Major changes are coming to several bus services in Shropshire - including a new commercial service linking Oswestry with one of the county's major hospitals.
The first change will come into effect from March 31 and will see the 436 between Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury, reviewed to provide a more direct service, as well as addressing any duplication in areas covered by the 437 (Broseley/Shrewsbury).
There will also be changes for the 576 (Oswestry/Baschurch/Shrewsbury) from March 31, which is run by Tanat Valley Coaches.
Shropshire Council says the operator was struggling to stick to the advertised timetable and provide an efficient service.
A new timetable will now come into effect, which the council says “will give customers confidence that the service can arrive/depart on time”.
From the same day, Tanat Valley Coaches will also be launching a commercial service between Oswestry, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Much Wenlock.
Other service changes will come into affect as follows:
From Tuesday, April 1
- Service 53 (Ellesmere/Oswestry) [Arriva Midlands]. Elements of this service, school journeys and the full Saturday timetable were temporarily awarded to Lakeside Coaches from January 2025. This will now be provided by Arriva Midlands.
- Service T1 (Shrewsbury/Ironbridge – sightseeing tour). Regional Transport Ltd will provide its annual open top sightseeing tour every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as the first Sunday of each month until Tuesday, September 30. It will operate from Shrewsbury town centre past The Abbey, Salop Leisure, Attingham Park, Wroxeter, Ironbridge and Much Wenlock. For full details, please visit Regional Transport Ltd website.
From Saturday, April 5
- Service 501 (Ellesmere/Shrewsbury) [Lakeside Coaches]. The service has been reviewed on Saturdays and a new timetable will come into effect.
From Saturday 26 April 2025
- Service 1 (Monkmoor, Shrewsbury) [Arriva Midlands]. Revised route and timetable. All journeys will serve Woodcote Way, between Monkmoor Road and Conway Drive.
- Service 3A (Harlescott/Belvidere to Shrewsbury Bus Station) [Arriva Midlands]. Service cancelled and replaced, in part, by new route 23A.
- Service 17 (Sutton Farm, Shrewsbury) [Arriva Midlands]. The 07:46 departure from Shrewsbury Business Park to Shrewsbury Bus Station will depart at 07:56 on Mondays to Saturdays and will operate 10 minutes later.
- Service 23/23A (Belvidere, Shrewsbury) [Arriva Midlands]. Revised route and timetable. Most journeys on route 23 will run between Shrewsbury Bus Station and Belvidere (Belvidere Road/Mynd Close Junction) only. This, the council say, is o ensure punctuality can be met the frequency has been revised. The 3A has also been incorporated in part into the timetable as the 23A.
- Service 24 (Sundorne, Shrewsbury) [Arriva Midlands]. Minor amendments to some of the early Saturday journeys and early evening, to allow more efficient scheduling.
- Service 25 (Harlescott, Shrewsbury) [Arriva Midlands]. Minor amendments to some of the early evening journeys, Monday to Saturday, to allow more efficient scheduling.
- Service 26/26A (Meole Village, Shrewsbury) [Arriva Midlands]. Revised timetable to ensure punctuality of the service. School journeys operating to and from Meole Brace School are number 26A.
- Service X12 (Newport/Shrewsbury) [Arriva Midlands] – Minor changes to the timetable to improve punctuality.
From Monday, April 28
- Service 9 (Bridgnorth/Wolverhampton) [Arriva Midlands]. Revised route and timetable on schooldays only.
A Shropshire Council spokesperson said: “Local bus services in the county services are monitored/reviewed on an ongoing basis in partnership with local bus operators and councillors to ensure they remain efficient and also affordable.
“It is not in the public interest to leave services without a review as they may become unviable and we must do everything we can to ensure customers continue to use them.”
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