Shropshire bus routes axed and dozens 'revised' amid falling passenger numbers
Bus company Arriva has published details of big changes to its services across Shropshire and Telford from April 23.
They include axing some routes, including the X4 from Oswestry to Shrewsbury and Wellington, tweaking timetables and routes - including one service which will not stop at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The company says it has suffered a reduced demand for buses since the pandemic.
The changes coming in include:
In Shrewsbury:
1 Shrewsbury – Monkmoor – Telford Estate
Buses will run up to every 20 minutes between 9am and 3pm and up to every 30 minutes before 9am and after 3pm on Mondays to Fridays and throughout the day on Saturdays.
8/8A Shrewsbury – Sutton Farm
This service will be withdrawn and replaced by new routes 17 and 17A. See below.
9 Bridgnorth – Wyken - Wolverhampton
Small changes to the timetable on Mondays to Saturdays to improve punctuality.
11 Shrewsbury – Royal Shrewsbury Hospital – Gains Park
Changing the timetable to run buses up to every 20 minutes on Mondays to Fridays and will no longer serve the Treatment Centre bus stop at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Buses will run up to every 30 minutes throughout the day on Saturdays.
20 Shrewsbury – Radbrook Green
Arrive will no longer be running route 20 on Mondays to Saturdays due to low passenger numbers.
64 Shrewsbury – Market Drayton – Newcastle - Hanley
A revised timetable will run on Mondays to Saturdays. Some journeys will be withdrawn.
17/17A Shrewsbury – Sutton Farm
A new service partially replacing routes 8 and 8A between Shrewsbury and Sutton Farm and route X4 between Shrewsbury, Wellington and Princess Royal Hospital.
Buses on route 17 will run up to every 60 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays. Some of these journeys will continue to Atcham, Wellington and Princess Royal Hospital.
On college days before 9am and after 3pm, some of these journeys operate past the London Road Campus of Shrewsbury College, to provide a link from Shrewsbury Town Centre.
X4 Oswestry – Shrewsbury – Wellington
Arriva will no longer be running route X4 on Mondays to Saturdays.
Customers wishing to travel between Oswestry and Shrewsbury should use route X5, and those who wish to continue their journey to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (Route 11) or Princess Royal Hospital (Routes 17 and 17A) should change buses at Shrewsbury Bus Station.
X5 Oswestry – Shrewsbury - Telford
A bus up to every 60 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays will be retained.
Additional journeys will be provided at peak times between Oswestry and Shrewsbury, and throughout the day between Oswestry, College Road and Windsor Road.
X7 Shrewsbury – Wellington - Newport
A new college day service will provide Shrewsbury College students with a direct link between Newport, Muxton, Trench and Wellington.
In Telford:
4 Leegomery – Wellington – Telford – Woodside - Madeley
A small number of timetable changes to help keep buses running on time.
Buses will continue to run up to every 12 minutes on Monday to Friday during the day, up to every 15 minutes on Saturdays during the day and up to every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturday evenings and Sundays.
5/5A/5E/6 Telford – Donnington – Muxton – Newport - Stafford
Changing the routes and timetables on routes 5 and 5A.
A combined frequency of up to every 20 minutes on will run routes 5, 5A and 6 between Telford and Donnington Parade on Mondays to Saturdays, and a combined frequency of up to every 30 minutes will run between Newport and Stafford.
From Telford Town Centre, route 5 continues along Queens Road then direct along the A518 (New Trench Road) to Newport and Stafford running up to every 60 minutes throughout the day.
From Telford Town Centre, route 5A continues along Queens Road then through Muxton (Marshbrook Way and Fieldhouse Drive) and Lilleshall to Newport and Stafford running up to every 60 minutes throughout the day.
Route 5E follows the same route as the current 5 operating on Monday to Saturday evenings and Sundays.
New route 6 serves Donnington Asda, then along Donnington Wood Road before returning via Queens Road back into Telford Town Centre.
All buses will start and finish in Chell Road, Stafford, and will no longer serve Earl Street, South Walls, Pitcher Bank or Gaol Square.
7 Telford – Trench – Hadley - Wellington
The 0817 journey from Donnington to Wellington being withdrawn. Alternative journeys are provided at 0807 and 0827.
7A Newport - Muxton – Trench – Hadley - Wellington
This service will be replaced by the new route X7, with journeys continuing to Shrewsbury.
9 Bridgnorth – Wyken - Wolverhampton
Changes to the timetable on Mondays to Saturdays to improve punctuality.
11 Telford - Lawley
Revising the route and timetable, with buses running every 60 minutes between Telford town centre and Lawley only. Buses will no longer run through Birchfield Way, Lawley and to Wrekin Retail Park. Arleston will be served by route 15.
There is no change to the route and timetable on the Monday to Saturday evening and Sunday route 11A.
This service will be replaced by the new route X7, with journeys continuing to Shrewsbury.
13 Telford – Ketley Bank
The 1715 journey from Telford to Ketley Bank departing at 1710 and running 5 minutes earlier throughout.
14 Telford - Shifnal
Revising the route and timetable, with buses running every 60 minutes between Telford Town Centre and Priorslee only. This service will no longer serve Shifnal, and customers should refer to routes 113 and 114 for alternative times between Telford and Shifnal.
14A Telford – Stafford Park
A revised timetable will run on Mondays to Fridays.
15 Telford – Hadley – Shawbirch - Wellington – Arleston
This service will be revised to provide buses up to every 60 minutes between Wellington and Arleston replacing, in part, route 11.
17/17A Shrewsbury – Wellington – Princess Royal Hospital
A new service will replace route X4 between Shrewsbury, Wellington and Princess Royal Hospital.
Buses on route 17 will run up to every 60 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays between Shrewsbury, Atcham, Wellington and Princess Royal Hospital. Customers who wish to continue their journey to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital should change buses at Shrewsbury Bus Station to route 11.
On college days some journeys operate as route 17A past the London Road Campus of Shrewsbury College and extend to and from Newport.
X4 Oswestry – Shrewsbury – Wellington
Unfortunately, this service will be withdrawn.
Customers wishing to travel between Wellington and Shrewsbury should use routes 17 and 17A, and those who wish to continue their journey to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital should change buses at Shrewsbury Bus Station to route 11.
X5 Oswestry – Shrewsbury - Telford
A bus up to every 60 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays will be retained.
Additional journeys will be provided on college days between Telford and Shrewsbury.
X7 Newport – Wellington - Shrewsbury
A new college day service will provide Telford College students with a direct link between Newport, Muxton and Trench and Shrewsbury College students with a direct link between Newport, Muxton and Trench.
The service will replace route 7A between Newport and Wellington and route X4 between Wellington and Shrewsbury.
Changes to some routes and timetables in Oswestry from 23 April 2022.
2/2A/2C Oswestry – Chirk – Cefn Mawr – Ruabon – Johnstown – Wrexham
Buses on route 2C will run up to every 30 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays between Cefn Mawr and Wrexham. Combined with routes 2 and 2A, there will be a bus up to every 15 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays between Cefn Mawr, Plas Madoc, Ruabon, Johnstown and Wrexham.
Departures from Wrexham between 5pm and 6pm will be re-timed, with journeys leaving Wrexham Bus Station at 1712, 1732 and 1752 to Cefn Mawr and Oswestry. There will be an additional journey to Oswestry on route 2C leaving Wrexham Bus Station at 1622.
53 Oswestry – Gobowen – Ifton Heath - Ellesmere
A revised timetable will run on route 53. Buses will run up to every 60 minutes for most of the day on Mondays to Fridays. From after 4pm, there will be departures from Oswestry at 1628 and 1758, and from Ellesmere at 1710. On Saturdays, buses will run up to every 90 minutes throughout the day.
An alternate service runs between Oswestry and Ellesmere on route 449.
401 Oswestry Town Service
Arriva will no longer be running route 401 due to low passenger numbers.
For an alternative service, customers should refer to the X5 timetable.
X4 Oswestry – Shrewsbury – Wellington
This service will be withdrawn.
Customers wishing to travel between Oswestry and Shrewsbury should use route X5, and those who wish to continue their journey to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (Route 11) or Princess Royal Hospital (Routes 17 and 17A) should change buses at Shrewsbury Bus Station.
X5 Oswestry – Shrewsbury - Telford
A bus up to every 60 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays will be retained.
Additional journeys will be provided at peak times between Oswestry and Shrewsbury, and throughout the day between Oswestry, College Road and Windsor Road.
449 Oswestry – Ellesmere - Welshampton
The 0802 journey from Welshampton will terminate at Oswestry Bus Station. Customers wishing to travel to Sainsburys or students attending North Shropshire College can continue their journey on the 0837 Route X5 from Oswestry Bus Station without having to change buses and at no extra cost.
