Improvements to Stratford bus services

This month will see the introduction of a number of improvements to Stratford bus services, including the towns first ever dedicated daily Park and Ride service.

The changes, which will come into effect from Monday 15 November, will also mean alterations to the 222 route from Trinity Mead & Bridgetown estates and the number 19 serving the Justins Avenue and West Green Drive areas of the town.

Warwickshire County Council operates the increasingly popular Stratford Park and Ride. Last year the total number of passenger journeys at the Bishopton scheme increased by 11.6 per cent to almost 127,000.

Journeys for Park and Ride users will be quicker as the service will not be linked to the 222 service which stops at the Morrisons store.

Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Councils Portfolio Holder for Environment and Economy, said: It has long been the intention of the county council to separate the two bus services, in order to establish the Park and Ride purely as a dedicated service. The success of the scheme has now enabled this natural progression for the Park and Ride at Stratford.

The new service will be quicker and more direct for passengers and will be operated by Johnsons Excelbus who have provided an excellent service since it opened.

The new Park and Ride route from the Bishopton Lane site will continue to use Timothys Bridge Road, Masons Road, Alcester Road, Greenhill Street, Wood Street and Bridge Street. It will then use the Gyratory to return to Bridge Street for the return journey. The service will still operate every 10 minutes during the main part of the day.

Stagecoach intend to operate a service purely between the West Green Drive area and town on a commercial basis. This half hourly service will remain numbered 19 and operated from their Stratford depot in Avenue Farm.

The revised 222 service will be operated by Johnsons Excelbus as a half hourly service during the main part of the day. Starting on Banbury Road, it will serve the Trinity Mead and Bridgetown estates to come into Bridge Street and Wood Street, then to Alcester Road (for the rail station) and Morrisons. It returns towards town to then follow this route, Arden Street, Birmingham Road (for Maybird Centre and Tesco), Justins Avenue, Elm Road, Woodlands Road, Justins Avenue, Blue Cap Road, Blackthorn Road, Maidenhead Road, Mayfield Avenue, St Marys Road, Jolyffe Park Road, Clopton Road, Justins Avenue, Woodlands Road, Elm Road, Justins Avenue, Birmingham Road, Arden Street, Alcester Road for the rail station) and Morrisons.  It returns towards town to Wood Street and Bridge Street and then on to serve the Trinity Mead and Bridgetown estates.

For the first time, the new 222 route will serve the two largest supermarkets in the town and the retail parks on Birmingham Road.

Details of these service changes and timetables are available on the county council website at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/publictransport