First Bus has announced changes to a number of it's services, with the X84 becoming the 26 and will stop more frequently.
From Sunday 27th October the service between Ilkley and Leeds will stop between Leeds city centre and Weetwood, the new 26 service will run two buses per hour across the daytime as well as an hourly service in the evenings.
A spokesperson for First Bus has said:
"Operational cost pressures have led us to look at other options to improve the viability of the service, whilst still maintaining the two daytime buses per hour to both Otley and Ilkley.
"The main change is that we will be removing the stopping restrictions on the X84 service, such that we will pick up/set down on the section of route between Leeds city centre and Weetwood. To mitigate any concerns regarding short hop passengers displacing longer distance travellers, we have retimed the Headingley corridor of services such that there is no more than a 4-minute gap from the preceding bus. We anticipate there will not be a build-up of customers on any particular trip, but an even flow of customers across all trips. We have also specifically timed the replacement services for the X84 such that outbound buses will avoid the key hotspots for use, so whilst we would expect some short hop customers to use the Otley/Ilkley service, we strategically planned these trips.
"To distinguish the new operation and to allow the Headingley services to fall into a common numbering sequence to aid customer familiarity, service X84 will be renumbered to operate as service 26.
"In addition, when we run a 30-minute service, alternate buses will be diverted to run via Pool-in-Wharfedale, restoring the link to Leeds from the previously withdrawn X85. These journeys will operate as service 25 to differentiate between the two routes. Buses will run slightly earlier in the mornings and slightly later in the evenings to give an improved level of service on the corridor.
"As a result of the changes above, we believe that there will be a sufficient uplift in revenue from the core network to maintain two buses per hour across the daytime as well as an hourly service in the evenings.
I appreciate this involves ending the ‘express’ nature of the X84. This will be compensated by other changes we are introducing along the Headingley corridor to relieve pressure points with capacity, which we believe will provide a better customer experience and consistency of service on outbound journeys from Leeds."
The company has also announced changes to the 27, 33 and 34 services.
Details of the changes and revised timetables and services will be available on the First Bus website.
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