On Trains & Buses

With the threat of strike action out of the way, East Midlands Trains’ Spring Bank Holiday weekend timetable has been reinstated.

Last September we lost Cheap Evening Return train tickets around Greater Manchester but their summertime counterpart on the Derwent Valley line has returned for 2015. The price for a return fare is £3 for anyone starting from Derby, £4 for anyone starting from Long Eaton and £6 for anyone starting from Nottingham, Beeston or Attenborough. The line is operated by East Midlands Trains so that may explain why such a venture survives while Northern Rail dropped theirs about my neck of the woods. Let’s hope those sunny summer evenings coax folk out to this southeastern corner of the Peak District National Park.

One of the useful features of the Arriva bus services app (not the ticketing one and that is clunky anyway) is the provision of live bus running information. With how volatile traffic can be around south Manchester, this is useful when it comes to cutting down on waiting times at bus stops, an especially good thing in the winter season. There is an online version too for when you like to check things with a computer. For whatever reason, you can do the same thing graphically or just watch buses go around your town, a minority interest in the eyes of many.

East Midlands Trains has introduced several service improvements for the line between Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln. Here is a summary of the changes in the timetable:

• 25 additional trains every weekday between Newark Castle and Nottingham

• Faster journey times on 17 Nottingham to Lincoln services

• 14 additional daily stops at Hykeham

Saturday week sees new early morning journeys between Oban and Glasgow from the weekend after next, that of the Spring Bank Holiday as it happens. There is to be departure from Glasgow Queen Street at 05:20 and one leaving Oban at 05:20. The latter allows the next departure from Oban to be 08:57 like what is the case for Monday to Friday services. That change makes a day walking trip from Oban more convenient while some early starters may feel the same about the early morning Glasgow service, be they either walkers, island hoppers or both.

From the coming Sunday, some services will be seeing improvements. The Partick to Cumbernauld route will see hourly calls to Duke Street, Alexandra Parade and Barnhill. Hourly services between Paisley Central and Glasgow Central as well as between Newcraighall and Edinburgh Waverley are set to be introduced.

Arriva Trains Wales has issued its service summary for both the Mayday and Spring bank holiday weekends. There is something to be said for collecting it all together and reminding folk of the fact every now and again.

Normal weekday timetable observed for Cardiff Airport Services 905 and T9 on Mayday bank holiday. Other Mayday services in Vale of Glamorgan working to Sunday timetable.

First Potteries has announced more changes to follow those made at the end of March. Route 101 now becomes route 10, for instance.

Here are details of Arriva bus services for the Easter weekend where the local region have provided these:

Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire

Derby

Hinckley

Leicestershire

Southend, Rayleigh, Rochford, Castle Point and Basildon

Staffordshire

Surrey and West Sussex

Telford and Shropshire

Wales

Interestingly, the  Yorkshire and Northeast divisions of Arriva have not been so forthcoming about Easter service details so I will share them should they come my way.