Consider an Ore Shuttle service?

From: Martin Woodfine & Trevor Davies. On behalf of St Leonards & Hastings Rail Improvement and Ore Transport Group, Silverstone Court, St Leonards
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Apr 2017, 08:33 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 18:23 BST

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Hastings Observer lettersHastings Observer letters
Hastings Observer letters

It is an oddity that Ore Station has no direct bus service to the area which it purports to represent ie. Ore Village.

This omission is heightened by the existence of a purpose-built bus stop and turning circle adjacent to the station entrance within Ore Valley Way, but which no public transport route actually uses; the stop is only used for Rail Replacement Bus services.

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As was recently detailed in the Hastings Observer, Ore Station has recently been adopted within the Sussex Community Rail Partnership scheme. As part of that it deserves to be served by other public transport in order to increase it’s already significant footfall.

There are regular public bus routes 21/21A (operated by Stagecoach) travelling through nearby Parker Road, passing past Ore Valley Road, but approaches to Stagecoach with the suggestion that those services make a diversion into the station area have been rejected, with the operator preferring passengers for Ore Village to use the connectivity afforded at Hastings station instead. However, the usage of those other services fails to encourage use of a local station which is situated in a dip, with steep hills as part of the access routes.

It is regrettable that the recently announced service changes (effective 30/04), which include significant adjustment to route 21/21A, have not included the Ore station option.

Public transport is always a difficult area to gauge, especially when trying to ascertain the potential patronage of an amended or new service. But, in view of Ore station’s increasing relevance and newly created SCR partnership, perhaps one of the independent operators would consider trialling a circular Ore Shuttle, running (suggestion) Ore Valley Road, Parker Road, Malvern Way, The Ridge, Old London Road, Priory Road, Mt Pleasant Road, Hughenden Road, on a 30min interval?

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The recent success in reintroducing service an extended 349 on Sundays & Bank Holidays shows that with local input and support it should be possible.

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Related topics:St Leonards