New Much Wenlock to Shrewsbury bus service to begin
A new bus service is to be launched on Tuesday 3 September to serve the route between Much Wenlock and Shrewsbury.
The new service – to be numbered 437 – will work alongside the 436 (Bridgnorth to Shrewsbury) service to provide a more frequent bus service at peak times, Monday to Saturday
Operated by Tanat Valley Coaches, the 437 will ensure there is an improved service between these towns for students, commuters and visitors.
The new service has been made possible following the award of £1.8m of Network North funding by the Department for Transport (DfT) which will see a number of improvements to public transport across the county.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for public transport, said:
“We want to to transform the current bus offer in the county, creating the opportunity for bus to become the first choice of travel for people.
“I’m delighted that we’ll soon be introducing this new service between Much Wenlock and Shrewsbury to make the bus a more realistic option for residents, students and visitors and I know this will be welcomed by many people. Many other improvements are also due to be introduced soon and I look forward to announcing further details soon.”
Other improvements
Other improvements being introduced this year thanks to the Government funding are:
Bus service frequency increase on services 64 (Market Drayton to Shrewsbury)
401 Oswestry Town service – new route added to the existing service.
722 Ludlow park and ride (town service) – a standalone service to be provided, with an express shuttle from the ECO park and ride site to the railway station and town centre.
Improvements to the other two Ludlow town services, 701 and new 702
Shrewsbury park and ride – fare reduction from £2 return to £1 return (from 5 August 2024 to 31 March 2025).
Ludlow park and ride – fare reduction from £2 return to £1 return (from 5 August 2024 to 31 March 2025).
The changes are set to be introduced over a three-to-four month period, from August.
Shropshire Council’s new Connect On-Demand bus service will also be further expanded from January 2025 to include the new Weir Hill housing development, Shrewsbury Business Park and Salop Leisure in Shrewsbury, with a new bus to be used.
A new app will also be developed that can be used to book journeys, plan routes and more across the entire Shropshire local bus network.
All these improvements are included in Shropshire Council’s refreshed Shropshire Bus Service Improvement Plan, which was published in July and sets out the council’s vision for transforming bus travel in Shropshire in the coming months and years.
