from North Bransholme via the 255 route to Wren's new factory in Barton, next door to their current site that the 250/255/350/355/455 serve. It appears to be a 'closed door' service in contrast to Stagecoach's other Wren serves, which seems a bit odd - but with at least one C256 operating at almost the same time as a 255, it maybe doesn't make much difference.