Bus route between Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds secures funding for extended service into late nights and Sundays

A regular Sunday bus will return to villages between two Suffolk towns for the first time in years, as part of a long-awaited service expansion.

Hedingham and Chambers held a special launch event at The Swan Hotel in Lavenham on Tuesday, to mark the forthcoming improvements for bus 753, between Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds.

The operator successfully bid for Bus Service Improvement Plan 2 (BSIP 2) funding, allocated to Suffolk County Council by the Government, to increase the timetable for the 753 route, starting on May 26.

From this date, the bus – serving Long Melford, Acton, Great Waldingfield, Lavenham, Cross Green, Stanningfield, Sicklesmere and West Suffolk Hospital – will run later into the night from Mondays to Saturdays.

In addition, the service will now also operate on Sundays – the first time these villages have had a bus operating on this day ‘for many years’, according to Hedingham and Chambers.

The bus company, which is part of the Go East Anglia group, stated the benefiting villages have voiced strong support for the expansion, adding that it will ‘make a significant difference to their local community’.

Gavin Smith, managing director for Go East Anglia, said: “We are delighted to work with local parishes and Suffolk County Council to offer a more accessible bus service.

“Introducing enhancements to local bus services places significant pressure on bus operators with costs for implementation high.

“Support through the BSIP 2 funding allows ideas to be evaluated, but generating a strong passenger base is essential to the longer-term continuation of these enhancements.”

Hedingham and Chambers will provide more details about the new timetable with a stand in Sudbury town centre on May 19, as part of Green Sunday – one of the regular events set to benefit from the extended service.

Rachel Price, business manager at Sudbury Town Council, added: “We are thrilled with the extension of the 753 service.

“We have an ever-expanding evening and Sunday economy in Sudbury, with fantastic pubs, cafés, and independent businesses, not to mention the strength of our heritage and culture sector.

“Much of our town centre events programming is also taking place on Sundays this year, from our new street food festivals, our Green Sundays, and a new antiques and vintage fair.

“We are excited that more people will now be able to reach us and enjoy everything our town has to offer.”