Dukinfield bus service changes: double whammy hits Albion Hotel area

The good, the downright obvious and the ugly

• 343 service retained and rerouted;
• Sunday evening 220 withdrawn;
• Monday - Saturday 419 (Stalybridge - Dukinfield - Ashton) withdrawn;
• Minor changes on Monday - Saturday 220 and 221 route.

Between October 2007 and the 27th January 2008, the number of journeys between the Albion Hotel/Morrisons and Stalybridge town centre will have been halved, a process which began with the withdrawal of the 349 Ashton - Carrbrook and the replacement of this service by an expanded 348 (via Stamford Square).

The result is that daytime frequencies between the two points have reverted to 1998 - 99 levels, with walking becoming the easier option in most cases.

From the 27th January 2008, the 349’s replacement between Ashton - Stalybridge (the 419) will cease operations. This service will run between Ashton - Middleton, as was the case before October 2007. The incumbent operator, First Manchester has also won back journeys on the 419 lost to Speedwell Bus almost two years ago.

Also affected is the 220, most of which regarding the Sunday evening service. With average figures quoted at a GMPTA meeting as 3 passengers per journey on JP Travel’s Sunday evening, all evening services by the Middleton company will be withdrawn. The rest of the changes on this route concerns GMPTE supported journeys throughout the weekday. The 1455 from Tameside Hospital and the 0753 (2 minutes later on Saturdays) from Piccadilly Gardens will be operated by First Manchester. The 1453 (Manchester) and the 1549 (Tameside Hospital) will be operated by Vale of Manchester.

The Saturdays only 0715 journey on the 221 (Tennyson Avenue - Manchester) will also be operated by First Manchester, which will later become the 0755 return journey on the 220 to Tameside Hospital.

On a more happier note, the 343 has been retained. Scheduled for withdrawal on the 23rd December 2007 and after the 27th January 2008, Speedwell Bus will continue to run the daytime service on Mondays to Saturdays. In the Micklehurst area, Speedwell’s service will follow the route of the old 344 (former SHMD number 4 service, Hyde - Mossley) route via Staley Road. Winterford Road will remain served by First Manchester’s evening, Bank Holiday and Sunday version of the 343. With Staley Road being thin bus territory (at present, only peak hour services) and the amount of unique links unserved by other routes, the whole 343 (and single journey 344 route) will be subsidised by GMPTE.

East of the M60 Comment

Till recently, I was having nightmares of the possibility of Dukinfield (Albion Hotel) being cut off from Stalybridge by bus. I was relieved, almost ecstatic to see the 343 retained, miffed about the loss of night time journeys on a Sunday to and from Manchester, and peeved as to why the easiest way to Stalyvegas Wetherspoons is by foot or taxi.

Personal peeves aside, I was least surprised about the truncation of the 220 and 419 routes. Just to confuse things, the Sunday evening 220 entered Boyd’s Walk from King Street rather than Birch Lane (unlike the First Manchester route). This not only confused me, but several wannabe passengers. Typical rolling stock on this route comprised of step entrance buggy unfriendly MCW Metrorider minibuses. In contrast, all journeys on its sister route, the 219 (and some First Manchester evening journeys on the 220 - subject to fleet availability) are operated with low floored vehicles.

As for the 419, the Stalybridge - Ashton section flopped on account of: short operating times (last bus to Ashton was 1545 from Stalybridge (an hour later on Saturday) - and no peak hour services to replace the lost 349 journeys); its hourly frequency; and the service being timed a few minutes before the 343 at the Albion Hotel stop (most people continuing towards Carrbrook waited for the Speedwell route). In the last few weeks, numbers have picked up, though too late to fend off its withdrawal. Clearly, the 419 has not had enough time to establish itself among the bus using psychogeography of Dukinfield, thus losing the town a direct link with Hathershaw, Chadderton and Middleton.

However, the greatest news must be the retention of the 343, which has had a chequered history in the last year alone. Speedwell have done - and will do as from the 27th January 2008 - a good job with operating this route. From my observation, loadings have increased compared with First’s stewardship of the daytime route. Recent changes will see the service rerouted via Staley Road, Micklehurst, which would please Mossley councillor Roy Etchells, who has campaigned for improved services on this section.

S.V, 16 January 2008.

Postscript (01 February 200

The 343 operated by Speedwell in the Mossley area will (Hyde - Oldham) go via Staley Road, turning right four times onto Station Road, then Winterford Road, Huddersfield Road and Micklehurst Road, turning left onto Egmont Street, continuing its regular route through Bottom Mossley and Top Mossley.  Southbound journeys will continue the same route as the Oldham journeys, though joining Station Road from Egmont Street via Winterford Road, Huddersfield Road and Micklehurst Road, before turning left twice to reach Staley Road.