Changes announced for Shropshire bus services

Arriva bosses say the new timetables will provide more convenient and reliable transport links for passengers.

There is a route change on the number 10 service from Telford to Wolverhampton, which will now serve passengers from Cosford and Albrighton.

There are also changes to the x4/x5 Telford to Shrewsbury route.

There will be an hourly service on route x4 operating from Telford and Wellington which will then travel directly to Shrewsbury, and an hourly service on x5 operating from Telford to Shrewsbury directly along the M54 and A5.

Both services will be co-ordinated to provide a half-hourly daytime service between Telford and Shrewsbury, and passengers on these routes will be able to travel on a £4 day return or £15 weekly return ticket.

The x4 will also see expanded services for students in surrounding towns and villages, with a bus operating every 12 minutes from Telford to Wellington between 8am and 9am and from Wellington to Telford between 3pm and 5pm on college days only.

The x4 will also offer a new college day-only service providing a morning journey from Bridgnorth, Broseley and Ironbridge to Telford, TCAT, New College and Wellington.

A return journey in the afternoon will operate from TCAT and New College.

A further new x4 college day-only service will provide a morning journey from Perton, Shifnal and Priorslee to Telford, TCAT, New College and Wellington, with a return journey in the afternoon from TCAT and New College.

There will be a new peak time-only 8A service operating on Monday to Friday, which will provide a link from Shrewsbury to Shrewsbury College and Shrewsbury Business Park.

The Shrewsbury to Gains Park route 11 service will operate a revised Monday to Saturday timetable.

All journeys running between 9.15am and 3.15pm Monday to Friday will also serve the new treatment centre bus stop at the rear of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Jamie Crowsley, Arriva's general manager for Shropshire, said: “At Arriva we are dedicated to providing the best possible services for our passengers across Shropshire.

"We work hard to understand their changing needs, studying customer demand and feedback from bus users and the wider community before amending our services.

“Arriva’s mission is to provide stronger, simpler and more sustainable transport links and these changes will offer improved reliability and connectivity while offering our passengers greater convenience.”

The new timetables came into effect on Saturday.