Hulley's of Baslow

[MotCO]

Also notice that the timetable shows two 13:45 from Castleton but no 15:45. Presumably that’s a printing error?

Also, comparing the leaflet with what is shown on bustimes.org (which takes its feed from the Bus Open Data Service) on the latter the times and route are different from what is shown in the leaflet; according to BODS the timing points do not include the Longshaw Estate.

It looks as though the 14.45 has slipped a column, and the 15.45 is missing.

 

[northwichcat]

Hope station is shown between Hathersage and Castleton on the map.

If you're a tourist the first thing you'll look for on the timetable is Hope Station or some point referencing being Hope Station. It's not there.

So you then look for Castleton and work backwards. Castleton's shown at the end point of the route but it's in the middle of the blue section on the timetable - so finding the Castleton time isn't easy in itself!

So now you've found Castleton and the previous point is Hathersage George Hotel. As you say Hathersage Station is on the map but is Hathersage George Hotel near it or not?

Maybe just drive instead?

 

[cambran]

I travelled on the Breezer yesterday and the timetable has changed. Unfortunately only the driver seems to know the new times, as the old times were still on the website, with nothing on their social media. Clearly the times were unrealistic -we took 40 minutes with very few stops. Fortunately I had time to spare but for anyone relying on the service replacing journeys from Castleton at 16.55 and 17.55 with one at 17.50 could cause major problems.
What a shame that such a good initiative with a very scenic route has been ruined by poor planning and failing to communicate changes to passengers.

 

[markymark2000]

I travelled on the Breezer yesterday and the timetable has changed. Unfortunately only the driver seems to know the new times, as the old times were still on the website, with nothing on their social media. Clearly the times were unrealistic -we took 40 minutes with very few stops. Fortunately I had time to spare but for anyone relying on the service replacing journeys from Castleton at 16.55 and 17.55 with one at 17.50 could cause major problems.
What a shame that such a good initiative with a very scenic route has been ruined by poor planning and failing to communicate changes to passengers.

Seems to be a Hulleys trait. Poor planning with constant changes and the only people who know what is going on are drivers who are reading their duty boards.

Really poor show from Hulley's but given the X57 and the X1, I wasn't expecting anything better. They're on par with the Red Group from Aylesbury.

 

[Russel]

What has happened to Hulleys? They were pretty good a few years ago and now they seem to be a chaotic mess.

 

[Mugby]

Weren't Hulleys intending to introduce a Summer seaside service to somewhere? Can't remember where to, was it Skegness?

There's no mention of it anywhere now, has the idea been dropped?

 

[markymark2000]

Weren't Hulleys intending to introduce a Summer seaside service to somewhere? Can't remember where to, was it Skegness?

There's no mention of it anywhere now, has the idea been dropped?

That was in 2021. Its all been deregistered now.

 

[northwichcat]

I travelled on the Breezer yesterday and the timetable has changed. Unfortunately only the driver seems to know the new times, as the old times were still on the website, with nothing on their social media.

Any change to times needs approval from the Traffic Commissioner, unless it's a closed service or a free service.

Weren't Hulleys intending to introduce a Summer seaside service to somewhere? Can't remember where to, was it Skegness?

There's no mention of it anywhere now, has the idea been dropped?

They promised Manchester to Alton Towers via Manchester Airport and Macclesfield on Saturdays last summer but suspended their new services via Macclesfield just one day after they were due to start. Two council contracts were cancelled due to Hulleys registering a commercial service that competed with them.

 

[Killingworth]

Any change to times needs approval from the Traffic Commissioner, unless it's a closed service or a free service.

From the company "The timings originally given to this route were a unachievable, so a new timetable is pending approval very soon."

 

[Deerfold]

Any change to times needs approval from the Traffic Commissioner, unless it's a closed service or a free service.



They promised Manchester to Alton Towers via Manchester Airport and Macclesfield on Saturdays last summer but suspended their new services via Macclesfield just one day after they were due to start. Two council contracts were cancelled due to Hulleys registering a commercial service that competed with them.

The more they do this sort of thing, the more likely the Commissioner will investigate how they're running things.

 

[MotCO]

I assume they have resolved their driver shortages if they are introducing new or extended routes.

 

[tom1649]

Did they do the original timings test run for the Breezer at 3am with a prevailing wind?

 

[Volvo142]

Sounds a bit like Arriva in Derby many years ago. The story goes that they planned new timetables by sending a bloke with no local local knowledge over from Leicester to drive round the routes in a car on a Sunday afternoon when there was next to no traffic!

 

[Simon75]

Did they do the original timings test run for the Breezer at 3am with a prevailing wind?

How are tests runs done?

 

[Killingworth]

How are tests runs done?

This was their former route 276. It had diversions to Yorkshire Bridge and Bradwell but didn't go to Longshaw.

41 minutes from Castleton to Baslow, knocking off 5 each for YB and Bradwell you'd still need to add in 5 for Longshaw. Expecting to do a return trip in under an hour was pushing it, and certainly not a relaxing tourist ride at all!

(Image is a screenshot of the 276 timetable from Castleton to Chesterfield)

 

[Russel]

So, what timetable can I expect to be in operation on Sunday? (11/06/23)

I want a ride out on the Breezer but as it is now, I have no clue what to expect.

Would Bakewell to Castleton have been a better choice of route? On Saturdays it could run alongside the 173 to provide an hourly service and on Sundays, it could run to the 173 times providing a 2 hourly service. The area around Little Longstone and Monsal Head would be spectacular from an open top...

Edit: I've just been looking into timings for Sunday, one more thing to add to the list of issues with this, the timetable leaflet downloaded from Hulleys site suggests there is an 11:45 170 from Chesterfield station, Bustimes.org suggests that on Sundays only the 170a operates which departs Chestefield Station at 11:20, either I'm overlooking something here, or Hulleys have no idea what services they operate...

 

[station_road]

Edit: I've just been looking into timings for Sunday, one more thing to add to the list of issues with this, the timetable leaflet downloaded from Hulleys site suggests there is an 11:45 170 from Chesterfield station, Bustimes.org suggests that on Sundays only the 170a operates which departs Chestefield Station at 11:20, either I'm overlooking something here, or Hulleys have no idea what services they operate...

11.45 is weekdays, on Sunday it is 11.20 (having caught it recently). The timetable on the Derbyshire County Council website agrees with bustimes.org as well

(edited to add: the actual 170 timetable on the Hulleys website also has the Sunday time as 11.20, although that part of the site seems to be a mess of missing pages and 404 errors, but you're right that the times on the Breezer leaflet are wrong)

Sunday service 170 timetable on Derbyshire County Council website

 

[Russel]

11.45 is weekdays, on Sunday it is 11.20 (having caught it recently). The timetable on the Derbyshire County Council website agrees with bustimes.org as well

(edited to add: the actual 170 timetable on the Hulleys website also has the Sunday time as 11.20, although that part of the site seems to be a mess of missing pages and 404 errors, but you're right that the times on the Breezer leaflet are wrong)

Sunday service 170 timetable on Derbyshire County Council website

What an excellent advertisement for the bus industry...

Is there a revised weekend Breezer timetable yet?

 

[chessie]

Breezer Open Top Bus is currently out and about today on the 170. Shame I am sat with the work computer for the next few hours.

 

[derbybusdepot]

Breezer Open Top Bus is currently out and about today on the 170. Shame I am sat with the work computer for the next few hours.

Still no news of a revised timetable for the breezer, or which departures will/will not operate. Poor.

 

[Russel]

Still no news of a revised timetable for the breezer, or which departures will/will not operate. Poor.

Agreed, I'd like to use it, but I'm not going to until I know what is going on.

The fact that the pdf leaflet contains information on connections that don't exist is bad enough...

 

[Goldfish62]

Did they do the original timings test run for the Breezer at 3am with a prevailing wind?

Buses Magazine notes that it would require an average speed of 40mph to keep up with the scheduled timings. Absurd even for a car.

 

[asb]

For info, I used it on Sunday from Castleton. It arrived at approx 1040 and left at 1115. I think they are going to do quick turns at the Baslow end (due to the connections) and have recovery time at the Castleton end. It's a good trip - I think you get the best scenery going towards Castleton, especially between Grindleford and Hathersage.

 

[Deerfold]

For info, I used it on Sunday from Castleton. It arrived at approx 1040 and left at 1115. I think they are going to do quick turns at the Baslow end (due to the connections) and have recovery time at the Castleton end. It's a good trip - I think you get the best scenery going towards Castleton, especially between Grindleford and Hathersage.

I can't see buses leaving 5 minutes before the advertised time going down well with passengers (edit: or the Traffic Commissioner).

I'm guessing the 1220 won't have left on time, either.

 

[derbybusdepot]

I can't see buses leaving 5 minutes before the advertised time going down well with passengers.

I'm guessing the 1220 won't have left on time, either.

It's just a bit bizarre that they decide to run to a different timetable, arrive 20 late, miss a trip, then leave 5 early for next one.

If they're not going to put extra buses on to run all the scheduled departures, they should at least say which ones will not run. It's not that difficult!

 

[Welshman]

Apologies - try this:-

Peak Sightseer

Sit back and enjoy the scenery from a grandstand view as our open top bus takes you to some of the Peak District National Park’s most popular destinations.

www.stagecoachbus.com

 

[Deerfold]

Apologies - try this:-

Peak Sightseer

Sit back and enjoy the scenery from a grandstand view as our open top bus takes you to some of the Peak District National Park’s most popular destinations.

www.stagecoachbus.com

There's been some discussion of this, the fact it doesn't accept Wayfarers despite government funding in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Bus News thread.

 

[EnviroExplorer]

Still no news of a revised timetable for the breezer, or which departures will/will not operate. Poor.

Whether they’ve posted this anywhere else I’m not sure, but Hulleys have a new timetable on the Breezer from July 1st.

First journey of the day now starts from Chesterfield at 0905, with the last journey extending on request beyond Baslow. Now operating every 90 mins from Baslow at 0950 until 1720.

See the Twitter link below for full timetable.

https://twitter.com/hulleysofbaslow/status/1671258694728957953?s=20

 

[D365]

Apologies, I’ve not been keeping up with the Breezer discussions. Could somebody explain how the timings have been altered please.

 

[Deerfold]

Apologies, I’ve not been keeping up with the Breezer discussions. Could somebody explain how the timings have been altered please.

The official timings are currently hourly and pretty much impossible to keep to. They seem to be running to a fairly random timetable rather than the published one at the moment.

The new timings see a bus every 90 minutes, which they should be able to keep to on a normal day.