93/X93 Scarborough to Whitby bus

[northwichcat]

Does anyone know what the return fare is between Scarborough and Whitby? I presumed it would be whatever the day ticket fare is for that area. However, Arriva don't appear to have a day ticket which covers Scarborough-Whitby.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Does anyone know what the return fare is between Scarborough and Whitby? I presumed it would be whatever the day ticket fare is for that area. However, Arriva don't appear to have a day ticket which covers Scarborough-Whitby.

They do. You can have the Arriva Day Saver (North East - all zones) for £7.50

http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/multi-journey-saver-tickets-in-north-east/

or alternatively you can use the Explorer North East for £9.30 which gives you the freedom to use Stagecoach and Go Ahead services in the north east. However, you can't use either on Transdev or EYMS.

 

[AndyHudds]

Aye, the fare is pretty reasonable, me and my wife use the service when we have a little break in that area. The service is pretty reliable and not too slow either. It leaves from the stops outside the railway station.

 

[northwichcat]

I, like other passengers, was surprised that Arriva operate double deckers on a rural route with a 20% gradient (in the Scarborough direction.) They really struggle with that 20% gradient, the driver had to pull over twice on the steep sections.

Although the interior is reasonably suitable for long distance services. It's similar to the Burnley & Pendle Witchway interior but without the armrests and with fabric seat covers rather than leather seat covers.

 

[starrymarkb]

Last time I used it it was a mix of Plaxton Interurbans and awful Optare things. And yes the Optares did struggle on the Climb out of Robin Hood's bay

Mind you the Coastliner has similar/steeper gradients on the run to York (Blue Bank, Goathland, Hole of Hocum) and uses Geminis.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I, like other passengers, was surprised that Arriva operate double deckers on a rural route with a 20% gradient (in the Scarborough direction.) They really struggle with that 20% gradient, the driver had to pull over twice on the steep sections.

Although the interior is reasonably suitable for long distance services. It's similar to the Burnley & Pendle Witchway interior but without the armrests and with fabric seat covers rather than leather seat covers.

The 93 has had a long history (was 258/X58 before dereg) and has had periods of decker operation, esp south of Whitby. However, ENCTS usage has meant that deckers are needed especially during the Easter to Sep period. There were Enviros on there but these have been replaced by ex London B7s that are 12 years old - a backward step! Not enough grunt for some of those hills.

More interesting is the Malton to Whitby route that sees deckers now for the same reason (i.e. Pensioners on a jolly) and has had to be rerouted. In the 1970s/1980s, it was operated by Bristol LHs rather than coach seated Volvo/Wright Geminis

 

[northwichcat]

deckers are needed especially during the Easter to Sep period.

At present (between the Easter and the Late May Bank Holidays) Arriva still run the off-peak timetable but using double deckers. If they didn't revert to the off-peak timetable at the end of the Easter holidays then they probably could get away with single deckers (assuming the enhanced frequency didn't result in too much additional usage.)

The deckers seem to take around 5-10 minutes longer than scheduled meaning the recovery time between the inbound and outbound journeys is used up even if there are no further delays.

 

[Tetchytyke]

It's a good couple of years since I've been down that way, but if you got a clear day on a winter Saturday a single decker would still be pretty much full, especially if they stuck a Prisma on it (which they always seemed to do when I was travelling- I hated those buses).

To answer the OP's question, an Arriva day ticket will cover you on the route. The Arriva day ticket used to be excluded from the 93/X93, and I've noticed some websites still reckon that's the case. If you're travelling further afield in Cleveland then an Explorer North East might be better value.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

At present (between the Easter and the Late May Bank Holidays) Arriva still run the off-peak timetable but using double deckers. If they didn't revert to the off-peak timetable at the end of the Easter holidays then they probably could get away with single deckers (assuming the enhanced frequency didn't result in too much additional usage.)

The deckers seem to take around 5-10 minutes longer than scheduled meaning the recovery time between the inbound and outbound journeys is used up even if there are no further delays.

The 93 is a bit of a tricky service. From Easter to Whit, they could have an enhanced frequency but through the week, it's a bit quiet. Even at weekends, it can be but if the sun comes out, loadings rocket!

I last did the 93 in January and it was heavily loaded for a Sat pm though!

As for the mention of Prismas, they WERE excellent vehicles. However, by the time they appeared on the 93 (and X1/2), they were well past their best. Hadn't been refurbed and just tired. Those of us who remember the Prismas in their prime recall hurtling along the A66 - excellent machines. The interurbans were the last new kit (c.1999) but they were knackered after 8 years - ok for motorways but not tough arduous work like that.

 

[northwichcat]

Easter to Whit, they could have an enhanced frequency but through the week, it's a bit quiet.

Certainly wasn't on Tuesday. The 09:40 bus from Scarborough had all seats occupied and standing passengers before Robin Hood's Bay. The afternoon bus I caught in the return direction had around 10 empty seats on the upper deck leaving Robin Hood's Bay. I was considering splitting my return journey at Robin Hood's Bay but the potential prospect of having to stand between Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough put me off doing that.

 

[crispy1978]

Avoid the first bus after the passes kick-in. My wife and I made that mistake once and the bus was absolutely rammed pretty much as soon as we left Scarborough!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Mind you the Coastliner has similar/steeper gradients on the run to York (Blue Bank, Goathland, Hole of Hocum) and uses Geminis.

I thought the name of the area was Hole of Horcum

 

[trentside]

I used this route between Whitby and Scarborough last summer. The previous vehicle had overheated on the way from Middlesborough, so we were put on one of Arriva's lovely Temsa Avenues with rock hard plastic seats, and a couple of hamsters running round where the engine should be :P

I don't think we were even doing 5mph out of Robin Hood's Bay - onto the main road, it was struggling with other inclines and was causing huge tailbacks of traffic and wasn't able to get up enough speed to overtake a tractor!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Certainly wasn't on Tuesday. The 09:40 bus from Scarborough had all seats occupied and standing passengers before Robin Hood's Bay. The afternoon bus I caught in the return direction had around 10 empty seats on the upper deck leaving Robin Hood's Bay. I was considering splitting my return journey at Robin Hood's Bay but the potential prospect of having to stand between Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough put me off doing that.

That's the clue. The 0940 departure - average age of passengers?? You've picked one of the busiest journeys of the day, if not the busiest.

However, get one either side and it is noticeably quieter!

 

[northwichcat]

That's the clue. The 0940 departure - average age of passengers?? You've picked one of the busiest journeys of the day, if not the busiest.

However, get one either side and it is noticeably quieter!

Well that's an issue with an hourly bus service that doesn't have a departure between 9:00 and 9:30. An 08:40 departure may have still have a lot of commuters, schoolkids or college pupils - not knowing the route I didn't know whether or not that would be the case, while a 10:40 departure means it's almost the afternoon by the time you arrive in Whitby.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Well that's an issue with an hourly bus service that doesn't have a departure between 9:00 and 9:30. An 08:40 departure may have still have a lot of commuters, schoolkids or college pupils - not knowing the route I didn't know whether or not that would be the case, while a 10:40 departure means it's almost the afternoon by the time you arrive in Whitby.

Well, that's true. The 0840 may be busy but the 0940 will definitely be busier with twirly holders. It's now one of the accepted truths of bus operation !
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I used this route between Whitby and Scarborough last summer. The previous vehicle had overheated on the way from Middlesborough, so we were put on one of Arriva's lovely Temsa Avenues with rock hard plastic seats, and a couple of hamsters running round where the engine should be :P

I don't think we were even doing 5mph out of Robin Hood's Bay - onto the main road, it was struggling with other inclines and was causing huge tailbacks of traffic and wasn't able to get up enough speed to overtake a tractor!

Locally, the Temsas are known as airport buses as that's what they feel like inside, to shuttle you to/from your plane

 

[Kuyoyo]

The 93 has had a long history (was 258/X58 before dereg) and has had periods of decker operation, esp south of Whitby. However, ENCTS usage has meant that deckers are needed especially during the Easter to Sep period. There were Enviros on there but these have been replaced by ex London B7s that are 12 years old - a backward step! Not enough grunt for some of those hills.

More interesting is the Malton to Whitby route that sees deckers now for the same reason (i.e. Pensioners on a jolly) and has had to be rerouted. In the 1970s/1980s, it was operated by Bristol LHs rather than coach seated Volvo/Wright Geminis

Actually, the B7s are coping well on the hills compared to the E400s last summer. The E400s managed the summer before when they were only there for the summer but then Arriva made a error last year - they let Redcar get their hands on them for longer than 6 weeks, which meant they were un-cared for and that showed in their time keeping. The fact an extra 2 had to transfer down towards the end of the 6 week School Holidays and then those 2 plus a further example have had to have several thousands of pounds spent on them before their Sapphire/MAX refurbishment.

A new timetable come into force on the X93 (all journeys will now operate as such, with the 93 dropped) next Sunday which seems a year round timetable introduced with additional summer journeys between Whitby and Scarborough and an increased half hourly journeys between Middlesbrough and Scarborough on a morning and return journeys on an afternoon. The full-length workings and short journeys are now stand-alone with 5 buses (all meant to be deckers) doing Middlesbrough-Scarborough and return all day operating out of the depot at Whitby (and all year round as well) while 3 buses (1 decker from Whitby and 2 single deckers from Redcar) will operate the short Whitby-Scarborough journeys with the 2 Redcar workings starting and finishing in Middlesbrough. Extra time has been added in along the route and additional layover time added in Middlesbrough (21 minutes, compared to 10 minutes last summer and the present 37 minutes on the winter timetable) and Scarborough (13 minutes compared to the present 8) while extra sit time has been put in at Whitby to aid driver changeovers (presently 5 minutes in both directions, now 8 minutes) although the layover in Whitby off the short journeys is reduced from the 58 minutes of the last year to 54 minutes.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The original e400s 7501-13 are decent enough and seemed ok with hills IME. However, the Redcar fleet is renowned for its poor condition. After a spruce up, the B7s might be ok but they're 5 years older, been worked very hard, don't have the power of a B9, and there's nothing to suggest that they won't deteriorate in line with Redcar's usual record.

Remember when the Temsas arrived. They were well regarded in terms of performance but are now knackered. Also, internal and external cleanliness of Redcar fleet is dreadful and noticeably worse than Stockton

 

[34D]

Is an Arriva All Yorkshire day ticket valid on the X93?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Is an Arriva All Yorkshire day ticket valid on the X93?

No, that's only valid on Arriva Yorkshire and their network. This is Arriva North East.
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I take back some of what I said. Travelled on one of the B7s albeit from Ashington. Very impressed compared to the usual cascaded deckers' quality