Route History

[enrag2000]

RE: Route History

(01/07/2018 12:32)MTL0201 Wrote:  Correct, my 1977 MPTE Liverpool area timetable book has LUT as a joint operator on the 39/317/320 routes, the 317 was withdrawn in 78 when the Liverpool-St Helens rail frequency was improved which just left the 39 & 320.

39 was hourly Liverpool-Tyldesley, with 2 hourly extentions to Manchester.
317 made a combined 15 minute frequency with 39 & 320 St Helens-Liverpool.
320 was every 30 minutes.

Journey time was just over 45 minutes Liverpool-St Helens, after d-reg when the 39 became the 34, journey time was still 45 minutes but the 34 almost always arrived early, 34 was early over most of the route quite often back in the day, always ended up waiting a few minutes at Astley, Leigh, Newton Le Willows-St Helens, Leigh was were the driver changes took place.

The 39 was wholly operated by LUT.
The 317 was jointly Ribble and St Helens Corporation (2 buses each).
The 320 was jointly Ribble, St Helens and Wigan Corporations but operated by Ribble Liverpool (2 buses) and LUT (4 buses) although Wigan Corporation sometimes took up one of LUT's workings to balance out mileage. LUT also ran peak hour duplicates to the 320 between Liverpool and St Helens but used service number 317, probably to avoid confusion with the through service to Wigan