Stagecoach services with stops in Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds withdrawn as company announces plans to axe 18 routes

Stagecoach services from Cambridge which take passengers to Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds are set to be axed under new plans.

The bus company has revealed 18 of their routes will be withdrawn, including the 11/X11, which stops in Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds, and route 12, which travels between Cambridge and Ely, also stopping in Newmarket.

Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: "It is unacceptable that despite getting a six month bus grant Stagecoach are still planning to reduce these vulnerable rural routes.

"The timing of this news couldn’t come at a worse time. It is of utmost importance to the Combined Authority that our rural bus networks are protected.

"They are vital for so many of our residents across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, in addressing isolation, enabling inclusion and supporting access to key services," he added.

Stagecoach has said the 18 routes, which include the 915 Royston to Cambridge and the 25 Addenbrookes to Trumpington, are to be withdrawn as they are 'unsustainable'.

In a statement on their website, they said: "Bus use in the UK has only partially recovered since the pandemic. Local bus operators, including Stagecoach, have been working to re-base local bus networks to take account of changes in people’s travel habits, lower passenger numbers, rising costs and labour challenges.

"This will ensure we can provide a sustainable network that we hope can grow over the longer-term."

But Dr Johnson said: "We are appalled that Stagecoach are pressing ahead with such severe changes to the network whilst continuing to accept the funding from the government that is designed to protect it.

"With this in mind, I have asked officers to prepare to take these threatened routes back out to the market. I have also asked that we urgently review and refresh the business case for franchising the bus system in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

"We will work closely with Stagecoach and all our bus operators to ensure that we can continue to deliver the buses that our residents depend on.”

For a full list of service changes and cancellations, visit https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/east/east-bus-network.

Changes are scheduled to come into force on October 30.