Scots Gap area has not been served for many years as far as I know. I think the route used to run on Wednesdays and Saturdays at one time. I recall my mother in law who was an artist, travelling from Morpeth to Mitford to paint the church. If I recall coaches were used, Keith Turns operation comes to mind and possibly Vasey of Otterburn? I would have thought a Streetlite would do the job.
I think that probably a political nod, no more. As there’s no inter-available ticket for both the bus and the train, in reality they will be serving different markets.
I recall Vasey's operating it with lightweight Bedfords (YRQs?), and then Northumbria with LHs, so all a bit shorter than a Pulsar
I found my June 1974 United timetable which shows a similar route being run by Batty’s six days a week though not via Whalton. I think that Ford or possibly Bedford lightweight buses were used certainly nothing the length of a Pulsar nor as wide. A small Solo would be ideal.I recall Vasey's operating it with lightweight Bedfords (YRQs?), and then Northumbria with LHs, so all a bit shorter than a Pulsar
Last time Scots Gap was served to my knowledge was around 2017 by PCL Travel, to start with, under PCL it was the 79 from the Newcastle Airport/Kingston Park area to Morpeth but was quickly changed to just run a circular on Wednesdays and Saturdays, before it's final form being a diversion of their M1 service from Morpeth to Thropton on Wednesdays (the rest of the time, the M1 was just the X14 route but running in the gaps in that service and effectively connecting up with the 15 at Rothbury/Thropton).
Travelsure operated additional journeys on the X18 between Alnwick and Berwick, with a deviation through Howick, when coupled with the 418 and Arriva's X18, provided a near hourly service up and down that stretch of the coast. That service last operated in Summer 2023, as Travelsure stopped public services at the end of 2023, with the standard 418 and Arriva X18 operating through the Summer of 2024. The only boost in 2024 was Borders Buses operating a Sunday service on the 418 between Alnwick and Belford. Don't know whether or not these extra services from Travelsure were commercial or not though.
Borders Buses 418 operates Monday to Saturday all year as Wooler - Belford - Alnwick and on Sundays as Belford - Alnwick 3 journeys each way. Travelsure also ran throughout the year. I think that during the summer some of their journeys extended to/from Berwick but could be wrong. Both Borders Buses and Travelsure operate(d) on behalf of Northumberland County Council.
www.arrivabus.co.uk
www.arrivabus.co.uk
Their buses and drivers aren't all based at Goole (head office has moved from Selby), they have outstations for the services that are further afield. Although there's nothing registered up near Whitby as yet, that could change in the next few weeks.
Don't they have an outstation near Malton for the 190?
Going off the tracking for the 190, they seem to outstation the bus for that service in Foxholes where Foxholes Garage/Wolds Stoves is.
You would have thought so, but there isn't one listed on VOSA – only Goole, Knaresborough and Skipton. Interestingly, there's an application pending for a new licence for "21 Buses", registered office at the same address in Goole, but no details of operating centres.
The bus running the 96 currently runs a school journey from Castleton into Whitby, then empty to Lealholm, three return journeys from Lealholm to Whitby and back taking 55 minutes each way, then - on schooldays, it runs empty back to Whitby, does a school journey out to Castleton, then empty back to Whitby - on Saturdays and holidays, it runs in service back to Whitby and then sits for an hour - then one last run in service back to Lealholm.
Tracking also shows buses on the 190 running up the A169 towards Kirkby Misperton as well as near Foxholes.
Interesting. I wonder how long 21T will last on the route before either North Yorkshire Council steps in or Arriva takes it back. They didn't last too long on the 11 through Settle before the Council took it back.
Also, that timing to Eskdale Road and back in high summer or festival weekends is hilariously optimistic when trying to cross the swing bridge.
Why do you think there's any need for the council to step in? 21T handed back the 11 in Ribblesdale, maybe they were having trouble resourcing the route so far from the main base, or maybe it wasn't as profitable as they had hoped, I don't know the reason, but as far as I'm aware it was entirely their choice and not the council taking it off them.
Operating so far away from any outstation comes with problems, especially for a smaller company like 21T.
www.arrivabus.co.uk
They ran the 11 very well from what I saw, but I’m told they had trouble finding a permanent site locally that could be registered as an operating centre.
Believe Arriva are keeping the 323 to Castleton and have chucked the 318 to Ugthorpe which requires a minibus and will go with the 96 to 21T. You can run the 323 with a big bus as its simply Danby & Castleton, hence will interwork with the 95 now and will be worked by (on paper) the spare Evora at Whitby.
When did Arriva get an Evora?
10 Evoras are due for Redcar depot, diverted from the North West order, for the X4 this year - presently delayed until sometime in the summer now. These are Temsa replacements hence the recent swap of ex-Redcar Streetlites to Birkenhead for their fleet of Pulsars now at Stockton.
Not sure which area you're talking about, but the services North of Tyne have been quite reliable over the last six months since the takeover. The buses while not looking great on the outside are generally clean on the inside. Lack of investment over the last ten years is showing though and something that won't be fixed overnight sadly.
Ah, I had missed that. Good news, the Streetlites were never up to the job of the X4 with its steep hills, and they could get very cramped – the Pulsars are more suitable but they are showing their age now so new Evoras will be very welcome.
318S passes to Coatham Coaches after the Easter Holidays. 96 looks to be standalone from looking at the new timetable, given the last trip from Lealholmside to Whitby arrives back too late to do an afternoon school service in Whitby.
www.arrivabus.co.uk
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