Rather than clog up the 'Little&Often' thread with the other East Kent changes and cuts which are happening simultaneously to the Little & often changes, I thought it best to start a seperate thread focusing on the other changes.
It is now in full public knowledge about Stagecoach South East's changes in the Ashford, Folkestone and Dover areas, as they have released service change information, and put information on Twitter.
From their website, is the following:
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-east/ashford-bus-route-and-timetable-changes
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promo...st/folkestone-bus-route-and-timetable-changes
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-east/dover-bus-route-and-timetable-changes
So, a huge amount of changes! While no doubt the locals, and the local newspapers, will just focus on the negatives, I can see some good things in the changes. Some of these areas have had no reviews for years, and as a regular user across East Kent, there are many underutlised journeys which I can understand need to be cut in the current climate. Many of the changes will improve reliability on some routes, and there has been some simplification in the networks which will be beneficial (e.g. sorting out the routings of the 16 and 73 in the Hawkinge estates, or splitting the A route in Ashford into two route numbers). But, some of the changes look very counterproductive and will only increase decline, such as reducing the 2 to 2-hourly, or diverting inter-urban routes to replace local routes.
Something i'd like to point out is the new Folkestone map, seen in the link below. You can't really miss the route for the 10 - that is one sure way of putting off passengers. Currently, the 10 just travels on the main coastal road out of Folkestone, but now on most journeys (apart from a few peak 10A journeys), passengers travelling from Folkestone will have a grand tour of the estates of Golden Valley, Shorncliffe, Cheriton, and Horn Street. Diverting inter-urban routes to serve estates is very off-putting, but this takes it to a new level. It will also decrease reliability for the estates, as buses are more likely to get held up in traffic elsewhere, especially if the bus goes anywhere near Ashford! The 91 is almost as bad.
Although I should point out a positive with the 10 - it will give the Horn Street and a part of Cheriton an hourly service, as opposed the current 160 it replaces which is much less frequent.
https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/RouteMaps/South East/Kent/Folkestone Network Map 030618 MM.pdf
It is now in full public knowledge about Stagecoach South East's changes in the Ashford, Folkestone and Dover areas, as they have released service change information, and put information on Twitter.
From their website, is the following:
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-east/ashford-bus-route-and-timetable-changes
Ashford bus route and timetable changes from 3 June 2018
From Sunday 3 June there’ll be changes to many bus routes and timetables in Ashford. They'll also be changes to routes that serve the town from outlying areas.
There hasn’t been a full review of all these services for a number of years. Whilst there’s been growth in bus use on many routes, some carry few passengers at certain times.
Traffic congestion continues to have an impact on our services too. We recognise that you want your bus to run at the advertised time, so we need to make sure our timetables are achievable.
This means that adjustments to the network are required so that we can continue to offer sustainable local bus services for the long term.
The vast majority of places currently served by our buses will continue to be, however there will be some changes to route numbers and the frequency of buses on some routes.
A little bit of big news
As you may have already heard, we’ll be introducing slightly bigger buses to little & often routes. We know that many of you love the convenience of the little & often service but wish the buses had a bit more space for your legs and shopping! The buses will still be often – up to every 12 minutes on route B and every 10 minutes on route C, but with greater comfort and more capacity on board.
We’ve seen a fantastic 35% growth in bus use on these routes since we launched the little & often service just over a year ago. We hope that bringing in these larger buses will build a network that works for you and is sustainable over the long term.
A new route A service linking Singleton with the town centre will also become part of the little & often network.
The switch to little & often on routes E and G didn’t result in an increase in bus use. This means that we now need to readjust the level of service in areas covered by these routes so that it matches more closely the actual demand for travel.
So, what’s happening to my bus route and why are you changing it?
A – Ashford
This route will be divided into two dedicated services, route A for Singleton and route D for Stanhope. Route A will become a little & often service operating every 10 minutes. Route D will operate every 15 minutes. The existing evening and Sunday route serving both Singleton and Stanhope will be numbered route AD.
By separating the routes in this way we’ll be able to provide a more reliable service that is less likely to suffer from delays, particularly for Singleton which will no longer be affected by traffic congestion at the Designer Outlet.
View the new route A timetable here
View the new route D timetable here
B – Ashford
Things will be getting a little bigger! We’re waving goodbye to the compact little buses and saying hello to larger minibuses with more legroom and space for shopping bags. The service will remain little & often operating at a high frequency (every 12 minutes) along the same route as it does now. In the evenings and on Sundays buses will run every 30 minutes.
View the new route B timetable here
C – Ashford
Things will be getting a little bigger! We’re waving goodbye to the compact little buses and saying hello to larger minibuses with more legroom and space for shopping bags. The service will remain little & often running at the same high frequency as now along the same route. In the evenings buses will run every 30 minutes. Sunday buses will remain at every 15 minutes.
View the new route C timetable here
E – Ashford
This route will no longer operate, but other bus routes will continue to serve most areas currently covered by route E. An hourly route 666 service will serve Trinity Road, Eureka Leisure Park, John Lewis and Repton Park Waitrose. Orbital Park and South Willesborough will be served every 30 minutes by route G. Little Burton will be served by route 1 giving a direct link to and from the town centre. On Sundays and Bank Holidays there will be a new hourly route 666 service running between Ashford town centre and Eureka Leisure Park.
Links to the new timetables are available in the sections for each route below.
G – Ashford
Things will be getting a little bigger! We’re waving goodbye to the compact minibuses and saying hello to larger buses with more legroom and space for shopping bags. The route will be extended to serve South Willesborough and Orbital Park (replacing the current route E) and buses will run every 30 minutes.
View the new route G timetable here
1 (1A and 1X) – Ashford/Canterbury
If you use these routes you’ll know that the service can suffer from delays. The existing arrangement means that most bus journeys have to use the level crossings at Wye and Chartham. Although we do our best to schedule our buses so they don’t meet with trains - it’s inevitable that delays will occur when the crossings are down.
From 3 June this route will be reorganised so that it better suits the requirements of our customers and is less susceptible to delays. There will be a dedicated service between Chartham (Beech Avenue) and Canterbury (route 1A). There will also be a dedicated service running between Wye and Ashford (route 1). Both these routes will operate on an hourly basis with extra buses at peak times. By separating this route into two parts the potential for delays to the service will be minimised.
There will still be a through service between Ashford and Canterbury which will serve Chilham and Chartham Rail Station (and Wye at peak times). This will run at peak times and every 2 hours during the daytime.
View the new route 1 and 1A timetable here
2, 2A – Ashford/Tenterden/Hastings
Unfortunately these routes are not well used outside of peak times during the day. Whilst the level of service will remain similar at peak times, there will be a reduction in the frequency of buses during the daytime.
Route 2 will be changed to run every 2 hours during the day between Hastings, Tenterden and Ashford. At peak times buses will be more frequent with a similar level of service as now. We’re also separating this service form route 1 so that buses no longer run through to (and from) Canterbury.
View the new route 2 timetable here
Route 2A will be changed to run every 2 hours during the day but with extra journeys at peak times.
View the new route 2A timetable here
These routes will together provide an hourly service between Tenterden and Ashford with some additional journeys at peak times.
10, 10A – Folkestone/Ashford
A revised timetable will apply. Most parts of the route will continue to be served, but we’re separating the 10/10A and 10X so that buses won’t run through to Maidstone. You’ll need to change bus in Ashford town centre if you want to continue your journey towards Maidstone. This will help improve the reliability of these services because delays caused by traffic congestion in and around Maidstone will no longer impact on journeys running through to Folkestone.
There’ll be an improved Sunday and Bank Holiday service running every two hours which will also serve Port Lympne.
Route 10 and 10A buses will run separate routes in and out of Folkestone. Peak time route 10A will operate as it does now directly via Sandgate. Most buses will be route 10 and will serve Shorncliffe Road and the Golden Valley and run to Cheriton Tesco and Horn Street to Seabrook.
View the new route 10/10A timetable here
10X – Maidstone/Ashford
A revised timetable will apply. All parts of the route will continue to be served, but we’re separating the 10X from the 10/10A so that buses won’t run through to Folkestone. You’ll need to change bus in Ashford town centre if you want to continue your journey towards Hythe and Folkestone. This will help improve the reliability of the service because delays caused by traffic congestion in east Ashford (around junction 10) will no longer impact on journeys running to Maidstone.
View the new route 10X timetable here
11 (11A, 11B) – Ashford/Romney Marsh/Lydd
All buses will start and finish at Ashford town centre where you can change to the high frequency route C service for the William Harvey Hospital. There will be changes to the timetable with some new journeys on routes 11A and 11B.
View the new route 11 timetable here
121 – Molash/Shottenden/Wye/Ashford
This route will no longer operate because much of the route is served by a parallel route 1 bus that has spare capacity on board. Unfortunately it will no longer be possible to serve Molash and Shottenden.
517 & 519 – Park Farm Ashford
The morning route 517 service from Park Farm to Hythe Road will no longer operate. This will be replaced by a route 2A bus that will serve Park Farm for Hythe Road Schools. There is also an alternative bus on route 518.
Route 519 will no longer serve Park Farm and will be shortened to start at Stanhope. If you travel from Park Farm to Towers School please use route B which provides a direct service to the school.
View the new route 515-519 timetables here
666 – Faversham/Ashford
There will be a revised timetable and most buses will be rerouted to run to and from Ashford via Trinity Road (Eureka Place). The buses will also serve Eureka Leisure Park, John Lewis and Repton Park Waitrose.
School-time route 666 buses will continue to operate on the existing route directly in and out of Ashford (Faversham Road and Canterbury Road).
Most buses will start and finish at Ashford town centre where you can change to the high frequency route C service for the William Harvey Hospital.
There will be a new hourly Sunday route 666 service running between Ashford town centre and Eureka Leisure Park.
View the new route 666 timetable here
HS2 & HS3 – Ashford/Tenterden school-time buses
These buses will no longer be operated by Stagecoach. Please contact KCC for further information.
If you have any questions or unsure about how these changes will affect you, then let us know. You can Tweet us @StagecoachSE, or send us an email at [email protected] using the subject header Ashford timetable changes.
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promo...st/folkestone-bus-route-and-timetable-changes
Folkestone bus route and timetable changes from 3 June
From Sunday 3 June there’ll be changes to many bus routes and timetables in the Folkestone area. There’ll also be changes to some routes that serve the town from outlying areas.
There hasn’t been a full review of services in and around Folkestone for many years. Whilst there’s been growth in bus use on some routes, others carry fewer passengers at certain times.
Traffic congestion continues to have an impact on our services too. We recognise that you want your bus to run at the advertised time, so we need to make sure our timetables are achievable.
This means that adjustments to the network are required so that we can continue to offer a sustainable bus service for the long term.
The vast majority of places currently served by our buses will continue to be, however there will be some changes to route numbers and the frequency of buses on some routes.
So, what’s happening to my bus route and why are you changing it?
10, 10A – Folkestone/Ashford
A revised timetable will apply. Most parts of the route will continue to be served, but we’re separating the 10/10A and 10X so that buses won’t run through to Maidstone. You’ll need to change bus in Ashford town centre if you want to continue your journey towards Maidstone. This will help improve the reliability of these services because delays caused by traffic congestion in and around Maidstone will no longer impact on journeys running through to Folkestone.
There’ll be an improved Sunday and Bank Holiday service running every two hours which will also serve Port Lympne.
Route 10 and 10A buses will run separate routes in and out of Folkestone. Peak time route 10A will operate as it does now directly via Sandgate. Most buses will be route 10 and will serve Shorncliffe Road and the Golden Valley (replacing routes 77 and 78) and run via Cheriton Tesco and Horn Street (replacing route 160) to Seabrook.
View the new route 10/10A timetable here
16 – Hythe/Folkestone/Hawkinge/Canterbury
A golden opportunity!
We’re changing the timetable and extending the route beyond Hythe to the Martello Lakes development at Palmarsh. The frequency of buses will be changed to every 20 minutes throughout – including the section between Hythe and Folkestone. This will allow sufficient time for the buses to include Palmarsh in the route.
There will also be a change to the route the buses use in Hawkinge. All Gold 16 buses will run along Heron Forstal Avenue and Haven Drive (no longer serving Tesco and the Primary School). If you normally board the bus at Tesco (for Canterbury) your nearest bus stop will be on Aerodrome Road (just up from the Estate Agents). If you board the bus at the Primary School (for Folkestone) you’ll need to catch the bus from Aerodrome Road at the stop on the opposite side to the Estate Agents.
View the new Gold route 16 timetable here
17 – Folkestone/Elham Valley/Canterbury
There will be some minor timetable changes on weekdays to help improve timekeeping and the service will be enhanced on Sundays and Bank Holidays to run every 90 minutes (from every two hours). These extra Sunday and Bank Holiday journeys will be operated commercially without public funding and are therefore available for an open-ended trial period. So, if you need to travel, please make use of them.
View the new route 17 timetable here
19 – Hawkinge/Folkestone/Hythe/Saltwood
There’ll be some changes to bus times to help improve punctuality.
View the new route 19 timetable here
71 – Cheriton/Folkestone/Creteway Down/East Cliff
This route will be extended in east Folkestone to serve Stanbury Crescent and Hollands Avenue (replacing route 72). The frequency will be adjusted to every 20 minutes.
View the new route 71 timetable here
72 – Cheriton/Folkestone/East Cliff
This route will no longer operate but will be replaced in east Folkestone by route 71 in Stanbury Crescent and Hollands Avenue and by route 91 in Foreland Avenue and Wear Bay Crescent. In Cheriton the Sunday service will be replaced by route 73 – see below.
73 – Hawkinge/Folkestone/Cheriton
The frequency of buses on this route will increase to every 20 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays. There will be a new Sunday and Bank Holiday service on this route operating every 30 minutes during the day. In Hawkinge buses will serve Canterbury Road (Tesco), Millfield and then Aerodrome Road, The Battle of Britain Museum and Haven Drive. We expect route 73 buses will also serve Page Road and Pannell Drive subject to the installation of new bus stops by KCC.
In Cheriton all route 73 buses will run clockwise from Risborough Lane via Church Road, Tesco, Weymouth Road, Shaftesbury Avenue and Ashley Avenue.
View the new route 73 timetable here
77, 78 – Folkestone
These routes will be replaced by route 10 (see above) which will offer a new service connecting Shorncliffe Road, the Golden Valley, Oxenden Road and Royal Military Avenue with Folkestone town centre in one direction and Cheriton Tesco in the other direction. This new service will operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday. One bus every hour will continue beyond Cheriton Tesco to Seabrook, Hythe and Ashford (William Harvey Hospital).
This new arrangement will provide a Sunday and Bank Holiday service connecting Shorncliffe Road, the Golden Valley, Oxenden Road and Royal Military Avenue with Folkestone town centre and Cheriton Tesco, Seabrook, Hythe and Ashford (William Harvey Hospital).
View the new route 10 timetable here
91 – Dover/Alkham/Folkestone
A revised timetable will apply. In Folkestone, route 91 buses will operate a new route serving Wear Bay Crescent, Foreland Avenue, Warren Road, Canterbury Road, Downs Road, Dolphins Road and Holywell Avenue. It will also be extended to serve Broadmead Village (see routes 72 and 127).
View the new route 91 timetable here
100, 101, 102 – Dover/Folkestone/Hythe/New Romney/Lydd/Rye/Hastings
This service will be separated into two dedicated sections. Route 102 will provide the service between Dover, Folkestone, Hythe, New Romney and Greatstone with buses every 20 minutes. From Greatstone one bus every hour will continue to Lydd-on-Sea, Lydd, Camber and finish at Rye.
Routes 100 and 101 will operate between Rye and Hastings via Icklesham or Fairlight. Connections will be available at Rye Station between route 102 and 100/101 buses.
View the new route 102 timetable here
View the new route 100 timetable here
View the new route 101 timetable here
127 – Folkestone
This route will be replaced by route 91 (see above). No areas currently served by route 127 will be without a service. We're increasing the frequency of buses for Broadmead Village to every 30 minutes throughout the day. Holywell Avenue, Dolphins Road and Downs Road will be served by route 91.
160 – Folkestone/Cheriton/Seabrook
This route will be replaced by route 10 (see above). Between Folkestone and Cheriton Tesco it will operate via Shorncliff Road and The Golden Valley every 30 minutes Mondays to Saturdays and provide a Sunday and Bank Holiday service too. Between Hythe, Seabrook and Cheriton Tesco route 10 will operate hourly throughout the day (Monday to Saturday) and every two hours on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Route 10 buses will also provide a link to Ashford (William Harvey Hospital).
There’ll be a golden opportunity if you live in Palmarsh. Gold route 16 will be extended to serve Martello Lakes every 20 minutes and one bus every hour will call in to Grebe Crescent (see above for a link to the timetable).
976 – Folkestone Academy school-time route
The Wednesday only buses at 1440 will no longer run. The two buses at 1710 will be brought forward to depart at 1600 every day.
991 – school-time route
The 0751 journey from Swingfield will divert via the A20 and Capel-le-Ferne replacing a route 992 bus [see below].
992 – Greatstone/Dover school-time route
The duplicate bus that starts from Grove Road, Folkestone at 0800 will be replaced by a 991 bus [see above]. The 1535 bus from Tower Hamlets will be replaced by a diverted route 102 bus.
994 – West Hythe/Folkestone school-time route
This bus will be renumbered route 16A with extra time added to improve reliability. The afternoon journey will be diverted from Newingreen to serve Stanford first then via Sellindge to terminate at Newingreen.
From the same date there'll also be changes to buses in the Dover area. Find out more here
If you have any questions or are unsure about how these changes will affect you, then let us know. You can Tweet us @StagecoachSE, or send us an email at [email protected] using the subject header Folkestone timetable changes.
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-east/dover-bus-route-and-timetable-changes
Dover & Deal bus route and timetable changes from 3 June
From Sunday 3 June there’ll be changes to some bus routes and timetables in the Dover, Deal and Sandwich area.
We carried out a review of local bus services last September and made a number of changes to the network. Since then we’ve been keeping a close eye on how things have been going. We’ve also been listening to your feedback. Some of the changes we made have worked well with improved timekeeping and new journey opportunities. It’s also clear that for some routes there needs to be a bit of fine-tuning. We want to ensure the service meets your requirements and the advertised times are achievable.
So, what’s happening to my bus route and why are you changing it?
12 – Deal/Whitfield/Canterbury
We’re changing the timetable to help improve the reliability of the service.
View the new route 12 timetable here
15 – Dover/Canterbury
A revised timetable will apply to help improve reliability. To help with capacity, smaller buses will no longer be scheduled for use on this route.
View the new route 15 timetable here
43 – Westwood/Ramsgate/Sandwich/Canterbury
There’ll be some changes to bus times to help improve punctuality.
View the new route 43 timetable here
61 – Dover town
There will be some reduction in the frequency of buses in the afternoon when the buses are less well used. This will match the level of service on Saturdays. There are some minor changes to bus times on Sundays.
View the new route 61 timetable here
62 – Dover town
There will be some changes to bus times and the route will serve the new St James shopping area via Castle Street and Queen Street.
View the new route 62 timetable here
80, 81 – Dover/Deal/Sandwich
There’ll be some changes to bus times to help improve punctuality. Buses serving St Margaret’s Bay will be swapped round, so route 81 buses will run direct via the A258 and route 80 will serve St Margaret’s Bay. Most route 80 buses going to or from Sandwich will no longer serve Sholden Village which will be served by new short journeys to and from Deal only. These changes are designed to help improve the reliability of the service.
View the new route 80/81 timetable here
82, 83, 84 – Deal
There will be some changes to bus times on these routes.
View the new route 82 timetable here
View the new route 83 and 84 timetables here
89, 89A – Dover/Eythorne/Elvington/Snowdown/Aylesham/Canterbury
This route will be divided into two new dedicated services. Route 89 will provide a service between Aylesham and Canterbury about every 30 minutes. NEW routes 92/92A will provide a dedicated service between Elvington, Eythorne and Dover. There will continue to be school time buses serving Nonington and Snowdown.
View the new route 89 timetable here
View the new route 89 timetable for Snowdown and Nonington here
90 – Deal/Whitfield/Dover
Route 90 will serve the stop at Tesco Whitfield and there will be some changes to bus times.
View the new route 90 timetable here
91 – Dover/Alkham/Folkestone
A revised timetable will apply. In Folkestone, route 91 buses will operate a new route serving Wear Bay Crescent, Foreland Avenue, Warren Road, Canterbury Road, Downs Road, Dolphins Road and Holywell Avenue. It will also be extended to serve Broadmead Village (see routes 72 and 127).
View the new route 91 timetable here
92, 92A – NEW ROUTE – Elvington/Dover
NEW routes 92/92A will provide a dedicated service between Elvington, Eythorne and Dover. Route 92 will run from Elvington via Whitfield and River to Dover and from Dover via River, Lydden and Shepherdswell to Elvington. Route 92A will run from Elvington via Shepherdswell, Lydden and River to Dover and from Dover via River and Whitfield to Elvington.
View the new route 92/92A timetable here
100, 101, 102 – Dover/Folkestone/Hythe/New Romney/Lydd/Rye/Hastings
This service will be separated into two dedicated sections. Route 102 will provide the service between Dover, Folkestone, Hythe, New Romney and Greatstone with buses every 20 minutes. From Greatstone one bus every hour will continue to Lydd-on-Sea, Lydd, Camber and finish at Rye.
Routes 100 and 101 will operate between Rye and Hastings via Icklesham or Fairlight. Connections will be available at Rye Station between route 102 and 100/101 buses.
View the new route 102 timetable here
You can find out more about routes 100 and 101 here
991 – school-time route
The 0751 journey from Swingfield will divert via the A20 and Capel-le-Ferne replacing a route 992 bus [see below].
992 – Greatstone/Dover school-time route
The duplicate bus that starts from Grove Road, Folkestone at 0800 will be replaced by a 991 bus [see above]. The 1535 bus from Tower Hamlets will be replaced by a diverted route 102 bus.
From the same date there'll also be changes to buses in the Folkestone area. Find out more here
If you have any questions or are unsure about how these changes will affect you, then let us know. You can Tweet us @StagecoachSE, or send us an email at [email protected] using the subject header Dover timetable changes.
So, a huge amount of changes! While no doubt the locals, and the local newspapers, will just focus on the negatives, I can see some good things in the changes. Some of these areas have had no reviews for years, and as a regular user across East Kent, there are many underutlised journeys which I can understand need to be cut in the current climate. Many of the changes will improve reliability on some routes, and there has been some simplification in the networks which will be beneficial (e.g. sorting out the routings of the 16 and 73 in the Hawkinge estates, or splitting the A route in Ashford into two route numbers). But, some of the changes look very counterproductive and will only increase decline, such as reducing the 2 to 2-hourly, or diverting inter-urban routes to replace local routes.
Something i'd like to point out is the new Folkestone map, seen in the link below. You can't really miss the route for the 10 - that is one sure way of putting off passengers. Currently, the 10 just travels on the main coastal road out of Folkestone, but now on most journeys (apart from a few peak 10A journeys), passengers travelling from Folkestone will have a grand tour of the estates of Golden Valley, Shorncliffe, Cheriton, and Horn Street. Diverting inter-urban routes to serve estates is very off-putting, but this takes it to a new level. It will also decrease reliability for the estates, as buses are more likely to get held up in traffic elsewhere, especially if the bus goes anywhere near Ashford! The 91 is almost as bad.
Although I should point out a positive with the 10 - it will give the Horn Street and a part of Cheriton an hourly service, as opposed the current 160 it replaces which is much less frequent.
https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/RouteMaps/South East/Kent/Folkestone Network Map 030618 MM.pdf
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