Hertfordshire County Council and Cumbria via Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council have been added to the rural bus franchising and reform pilot introduced by central government earlier in 2025, with Cornwall Council understood to be a fifth participant.
They join launch participants Cheshire West and Chester Council and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority in taking part. The pilot is described by the Department for Transport (DfT) as helping local authorities to explore having more say in how buses are run, although there is no guarantee than reregulation will be adopted at its conclusion.
Instead, it will test how bus franchising in those largely rural areas could work, although some sources have said that the process will also explore how Enhanced Partnership could be leveraged.
DfT comments that by inviting more regions to take part, “we aim to investigate that franchising is not just for metropolitan hubs – it can unlock better, more reliable services in rural communities that have historically faced limited transport options.”
Speaking in September, DfT Director for Buses and Inclusion Stephen Fidler observed how both Enhanced Partnership and franchising each have significant variation across models that can be adopted and that the rural bus franchising and reform pilot aims to test those in the case of franchising.
In specifically announcing addition of Cumbria to the pilot – but ignoring Cornwall and Hertfordshire – DfT adds that it “will help us to understand how franchising can improve connectivity, boost passenger satisfaction, and support local economies in a range of settings.”
Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Transport and Regulatory Services Cllr John Murray notes how traditional bus service delivery models that work well in urban areas “are not necessarily right for Cumbria, and this pilot will give us the opportunity to explore innovative alternatives.”
He adds that the dispersed population of Cumbria makes delivery of commercially viable bus services “extremely challenging” and hence the local authority is pleased to be part of the rural bus franchising and reform pilot.
Hertfordshire County Council says it has secured £360,000 from DfT for the process. Its proposals are expected to be submitted by April 2026, although any approved plans may require further funding to move to implementation, the local authority adds.
