St Helens Area Bus Network Changes - April 2023

[St Helens Rider]

RE: St Helens Area Bus Network Changes - April 2023
Some of the timetables are already up on Merseytravel's website. I have been closely looking at the 17 & 29. First thing to note is that they claimed the route goes to Rainford Station when it actually goes to Rainhill Station.

Looking more deeply into both timetables, it appears the 29 interworks with the "short" 17s on most journeys. Unfortunately, this means that the 2 routes leave St Helens within a few minutes of each other. Not good when they are heading in a similar direction. Also in the Evening, routes heading towards Marshalls Cross leave St Helens within a few minutes of each other ie 17 at xx34, 32 at xx35 and 29 (every 2 hours) at xx38. It is better space on a Sunday as the 17/29 leave at xx18/xx22 respectively which is around 15 minutes either side of the 32A/32.

Another strange quirk is later services on Sundays compared to evenings. Examples: last 17 from St Helens Mon - Sat evenings is 2234, Sundays it's 2318, more of a difference at the Widnes end, Mon - Sat 2206, Sundays it's 2351.

Having said all this, I do welcome the resumption of hourly 17's Evening & Sundays, only complaint is that it could have been timetabled better.