The Battle of York [4]

You Could Have Gone by Train - Again ...

... from Stamford Bridge (closed in 1965) on the dismantled line to Market Weighton, south east of York.

See Nick Catford's excellent history (here).

You could continue to Poppleton ...

... still open to the west of the City on the line to Harrogate.

But today you would take First Bus service 10.

Not that long ago this ran every 20 minutes ...

... with a proper evening and Sunday service all operated by First.

Not so today.

It is every 30 minutes and fizzles out in a typically First Bus style, at about 2000. On Sundays First offer a crackpot frequency of every 75 minutes; try working that out after a heavy Sunday Lunch!

Transdev, currently sworn enemy of First on the University run, fills in every evening.

So what will happen from 2nd August as a result of the "consultation"? Remember the plan is to ensure that the buses go where people really want them.

Initial sound bites are positive ...

"The changes include faster journeys on Number 10, providing quicker journeys for customers from Poppleton."

True. Service 10 will be diverted via the current 5 route on Leeman Road ...

... but now missing out stops outside the station; this despite he prominent "Railway Station" marked on the map. It is quicker, BUT ...

... in an outbreak of scheduling lunacy the frequency will be cut to every 35 minutes.

Yes, you did hear correctly, every 35 minutes.

As the press release stated :-

"Our aim is to continue attracting more people onto bus services through value for money fares, improving the quality of service and ensuring our network goes to the right places matching service levels with demand."

"Yeah. Right!", as they say.

 fbb predicts the more passengers will desert service 10 and First will withdraw from the route completely within the next six months. That's how to attract more people onto bus services; cancel the 13 and make the 10 utterly incomprehensible.

As one blog correspondent suggested, "are the users of service 10 and 13 paying the price for expansion of the University services?"

Good question!

And there was, of course, a previous battle of Stamford Bridge.

The Battle took place at the village of Stamford Bridge near York on 25 September 1066, between an English army under King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada and the English king's brother Tostig Godwinson. After a bloody and horrific battle, both Hardrada and Tostig along with most of the Norwegians were killed. Although Harold Godwinson repelled the Norwegian invaders, his victory was short-lived: he was defeated and killed by the Normans at Hastings less than three weeks later. The battle has traditionally been presented as symbolising the end of the Viking Age.

What will be the long term outcome of the various bloody bus battles of York?

 Next bus blog : Friday 17th July