Eastern Counties

Service Changes

FIRST EASTERN COUNTIES ANNOUNCE CHANGES TO SERVICES



NEW TRANSPORT LINKS TO NORFOLK & NORWICH UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

DOUBLING OF X2 FREQUENCY

GREAT NEW SERVICES FOR WYMONDHAM

LATER DEPARTURE FROM BROADLAND BUSINESS PARK



First Eastern Counties Buses has announced several revisions to services, effective from 26th April 2009. These revisions have been designed to best match the needs of our customers with our resources and will offer significant improvements to transport links in the area.
Changes include an important brand new direct link between the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital and the Broadland towns of Stalham, Hoveton and Wroxham. In addition, there will be new services to Wymondham, a new later departure from Broadland Business Park and, in conjunction with Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council, the X2 service will double its frequency on Sundays between Norwich and Lowestoft.
Following the introduction of new double-decker buses on the X1 route and the resulting increased capacity, certain off-peak journeys will be withdrawn. In a direct response to passenger numbers and viability it has been necessary to withdraw service 58/58A (Norwich-Poringland-Bungay).


A summary of changes:


Service 2 (Barrack Estate-Great Yarmouth-James Paget Hospital) " This service will operate to a revised timetable; Monday to Saturday daytimes every 15 minutes between Barrack Estate and Market Gates, every 30 minutes to James Paget Hospital; evenings and Sundays the service will run every hour.

Service 5 (Great Yarmouth " Burgh Castle) " New hourly service, replacing Services 7/7A in Burgh Castle.

Service 6 (Great Yarmouth " Bradwell) " This service will be completely revised, operating via Gorleston High Street, and replacing Services 7/7A in Bradwell, and operating every 30 minutes daytime and every hour evenings and Sundays.

Service 7/7A (Barrack Estate - Great Yarmouth " Belton) " These services will be revised to operate direct between Bradwell Post Office and Belton, offering faster journey times between Belton and Gorleston or Great Yarmouth. All journeys will operate as Service 7, every 30 minutes daytime, hourly evenings and Sundays, and will no longer serve Barrack Estate, which will be served by Services 2 and 4.

Service 12 (Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital- Dussindale) and Service 54 (Norwich-Stalham) These two services will merge which will result in a new direct link from Stalham, Horning and Wroxham to the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital (Services 12/12A)

Service 13 (Norwich " Wymondham " Attleborough) " Certain journeys in the morning and evening peaks will operate via the Gateway 11 Business Park.

Service 14/14A/15/15A (Norwich-Wymondham) " There will be a new off-peak service between Norwich and North Wymondham (15A). Off-peak services to and from Wymondham will operate a revised frequency of every 20 minutes.

Service 17/17A (South Tuckswood " Blofield Heath/Lingwood) " These services will operate a revised timetable including additional trips from the Hewitt School and Broadland Business Park.

Service 29 (Norwich " Taverham) " This service will operate to a revised timetable.

Service 58/58A (Norwich-Poringland-Bungay) " These services will be withdrawn.

Service 66 (Martlesham-Ipswich-Bourne Bridge) " Services will now terminate at Ipswich Railway Station and not serve the section of route between the Railway Station and Bourne Bridge.

Service 88A (Ipswich-Stowmarket) " This service will no longer operate on a Saturday. Services 87 and 88 and peak 88A trips Monday to Friday are unaffected.


Service X1 (Peterborough-Kings Lynn-Norwich-Great Yarmouth-Lowestoft)
Following the investment in 17 new double-deckers on this route and their increased capacity:
• 3 off-peak journeys between Norwich " Dereham will be withdrawn
• Off peak journeys between Norwich-Great Yarmouth-Gorleston will be re-timetabled to a 30-minute frequency

Service X2 (Norwich " Lowestoft) - This service will operate to a revised timetable. In conjunction with Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council, on Sundays, frequency will double from every 2-hours to hourly.



Says Alan Pilbeam, Managing Director of First Eastern Counties Buses:

"We recognise the importance of our bus services to the people of the Eastern Counties, and have made these changes after intense consideration, and being mindful of the impact on our passengers.
The new direct link to Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital will make travel even easier for our passengers, and the brand new services for Wymondham are excellent additional transport links.
Where changes have included the reduction or withdrawal of services, these have been as a result of passenger demand. These changes mean we can clearly focus on our strongest routes in order to remain competitive, and continue to provide an exceptional level of service. In addition, we will able to redeploy buses currently used on these routes, to further improve the quality of service on other routes.'

For exact timetable information please check the Forthcoming Timetables section of this website.