Independent operator Grant Palmer will further expand its network on 2 March when it takes over route 41 between Bedford and Northampton from Stagecoach East.
It will be operated without subsidy. Commercial Manager Thomas Manship says that the incoming operator has “big marketing plans underway to rebuild commerciality and engage with local communities along the route.”
Papers from November 2025 on the Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) website show that after Stagecoach had decided to withdraw its operation of the 41, MKCC and neighbouring local authorities agreed to procure a contract for it to continue for a year with provisions for two one-year extensions.
The route passes through the northern part of MKCC’s area but not central Milton Keynes. It has been “partially contracted” to Stagecoach via a tendered additional section, but struggled to return to pre-pandemic usage levels and was thus seen as not commercially viable by the current operator, those papers add.
Grant Palmer will deliver a similar timetable to that currently observed by Stagecoach, albeit with consolidation at the start and end of the operating day. Through buses run every two hours with some off-peak enhancements along part of the route.
The business says it will use high-specification buses on the service. A £3 single fare will be in place except for the section between Northampton and Bromham, where it is to be £2. Grant Palmer’s capped contactless fares will be in operation whereby passengers pay no more than £20 per week or £80 per month across its network.
Adds Mr Manship: “We have a strong record of delivering rural services across Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and look forward to welcoming customers onboard our new 41 service.”
