Bus travel boosts, including new ‘shopper’ services and revised routes to Loughborough and Market Harborough, are launching on Monday 2 June.
For the first month, free journeys will also be available on the bookable FoxConnect Service in south west Leicestershire, which will have a new app, phone line and new bus operator.
Leicestershire County Council is making the improvements as part of its review of supported bus services, which have been partly funded by the Government.
The latest changes will include:
- Four new town centre routes called Harborough Connect - to improve access to Market Harborough seven days a week
- A new timetabled bus serving Fosse Park and Hinckley bus station
- A one-year pilot ‘shopper’ service connecting Market Harborough to Corby
Councillor Dan Harrison, leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: “We have listened to your feedback and want to create real change for bus users in Leicestershire.
“These changes will better connect communities to key destinations. New routes also mean that it will be easier for local people to get to and from work.
“Introducing stops in places such as local town centres and Fosse Park also supports local economies and reconnects our rural towns.”
This summer, bus services in North West Leicestershire, Hinckley and parts of Blaby and Oadby and Wigston will be reviewed.
Anyone wanting to find out more about the south west FoxConnect bus can drop into a coffee morning between 10.30am - 12pm on 2 June at St Mary’s Church in Broughton Astley.
More information is available on the Choose How You Move website.
Find out more about SW FoxConnect.
Changes to bus services from 2 June
Loughborough area
Service 129, serving Ashby De La Zouch - Griffydam - Belton - Shepshed - Nanpantan – Loughborough, will be retimed to improve punctuality and better meet scholar movements. The service will be operated by Arriva and renumbered to LC16.
South West Leicestershire
South West FoxConnect will continue to operate but is re-launching with a new app, new telephone booking line and a new bus operator. The new app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Alternatively, journeys can be booked using the telephone booking line on 0116 216 7756. The service will be operated by Centrebus.
The service will operate Monday to Saturday, 6am – 7.30pm. Journeys can be booked up to seven days in advance through the app or the booking line on 0116 216 7756.
The travel zone will stay the same, covering villages such as Stoney Stanton, Sharnford, Huncote, Littlethorpe, Dunton Basset and Cosby, with passengers still able to travel to key destinations like Enderby Park & Ride, Magna Park and Hinckley Train and Bus stations.
There will also be a new timetabled bus service, operating regular journeys through the day, serving Fosse Park, Enderby Park and Ride, Narborough Rail Station, Littlethorpe, Cosby, Broughton Astley, Stoney Stanton, Sapcote, Sharnford, Aston Flamville, Burbage and Hinckley Bus Station. This service will be numbered LC14 and operated by Arriva.
Harborough area
Service 30, 33a/b/c, Harborough Town Services, will be renumbered to HC1, HC2, HC3 and HC4. These services have been redesigned to improve access to town centres seven days a week, with trial evening journeys on Fridays and Saturdays. The services will be operated by Centrebus.
A new one-year pilot shopper service will connect Market Harborough to Corby, operating on Wednesdays (4 June) and Saturdays. It will be numbered LC11 and operated by Blands.