Possibly, I have heard some wild rumour that Luton will be taking over the X4 and that was the reason why it was there but I don't really believe that
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Arriva (Beds, Bucks, Herts)
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Zakaria Fadel
Member
Could be linked to 2322 roaming around Aylesbury the other day???
That's what I'm referring to yeah
Zakaria Fadel
Member
Yeah, will be very interesting to see Luton run the X4…. Didn’t expect that at all
Well it's just a very wild rumour that I've heard, I don't really believe it to be honest but we will have to see
In post 502 @arrivamatt - who is the authority - said:
"Routes X4, X6 and X14 interwork from Aylesbury; there are only a small number of off-peak journeys that operate the full X6/X4/X6 diagram, with driver reliefs controlled to mitigate risk. X2/X3 continues to operate from Luton."
He is the authority on this. The X4 timings show that it interworks at Aylesbury with the X6. I had commented that the X4/X6 cycle would be quite long for a driver duty.
Zakaria Fadel
Member
Well, it was just a rumour as post #545 states.
Is there a source ? Maybe @arrivamatt is able to confirm
Pretty sure it isn't true as mentioned, it was just a rumour as to why 2322 was in Aylesbury.
Between 31 August & 31 December, a new £3.50 day ticket (Busway Daysaver) will be valid for travel on Arriva busway routes within the Luton & Dunstable zone.
www.arrivabus.co.uk
Arriva Bus
www.arrivabus.co.uk
arrivamatt
Verified Rep
Routes X4, X6 and X14 are all operated by Milton Keynes depot. I couldn't possibly comment on why a Luton vehicle may have been spotted in Aylesbury...
There's a delay at the factory for this final arrival - Luton may receive a demonstrator from Volvo in the interim.
The first E400MMC (4569) will arrive in Luton tomorrow to help boost capacity on route 321, complementing the doubled frequency we've introduced this week.
I wasn't expecting that; I'm looking forward to seeing it in action! Is this permanent?
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Great, thank you for the info!
TransportFan03
New Member
Just Seen 4569 on the 321 by the Luton Matalan looks like its arrived and immediately been put onto the 321
Looking forward to riding on one, I wonder how many are due to come.
Unite have announced that staff at Luton, Milton Keynes, Stevenage, Ware and Hemel Hempstead will take strike action on the following days:
* Tuesday 23 September - Friday 26 September
* Wednesday 1 October – Saturday 4 October
* Thursday 9 October – Sunday 12 October
* Tuesday 14 October – Friday 17 October
www.unitetheunion.org
* Tuesday 23 September - Friday 26 September
* Wednesday 1 October – Saturday 4 October
* Thursday 9 October – Sunday 12 October
* Tuesday 14 October – Friday 17 October
Home counties bus chaos as Arriva workers walk out
Over 800 bus drivers, engineers, cleaners and shunters across the South-East of England are taking strike action over derisory pay offers.
www.unitetheunion.org
Voyager 2953
Member
Unite have announced that staff at Luton, Milton Keynes, Stevenage, Ware and Hemel Hempstead will take strike action on the following days:
* Tuesday 23 September - Friday 26 September
* Wednesday 1 October – Saturday 4 October
* Thursday 9 October – Sunday 12 October
* Tuesday 14 October – Friday 17 October
Home counties bus chaos as Arriva workers walk out
Over 800 bus drivers, engineers, cleaners and shunters across the South-East of England are taking strike action over derisory pay offers.
This has been in the pipeline for ages. Trouble in paradise..I don’t know a single member of staff who is happy working for Arriva Beds & Bucks. Staff moral is low, vehicles are shockingly bad, schedules are stupid and the constant changes to management and routes/duties leaves an air of uncertainty and creates for a very uneasy atmosphere.
Robski
Member
- Joined
- 15 May 2016
- Messages
- 333
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.
www.intalink.org.uk
November 2025
This is a summary of the forthcoming changes to local bus services in Hertfordshire in November 2025.
www.intalink.org.uk
If there are to be few buses running on the aforementioned depot's strike days, that leaves with 724 being the only route in west Hertfordshire to run a normal(ish) service given it's run by Harlow drivers.Unite have announced that staff at Luton, Milton Keynes, Stevenage, Ware and Hemel Hempstead will take strike action on the following days:
* Tuesday 23 September - Friday 26 September
* Wednesday 1 October – Saturday 4 October
* Thursday 9 October – Sunday 12 October
* Tuesday 14 October – Friday 17 October
Home counties bus chaos as Arriva workers walk out
Over 800 bus drivers, engineers, cleaners and shunters across the South-East of England are taking strike action over derisory pay offers.
Yes & no. They are the old F70/F77 renumbered - started running earlier this year, but I think there have been some route changes - others may be able to confirm for certain.
The only major changes to the route are that they now operate via Newton Leys and the X2 going via the large housing development in Leighton Buzzard. Other than that they are mostly the same routes.
And I think the extension from Luton Interchange to Luton Airport happened at the same time as they became X2/X3.
Having said that, there has been so much tinkering with the Luton network in the last year, it's a bit of a blur...
Voyager 2953
Member
The F70 and F77 both went to the Airport.
The SB1 down to every 30 mins on a Saturday afternoon? Wow that's quite a drop in frequency from what it was when it was my regular route, late 90's/early 00's and good loadings every 12 mins.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.
November 2025
This is a summary of the forthcoming changes to local bus services in Hertfordshire in November 2025.
The last one 2335 back then also used to be a regular for me with quite a decent number on.
Unfortunately Saturday afternoons are not what they used to be in many places where the High Street is no longer a draw.
greenline712
Member
In original Superbus days, the SB1 was every 5 minutes on Monday-Saturday daytimes . . . and all with good loads!! In point of fact, the SB1 is already every 30 minutes after about 16:00 on Saturdays (since 2024), as are most other SB services.
As I have said elsewhere . . . buses should only run when passengers wish to travel. No passengers, no buses. In common with many other towns, late Saturday afternoons see few shoppers around. This is nothing new; even 15 years ago I noticed that many shops were closing on Saturday afternoons after 4pm.
Many smaller towns are now nearly empty after lunchtime . . . the street market in Grantham was closing at 1pm on Saturday when I was there a few weeks ago . . . and by 2pm the town buseswere carrying bare handfuls of passengers.
There has got to be a good reason for people to hang around after lunchtime now . . .
As I have said elsewhere . . . buses should only run when passengers wish to travel. No passengers, no buses. In common with many other towns, late Saturday afternoons see few shoppers around. This is nothing new; even 15 years ago I noticed that many shops were closing on Saturday afternoons after 4pm.
Many smaller towns are now nearly empty after lunchtime . . . the street market in Grantham was closing at 1pm on Saturday when I was there a few weeks ago . . . and by 2pm the town buseswere carrying bare handfuls of passengers.
There has got to be a good reason for people to hang around after lunchtime now . . .
Robski
Member
- Joined
- 15 May 2016
- Messages
- 333
Arriva has done a very good job at decimating their market and services in recent years.
I've used the last bus a few times recently after nights out in London and it definitely doesn't leave the bus station empty however it isn't particularly well loaded as anyone getting off the closest timed ex-London train has a rather unpleasant wait at the bus station/"interchange" - so people just get an Uber or taxi from the station rank. A well-advertised night bus service that does a loop around town timed with the trains could do well judging by the footfall on the taxi rank, but I wouldn't put it to Arriva to be able to do such a thing.
greenline712
Member
Not just down to Arriva . . . most evening bus services almost anywhere outside the big conurbations are subsidised now. Apart from trains . . . is there anything else in Stevenage after about 2300? I don't just mean the Leisure Park adjacent to the station, either . . . what time does the theatre or cinema close, for example?
If you feel strongly about an "on-demand" service from the station, and more to the point can back that up with statistics about potential ridership (number of people queueing for taxis, for example) . . . contact the Herts CC Passenger Transport Unit. That would seem to be a good use of BSIP monies . . . they should have some available still, and subsidising a couple of trips to meet trains won't cost very much. Suggest they run it free for the first month . . . that'll see what demand there is.