New Year Changes

As usual these days we didn't have to wait long for the detail behind Plymouth Citybus latest service changes posted for 5th January:

Services 5, 5A
Additional running time will be put into these services to improve the reliability of the service on Sundays. Additionally on Sundays and Bank Holidays passengers wishing to travel from Plymstock to Saltash (and vice versa) will need to change buses at Royal Parade.

Services 21, 21A
The Monday to Friday 06:37 from Barne Barton to Steer Park Plympton will operate as a Service 21A instead of a Service 21. This will mean that 08:00 from Steer Park Plympton to Barne Barton will operate as a Service 21A instead of a Service 21, which increases capacity from Chaddlewood inbound during the morning peak.

Services 27, 27A
Monday to Saturday daytime buses retimed with most journeys operating 5 minutes earlier than current. The current 06:00 Service 27 from Royal Parade will operate as a 28B departing 05:55

Services 28
Monday to Saturday daytime buses retimed with most journeys operating 5 minutes earlier than current. Additional early morning journey to Derriford Hospital Monday to Fridays will be provided.

Service 29
Monday to Friday this service will increase in frequency from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes for most of the day. Saturday services will continue to operate up to every 30 minutes with no changes to evening and Sunday services. This service will operate into Crownhill and Transit Way in both directions.

There will be a change of route so that inbound journeys to Royal Parade operate via Cobourg Street and Charles Street as opposed to Western Approach and Union Street. (Service 43 and 5/A will continue to operate via Western Approach to Royal Parade)

Service 30
Due to continued low passenger numbers, Service 30 is to be withdrawn from Latchbrook and Pillmere. The service is to be reduced to a limited peak time service between Saltash Fore Street to Derriford Hospital.

Alternative services from Pillmere to Saltash and Plymouth are available from Callington Road with Western Greyhound Service 576 and First Devon and Cornwall Service 76.

For alternative journeys to Derriford Hospital, passengers can use Service 5/A to St Budeaux and then change to the enhanced Service 29 for onward travel to and from Derriford Hospital.

Service 32
Since our successful launch, we have identified that our Service 32 is challenged to maintain the timetable within Torpoint therefore whilst the number of journeys operating between Torpoint and Plymouth will remain the same we have decided serve Great Park Trevol Torpoint differently.

In the mornings Service will operate direct from Torpoint Ferry to HMS Raleigh returning via Great Park Trevol.

In the afternoons the Service will operate from the Ferry to Great Park Trevol returning via HMS Raleigh then direct to the Torpoint Ferry.

Following the removal of the bus stop prior to the Devonport Ferry terminal, bus services operating across to Torpoint will no longer be able to set down on the Plymouth side of the ferry terminal. Alternative alighting points are found about halfway up Ferry Hill. To help keep the service to time Plymouth inbound services to the City Centre will also operate Cobourg Street and Drake Circus to Royal Parade.

We are pleased to announce further investment in this new service with the introduction of a Sunday service between Royal Parade and the Plymouth side of the Torpoint Ferry terminal. This service will operate up to every 30 minutes during the day.

Service 33
We are pleased to announce further investment in this new service with frequency of this service increasing to every 15 minutes for most of the day Monday to Saturday. In addition a new Sunday service will commence operating up to every 30 minutes during the day.

Service 34
Despite our recent investment in additional resources to help keep this service running to time, the service continues to have capacity and time keeping problems at peak times. To assist, all daytime buses are being withdrawn from Durnford Street and the Royal William Yard (see Service 42 for new replacement services). Instead, Service 34 will operate between Royal Parade, Union Street to Devonport Hill then as per current route to Derriford Hospital. Evening services will continue to operate via the Royal William Yard.
Services 40 & 41
Will have the introduction of a school day and a school holiday variant Monday to Friday timetable

On School days during the peak times additional journey times have been added between Crownhill and Mutley Plain to improve reliability and the overall flow of the service. As traffic levels during the School holidays are considerably lower; standard journey times will be used across the entire day.

On Saturdays the timetable has been amended to take into account of the often heavy congestion around the Drake Circus retail centre from 10:00.

The route numbers will revert so that Service 40 and Service 41 are presented so that Service 41 is clockwise around Southway and Service 40 is anticlockwise around Southway (as it was pre October 2013).

Services 42 & 42A
This service is to be extended to Royal William Yard from the City Centre (replacing withdrawn Service 34)

All inbound journeys are to operate Charles Street to the City Centre instead of via Mayflower Street. This change enables Service 42 to operate to the Royal William Yard up to every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays. Evening services to the Royal William Yard will continue to be provided by the Service 34.

Service 43
The Sunday and Bank Holiday service will have a revised frequency, however between St Budeaux Square and the City Centre on Sundays.
there will still be 5 buses an hour to the City Centre.
(Service 5/A together with Service 43 and 29 providing bus departures in excess of every 5 minutes for much of the day Monday to Saturday between StBudeaux and the City Centre)

Service 43B
This service is to be withdrawn and replaced with new Service 61A. Service 29 frequency enhancement provides additional buses between the City Centre and Transit Way via West Park and St Budeaux.

Service 45
The Monday to Saturday service is to be withdrawn from Mayflower Street and will start and end on Royal Parade. There are no other changes to this service with departure times from the City Centre and Ivybridge (including the Rail Station) remaining unchanged.

Services 61, 61A & 62
New Service 61A, operating from Holly Park (replacing Service 43B) to West Park then as per the route of the revised Service 61 to the City Centre.

Service 61 and 61A will not operate via St Pancras Avenue (St Pancras will be served by Service 62).

New Service 61A together with the 61provide services up to every 15 minute service between Honicknowle, West Park and the City Centre.

Service 62 will operate via St Pancras Avenue instead of Springhill.

Passengers wishing to travel between West Park and Brake Farm via Transit Way on 61/62 will on most occasions be able to do so. Indeed if you are wishing to travel to or from Honicknowle or Brake Farm in most cases either a Service 61 or 62 will get you there.

Sundays and Bank Holiday Services 61, 61A and 62 will each operate hourly, providing 3 buses an hour to the area (one more than current).

Timetables will be available to view from our web site from the 30th November, and available from our Travel Centre from the 14th December 2013.

Plymouth Citybus News  Archived Copy pdf

As usual I will look more closely at some of these routes nearer the time, especially as I am updating my sister site Plymothian Bus Services

 

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I will try and catch up with links to other blogs as usual over the next day or two as I know many find the useful – Just lack of time to even read other blogs at the moment means my reading list is rather large at the moment!