How this latest raft of changes to Northampton and Daventry bus services is going to affect YOU

Bus operator Stagecoach has announced changes to 19 of its services across Northampton and Daventry.

The company says the raft of alterations to times and routes will come into force on October 30, providing a more “sustainable bus service for the future” and better reflecting changing travel patterns.

It also hinted that changes have been forced by increased costs and a shortage of drivers which has led to a number of daily cancellations during the last 18 months.

Stagecoach Midlands manager director Mark Whitelocks said: “The pandemic has changed how and when people travel.

“For some the need to commute daily has changed and our choices about how to shop and where we meet with family and friends has also changed.

“We have to reflect those changes in our network as well as the realities of the changes in the economy that are impacting the cost of running bus routes and the availability of staff to drive and maintain our fleet.

“Its now time for us to make some changes to our services and the alterations in October will enable service to run more reliably which will help us deliver better services for our customers.

“We have reviewed services in consultation with the local authorities and the changes being made are designed to ensure the network is more sustainable as we move forward.”

Key changes include scrapping a section of No 3 route scrapped between Camp Hill and the Tesco store at Hunsbury and the 7A between town centre and Rectory Farm, and no more Sunday services on route No 88 between Northampton and Silverstone.

The No 5 cross-town route will now only run between Southfields and Northampton with passengers heading for Duston required to change to the No 9, 9A or 15 — which is extended to St Giles Park.

Route No 8 will have three buses an hour instead of four between the town centre and Kings Heath.

The D3 between Northampton and Daventry will now run every 90 minutes instead of hourly while the X44 Brackmills bus from Wellingborough is also scrapped. The full list of changes published by Stagecoach is:

Service 2 Northampton to Blackthorn — Afternoon journey times adjusted to improve reliability.

Service 3 Northampton to Camp Hill — Section between Camp Hill & East Hunsbury Tesco withdrawn.

Service 5 Northampton to Southfields — Section between Northampton & Duston withdrawn and replaced by changes to services 9/9A and 15. Service will run as now between Southfields and Northampton.

Service 7A Northampton to Rectory Farm — Withdrawn.

Service 8 Northampton to Kings Heath — Buses will run up to every 20 minutes.

Service 9/9A Northampton to Duston — Journeys diverted to serve Sainsburys at Sixfields.

Service 12/12A Northampton, East Hunsbury, Wootton Fields, Brackmills — Some early and late journeys withdrawn. On Sundays buses will run hourly.

Service 15 Northampton to St Giles Park — Service extended to St Giles Park replacing part of service 5. On Sundays buses will run hourly.

Service 55 Northampton to Swan Valley — Service extended in Pineham to provide a service to Sainsburys at Style Way.

Services 80 and 81 — Service 81 withdrawn. Passengers should use Service 80.

Service 88 Northampton to Silverstone — Sunday service withdrawn. On weekdays the 0735 from Potterspury will be retimed to run the same route as the other 88 journeys. This will create a Silverstone departure at 0720, arriving in Northampton 0820. This will facilitate onward connections to Northampton College.

Service D3 Northampton to Daventry — Monday to Saturday buses will run up to every 90 mins.

Service D4 Daventry to Long Buckby — Lunchtime journeys on Tuesdays and Fridays withdrawn.

Service X44 Wellingborough to Brackmills — Withdrawn.

Services X46 & X47 Northampton to Rushden/Raunds — Buses will continue to run hourly between Northampton and Wellingborough, in combination every 30 minutes). From Wellingborough the X46 will run via Irchester to Rushden and end at Rushden Lakes, replacing Service 49). Service X47 will continue to run hourly from Wellingborough to Rushden Lakes, Rushden and end at Raunds. Buses on Saturdays will operate more frequently and provide a 30 minute service between Northampton and Rushden Lakes.