Direct bus service from Corby to Kettering General Hospital announced among changes to county timetables
Residents across the North Northants Council (NNC) area have been urged to use new and enhanced bus services connecting towns and villages or risk losing them.
NNC has allocated £2.045m funding for bus service improvements for 2024 and 2025, in addition to two lots of £569,412 handed out as part of the national Bus Service Improvement Plan.
The new bus services will enable passengers to travel on routes on traditional buses as well as smaller minibuses as part of a demand responsive transport model.
Cllr Matt Binley, NNC’s executive member for highways, travel and assets, said: “I’m delighted to announce these improvements to bus services in the North Northamptonshire area – they are a very welcome addition to the existing network. “There are so many advantages to people making journeys by bus so by providing some public money to kick-start these new routes. I hope that people will start using these new routes as that is essential if they are to continue and hopefully for many of the services to eventually become fully commercially viable.”
Many of the new services replace those that were cut from 2017 onwards when the former Northamptonshire County Council slashed £1m from rural routes. As passenger numbers have dipped the some villages have been cut off to those reliant on bus travel.
The new services introduced this month are:
CB1 - Oundle, Lower and Upper Benefield, Weldon, Little Stanion, Stanion, Brigstock, Woodford and Great Addington to Rushden Lakes – Mondays to Fridays.
CB2 - Corby Village, Corby, Oakley Vale, Great Oakley, Pytchley, Orlingbury, Little Harrowden, Great Harrowden, Wellingborough, Chester House, to Rushden Lakes and Stanwick Lakes - Mondays.
CB3 - Gretton, Rockingham, Cottingham, Middleton, East Carlton, Wilbarston, Stoke Albany, Ashley, Weston by Welland, Sutton Bassett and Market Harborough - Tuesdays.
CB4 - Corby Town Centre, Corby Village, Gretton, Harringworth Cross, Wakerley, Duddington, Collyweston, Easton on the Hill and Stamford - Wednesdays.
CB5 - Corby Village, Corby Town Centre, Oakley Vale, Great Oakley, Geddington, Grafton Underwood, Cranford, Stanwick Lakes and Rushden Lakes - Thursdays.
CB6 - Stoke Albany, Wilbarston, East Carlton, Middleton, Cottingham, Rockingham, Gretton, Corby Village, Corby Town Centre and Corby Urgent Care Centre - Fridays.
94 - Rushden Lakes/ Raunds to Oundle – Monday to Saturday ‘demand responsive transport’ – services from villages to the north and south into Oundle with connections to buses to the main towns – Mondays to Saturdays, 7am to 7.30pm.
601 - Brigstock to Oundle – Schooldays.
The new services have been subsidised by NNC from its own budgets and through funding targeted from the central government’s Bus Service Improvement Programme, as well as from developer contributions known as 106 money.
Enhanced services launched this month are:
17, 18 and 19 - Enhanced frequency Ise Lodge – Kettering - Desborough and extension of late bus from Kettering to Thrapston – Mondays to Saturdays.
X4 - Late journey Corby and Peterborough (and return) – Mondays to Saturdays.
Jason Smithers, leader of NNC, said: “Well-connected communities help develop social cohesion and are vital component in assisting economic growth and workforce mobility. “Buses play a major role in reducing congestion on our roads, reducing pollution and helping us meet our ambitious carbon reduction targets.”
Starting in November an extension to Service 2 from Corby will see a direct route to Kettering General Hospital. Currently passengers have to take a bus via Desborough or catch a connecting service.
Services from November 4 are:
2 - Extension of Service 2 from Corby to Kettering via Priors Hall, Weldon, Oakley Vale and Kettering General Hospital – Mondays to Saturdays.
3 – Corby town centre to Corby western estates – Mondays to Fridays (evenings).
For timetables and information on bus services in the North Northamptonshire area go to https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables