Stagecoach announces October service changes.

From the Stagecoach website:

Service changes in Lancaster

From Sunday 2nd October 2016, following a review of services, we will introduce changes to some services in Lancaster.

Service 2X.

Following a route change around White Lund Industrial Estate in Morecambe, there will be a minor change to timing points in Heysham from Monday - Saturday. From Morecambe, timing points between Mossgate School and Heysham have been re-timed to run 2 minutes earlier.

Take a look at the2X timetable for this service.

Service N1 and X4

Service N1 will be re-numbered to N2 and integrated into the timetable for service 2. Normal single journey fares apply or pay £1 per journey with a megarider or unirider ticket.

Service X4 will be re-numbered to X3. Poorly used journeys on Service X3 will no longer run. On Monday to Friday, the 0840 and 1810 and on Sundays, all journeys to 1915 will no longer run. The 2215 Sunday journey has been re-timed to run 10 minutes later to better meet the trains.

Take a look at the X3 timetable and the 2/2A/N2 timetable

Service 40/41

To improve punctuality on these services, journey times will change on Mondays to Saturdays. This will particularly affect journeys during the morning and evening rush hours.

Take a look at the 40/41 timetable.

Service 940/941/942

All journeys have been re-timed slightly to run earlier. Every journey will run on school days only.

Take a look at the 940/941/942 timetable

Information Improvement for Carnforth and perhaps Lancaster

Following Monday's post (read again here) about less than useful information concerning temporary disruption to services in both Carnforth and Lancaster there has been immediate imnprovement!

Stagecoach has revised its "Service Update" concerning the closure of the road between Carnforth and Warton to make it clearer what the alternative arrangements are - and full marks to them for including the replacement operator's telephone number on their website. The announcememt now reads:

                                               __________________________________

Road Closure - Warton Road, Carnforth affecting services 49 and 5505 Sep 2016 to 04 Nov 2016

From Monday 5 September to Friday 4 November 2016 or until completion of the works, whichever is sooner, Warton Road in Carnforth will be closed to allow utility works to be carried out.

During the closure, bus services 49 & 55 will terminate at Carnforth.

A free shuttle bus will operate from Millhead via Warton, Croftlands, Yealands and Carnforth to connect with the 49 and 55 services.

Contact Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire for further information on 01524 733831.

                                           __________________________________

Also, Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire has supplied the Bus Users' Group with a copy of the temporary timetable for replacement service 55X, which we have also been informed has been distributed house-to-house by the county council. Whilst this is useful for residents of the area wishing to travel to Carnforth or Lancaster it doesn't help people from elsewhere needing to get to Warton and therefore we are happy to post a copy here.

Temporary service 55X 

Meanwhile the issue of the erroneous inclusion of "University Terms Only" service 3 buses on the electronic display at Lancaster has been brought to the intention of the people who maintain it, who have promised to investigate.

Less Than Helpful Information at (1) Carnforth and (2) Lancaster

1). Less than helpful road closure information from Stagecoach and the County Council

Warton Road in Carnforth is closed until 4 November for "utility works" to be carried out, which means that buses on services 49 and 55 (Stagecoach) and 51 (Travellers Choice) are unable to follow their normal route.

On being altered to this by a resident the Bus Users Group contacted the operators and the County Council seeking details of alternative arrangements for bus passengers in Warton, the Yealands and Silverdale who are all affected.

No resposes were received at the time but today the following was posted on the "Service Updates" page of Stagecoach's website:

Road Closure - Warton Road, Carnforth affecting services 49 and 5505 Sep 2016 to 04 Nov 2016

From Monday 5 September to Friday 4 November 2016 or until completion of the works, whichever is sooner, Warton Road in Carnforth will be closed to allow utility works to be carried out.

During the closure, bus services 49 & 55 will terminate at Carnforth.

So there are no buses between Carnforth and Warton and passengers should do what, exactly....?

The County Council has been a little more helpful and has posted this notice at Lancaster Bus Station, and perhaps other stops along the route.

The County Council's notice is more helpful although not entirely so. It expalins what is happening to the third (non-Stagecoach) service affected and also - unlike Stagecoach - tells you what the alternative is - a temporary - and FREE - service 55X; although if you want to know when that runs you'll have to contact a third operator, Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire on 01524 733831.  

The BUG will do that and if we recieve anything useful we will post it here.

2). Less than helpful service information at the bus station

This was the normally very useful electronic departure screen at lancaster bus station early this evening.

Note the frequent (every 20 minutes) service 3 to "Cartmel College" (Lancaster University) (whilst trying to ignore that it would surely be better described as "Lancaster University, Cartmel College" or even "Lancaster University, Alexandra Park", which is what is shown on the front of the bus.  

But whatever it's called, you'd wait a long time for a number 3 tonight, or any other night until the "University Terms" service starts at the end of September. Until then, the journeys shown at 1850, 1910, 1930  and so on throughout the evening just do not run!

A similar mistake was discovered on the roadside timetable displays at the start of the summer and when reported to the County Council by the Bus Users Group it was swiftly corrected.  Did no one think to check the bus station display?

Next Meeting of the Group

The next meeting of the Bus Users' Group is on Thursday, 8th September at 2pm in the upstairs meeting room at Lancaster Library. All welcome.

University Bus Stops Relocated

From Stagecoach's website:

Sunday 17th July** at 19:00 to Friday 2nd September 2016

The University Underpass will be closed to enable essential drainage remedial works to be undertaken. All bus services will be operating to and from the University Chaplaincy Centre.

There will be no bus services stopping at Lancaster University Underpass. Passengers should use the temporary bus stop provided outside the Chaplaincy Centre in Bowland Avenue. 

Services 3, 3A, 4, 40, 41, 42 from Alexandra Park to the Chaplaincy Centre will be using South West Drive instead of South East Drive. The bus stops at InfoLab21 and Furness College will be closed. Passengers should use the bus stops at the Chaplaincy Centre or Alexandra Park. 

The University would like to apologise for any disruption caused. Further information regarding the works can be found on Lancaster University’s website here.

** The University website gives the starting time as 18.00hs but presumably the buses will be diverted from start of service.

If you are unsure of the locations and the road names mentioned here is the Campus Map

The next meeting of the Bus Users' Group is on Thursday, 7th July  at 2pm in the upstairs meeting room at Lancaster Library. All welcome.

Agenda for Bus Users' Group Meeting

7th July 2016

2pm Lancaster Library

1.    Welcomes, introductions and apologies

2.    Matters arising

3.    Updates on Moor Hospital (s106 money) and bus station issues

4.    Appointment of new treasurer 

5.    Feedback from Rapid Transport Workshop report

6.    Bus Services Bill - introduction to this and discussion

7.    Any new issues on the buses

8.    Publicity for BUG

9.    Dates and times of future meetings

10. AOB

 Notes of previous meetings are posted 

New Buses for the 555 - But you can't see them in Lancaster!

For the second time in five years Stagecoach is introducing new buses on its flagship 555 service from Lancaster to Keswick via the heart of the Lake District.

The new double-deck fleet of twelve vehicles, some of which will be allocated to Lancaster depot, will be easily distinguishable by what the company calls a "striking brand-new livery" and will be equipped with comfortable Italian leather-style seats. The buses will offer free WiFi to all passengers as well as USB charging points on board and will be powered by diesel engines that meet the latest "Euro 6" emissions regulations and are some of the "greenest" diesel-powered buses on the road.

The new look on the 555

Stagecoach are obviously proud of their new fleet and naturally want to show them off to the travelling public in advance of them entering service on 4th July. They will be on show in Kendal Market Square on Thursday 30th June; and in Ambleside and Keswick on Friday, 1st July.

But if you live in Lancaster you'll have to travel if you want a preview - the company's plans to show them off in the city centre have been scuppered by the City Council, which has refused permission for them to be exhibited in the Market Square.

Stagecoach hasn't explicitly said so, but the arrival of twelve new double-deck buses in the fleet willbe a big step towards eliminating the last few step-entrance buses that cause so many problems for people who need accessible buses on routes such as the 42 to Blackpool.