Bus service improvement plan delivers more service enhancements for First Eastern Counties

A number of bus services operated by First Eastern Counties will run more often from today, thanks to money that Norfolk County Council secured from the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve bus services across the County.

The changes to timetables which start on Monday 24 July are:

• More frequent and later buses between Bungay and Norwich. Buses will run up to every 30 minutes Monday – Saturday with the last bus leaving Norwich at 23:10 on the Charcoal Line 40/41/X41 service.
• Hourly buses from Halesworth to Norwich on the X41 service (previously only one direct bus per day).
• More frequent buses, more evening services, and a Sunday service from Fakenham to Norwich. Yellow Line 28/29/X29 buses will run every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes as well as two additional evening services. There will also be two evening buses running six days a week, and four Sunday journeys in each direction.
• Harleston residents will now get an hourly service to Norwich on Mondays to Saturdays on the Purple Line 36A, which combined with the 36 service will continue to provide a bus every 30 minutes between Long Stratton and Horsford. In addition, this route will benefit from more evening journeys.
• To the south of the city centre, all Purple Line 36 & 36A buses will now operate direct along Ipswich Road to provide faster journey times to and from the city, as well as better connections for City College students.
• Great Yarmouth will also see more frequent buses in the evenings with the number 8 town service town service running up to every 30 minutes until the last buses leaving Market Gates bus station at 23:15

Cllr Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: “Buses running more often, and more evening services were two of the key things that people said they wanted when we asked them how we could improve bus services in Norfolk. Having all these enhancements starting at once means a greater impact across the county with people in both urban and rural areas benefitting from the improvements and able to choose the bus more often.”

Piers Marlow, managing director for First East of England said, “We’re delighted to be working with Norfolk County Council to introduce important enhancements to our popular network of bus services across Norfolk. Being able to provide frequent and later departures is vital to the success of local networks and in encouraging local communities to use the bus to get around the county.” This is one of a number of service enhancements which are being funded by the £49.55 million funding which Norfolk County Council was successful in securing from the Department for Transport (DfT) to use on improving bus services across the County over the next three years. Approximately £12 million of the funding has been allocated to provide new or expanded bus routes and increase service frequencies on key routes, including more evening and weekend services.

Source: Norfolk County Council.