Thursday 4th April 2024
Something odd has been happening to rural bus routes in the Dacorum district of Hertfordshire these past few weeks.
Readers may recall the County Council’s Herts Lynx branded DRT scheme expanded into the Berkhamsted and Tring areas west of Hemel Hempstead in December 2023 without any reduction in conventional bus routes. However three months on five low frequency rural bus routes in the Gaddesdon area, north west of Hemel Hempstead, have simply disappeared from the network with no notice.
I first noticed something was wrong back on Monday 18th March having travelled to Berkhamsted to take a ride on the Little Jim’s operated routes 502/532 which link the town with Hemel Hempstead via the village of Potten End.
There are only three journeys a day serving the village and I was a bit surprised when nothing turned up in Berkhamsted and the bustimes.org website was showing no bus on the road.
Consulting the County’s Intalink website I then found this rather unhelpful message.
“This service is suspended until further notice” which had been posted without notice the previous Thursday. Luckily, the Herts Lynx DRT covers Potten End so residents were not left completely bus-less but would have to play the lottery of trying their luck at booking a DRT journey/s rather than turning up at a bus stop for a fixed timed service.
The Herts Lynx map available on the app or online confirmed Potten End was now being served.
Add to this the Red Eagle operated routes 29/30/31, which as you can see from the map below, also link Berkhamsted with Hemel Hempstead via three different routes – serving Ashridge Forest, Ringshall and Little Gaddesden (29/30/31); Hudnall (29/30); Studham and Jockey End (29); Great Gaddesden (30); Nettleden (31); and Water End and Piccotts End (29/30/31).
I’d heard these routes were destined for withdrawal from Tuesday 16th April with passengers having to use Herts Lynx instead. However the date and confirmation of this change has been mysteriously absent from any communications online.
Taking a look last night at the Intalink website there was still no information about the potential upcoming change at all, but these routes also disappeared last weekend.
I’d checked just before Easter and clicked on the timetable page for the 29/30/31 where the timetables were displayed for Thursday 28th March as normal….
… but changing the date to Tuesday 2nd April (after the Easter weekend) brought forth no information at all. The same situation continues to apply.
It looks like these routes have also been summarily withdrawn with no information or notice.
Luckily for posterity, I’d taken a ride on each of the journeys on the 29, 30 and 31 the previous week to see how they were doing before their anticipated demise, whenever that might have been.
As you can see from the above timetables, it’s a one bus operation with one return journey on each of the three route variations giving time for shopping in either Berkhamsted (route 31) or Hemel Hempstead (routes 29/30).
I caught the 11:33 route 30 from Hemel to Berkhamsted, returned to Hemel on the 12:20 route 31 and then back to Berkhamsted on the 13:30 route 29, thus sampling each of the three route variations.
Two passengers went home from Hemel on route 30 with one alighting in Little Gaddedden and one getting off on the road between Northchurch and Berkhamsted (served by Arriva’s direct route X5).
Two passengers travelled on the 31 from Berkhamsted with one alighting in Nettleden and one going all the way to Hemel Hempstead (who could have got the quicker more direct X5). We also picked one up in Little Gaddesden travelling to Hemel.
The passenger who travelled from Berkhamsted to Hemel reappeared on the next journey at 13:30 and I suspected he might be just checking the route out line me, but seeing him consult a footpath map on the journey, he surprised me by alighting by Ashridge Forest.
Ignoring passenhgers who travelled locally between Northchurch and Berkhamsted who had alternatives along the main road, only six passengers used these shopping journeys over the three hour period which is obviously rather sparse even for rural bus route expectations – although two passengers per hour is very good on the DRT scale of success.
I’ve no doubt the journeys have been fitted between peak hour commitments for the Red Eagle bus so the costs will have been marginal and probably much less than the true cost of providing the DRT replacement.
It’s a shame the tried and tested semi-flex option as perfected by Wiltshire Council hasn’t been introduced by Hertfordshire for these routes. The area’s characteristics are very similar to the way the Wiltshire Connect route 101 links Pewsey and Devizes with departures from either end at fixed times (as could apply from Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted) and a flexible route taken between the two according to demand, thereby serving all the communities lying in between the two towns in a structured way.
I’m keeping an eye on the various information channels to see when something official is announced regarding the future of routes 29/39/31 and 502/532, as it seems an odd way of making the transition from fixed routes to DRT; ie not telling anyone. Timetables in pdf format (as included above) are still available to download from the Intalink website, the bus maps still show all five routes as running and the HertsLynx explanation of what it covers in the Dacorum area operation was last updated in early January.
Roger French
Blogging timetable: 06:00 TThS
Comments on today’s blog are welcome but please keep them relevant to the blog topic, avoid personal insults and add your name (or an identifier). Thank you.
BusAndTrainUser 
The information published on Interlink is as follows
Updated 25.03.24. – Date of withdrawing services 29/30/31 has changed to 16th of April; change to 22/22A postponed until June
LikeLiked by 1 person
Info about the 29 group has been on the Interlink service changes list for several months. The postponement was also announced there with the best part of a month’s notice, it does seem however that the team forgot to amend the timetable page to reflect the postment.
That said, I agree with your comment that this would seem a route group better suited to the Wilts style semi flexible operation since most passengers will travelling either to Hemel or Berkhampstead.
LikeLike
Unlike Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted doesn’t have an ‘a’ (despite the map on the Herts Lynx map) nor a ‘p’.
Ian McNeil
LikeLike
Thanks Ian – all ‘a’s now withdrawn from service!
LikeLike
Little Jim’s Little Buses has indeed finished; the registration was cancelled “at short notice” on 13 March 2024. The operator has commented elsewhere that “the service was withdrawn due to a plethora of seemingly insurmountable problems”.
For historians, I believe that Jim Petty started operations in early 1989, in protest at the appalling reliability of the then LCNW route 501 . . . which was Aylesbury-Hemel Hempstead-Watford, and was pretty unreliable, and soon split into AY-HH and HH-WT.
Never more than 2 PVR . . . often just 1 PVR; the operation settled into the current two routes via Potten End, using a selection of elderly Solo’s still in previous owners colours.
I believe that recently Jim himself has been the regular driver . . . he did employ a driver for some years pre-Covid. However, Jim must be in his mid-70s now, so maybe he just couldn’t carry on any more?
The operation was “sort of” contracted to Herts CC . . . I’m not sure exactly how; maybe on a deminimus arrangement as the only service through Potten End? I do know that Herts CC could not persuade Jim to use a smart ETM . . . so how ENTCS passes were reimbursed I’m not sure . . . maybe by an annual survey?
One of those cases where a Ticketer machine plus back office kit would cost something around £4k . . . and the business simply couldn’t afford it? I don’t know the date of the photo . . . but note the Almex ticket machine on the dashboard.
It has been sort of obvious that the 29/30/31 group were not long for this world . . . the introduction of DRT to Dacorum made that inevitable. With Roger’s loadings report . . . I’m not surprised. It might be worth riding on Route 352 in the same area soon . . . loadings on that route are 2-3 maximum on most journeys; even at school times it’s only a few more. Like a lot of rural routes now . . . there simply aren’t the passengers travelling any more.
Oh and BTW . . . it’s INTALINK . . . and has been for 25 years!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder if the lack of electronic ticket machine is indeed the problem, as it would mean that the company was unable to send bus location data to the BODS system, as required by law. DVSA have been sending out threatening letters to operators who are not complying with the BODS requirements, so this may have been the final straw.
LikeLike
Bus services in that area have been declining for some years. The two stops conveniently located right outside Kings Langley station are now only served by one bus in each direction daily!
LikeLike
Indeed . . . and the brick bus shelter (and Intalink departure screen) was replaced a couple of years ago after being demolished by a lorry . . . all for one (shopping) bus a day!!
It would be possible for the (present) Route 322 to be diverted via the station (every 20 minutes), which would serve the area of Huntonbridge previously served by Route 328 (cut back in November 2023). Only one stop would be unserved, and 5 stops re-served, but the time penalty would be around 3-4 minutes in each direction . . . unattractive to through passengers.
Such are the decisions to be made by timetable planners . . .!!
LikeLike
Interesting, wonder if local people have suggested that to the operator or the Council? Meanwhile, shades of “We can run a great bus service if we don’t have to keep stopping to pick up passengers!”.
LikeLike
The Little Jim 502/532 have certainly survived against all odds for an amazingly long period, but a journey last year certainly confirmed earlier comments regarding the lack of recording for both pass use and a Day Ticket. But a very loyal Customer base in the Northchurch area clearly kept things going.
The 29/30/31 group are/were certainly a nice neat way to utilise a bus between schools, and as pointed out, savings at withdrawal may be minimal unless of course the school contract has also been lost to the DRT vehicle. It was seemingly only a short time ago that Centrebus (South) were working a regular service between Hemel Hempstead and Dunstable, and it is sad that a whole chunk of Hertfordshire will lose timetabled services.
I recall the swingeing cuts of the late 1960s when London Transport withdrew from many routes north of the County town after failing to obtain a subsidy, only for many to re-appear a few years later. If memory serves correctly the former 329 which terminated in the middle of nowhere at Nup End, transformed into the 379 terminating in Stevenage, and duplication was required at times at first!
Terence Uden
LikeLike
The Hemel to Dunstable was only ever 2-hourly when Centrebus operated it and always council funded (by Central Beds at the end) with almost all the traffic being related to the northern Bedfordshire section as far as Studham (helped by serving Whipsnade Zoo & running through to Luton as it interworked with the frequent buses between Dunstable & Luton) which still has reasonable, if slightly less frequent, bus services into Dunstable in places. As soon as council funding was pressured then these sort of cross boundary services are the first at risk and the Herts side was always incredibly thin territory until you hit Hemel itself.
Dwarfer
LikeLike
A waybill was used in which every fare, class of fare and pass were recorded, and all passengers boarding/alighting on the deminimus section of the 532 route were noted.
LikeLike
The Driver clearly had a good memory as no Waybill was seen on the occasion I travelled.
Terence Uden
LikeLike
I last saw a bus on the 29/30/31 in Berkhamsted on Tuesday 26th March. It pulled up at the Old Town Hall stop when I was waiting for a 354 to Chesham. Nobody got on or off. I have a relative living in Water End who, along with her neighours, would happily tell you that they considered the 29/30/31 worse than useless. Just a few journeys offered Monday to Friday mid-morning to early afternon. No use to anyone, so not used by anyone!!.
They have tried the new HertsLynx service and are happy with it. It has restored the option of a decent few hours in Hemel Hempstead that the old Centrebus X31 used to offer. The service to Berkhamsted was always sparse, but at least it used to run until the evening peak and on Saturdays too, prior to Hertfordshire County Council cutbacks. The Centrebus X31 was always more relaibe than the then Arriva run 30/31. It’s worth pointing out that the Hertslynx service has restored the option of reaching Hemel railway station, which was lost when the X31 was withdrawn.
As many villages in this part of west Hertfordshire have been effectively cut off from any halfway decent bus service since May 2018 I think it is a little premature to be comparing this offer with what is being done in Wiltshire.
The 502/532 were always very “hit and miss”. The owner/operator had been stating his wish to retire to passengers. The service has been suspended on several occasions over the years, for reasons that were never clear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s an interesting debate hinted at by Roger’s blogs about Hertfordshire which is what is the best use of public money. Is it where Hertfordshire are directing their BSIP pounds, which is ramping up the service on already reasonably well served interurban routes to the level where you might get some modal shift. Or is preserving the last remaining links to rural services which often offer a vital lifeline, but only to a handful of users.
I definitely think BSIP money should be directed as Hertfordshire are doing, since there is at least a chance some of these enhancements will be commercially viable once pump primed.But it’s a hard sell to do that while seeing services reduced elsewhere, and it’s evident in many places that BSIP monies are just being used to plug holes in the existing network.
PS – sorry for misspelling Intalink and Berkhamsted earlier, I blame the predictive typing on my mobile.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There seems to be little to no quantitative data on the impact of the £2 fare and the BSIP funding . What limited data there is on the £2 fare seems to show that it had made no real difference to passenger numbers. Some claim it has improved passenger numbers but these claims are based on post covid passenger numbers compared to post covide numbers after the £2 fare
If you compare Pre Covid passenger numbers with post Covid £2 fare passengers number then passengers numbers are actually still down
The impact of BSIP service improvements seems to be unknown with no meaningful data publicly available
LikeLike
Another factor that will reduce post Covid passenger numbers is the reduction in concessionary travel. Part of this will be those who sadly passed away with Covid, long Covid reducing mobility, a change of shopping habits, more online. Closure of banks removing an important reason for travel, and the increase in state pension age postponing new pass holders.
I think the £2 fare cap is more significant on longer interurban routes. for example the return fare pre pandemic from Chippenham to Bath was £7. Buses on this route seem to be busy and additional services have been added.
Peter Brown
LikeLike
Little Jim’s….i wonder if they have a Big Jim’s too!
LikeLike
Or perhaps Little Jim Junior
LikeLike
Little Jim’s had 2 buses that were often off the road for mechanical reasons. I suspect it all become a bit too much for the owner. Red Eagle presumably decided it wasn’t worth sparing a driver and bus for the 29/30/31.
And HCC in their wisdom have decided not to directly replace them. I suspect through lack of resources more than anything else.
LikeLike
Some additional points/clarifications:
502/532 were essentially commercial services with support for certain journeys from Hertfordshire C C on a de minimis basis.
29/30/31 were reduced in the 2015 budget cut but the needs the operation was designed to meet reflected feedback from local consultation – arguably not worse than useless to some people!
It would have been Herts C C’s decision to withdraw the 29/30/31 as they ran wholly under contract, not Red Eagle’s. But the company is having to find extra resources to extend the HCC contract service 361 to Borehamwood next week. However it does indeed look as if their withdrawal has not been postponed to 16th April – certainly the first round trip never put in an appearance near Northchurch yesterday (10th), neither was there a 13.30 departure from Hemel Hempstead.
LikeLike
Disappearing Uttlesford Bus Services
Yesterday Fri 12th Apr 2024
Central Connect acknowledge the concern that has arisen following the public announcement of the pending withdrawal of some local bus services in Uttlesford from Sunday 14th April 2024. These services are fully funded by Essex County Council, and we share residents’ concerns that replacement services have not been arranged in a timely manner. Essex County Council were formally notified of our intention to cease operating the routes in question on 12th February 2024, and have, therefore, had two full months in which to arrange replacement services. The routes being withdrawn are routes 301, 316, 318, 319, 320 and 321
LikeLike