Hull to York now every half hour

In contrast to my previous, rather downbeat, post about East Yorkshire services within Hull and the immediately adjoining areas of the East Riding, one long distance 'corridor' from Hull operated by East Yorkshire saw a very significant increase from Sunday 2nd April (or more accurately the timetable changed on the 2nd, but the 3rd saw the big increase). That 'corridor' is the one to York via Beverley, Market Weighton and Pocklington which has been increased from hourly to half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes. A welcome but 'bold' move in the current climate, although it should be noted the increase in frequency is only on the Hull to Market Weighton section.

Prior to these changes the X46 operated hourly between Hull and York Monday to Saturday daytimes, diverting to serve the three towns of Beverley, Market Weighton and Pocklington en-route, but otherwise operating directly between the two cities. Service X47 provided a limited evening service, with later journeys operating Friday and Saturdays only and unlike the X46, the X47 additionally served Hull University, Cottingham, Barmby Moor and Wilberfoss. Then on Sunday daytimes the X46 and X47 each operated two hourly for an approximately hourly service combined.

Monday to Saturday daytimes the X46 remains hourly, but is now joined by an hourly X47, albeit no longer serving Hull University and Cottingham; serving Barmby Moor and Wilberfoss villages is the only differentiator between the two routes now. Towards York the X46 is 7 minutes quicker, but due to layover in Pocklington there is no difference in journey times in the opposite direction; presumably East Yorkshire want even interval departures from York and on the Pocklington to Hull section. Evenings and Sundays remains largely as previously, but with the X47 following it's new route omitting Cottingham and some minor retimings.

Looking in more detail and I mentioned earlier the frequency increase was only between Hull and Market Weighton - that's because the new Monday to Saturday daytime X47 replaces the 46 between Market Weighton and York. The 46 had operated hourly between Market Weighton and York via the X47 route other than within York were it served the University of York and Heworth before terminating in York City Centre on Station Road rather than at the Station itself. In many respects the X47 is an improvement, with it's links to Beverley and Hull plus it's more direct route in York and serving York Station - however it means the loss of links to the University. The University link has been around a number of years so it's a minor disappointment in a largely positive set of changes. This should be the norm and not noteworthy, but credit to East Yorkshire in their service change announcement for referring University customers to a connecting First service - route 67 from Hull Road in York. Likewise they have also signposted their Heworth passengers to First and Yorkshire Coastliner for travel into York City Centre. 

The 46 hasn't been entirely axed however - five trips a day had extended to/from Holme on Spalding Moor and the 46 survives as a Market Weighton to Holme on Spalding Moor local service, reduced to four services each way and timed to connect with the X46 or X47 at Market Weighton. Considering there is also the 18 between Holme on Spalding Moor and York (albeit currently impacted by the Bubwith Bridge closure), this seems a fair service. However taking the 46 in isolation, there seems to be a lot of spare time in the schedule - 0732 to 0930, 1002 to 1130, 1202 to 1420 and 1437 to 1735 - and nothing obvious to interwork with other than schools services. Could the 46 vehicle and driver be more heavily utilised? Maybe not between Market Weighton and Holme on Spalding Moor, but perhaps extend the 18 to Market Weighton and add a second vehicle (from the 46) to the service? A Monday to Saturday Market Weighton-Holme-Selby service, or perhaps reinstate an all-day Monday to Saturday Market Weighton to Driffeld service?

Talking of Market Weighton to Driffeld, and the last remnant of the 45 between Bridlington, Nafferton, Driffield, Market Weighton, Pocklington and York was 'killed off' as part of these changes - the 1635 from Bridlington and 1905 return from York Monday to Saturday. The X46/X47 replace between Market Weighton and York, there is a 1640(Mon-Fri)/1625(Sat) service 121 from Bridlington to Driffield and on Friday and Saturdays only a 2032 121 from Driffield to Nafferton. Service 145 between Driffield and Market Weighton gains an additional 1650 departure Monday to Friday. 

Between Hull and Beverley, the new Monday to Saturday daytime X47 restores a fourth service per hour, with the four routes involved - 23, 121, X46 and X47 timed to operate every 15 minutes combined. Hull to Beverley frequency has fluctuated between three and five services per hour in recent years, so maybe four per hour is about right?

What has struck me though is that now half the services - X46/X47 operate through open countryside between Hull and Beverley via the A1079 - whilst 'only' half operate through the villages of Dunswell and Woodmansey were there is very little open countryside. There is very little time benefit to the A1079 route, only 3 minutes compared to the 23 off peak. I get that East Yorkshire want the X46/X47 to be as similar as possible, but personally I would swap the X46/X47 with the 23, to send the X46/X47 via Dunswell (and Flemingate), with the 23 covering Victoria Road in Beverley and the A1079 (it could still serve Flemingate).

Whilst focusing on the southern end of the X47, the re-routing away from Cottingham removes the only evening and Sunday service into Beverley, as well as the ability for a Sunday dayout in York. This is another minor disappointment, but I do understand the rationale. Routing via Cottingham added an extra 5 minutes on Sunday daytimes compared to the A1079 (potentially more Monday to Saturday daytimes), and retaining just on evenings and Sundays would mean a third route variant between Hull and York.

Finally then to the Beverley to Market Weighton section, and this is where the 'bold' move has really been made by East Yorkshire - almost 20 minutes, or just over 10 miles, of open countryside other than one intermediate village at Bishop Burton. In the context of the wider Hull to York route it's a small section, but still significant. East Yorkshire will need to grow the traffic from Hull and Beverley to Market Weighton, Pocklington and York for this enhancement to work; as the pre 2nd-April arrangements show us there are alternative ways to supplement the X46 on the more densely populated sections between Hull and Beverley and from Market Weighton to York. 

Whilst you can maybe tell I have some skepticism that this is 'too bold' an increase, especially in the current environment, good luck to East Yorkshire. I hope my skepticism is misplaced and it is a success.