Barnes Coaches is operating the newly launched, independently managed GoStroud scheduled coach service between Stroud and London.
Pitched as a low-cost alternative to rail, the GoStroud commuter service, which began on a trial basis in July, has become established as an ongoing operation.
Barnes Coaches, which is part of The Coach Travel Group, supplies the dedicated vehicle and operational support for the connection, which runs three days a week.
The service departs Stroud at 0600hrs and arrives at West Drayton at 0800hrs, allowing passengers to connect with the Elizabeth Line for onward travel into the capital’s centre. The return journey leaves West Drayton at 1815hrs, arriving back in Stroud at around 2015hrs.
GoStroud was set up by Stroud locals Tom and Rebecca MacMillan, who decided to enter the coach sector out of frustration over rail prices. The business is selling return tickets priced from £30 via a ticketing agent, with on-board drinks and pastries available as extras.
Mr MacMillan is chief executive of the non-profit Centre for Agricultural Research Impact, while Ms MacMillan is a freelance corporate trainer.
Swindon-based Barnes Coaches has dedicated coach YT69 DWM to the contract while retaining additional vehicles as backup.
The PSVAR-compliant vehicle has been fitted with onboard Wi-Fi and tables to allow passengers to work while travelling.
Ross McKay, Transport Manager and Head of Sales at Barnes Coaches, says: “At Barnes Coaches, we’re incredibly proud to continue serving local communities such as GoStroud. Barnes began as a family-run business with strong local connections, and as we move into our 106th year, those values remain at the heart of everything we do.
“Supporting local groups, organisations and communities has always been an important part of our journey, and we’re delighted to be working alongside GoStroud on this exciting new hire to London.
“We look forward to continuing to provide safe, reliable and comfortable travel while maintaining the local relationships that have defined Barnes Coaches for more than a century.”
Barnes Coaches says the partnership demonstrates how coach operators can work with communities to develop transport services that respond to changing passenger needs.
