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As you will have read in my previous postings, (and this one), or in the Herts CC Service Changes booklet, today is the last day of Richmond’s Coaches Royston Town Service 17. The 16 will continue, providing two buses an hour from Burns Road – direct - Town Centre – Studlands Way (and combined with the Stagecoach 26, it’s three buses an hour from Burns Road to town).

The 17 provided two slightly different services under the same number, with one hourly bus (5 past the hour) doing Burns Road – Orchard Road/York Way - Town Centre – Coronation Avenue/Sun Hill – Town Centre – Orchard Road/York Way – Burns Road, and a second one (35 past the hour) doing Burns Road – direct – Town Centre – Coombelands Road & Fieldfare Way – Town Centre – direct – Burns Road. As a result, the off-peak service to Orchard Road & York Way is withdrawn, as are all links to Coronation Avenue/Sun Hill, and Coombelands Road/Fieldfare Way. The latter is walking distance (for those who can) from the 26, and other services. Since the cuts were announced, there was naturally some local opposition. As part of a Sustrans lottery funding award, Royston is to get a new underpass/subway linking Burns Road and Coomebelands Road, so that will provide links in time. (The number of ways across the train tracks here are limited).

So, today, I went out for a last picture or two – and managed a few. Firstly, heading up Old North Road towards Burns Road, is the regular Mercedes Vario/Plaxton Beaver 2 V357 EKY. As can be seen, the bus has just crossed the railway line at Royston Station.

Further down, Old North Road becomes Kneesworth Street, and you can see a slightly angled bus stop still with 17 timetable panel.

Sun Hill is an interesting one-way steep hill which links a quiet residential area straight into the heart of the Royston one-way gyratory – so it has to be taken slowly and quickly at the same time! I wanted to get a shot here, but there were quite a few obstacles to overcome. Not just the bins still out, and not just some scaffolding, but also a mobility scooter parked nose out onto the road. Never mind, zoom comes in handy sometimes! V357 in Sun Hill.