Stagecoach 10X

[Richard Ratcliffe]

Short piece in today's Maidstone edition of Kent Messenger reports that journies on the 10X Ashford to Maidstone are to be diverted in each direction via Leeds Castle to provide public transport for visitors direct to the Castle for the first time.  Same report says that (some or all?) journies will now terminate and commence at Maidstone East railway station instead of Earl Street which will provide a connection for rail travellers wishing to visit the castle.  Leeds professes to be Ken's number one tourist attraction and Matthew Arnold is quoted in the press report with optimistic comments.

Not sure whether this has been reported already?  If so I must have missed it.

Ratty

[adam williams]

Details of the change are in Invicta that arrived today. 

I'm only presuming that the removal of interworking at Ashford between the 10 and 10X was because of the sheer length of the two route, but the Leeds Castle diversion seems like an interesting attempt at new custom.

That said, the 10 through Hythe has been running ok of late, although I use the local buses less now thanks to the changes last year (the baffling removal of the 2300 bus from Folkestone to Hythe and New Romney meant a night out now needs the car, and of course the removal of the 16 means the car is easier for getting to the stations in Folkestone) - proof that cutting useful connections means you will lose passengers...

/adam

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[DerekJ]

Thanks Richard

As reported in Invicta the revisions are already in effect having started on 26th May, and timetables are now available on both Bustimes.org and the Stagecoach website.

Broadly speaking the Leeds Castle diversion happens on most journeys between about 1000 and 1800 (tying in roughly with the Castle's normal summer opening and closing times), but there is an awkward gap during the afternoon on journeys towards Ashford on Mondays to Fridays and especially on schooldays, though not on Saturdays.  However there is of course no Sunday service now.

For enthusiasts and anyone else used to bus travel it's a little confusing that the main day ticket offers for Leeds Castle itself are promoted as "Explorer" tickets (but don't include bus travel)!  There is, however, discounted admission to the castle for those arriving other than by car - Leeds Castle's own website hasn't quite caught up with promoting the new facility fully but fortunately there is an indirect (two-stage) link to bustimes.org so the new timetable can be found from that.

https://leeds-castle.com/visit/

https://www.goodjourney.org.uk/attractions/leeds-castle/

Derek J

[Richard Ratcliffe]

Thanks Derek:  I had not seen Invicta when I sent in the report from the KM.

I have not yet ascertained the turning and bus stop pickup arrangements at Maidstone East.  I presume that the semi-layby outside County Hall (southbound former A229) is used: I will check in next few days.   Also exact routing from Maidstone East out of Maidstone and whether the alternative terminus at the bottom of Earl Street is accessed as part of the route out of town.  Passengers used to boarding there and unaware of the change would be standing there for ever if it is not covered but I don't quite see how this is achieved without a "double back" via Pudding Lane.

Richard

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From: mdekb...@googlegroups.com <mdekb...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of DerekJ <dmjo...@hotmail.com>
Sent: 07 June 2024 18:41
To: Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Invicta] Re: Stagecoach 10X

 

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[Nicholas King]

Be aware that the 10X timetable changed last week from that operated during the first week.  The last journeys no longer serve Leeds Castle, apparently because of its closing time.

                It’s also emerged that the last Saturday bus from Maidstone now runs via Charing Heath.  This seems to have slipped in quietly last autumn without announcement.

 

Nicholas King

 

From: mdekb...@googlegroups.com <mdekb...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of DerekJ
Sent: 07 June 2024 18:42
To: Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Invicta] Re: Stagecoach 10X

 

Thanks Richard

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[Nicholas King]

As I understand it, and as stated in Invicta, departures from Maidstone East run down St Faith Street (as Arriva 101) to serve the stop in Earl Street.

 

Nicholas King

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[Chris]

I actually used the 10X to and from Leeds Castle yesterday (Saturday), and whilst in my usual fashion I haven't even downloaded the pictures from the camera yet, let alone seen whether any are good enough for posting, this deviation does seem rather promising.

Since Spot Hire "gave up" (to put it politely), the only public transport to this notable tourist attraction (just listening showed the spread of guests, as well as two German coaches in the coach park) was Nu-Venture service 13/14, which at every two hours and primarily focussed on the villages of Leeds and Hollingbourne were never going to be viable for most visitors. On the outward journey, 0945 from Maidstone (arriving 1015), my party of three was joined by two other family groups of various ages and sizes. The return journey at 16:46 (arriving 1713) saw one individual in addition to my party. We were arguably finished in time for the 1535 departure, but that would have resulted in a fairly prompt hike across the grounds back to the entrance, so refreshments and an amble won! 

Only mildly miffed to note that having taken advantage of the Castle's heavily advertised 10% off for booking in advance, I should have done nothing or the sort and expected to pay full price, and thus been able to get a 20% discount by virtue of the bus ticket (A £7 discount for a £2 ticket not to be turned down!). 

It was noteworthy that there seems to be a fair amount of slack in the timetable at that point, perhaps looking to expected summer delays with Operation Brock - we had to wait time at Great Danes in both directions. 

I'm not entirely sure why there is any confusion over the route in Maidstone. The Stagecoach website timetable is quite clear that buses serving Maidstone East do not serve Earl Street (https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/South%20East/Kent/10X%20as%20at%20June%202024.pdf), and in any case, the road layout makes it physically impossible to do so (in any case, there are no "Eastbound" stops in Earl Street). 

The routing as shown on bustimes mapping, and using the "All stops" facility there, lists the inbound stops as King Street (K1), Royal Star Arcade (E1), Earl Street (V2 - the former departure stop, still used for those not serving Maidstone East), terminating at Maidstone East (O, the County Hall layby). Note in order to effect the turning manoeuvre it does not serve the Brenchley Gardens stop. 
Outbound journeys start at County Hall, serving St Faith's Street (Q, Maidstone Museum), Cannon (T, as terminating 101s), King Street (L1), King Street (K1 - Boots). 

Comparing the timetables of 26th May and 2nd June, the last journey in each direction is slightly retimed. Equally, no idea why the 1820 was timed via Leeds Castle at 1844, when the Castle states the gates close at 6pm (and are presumably exit only for anyone who remains on site until the absolute closure time)! 

As the tickets are annual tickets, I shall be making use of it at some point before June 2025 and making a return trip, to see how things have bedded in - just a shame the journeys from Maidstone leave after the Ashford bound ones for most of the day, meaning you can't just take a ride and head straight back! 

Chris

[Neil Gow]

"just a shame the journeys from Maidstone leave after the Ashford bound ones for most of the day, meaning you can't just take a ride and head straight back!"

Ahh... but you could from the Ashford end!

Neil G.

[Nicholas King]

Curiously, the schoolday 10X at 1445 from Maidstone to Lenham doesn’t appear to track on bustimes.org.

                But sleuthing by other means seems to show that it goes onto the 965 at 1535.

 

Nicholas King

 

From: mdekb...@googlegroups.com <mdekb...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of DerekJ
Sent: 07 June 2024 18:42
To: Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Invicta] Re: Stagecoach 10X

 

Thanks Richard

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[Neil Gow]

" Curiously, the schoolday 10X at 1445 from Maidstone to Lenham doesn’t appear to track on bustimes.org. "

It's the other way round with one of our operators in Bucks. Redline have steadily increased the frequency on their Aylesbury-Wycombe service to every 15 minutes and now Arriva (who's response was laughable, running an extra bus only over the section that generates no traffic) are abandoning it. But more than half of the Redline buses on the route don't track on Bustimes, except that an afternoon school journey run with a 26 year old B7TL reliably tracks every day.

[Chris]

On days where the inward journey (1315 ex Ashford) tracks, this short working seems to track on the same journey, e.g. https://bustimes.org/services/10x-ashford-charing-lenham-harrietsham-maidstone/vehicles?date=2024-06-11#journeys/590626121. The same was also true of my homeward journey on Saturday - our vehicle was tracking "to Ashford" (as was the vehicle actually going to Ashford) despite going to Maidstone. 

As we know, bustimes merely regurgitates what various data feeds tell it in a format humans can visualise, so presumably this will be "fixed" next time someone adjusts the background data. 

Chris

[JFO]

"It’s also emerged that the last Saturday bus from Maidstone now runs via Charing Heath", and with that in mind I was curious to see whether it actually does, and with E200 36366 LX59ECV doing the honours I captured it passing Boyd Farm Oast House near Lenham at about 19:40PM on the 15th.

[JFO]

With all the discussion regarding this new deviation, I stopped by on the 15th and captured E200 GN13EXU 36862 and Scania GN60FCX 15701 passing each outside the Castle gates, and then individualy in the grounds, though these are not the best shots as "Wet! Wet! Wet!" were stageing a reunion tour...