Bus service changes announced from start of September – find out what is changing

A new Chaserider Sunday and bank holidays service on route 828 also starts on September 8 and will running up to every hour taking in Stafford, County Hospital, Great Haywood, Little Haywood, Colwich, Springfields Estate in Rugeley, Brereton, Armitage, Handsacre and Lichfield.

Chaserider monitors its local bus services at regular intervals and recent monitoring and feedback from customers has highlighted the need to make changes to several local bus services

From September 1 service 36A (Walsall to Lichfield via Aldridge) will no longer have a timing point at the Three Tuns in Lichfield due to safety concerns with buses waiting there. The stop will continue to be served, and bus times will remain unchanged.

Service 60 (Cannock to Lichfield via Burntwood) will have some minor timing changes at Norton Canes, Heath Hayes and the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet.

Service 63 (Cannock to Uttoxeter via Hednesford and Rugeley) will be retimed on some journeys at peak times along with service 100 (Wellington to Madeley via Brookside and Sutton Hill) will be retimed on afternoon journeys serving Telford Priory School.

New service 408 will be introduced between Rocester and Uttoxeter for students travelling to Thomas Alleyne's School.

Service 841 (Stafford to Uttoxeter via Hixon) will be retimed on morning peak journeys due to Weston Road Academy changing their times.

Kallum Crawford, operations manager at Chaserider Buses, said: “Recent monitoring has highlighted the need to make changes to a number of journeys on several local bus services to ensure we continue to provide a reliable, regular and robust bus service which our customers expect and deserve.

"The Select changes include service 875 (Stafford to Cannock via Penkridge) where there will be minor changes to the timetable to enable the service to interwork with service 876 improving the frequency between Stafford and Penkridge.

"Services 877 and 878 (Stafford to Wolverhampton) will see 877 will operate as a stand-alone service between Stafford and Wolverhampton calling at Haughton, Gnosall and Wheaton Aston. 878 will be renumbered 876 and will operate to a revised route and timetable. Most journeys will provide a through service between Stafford and Wolverhampton calling at Penkridge, Brewood and Coven.

"The revised route will avoid the Kiddemore Green Road which is frequently closed and will ensure a more reliable service is provided. A new Saturday service will also be introduced, and together services 875 and 876 will provide a 30-minute daytime frequency between Penkridge and Stafford.

"Stafford town services changes include service 7 (Stafford to Moss Pit) where there will be minor changes to the timetable to improve reliability. Occasional Journeys which currently divert to serve the Highfields Estate will be revised to operate as normal route 7 journeys into Stafford.

"Service 8 (Stafford to Parkside) will have a revised timetable will be introduced to ensure reliability is maintained, due to the slip road on the A34 (Red Hill) continuing to be closed. Passengers can continue to board buses on the way up to Parkside to provide a bus service for passengers on Trinity Fields. Buses on service 7 will also be able to pick up along Stone Road as a temporary measure whilst the roadworks are ongoing.

"Service 9 (Stafford to Highfields) will have a 20-minute frequency throughout the day and there will be minor alterations to the timetables on service 11 (Stafford to Coton Fields) and service 12 (Stafford to Doxey).

"Service 875A (Stafford to Rickerscote) will be withdrawn and will form part of the new service 876."

Keith Myatt, head of business development at The Centrebus Group and Select Bus Services, said: “We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Shropshire Council to provide the 96 running between Telford Town Centre and Shrewsbury along with 436 between Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury.”