Something Old, Something New (2)

More "Improvements" For Daventry???

The current D3 serves Sixfields as before. Northampton Alan points out that the route does not really serve any housing at Sixfields, leaving that to a Northampton town route ...

... but it does drop down (and back) from the A4500 to a sumptuous stop on a roundabout ...

... serving all (?) the leisure facilities at and around the footy stadium.

Walter Tull Way?

Walter Daniel John Tull (28 April 1888 to 25 March 1918) was an English professional footballer and British Army officer of Afro-Caribbean descent. He played as an inside forward and half back for Clapton, Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Town and was the third person of mixed heritage to play in the top division of the Football League after Arthur Wharton and Willie Clarke. 

Whilst Walt was a pioneer and to be respected indeed, to claim the "third" such "pioneer" as a major feature of the town might be pushing the historic diversity policy a bit too far?

But back to the D3.

The D3 is definitely the "back road" route between Northampton and Daventry, but by far the most picturesque. It runs via Harpole ...

... Kislingbury ...

... Bugbooke ...

... Nether Heyford ...

... and Weedon Bec ...

... before rejoining the D1 and D2 for the run into Daventry. Should you get the chance this is a very typical Northamptonshire rural ride with plenty of glorious golden sandstone properties to enjoy.

D3 CURRENT

Oddly, Stagecoach gives its passengers a more complete timetable in the other direction!

Note also that the D3 arrives at Daventry bus station then whips off to do a local service before returning to the bus station. 

Frequency is every 90 minutes.

D3 UPCOMING

Stagecoach explains what is happening.

Will return to an hourly service Monday to Saturday between Northampton and Daventry. It will now serve Harpole on a two hourly basis, with the alternate hour serving Panattoni Park, providing an additional service to the site. This service will no longer serve the Grange Estate/Stefen Hill area. The timetable will remain a two hourly service on Sunday.

The "improvement" is to revert to the pre-covid frequency with adjustments to the timings at Harpole to allow for serving Pannattoni Park on the alternate hours. Harpole gets a bus every two hours.

As with the D1 and D2 we notice that the service to the estates (The Cherwell/Trinity Close a k a Grange Estate/Stefan Hill) is abandoned leaving these areas to the D5.

Northampton Alan sends a note about a further "improvement" to the D3.

My Bugbrooke contact points out that currently there are D3s from Northampton at 2040 and 2210. From next week the last bus is at 1915.

So the whole evening service via the villages is withdrawn!

D4 CURRENT

This is the minimalist and rather messy Monday to Friday (ONLY) service between Daventry and Long Buckby via Long Buckby Station. Back in the days of fbb's youth, the station was separated from the village by a swathe of agriculture and just a couple of small side roads.

The community has now spread down the hill all the way to a brand new large station car pak.

Sadly, despite the opportunity to develop Long Buckby as a Daventry "Parkway", most rail customers will arrive at the station by car or, if local, walk down the hill and trudge wearily back up to their commuter cottage.

The bits of the D4 shown before the bus station departures for Long Buckby serve parts of the northern estates providing some earlier and later journeys to augment the D6.

D4 UPCOMING

The quote from the busy councillor extols the virtues of a new 12 noon journey added to the timetable ...

... but Stagecoach is, at least, more honest about the cits!

Route has been standardised to run between Royal Oak Industrial Estate, Monksmoor, Lang Farm, Speke Drive, Ashby Road, Daventry Bus Station and Long Buckby. The first journey outbound and last journey inbound have been removed due to low passenger usage. An afternoon journey running from Daventry Bus Station to Long Buckby has been added.

Big deal!

Which leaved D5 and D6

D5 CURRENT

A one way loop round the estates to the south of the town centre with an hourly service.

D5 UPCOMING

Spot he difference!

D6 CURRENT

The observant amongst our loyal readership may notice that, in yet another outbreak of timetabular nonsense, Stagecoach shows every journey TWICE.

D6 UPCOMING

Once again, spot he difference! The D6 serves the estates to the north.

And A Conclusion?

Do you remember what Councillor Larratt was saying about the "new" services?

Changes are being implemented to the Daventry Stagecoach bus services to improve the work, leisure and shopping transport links for residents.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has been working with Stagecoach to improve the bus services in Daventry with the financial support of Prologis UK, a Solihull-based industrial real estate agency.

These changes to the Stagecoach services came in response to customer demand. Councillor Phil Larratt, the Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste, said the feedback from residents was also considered while making the changes.

Cllr Phil Larratt said: “Working together with Stagecoach and Prologis UK we have been able to enhance bus services within Daventry, as well as improving the connections to both Northampton and DIRFT (Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal).”

Here is fbb's summary of these changes.

Service between Rugby an Daventry FASTER - IMPROVED

Services between Daventry and Northampton - REDUCED

Services to Daventry estates - REDUCED

Service within DIRFT - IMPROVED

Service to Long Buckby - REDUCED 

Overall then, relatively minor improvements to the Rugby section of the current D1 (which runs via DIRFT) are very significantly offset by big reductions elsewhere.

Perhaps Councillor Larratt should tell the truth?

Perhaps Councillor Larratt doesn't understand where the buses go now and what will be happening to them next week?

Amd A Daft Timetable!

Readers may have gathered that fbb is not enamoured of the timetables that Stagecoach has on offer to the worthy residents of Daventry. This is particularly true when you click on D2 and search for the current (but soon to expire) Sunday timetable. 

It comes in two directions, but to enable a user yo make full use of the service, you need to glue to two bits together - largely because of various extensions and loops in Daventry. So fbb presents ...

Roll of drums, fanfare of herald trumpeters and an anticipatory respectful gasp of excitement ...

... here is an extract from the full current Sunday timetable.

How's that for helping the public with their bus travel plans.

As a famous comedy due might opine ...

 Next Variety blog : Saturday 28th October