Bus operator Stagecoach West is to expand its network in Swindon which will deliver even better services for customers and provide a jobs boost for the town.
From 2 April, the company plans to launch a new route between Abbey Meads and Great Western Hospital, via the town centre, as well as delivering a series of improvements to existing services.
As a result of the network expansion, which will increase Stagecoach’s local operations by 15%, the company is creating 30 new jobs at its Swindon depot, including driver, engineering, cleaning and other roles.
The move, which reflects the company’s commitment to Swindon, is in response to customer demand for more choice in bus transport in the town.
The brand new Service 3 will offer different connections to current routes, creating new journey opportunities for local people, with buses up to every 10 minutes.
Stagecoach is also delivering improved frequencies, additional services and adding new locations to existing routes, including Services 9, 10 and Gold 66.
Rupert Cox, managing director of Stagecoach West, said: “This expansion is a sign of our commitment to bus passengers in the area and in the belief that buses will continue to be a hugely important mode of transport in the years to come.
“We have seen positive growth on our current services and have invested significantly in a new bus depot last year. We have also introduced 12 new vehicles, at a cost of £2.2 million in the past three years for local people.
“These plans will deliver better connections and greater travel choice for customers and we believe they will help us attract even more people on to our greener, smarter services.”
The new route and other improvements are:
Number 3 (Abbey Meads – town centre – Great Western Hospital linking the Orbital Centre, Abbey Meads, Moredon, Cheney Manor, Designer Outlet, town centre, New College, Walcot East, Park and Great Western Hospital. The service will operate up to every ten minutes during the day from Monday to Saturday and up to every 20 minutes on Sunday.
Number 9 (town centre – Wichelstowe – Wroughton) will see a new Sunday service operating every hour during the daytime.
Number 10 (Kingsdown – town centre – Freshbrook) will see some peak time journeys on Mondays to Fridays extended from Freshbrook to Windmill Hill Business Park. These journeys partially replace service 27 which was recently withdrawn by Thamesdown Transport.
Number 66 (Swindon – Faringdon – Oxford) will see the Monday to Friday frequency increase to every 20 minutes during the daytime. This increase will complement the existing 20 minute frequency on Saturdays and 30 minute frequency on Sundays.
For more details on Stagecoach bus services visit www.stagecoachbus.com
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