Go-Ahead bus operations in the East of England will be consolidated under the Konectbus public-facing brand as part of an overhaul of the group’s interests there, it has announced.
The change will see a phase-out of the Chambers and Hedingham names in the southern part of that territory, which will be renamed Konectbus Essex and Suffolk. The existing Konectbus business will become Konectbus Norfolk.
As part of the shift, all buses across the business will transition into Konectbus blue livery. It is planned to introduce new and cascaded vehicles into the operation. Depots will also be rebranded, as will passenger communication channels.
The Go East Anglia brand will continue to exist internally, the business adds. Transition of the Chambers and Hedingham names to Konectbus will start during June to support network changes planned in Clacton-on-Sea and continue from there across the Essex and Suffolk business.
In Norfolk, the existing Konectbus operation will from March “implement substantial changes to its network” that will bring a 10% increase in operations through addition “of new and improved bus routes.”
As part of the development, Konectbus’s management team has been restructured. Former Stagecoach Regional Director Rupert Cox joined in 2024 as Managing Director and his recruitment was followed by that of Chris Speed (pictured top, right) as Head of Operations.
More recently, three Operations Managers have been appointed. Shane Buffham (pictured, second from right) holds that position for the South region, Jordan Craig (pictured, left) for the West area, and Steve Roscoe (pictured, second from left) for the North territory.
Mr Cox describes 2025 as “an exciting year for Konectbus as we implement many improvements for customers and colleagues.”
He adds: “There is a lot of pride among the local team in delivering a better bus service and we are already seeing the result of significantly improved reliability. The new branding is one part of how we will elevate the company alongside investment in more and better buses, a new uniform for colleagues, and a better customer experience.”
