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More cuts coming to the Arriva Stevenage bus network from November. Most town routes will have their evening services reduced, some will have early morning services reduced and frequencies are being reduced on a few routes.
The 55 from Stevenage to Letchworth will also be reduced to hourly on Saturdays from November which reduces the services calling at Lister Hospital. Not sure if this is due to the recently introduced 92 service from Baldock to Stevenage.
55 Stevenage to Letchworth Arriva
Revised timetable. Changes to Mondays to Fridays peak hours journeys. Saturdays reduced to hourly service.
From 02.11.25.
97/97A/97B/98 Hitchin to Stotfold/Baldock Arriva
Timetable change and new service route number. Early morning journeys withdrawn. Saturdays journeys re-routed via Highfield in Letchworth will operate with new route service number 97B with an hourly service. Service 98 Saturdays journeys have been withdrawn.
From 02.11.25.
Hundreds of Arriva staff have called off strike action that was set to take place during September and October after reaching a new pay deal with the operator.
More than 800 drivers, engineers, cleaners and shunters across depots in Stevenage, Ware, Hemel Hempstead, Luton and Milton Keynes were set to walk out for 16 days.
The strike threatened to plunge Hertfordshire bus services into chaos, but a new pay deal has now been reached with Arriva following a vote yesterday (September 18), and the industrial action has been called off.
Unite the Union members will see their pay increase up to 5.8 per cent dependent on role.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "This shows the strength of workers and the power of the union movement. Unite is the winning trade union and is putting more money into the pockets of our members."
Unite regional officer Jeff Hodge added: "Our members were prepared to take strike action in their fight for better pay and their determination has seen them win a new and improved pay deal.
"They should be congratulated for standing together against and getting a well-earned pay award."
In a statement to this newspaper, a spokesperson for Arriva said the operator was "relieved" that customers would not be impacted by the strike action.
"We are pleased that constructive discussions with Unite have led to an agreement, meaning planned strike action will not go ahead," the spokesperson said.
"This is welcome news for our customers and we’re relieved they will not face disruption to their journeys.
"We thank Unite for the positive dialogue and remain committed to working together in the future."
The X4 and X14 seem to be doing well; I’ve seen healthy loads each time I see them. I think the X4 however should take the quicker route to Leighton Buzzard Rail Station and then go on from there to serve Sandhills before terminating at the Retail Park using the roundabout to turn around.
On 22 February the 508 will be withdrawn, the 509 will be rerouted via Takeley, and new limited-stop route 723 will by the looks of things be routed along the A1025 & M11. The combined Harlow - Stansted Airport frequency will still be up to 6bph.
On 22 February the 508 will be withdrawn, the 509 will be rerouted via Takeley, and new limited-stop route 723 will by the looks of things be routed along the A1025 & M11. The combined Harlow - Stansted Airport frequency will still be up to 6bph.
Wow, just 30 minutes journey end to end! That seems comparable to the train journey time. I wonder if the airport is funding this? Appears to be a full 7 day a week timetable. Shame the route couldn't start from further south, like somewhere in Broxbourne or Epping Forest area to offer new connections over the existing routes. An area where the only way back over night from Stansted is in a very expensive taxi! The existing 508/509/510 carry decent numbers in Harlow but never seen it full, so this development is interesting.
We're seeing quite a few changes at the moment in the Harlow area, makes me wonder when they'll finally start to really improve bus connections between it and Herts/ Greater London?
What a very strange thing for Arriva to set up. I applaud it but certainly not like them at all. I wonder if someone has got the gossip behind it as surely this isn't a fully commercial initiative from Arriva with no external voices or funds?
We're seeing quite a few changes at the moment in the Harlow area, makes me wonder when they'll finally start to really improve bus connections between it and Herts/ Greater London?
South of Harlow the Central Line must take the bulk of cross boundary traffic. With the Underground doing the heavy lifting the Epping - Loughton buses seem to have gone the same way as Amersham -Rickmansworth.
Looking at the map the cross boundary bus services look poor but does that reflect untapped demand? I worked at Stapleford Airfield in 1971 and the old 250 (Romford to Epping) was poorly loaded even then.
Harlow to Stratford would be nice. EOS did briefly start it in 2018 but I don't think it lasted long enough to come to any meaningful conclusion about the demand there.
Given this new route doesn't serve most of Harlow (as it runs via First Avenue), I don't see the demand just from the bus station. Harlow isn't that big but big enough whole areas of it have poor bus connectivity if people want even just trains let alone buses across a wider region. The rail station would make more sense as a starting place.
Stansted has a large catchment area, large enough, coaches run 24/7 to Central London (really trains should also run 24/7 to London). The 724 and 510 mean journeys from the main Herts towns also benefit from improved access to Stansted because of the 723. Why shouldn't the Lea Valley towns also benefit? Always seems this area is an afterthought. Ironically people on Harlow Council's Facebook post about this new route are complaining about people potentially parking on residential streets just to use this bus. So even they see a potential wider use. Unsurprising as it's a comparable journey time to the train but only £3 still!
But from my logic, there's a continuously built up area from Waltham Abbey/ Waltham Cross through to Hoddesdon, it could then run fast via A414 to Harlow and then join the soon existing 723 route. Stick a couple stops in each town on the way (like every mile or so), would suddenly provide a much better bus service for all the places towards the airport. More likely to fill up the bus that way, provide new and useful links, overnight journeys so people from North London would also use it at Waltham Cross. I don't see why it couldn't work, at least until Stansted Express becomes 24/7.
And I know rail replacement services aren't really comparable to regular or limited stop buses, but the journey from Broxbourne to Stansted on the bus replacement wasn't too bad, about 45 minutes. Even if it took half hour longer on a limited stop route, it would be fine. All I'm saying is if other towns can benefit from the existence of the 724 and 725, my area should be able to benefit from something similar.
There needs to be thinking across boundaries, seems like any bus improvements happen in each county separately once again, which limits the usefulness.
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Harlow to Stratford would be nice. EOS did briefly start it in 2018 but I don't think it lasted long enough to come to any meaningful conclusion about the demand there.
Harlow Town is fast but also quite expensive compared to stations in neighbouring towns like Ware, Cheshunt and Epping (especially in the peak!), so I think any bus towards London, especially if limited stop would have half a chance. If they could be made reliable, I don't see why a bunch of limited stop routes couldn't work across Herts into Essex, given the close proximity of each town in these parts.
Can't help but wonder what kind of ridership the old Greenline routes from Harlow to places like Walthamstow used to get.
I think that the answer is self evident as they no longer run!
By sheer coincidence I was leafing through Lawrie Akehurst's "Buses for London's New Towns" over the week-end. Three points that he made about Harlow are probably still relevant - firstly, he noted that many travelling to London found it more covenient to travel to Epping and thence by tube. By the mid-1960s he observed that the traditional Green Line network was declining. At the same time he refers to contemporary data that suggested the level of car ownership in Harlow was twiuce the national average. Perhaps there was a causual link?
I'm not sure that the population of Harlow has a burning desire to go to Walthamstow (even if only to get on the tube to go somewhere else!). The links that used to exist have gone because they clearly didn't carry enough passengers to make them worthwhile.
In an ideal world I (and I suspect many others) would like to see a change in emphasis towards greater provision (and promotion) of buses and other public transport. This would (a) require more public money and (b) almost certainly come with restrictions on car use and, quite probably, these would include some form of road pricing. When this was mooted in the mid-2000s there were howls of anguish and don't forget that the western extension of the congestion charging zone in London was a significant factor in the outcome of the 2008 mayoral election. In large parts of outer London ULEZ expansion is still an issue and the Reform party candidate has pledged to scrap it if she is elected - her chances appear slim at the moment but we live in politically febrile times. At a national level It'll be interesting to see how the current consultation on a per mile charge for EVs and hybrid cars pan out.
There are choices involved - the country is spending an increasing amount on health, social care and pensions - this year (2025/6) it will be £656bn (so nearly half of government expenditure) and that bill is only going to go one way. Whether we like ot or not spending on defence (currently a fairly modest (compared to welfare!) £37bn or so is almost certainly going to rise.
Increased spending on bus services will need to come from somewhere - this means that something else will not be funded (or taxes will hav eto go up). Whilst there have been several new bus routes funded through BSIP money in recent years I am very doubtful that most will last that long. The loadings in many cases could be accommodated in a Smart car at far less cost!
I traveled on 724 for the first time for a few years, and was surprised it is no longer a Greenline bus and was using E200 mmc with no luggage space like the old citario
I traveled on 724 for the first time for a few years, and was surprised it is no longer a Greenline bus and was using E200 mmc with no luggage space like the old citario
It’s been that way for some time - the Citaros were replaced by Wright bodied Volvos and then by the E200s - the route clearly isn’t sufficiently profitable to warrant new vehicles.
These changes aren’t great for Bishops Stortford. The west side of town sees a significant loss of service along with links to the western part of the airport along Long Border Road. I also don’t think coordinating will work well at every 12 minutes.
One change I would make in the area is having the 309 as an all day service. It links the employment hubs of the area to a lot of the residential areas of Stortford pretty nicely.
In terms of the 723, I think it’ll do pretty well as Harlow Town Station is very poorly sited and this route will be convenient for getting to the airport. Whether the route will last, I don’t know.
It’s been that way for some time - the Citaros were replaced by Wright bodied Volvos and then by the E200s - the route clearly isn’t sufficiently profitable to warrant new vehicles.
Yes - the Volvos weren’t compliant when the LEZ requirement became Euro VI so had to go. There was a rumour floating around that new buses might have been ordered for the route and, more recently, it was said that Enviro 400s (displaced by new arrivals in Kent) were going to be used. Needless to say nothing has changed and the single deckers plod on.
I traveled on 724 for the first time for a few years, and was surprised it is no longer a Greenline bus and was using E200 mmc with no luggage space like the old citario
I’m glad I travelled on the full route just before the Citaros went. Even when old, they were comfortable and smooth, and importantly had luggage racks. While I doubt many people travel the full route, unless they have a lot of patience, a lot of people travel long inter-urban journeys on the route. The E200MMCs, while versatile, are not exactly suitable for the route. Big standard seats, and no luggage racks.
To be honest, I’m surprised Arriva still continue running the route in full in this day and age.
Harlow to Stratford would be nice. EOS did briefly start it in 2018 but I don't think it lasted long enough to come to any meaningful conclusion about the demand there.
People in that part of the world either tend to travel by train, or (for a cheaper method) get a local bus to a tube station then onwards from there. Most of Hertfordshire isn't that far from a tube station. Going too far into the London boundary by bus isn't practical due to very slow speeds and longer journey times. Hence why you see local buses to Epping, and also Uno buses from elsewhere in hertfordshire ending just over the Greater London boundary at a tube station.
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They can survive as they're serving two purposes - local bus travel in Hertfordshire and also long-distance travel for those connecting to London destinations. Whereas I would guess the EOS service failed as it was a infrequent 2-hourly connection to Stratford only.
One change I would make in the area is having the 309 as an all day service. It links the employment hubs of the area to a lot of the residential areas of Stortford pretty nicely.
I agree, the 309 as it is doesn't make a lot of sense. Whole neighbourhoods get a direct service to the airport on evenings and all day Sunday but not the rest of the time is bizarre. The 309 seems more useful than whatever runs in the daytime.
In terms of the 723, I think it’ll do pretty well as Harlow Town Station is very poorly sited and this route will be convenient for getting to the airport. Whether the route will last, I don’t know.
I think that the answer is self evident as they no longer run!
By sheer coincidence I was leafing through Lawrie Akehurst's "Buses for London's New Towns" over the week-end. Three points that he made about Harlow are probably still relevant - firstly, he noted that many travelling to London found it more covenient to travel to Epping and thence by tube. By the mid-1960s he observed that the traditional Green Line network was declining. At the same time he refers to contemporary data that suggested the level of car ownership in Harlow was twiuce the national average. Perhaps there was a causual link?
I'm not sure that the population of Harlow has a burning desire to go to Walthamstow (even if only to get on the tube to go somewhere else!). The links that used to exist have gone because they clearly didn't carry enough passengers to make them worthwhile.
The way London Country was broken up and how reportedly botched the North East operation was, surely means we can't have a fair comparison of the decline caused by deregulation vs the earlier decline in ridership in previous decades. Also new towns were deliberately designed to be low density, no wonder people drive. The problem in Harlow is the council/ companies could introduce any routes they liked and a large section of the town still would be inconvenienced by having to take 2 buses and change in town. Harlow is just too sprawly.
Surprised a variant of the Epping route doesn't go via the full length of Southern Way to be honest.
And of course most people wouldn't go end to end. How many people do the full whack to Heathrow? Probably very very few, doesn't stop it being useful for places on the way. Always surprises me how many people go from Hertford to Harlow on the 724.
Increased spending on bus services will need to come from somewhere - this means that something else will not be funded (or taxes will hav eto go up). Whilst there have been several new bus routes funded through BSIP money in recent years I am very doubtful that most will last that long. The loadings in many cases could be accommodated in a Smart car at far less cost!
I dunno, the Herts BSIP enhancements have been successful, they can't stop banging on about the 907, they are clearly happy with its performance. A route that was talked down by people online at first.
Starting 31 May 2026, we’ll be introducing changes to our services in Milton Keynes to better connect customers with a wider range of destin
www.arrivabus.co.uk
As illustrated by the map above the Busway route package will be modified again - changes include new route W being introduced as a direct competitor to the Grant Palmer CX, routes H / L leaving and joining the Busway at Skimpot, and the X1 / X4 being extended along the Busway to the Airport. For the X1 that means no longer serving Capability Green and the Tourismos returning in full to the 757, itself boosted to 3bph at certain times of day.
Routes to Marsh Farm / Hockwell Ring will be altered and renumbered.
With support from Buckinghamshire Council and Central Bedfordshire Council, service X4 will be extended to London Luton Airport, joining the high-frequency Busway network. Buses will serve Roundel Drive, Stanbridge and Tilsworth up to every hour, and Sunday services between Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury will return for the first time in over five years.
Across the Busway, services A, Z, X1, X2, X3 and X4 will combine to provide a frequent turn-up-and-go service, with buses running every 7–8 minutes."
With support from Buckinghamshire Council and Central Bedfordshire Council, service X4 will be extended to London Luton Airport, joining the high-frequency Busway network. Buses will serve Roundel Drive, Stanbridge and Tilsworth up to every hour, and Sunday services between Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury will return for the first time in over five years.
Across the Busway, services A, Z, X1, X2, X3 and X4 will combine to provide a frequent turn-up-and-go service, with buses running every 7–8 minutes."
An idea of whether it might actually be a useful service rather than just a set of words. The service currently doesn't even get close to Luton so an idea of times would show whether it actually serves any useful purpose.
An idea of whether it might actually be a useful service rather than just a set of words. The service currently doesn't even get close to Luton so an idea of times would show whether it actually serves any useful purpose.
Think you're being a bit harsh. Granted, they haven't provided a timetable but they are stating that the service has been extended to Luton Airport, and that it will operate via the busway in tandem with A/Z, X1, X2 and X3.
An idea of whether it might actually be a useful service rather than just a set of words. The service currently doesn't even get close to Luton so an idea of times would show whether it actually serves any useful purpose.
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