Tuesday 22nd June 2010 ~ When Is A Diversion Not A Diversion ?

.....Answer : When a road is only closed in one direction ! On the way to work I discovered that Nene Quay in Wisbech, i.e. the route used by the X1 on leaving Wisbech for Peterborough, is now closed for flood defence work, BUT only eastbound. In other words buses coming in from Peterborough have to divert down Weasenham Lane & Churchill Road in the same way they have done on previous occasions in the past 12 months, but services to Peterborough are unaffected, or at least should be !
It soon became apparent this morning that all services were using the diversion, even though this was unnecessary on westbound X1s. The first service seen using the normal route was this afternoon when K17 made an appearance with 37577 dead on time. The next bus seen was particularly noteworthy as it was 37562 on the returning K16, which took the sharp left turn at Town Bridge to gain access to the Old Market and then via Freedom Bridge to regain the usual route. This incidentally, is the signposted diversion, but the sharp turn means it is unlikely to be used regularly by the X1 I would have thought. It was very unusual also for 562 to be on K16 (a Lowestoft terminator) rather than its regular turn K17.
K18 & K19 failed to appear on Nene Quay, but K1 was a minute early with 37565, K2 with 37567 was 2 late and 20109 on K3 a minute early. So the word seems to have spread that the usual route is OK westbound !
Further to the above, a convoluted move this afternoon saw 37562 come off K16 at Lynn and 37160 which had just arrived on K3 being used to go straight back to Lowestoft instead of 562. K3 was then taken forward by 20109. 37576 did the first part of Y7 but 37568 came back this evening.