Former Arriva services in and around High Wycombe are among those that will benefit from further timetable uplifts to be introduced on 23 February by Carousel Buses.
Those routes came into the Go-Ahead subsidiary’s fold in late July 2024 after the closure of Arriva depots in Aylesbury and High Wycombe. Carousel introduced an opening raft of improvements little over a month later and has been recruiting staff since it agreed to take over the services.
Some of the further uplifts across the Carousel network are commercial, while Bus Service Improvement Plan money from Buckinghamshire Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Wokingham Borough Council is also in play, the business has confirmed.
The operator claims that it has “rebuilt the bus network” in High Wycombe since taking over services from Arriva. Service 850 between the town and Reading will now see a doubling in frequency during the daytime over the busiest section as far south as Henley-on-Thames. Evening and Sunday frequency will double throughout.
Evening and Sunday journeys are introduced to other routes while daytime changes will broadly involve extensions and frequency improvements. Crosstown services in High Wycombe have been particularly successful under Carousel Buses operation and the improvements will capture that provision, the operator adds.
Managing Director Luke Marion says that the uplifts are “the next step in our exciting development plans, building on the fantastic progress we have made in stabilising and growing the bus network after taking over more [of it] in and around High Wycombe.”
Mr Marion describes the uplifts as “excellent news for bus users and communities across our network” and adds that Carousel is “proud to be able to expand the network further to help improve connectivity for people to more towns and villages across the counties we serve.
“These new routes and service improvements will further make bus travel an attractive option for people to travel sustainability for work, education and leisure purposes.”
