Bus services with a later last journey on Sundays

[Martin1988]

Since the most recent set of timetable changes in the First West of England area there are at least two examples of services which have a later journey on a Sunday that doesn't run on Monday to Saturday.

These are:

X4 Portishead to Bristol:
The last journey from Portishead to Bristol is 22.53 on Monday to Saturday with a later 23.53 journey which only does a Portishead Town Circular. However on a Sunday there is a 23.23 from Portishead that continues all the way to Bristol

Y1 Chipping Sodbury to Bristol:
The last journey from Chipping Sodbury to Bristol is 22.24 on Monday to Saturday with the buses arriving into Sodbury from Bristol at 23.22 and 00.22 now running back to the depot out of service. However on Sunday there is a later last journey from Chipping Sodbury to Bristol at 23.11.

I fail to see the logic in why either services run later on a Sunday than on Monday to Saturday. In the case of the Y1 I fail to see why the buses on the last two journeys from Bristol can't run back in service on Monday to Saturday like they previously did but can do on Sunday.

Also it goes against a trend of First cutting back on Sunday evening journeys so I fail to see why if later last journeys from Bristol to North Somerset are no longer considered viable, why a later last journey from Portishead with the driver and vehicle then presumably having to return to the depot out of service is viable.

Are there any other services which currently run later on a Sunday than they do on Monday to Saturday?

 

[gingerheid]

Where I've seen it's only been because Sunday services were subsidised up to the previous commercial M-Sa finish time and that had been cut back without replacement.

 

[higthomas]

Following the recent timetable changes in Cambridge a few of the standard city buses, for example the 3 and the 1 in one direction do.

 

[Stan Drews]

The SPT subsidised evening journeys on service 545 to McInroy’s Point run later on a Sunday than they do Mon-Sat.

 

[Llandudno]

Arriva Commercial Route 5

Bangor to Llandudno
2147 Mon-Sat
2240 Sundays

Crazy really, should be the other way around with the later bus running on weekdays!

Bizarrely it’s the same on the trains
Last trains Bangor to Llandudno Junction
2100 Weekdays
2209 Sundays

No public transport east of Bangor for those visiting theatre, concerts, gigs, cinemas etc..!

 

[Martin1988]

Thanks to those who have taken the time to respond and give me examples. Have looked at the timetables for the 5 and 545 and it just doesn't make sense why these services would run later on a sunday than on other days.

From experience in situations where a Monday to Saturday evening commercial service has been withdrawn but a Sunday supported one remains is it normally the case that the Sunday service remains for any reasonable length of time or is it not uncommon for that to be withdrawn not long afterwards (for example when the tender runs out) thus bringing the Sunday service more in line with Monday to Saturday?

My guess is that a service that isn't considered commercially viable by an operator is likely to not be the sort that a probably cash strapped local authority would be able to continue funding long term and if it was why isn't the relevant local authority funding a Monday to Saturday evening service?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

In West Yorkshire, the last X63/363 (Huddersfield to Bradford) of the day use to depart Huddersfield at 2300 Monday to Saturday and on Sunday's at 2305. Its since been changed to 2257 Monday to Friday, 2358 on a Saturday and on a Sunday at 2304. Its operated by First Huddersfield and is quite possibly th eonly service in West Yorkshire that does this.

I cannot see the logic in this as it would've make sense to run the last journey at 2310 Monday to Saturday, considering that five years ago there was a "nightbus" at 2321 (service 547 operated by Yorkshire Tiger) from Huddersfield which terminated in Brighouse until it got axed with it finishing an hour earlier and on Sunday's anything after 6pm was canned.

 

[Deerfold]

In West Yorkshire, the last X63/363 (Huddersfield to Bradford) of the day use to depart Huddersfield at 2300 Monday to Saturday and on Sunday's at 2305. Its since been changed to 2257 Monday to Friday, 2358 on a Saturday and on a Sunday at 2304. Its operated by First Huddersfield and is quite possibly th eonly service in West Yorkshire that does this.

It's 2259 Monday to Friday, 2258 on a Saturday. Seems designed to have people just missing the bus on a Saturday who know the weekday timetable.

I cannot see the logic in this as it would've make sense to run the last journey at 2310 Monday to Saturday, considering that five years ago there was a "nightbus" at 2321 (service 547 operated by Yorkshire Tiger) from Huddersfield which terminated in Brighouse until it got axed with it finishing an hour earlier and on Sunday's anything after 6pm was canned.

I was surprised last Friday to discover how early so many of the last buses from Huddersfield are (though I'd already realised this for Bradford). The last bus to Halifax is 2230 and that's a slow route, the last on the quickest route is 2218, not much good for the gig I was at, finishing at 2300.

 

[Martin1988]

Back in 2013 when I was studying at Huddersfield University I definitely remember the last journey on the 358 Ashenhurst service, departing Huddersfield Bus Station after 2300 and across all days of the week. Looking at the timetable for the 358, it now seems to finish around 2100 on Monday to Saturday and around 1800 on Sunday.

Was it a similar story with other services in the area?

Service 306 from Huddersfield to Newsome seems to be another service which runs later on Sundays. The last journey from Huddersfield Bus Station is 2226 Monday to Saturday but on Sunday there is an extra journey at 2300.

 

[175mph]

The 350 between Scunthorpe and Hull, which is jointly operated by Stagecoach and East Yorkshire has a 20:10 last departure from Scunthorpe bus station run by East Yorkshire on a Sunday and bank holiday, whereas on weekdays and Saturdays, the last departure from Scunthorpe is run by Stagecoach at 19:10.