New joint project to improve cross-town service
Arriva Midlands and Telford & Wrekin Council have formally announced the commencement of a major joint project designed to improve and reinvigorate Telford’s Route 4, a critical cross-town bus service operating from Leegomery to Madeley.
The scheme is being delivered as part of the new collaborative working partnership between Arriva and the Council.
It encompasses the introduction of ‘Real Time Information’ boards for arrivals and departures of journeys along on route, the construction of new bus shelters at Oakengates Bus Station and the roll-out of refurbished buses, as well as upgrades to roadside information and changes to the timetable to improve punctuality.
Significantly, the project will ultimately see Arriva bolster rail links and lay the necessary groundworks for further route extensions covering future housing developments.
General Manager for Arriva Shropshire, Jamie Crowsley, explained: “Together with the Council, this year we have set about assessing how we can reshape passenger transport in Telford and boost the public’s experience of bus travel.
“Route 4 is one of our most popular routes, providing crucial connections for local communities requiring frequent and efficient links to places such as the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford Central railway station and Telford town centre itself.
“But we recognised that we could perhaps be doing more to ensure that such a popular route ran more effectively and was able to better meet the changing expectations of our customers.
“The measures we have put in place should result in a service which really delivers in terms of comfort, reliability and connectivity, helping to make our customer’s journeys that little bit easier and more relaxing.”
The relaunch of route 4 is the first stage of Arriva’s collaboration with the Council, which will see a number of exciting new initiatives unveiled over the course of the next few months, each designed to deliver economic growth, bolster access to employment and leisure, reduce congestion on Telford’s roads, and drive tourism to the area.
Councillor David Wright, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Transport, said: “These new measures are designed to provide an enhanced service and make this key route accessible to even more people and I am delighted that our partnership with Arriva Midlands has produced early positive results.”
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