Changes to bus operator Stagecoach services in Bedford from 31 May

We appreciate the concerns and are disappointed regarding the changes being made to the Stagecoach public transport services. The ultimate decision to change or deregister services lies with the operator. 

Officers have been liaising with Stagecoach to understand the service changes with an aim to mitigate the impacts as much as possible. 

The Council continues to support evening services despite the low patronage. 

Unfortunately, there will be some gaps in bus service provision in and around Bedford town centre, in the Kempston ward and to some of the villages (including Wootton) as a result of these changes being made by Stagecoach. Council officers are reviewing the Council’s options and budget position to determine how best to proceed. 

The changes to Stagecoach services have now been announced to the public, which enables other commercial bus operators to consider their own services and work with Council officers if they believe they may be able to support the network.  As such, Council officers are actively engaging with all bus operators to seek solutions. 

Stagecoach have created a new service called the W2. This service will be following the route on the map below, with the frequency being every 30 mins from 5am to 9pm, Monday to Friday. The service will cover the Wootton loop.

Our understanding is that the W2 is a redesigned route, which covers some of the Service 53 and that Service MK1 has minor timetable changes planned to improve punctuality and the Service 44 is a Grant Palmer route with no changes planned

Stagecoach has confirmed that the passenger numbers for the 53A were not commercially viable, which is the one which served the Wootton Upper school, with two journeys per day, one on the AM peak and one in the PM peak.  At the service peak, the maximum number of passengers using it has been 39 but this has not been consistent and is usually much lower. 

The changes to Stagecoach services have now been announced to the public, which enables other commercial bus operators to consider their own services and work with Council officers if they believe they may be able to support the network.  As such, Council officers are engaging with all bus operators to seek solutions. Borough Council has significant budget constraints which results in the Council currently being unable to provide a frequent bus service in all areas of the borough.

Councillors from all parties were invited to a special meeting with Stagecoach on 25 March 2026, during which the company outlined the planned service changes. The Council will continue to engage with Stagecoach and will keep all Councillors updated on any potential future solutions. 

The Council’s goal remains to secure sustainable and reliable public transport across the Borough. We would like to hear from residents in the Borough about their experience and keen to hear feedback. Please speak to your ward councillor in your area, we look forward to hearing from you.

Commercial bus operators hold significant amounts of data, the majority of which is deemed commercially sensitive. As such, the validation of their data is a challenge for the Council. 

Commercial bus operators make commercial decisions regarding bus services, and the Council can work with them to influence and negotiate on those decisions, however the decisions remain with the operators. 

The Council will update the RTPI, Traveline, NapTAN, and roadside publicity and accurate timetables as soon as new routes are confirmed. 

The Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) 2024 confirms: 

 “Our vision is for Bedford’s bus services to be an attractive means of travel for all”.

 This will be achieved through these main objectives: 

• Maintain the current network and all that it has to offer, using that as a foundation for development and growth. 
• Make services more attractive by getting the basics right, in terms of levels of service, reliability, information and customer service. 
• Allow the bus network to achieve its potential through efficient planning, building on success and partnership working. 
• Ensure buses are central to, and reflected in, wider initiatives, plans and strategies for Bedford Borough and the wider Region.  

 Our BSIP sets the future path for how we want to see bus services develop in support of a number of wider policies and strategies. A new Local Transport Plan for Bedford is currently under development. This BSIP will be included within that Plan. The current LTP vision is to create a transport system in which walking, cycling and public transport are the natural choices of travel for the majority of journeys because they are affordable, healthy, convenient and safe alternatives to the private car. 

In order to achieve these objectives over the medium to long term, the Council has significant work being planned and in progress.  

Bedford Borough Council has an Enhanced Partnership, which is an agreement between the Council, as a local transport authority, and the majority of local bus operators to work together to improve local bus services.  

The government’s Bus Services Act became law in October 2025. Its intentions include empowering councils to have more control over bus services, including those it deems socially necessary. Bedford Borough Council officers believe there are opportunities for the Council within the Act, and these are being reviewed as part of a medium to long term delivery plan, which will also deliver the BSIP objectives.  

Competitive timetabling is common practice in the bus industry, as the deregulation of bus services in the 1980s permitted it. Whilst competition law does generally prohibit similar activities in commercial industries, this is a difficult area to challenge. The Council is keen for the bus operators to work collaboratively through the Enhanced Partnership, to avoid such practice. 

The Council has been engaging with Stagecoach over an extended consultation period to find solutions for avoiding the removal of services. 

Formally, the Council raised objections to some of the changes through the Traffic Commissioner run registration and de-registration process. The Traffic Commissioner did not support the Council’s objections. 

The Department for Transport (DfT) has stated that local authorities will be left to determine their own socially necessary routes. But in principle, they would ensure that communities across the borough — such as surrounding rural villages and urban areas—are not cut off from being able to access the most vital services, such as Bedford Hospital, schools, and other important amenities.

The Council appreciates the requirements upon itself to identify and protect socially necessary services. It is working towards creating a Bedford Borough applicable definition and robust approach to assessment and prioritisation. In the interim, as the changes to Stagecoach services have now been announced to the public, which enables other commercial bus operators to consider their own services and Council officers are engaging with all bus operators to seek solutions. Bedford Borough Council has significant budget constraints which results in the Council currently being unable to provide a frequent bus service in all areas of the borough.

The Council is working towards creating a Bedford Borough applicable definition and robust approach to assessment and prioritisation. 

The Council is engaging with all bus operators to find solutions for the resulting gaps in bus services. This will require financial support, as do the majority of Bedford town centre bus services.