Wednesday 4th July - Sunday 8th July 2012 ~ Working Buses

By working buses, I actually mean buses seen from work ! Yes today (Wednesday) most X1 services ran via the booked route from Wisbech Horsefair via Nene Quay, along South Brink and onto Cromwell Road. Delays were inevitable though, as the Olympic Torch arrived in King's Lynn just after 11.00 and this meant that for a while, London Road in Lynn was closed with X1s travelling via Vancouver/Tennyson Avenues to get in and out of the bus station. 37565 on K5 (XL11) was 2 late into Wisbech from Peterborough and was later seen emerging from the diversionary route at the Southgates roundabout at 10.48 on the 10.32 King's Lynn - Lowestoft, so only running about 10 late.
Traffic into King's Lynn was almost at a standstill between 08.30 & 09.30 due to the heavy traffic and progress for the X1 s was slow. 37572 on L8 (XL14) was seen departing the Southgates at 09.35 (about 14 late) and was 16 late from Wisbech, although the driver had managed to reduce the deficiency to 12 minutes on its return eastbound. Peterborough bound services from Wisbech then ran as follows : Y9 (XL15) 37157 21 late, L10 (XL16) 37573 10 late, L11 (XL17) 37159 11 late and  L12 (XL18) 37571 9 late. Charting the progress of 37157 it arrived in Lowestoft 17 late while 37159 was 10 late in and Des then took it as the 16.55 to Lynn departing 12 late with a full load and passengers standing as the 16.40 service 1 to Yarmouth had not appeared. Slow traffic into Yarmouth, a bendybus depositing Olympic Torch park and riders blocking the bay in Norwich and an RTA at Honingham with single file traffic all contributed to a 14 minute late arrival in Lynn.
Later Bruce saw K18 (XL05) with 37158 coming off the Wisbech bypass having taken the diversionary route running 8 late. 37569 on K19 (XL06) ran via Nene Quay and was right time with 37569. In Lowestoft the 101 town service had 30886 yesterday and 30889 today.

It's all diversions at the moment and due to a water main burst last month in Great Yarmouth, services have been taking a left in King Street before turning into Yarmouth Way and Hall Quay while permanent  repairs are carried out. 37156 takes the diversion with K5 - XL11 on Tuesday of this week. Photo : Roy, East Norfolk Bus Blog
More photos here :  http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastnorfolkbus/sets/72157630416222522/

On Thursday 37576 went to Bexwell for its MOT and the service ran well. K17-XL04 had a servicing swap with 37575 replacing 37579 at 13.45. Only two services were noted running late, the 09.56 Wisbech - Lowestoft (K5 - XL11) which was 11 late arriving from Peterborough with 37160 and later in the afternoon 37573 was 13 late on K19 - XL06 14.45 King's Lynn - Peterborough. Most surprising of all was K16 - XL03 which was spot on time westbound with 37159 and likewise departing east from Wisbech to Lowestoft at 15.26.
This evening there was a late vehicle swap when 37566 on L8 - XL14 20.05 Peterborough - Gorleston JPH came off at Lynn to be replaced by 37567. Malcolm saw two consecutive X2s with substitute buses, the 12.08 to Norwich was 34156 and the 12.38 30887.  32651 which is normally on the X2 was running about on the 101 !
With all but three of the X1 services between 9 & 5 using the route past me today, it was a good opportunity to review timekeeping on a Friday, a day when it is notoriously poor due to traffic volumes.
5 - 7 minute delays were the norm until lunchtime. After that westbound services from Wisbech were : K15-XL02 37572 15 late, K16-XL03 37563 3 late, K17-XL04 37573 13 late. K18-XL05 37158 14 late, K19-XL06 37565 12 late. Earlier K3-XL09 with 37571 was seen by Cheryl arriving at Wisbech 22 late eastbound and 37570 replaced it at Lynn. Evening peak traffic saw Y7 -XL13 arrive in Lynn with 37157 15 late having lost 9 minutes en route due to congestion. Malcolm reports Dart 42446 on the 15.03 X2 to Norwich this afternoon.
On Saturday it was the Lord Mayors Parade in Norwich and Wisbech Rose Fair Parade. Surprisingly, there were no major delays noted. Between 11.00 & 11.30 and again from 14.00 - 14.30 Nene Quay was closed so services in and out of Wisbech took the Churchill Road, as they will do again from tomorrow until the end of August. K19 with 37574 was seen departing Wisbech on time this afternoon as the 15.18  to Peterborough via Nene Quay. L8 & L9 (XL14/15) swapped buses during the day, presumably  due to late running and starting the day with 37568 & 37564, tonight these diagrams were reversed.  At the eastern end K1-XL07 with 37159 was 17 late into Lowestoft but only 4 late departing on the 11.55 to Peterborough. Later 37579 on Y7-XL13 was 14 late arriving (due 14.40).

37579 seen in Great Yarmouth just after 14.00 this afternoon on Y7-XL13. Photo Dave Hodkinson

Sunday was a fairly normal day it would seem. Traffic was quiet as the masses stayed in to watch Andy Murray at Wimbledon. The service was operated by B9s with 37576 being replaced by 37579 at some point on XL09.