Arriva to close High Wycombe & Aylesbury depots - What does this mean for the local bus service?

Carousel Buses and Redline Buses have both stepped forward with a commitment to cover as much of the Arriva service as possible.

Wycombe Sound understands that while Arriva is currently running consultations and has yet to formalise this, they have submitted de-registrations to Buckinghamshire Council last Friday to formally cease local services from 27 July 2024.

Luke Marion, MD of carousel buses sat on a bus with red seats — Luke Marion – Managing Director, Carousel Buses

You can hear the full interview with Luke Marion below, which aired at 11am on Friday 24 May 2024 on the Wycombe Sound Mid Morning show.

Following the recent news of changes to the bus provision in the local area, through the closure of the Arriva High Wycombe and Aylesbury depots, Wycombe Sound’s Colin Besley has put your questions to Luke Marion, Managing Director of Carousel Buses.

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions to Wycombe Sound which has directly contributed to this interview.

Buckinghamshire Council publish list of upcoming service changes

https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport/bus-passes-and-travel/bus-times-and-service-changes/changes-to-bus-services/

19 May – Redline Buses announce service changes from Sunday 28 July to cover as much of the withdrawn service as possible

Following the news that Arriva will be closing their Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots after their last service on Saturday 27th July 2024, we are pleased to announce that we will be making some changes to our service timetables which will commence from Sunday 28th July 2024.

We will aim to cover as much of the withdrawn Arriva network as possible and timetables will be publicised shortly.

These changes include:

– A new service between Aylesbury and High Wycombe which will serve Lacey Green, Naphill and Hughenden Valley.

– Service X20 will divert via Haddenham and continue to serve Oxford

Please keep an eye on our social media feeds and website where further details will be provided over the coming days.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552200472629

16 May – Carousel Buses confirm new local services from 28 July 2024

Following the news that Arriva will be closing their High Wycombe and Aylesbury depots after the last service on Saturday 27th July 2024, we are pleased to advise that we will be stepping in to provide replacement services in and around Buckinghamshire from Sunday 28th July 2024. Many of the routes are the same as Arriva, but some timetables and route numbers will change.

You can see the main details below and download the new timetables. To see where each bus goes, please click here to download a detailed map of our town routes in the High Wycombe area, valid from Sunday 28th July 2024. The new Carousel network map is available here.

Current Arriva Service Current Route New Carousel Service Details
2 High Wycombe – Booker 32 32A We will be joining Arriva’s routes 2 and 12 together to restore the cross town links between Micklefield, the London Road and Booker as Carousel service 32.As a result, times will be revised throughout, with new early morning journeys on weekdays and an increase in the Saturday frequency from up to every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes.On Sundays, there will be an improved service with earlier and later buses. Late evening and Sunday buses will continue to operate via St Hugh’s Avenue and Roebuck Avenue and at these times, will operate as service 32A.
3 High Wycombe – Desborough Castle 33 We will be joining Arriva’s routes 3 and 13 together to restore the cross town links between Totteridge and Desborough Castle as Carousel service 33.As a result, times will be revised throughout, with a more regular service in the morning peak on weekdays, and more buses in the late evening. The Monday to Saturday service will now operate up to every 15 minutes from both Totteridge and Desborough Castle (currently up to every 20 minutes from Totteridge). On Sundays, we will operate earlier and later journeys.
5A High Wycombe – Flackwell Heath – Wooburn Green – Bourne End 36S We will operate our service 36S to the same times as Arriva’s 5A (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
6 High Wycombe – Flackwell Heath – Bourne End 36 We will operate our service 36 to the same times as Arriva’s 6 (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
6A Penn – High Wycombe – Flackwell Heath – Bourne End 31S We will operate our service 31S to the same times as Arriva’s 6A (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
7 High Wycombe – Wooburn Green – Bourne End – Maidenhead 37 We will operate our service 37 to the same times as Arriva’s 7 (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
7A High Wycombe – Wooburn Green – Bourne End 37S We will operate our service 35S to the same times as Arriva’s 7A (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
10 High Wycombe – Downley 30 Will be operating a similar level of service to Arriva’s 10 service on Mondays to Saturdays, but the times will be revised throughout the day. On Sundays, we will initially commence operating an hourly service.
11 High Wycombe – Penn 31 Will be operating a similar level of service to Arriva’s 11 service, but the times will be revised throughout the day.
12 High Wycombe – Micklefield 32 32A We will be joining Arriva’s routes 2 and 12 together to restore the cross town links between Micklefield, the London Road and Booker as Carousel service 32.As a result, times will be revised throughout, with new early morning journeys on weekdays and an increase in the Saturday frequency from up to every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes.On Sundays, there will be an improved service with earlier and later buses. Late evening and Sunday buses will continue to operate via St Hugh’s Avenue and Roebuck Avenue and at these times, will operate as service 32A.
13 High Wycombe – Totteridge 33 We will be joining Arriva’s routes 3 and 13 together to restore the cross town links between Totteridge and Desborough Castle as Carousel service 33.As a result, times will be revised throughout, with a more regular service in the morning peak on weekdays, and more buses in the late evening. The Monday to Saturday service will now operate up to every 15 minutes from both Totteridge and Desborough Castle (currently up to every 20 minutes from Totteridge). On Sundays, we will operate earlier and later journeys.
800 High Wycombe – Marlow – Henley – Lower Shiplake – Reading 800 (no change) We will operate to the same times as Arriva, with no change to the routeing.
850 High Wycombe – Marlow – Henley – Twyford – Reading 850 (no change) We will operate to the same times as Arriva, with no change to the routeing.
X80 High Wycombe – Marlow – Henley X80 (no change) We will operate to the same times as Arriva, with no change to the routeing.

From the same date, Carousel service 4 will be renumbered 34, with no change to the route or timetable.

Fares and Tickets

All of the above services will be part of the Government’s national £2 fare cap scheme, so this will continue to be the maximum fare you will pay for a single journey.

Our existing range of Carousel Zone day, week and period products will continue to be issued and accepted on all of our services, and will include the new routes that we will be operating from 28th July 2024. To find out more about our Zone tickets, please click here or download our app.

FreeFlow “Tap On Tap Off” will be available on all services, with automatic capping in place to ensure that you don’t pay more than the cost of a day ticket for the area that you travelled in, if this is less than the total cost of the single fares. Simply “tap on” the driver’s ticket machine at the start of each journey and “tap off” at the end of each journey using a contactless payment method. To find out more about FreeFlow, please click here.

Wycombe SMARTzone and Reading All-Bus multi operator ticketing products will continue to be valid on the new Carousel network, mirroring the current areas of validity.

You can find our new network map here, which shows the zone boundaries for all Carousel routes, so you can easily identify which product best suits your needs.

If you hold an existing Arriva period product that is not currently valid for use on our services, this will not be valid on Carousel services from 28th July. Arriva are advising customers who hold these tickets to request a refund here: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/help/contact-us
https://www.carouselbuses.co.uk/new-carousel-buses-services-28th-july-2024

Current Arriva Service	Current Route	New Carousel Service	Details
2	High Wycombe – Booker	32 32A	We will be joining Arriva’s routes 2 and 12 together to restore the cross town links between Micklefield, the London Road and Booker as Carousel service 32.As a result, times will be revised throughout, with new early morning journeys on weekdays and an increase in the Saturday frequency from up to every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes.On Sundays, there will be an improved service with earlier and later buses. Late evening and Sunday buses will continue to operate via St Hugh’s Avenue and Roebuck Avenue and at these times, will operate as service 32A.
3	High Wycombe – Desborough Castle	33	We will be joining Arriva’s routes 3 and 13 together to restore the cross town links between Totteridge and Desborough Castle as Carousel service 33.As a result, times will be revised throughout, with a more regular service in the morning peak on weekdays, and more buses in the late evening. The Monday to Saturday service will now operate up to every 15 minutes from both Totteridge and Desborough Castle (currently up to every 20 minutes from Totteridge). On Sundays, we will operate earlier and later journeys.
5A	High Wycombe – Flackwell Heath – Wooburn Green – Bourne End	36S	We will operate our service 36S to the same times as Arriva’s 5A (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
6	High Wycombe – Flackwell Heath – Bourne End	36	We will operate our service 36 to the same times as Arriva’s 6 (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
6A	Penn – High Wycombe – Flackwell Heath – Bourne End	31S	We will operate our service 31S to the same times as Arriva’s 6A (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
7	High Wycombe – Wooburn Green – Bourne End – Maidenhead	37	We will operate our service 37 to the same times as Arriva’s 7 (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
7A	High Wycombe – Wooburn Green – Bourne End	37S	We will operate our service 35S to the same times as Arriva’s 7A (from their 19th May timetable), with no change to the routeing.
10	High Wycombe – Downley	30	Will be operating a similar level of service to Arriva’s 10 service on Mondays to Saturdays, but the times will be revised throughout the day. On Sundays, we will initially commence operating an hourly service.
11	High Wycombe – Penn	31	Will be operating a similar level of service to Arriva’s 11 service, but the times will be revised throughout the day.
12	High Wycombe – Micklefield	32 32A	We will be joining Arriva’s routes 2 and 12 together to restore the cross town links between Micklefield, the London Road and Booker as Carousel service 32.As a result, times will be revised throughout, with new early morning journeys on weekdays and an increase in the Saturday frequency from up to every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes.On Sundays, there will be an improved service with earlier and later buses. Late evening and Sunday buses will continue to operate via St Hugh’s Avenue and Roebuck Avenue and at these times, will operate as service 32A.
13	High Wycombe – Totteridge	33	We will be joining Arriva’s routes 3 and 13 together to restore the cross town links between Totteridge and Desborough Castle as Carousel service 33.As a result, times will be revised throughout, with a more regular service in the morning peak on weekdays, and more buses in the late evening. The Monday to Saturday service will now operate up to every 15 minutes from both Totteridge and Desborough Castle (currently up to every 20 minutes from Totteridge). On Sundays, we will operate earlier and later journeys.
800	High Wycombe – Marlow – Henley – Lower Shiplake – Reading	800 (no change)	We will operate to the same times as Arriva, with no change to the routeing.
850	High Wycombe – Marlow – Henley – Twyford – Reading	850 (no change)	We will operate to the same times as Arriva, with no change to the routeing.
X80	High Wycombe – Marlow – Henley	X80 (no change)	We will operate to the same times as Arriva, with no change to the routeing.

14 May – Arriva announce proposed closure of Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots

We have taken the difficult decision to begin consultation with our colleagues on the proposed closure of our Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots. Despite extensive efforts to turn the situation around, including making network changes to better reflect local demand, both sites continue to be loss-making.

There will be no immediate impact on services and we will work with local authority partners to explore ways to minimise the impact, should we withdraw services.

We will keep our customers and our employees updated throughout this period.
If the closures go ahead, Arriva will no longer operate the following services:

o   X7/X8 – Aylesbury to Oxford
o    X9/X90 – Aylesbury to High Wycombe
o   2 – High Wycombe to Booker
o   3 – High Wycombe to Castlefield
o    4 – High Wycombe to Lane End
o   5/5a – High Wycombe to Bourne End
o   6/6a – High Wycombe to Bourne End
o   7/7a – High Wycombe to Bourne End and Maidenhead
o   10 – High Wycombe to Downley
o    11 – High Wycombe to Penn
o   12 – High Wycombe to Micklefield
o   13 – High Wycombe to Totteridge
o   800/850/X80 – High Wycombe to Henley on Thames and Reading
o    X9/90 – Aylesbury to High Wycombe.

If the closures go ahead, the X5 (Aylesbury to Hemel Hempstead) would continue to operate running from our Hemel Hempstead depot instead.

Arriva will continue to operate the contracted services listed below on behalf of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Councils for the remainder of the agreed contract term:

Authority Route Details
Oxfordshire 800 Specific journeys diverted to serve Binfield Heath
Oxfordshire 800 Mon- Sat evenings
Buckinghamshire 11 Sundays
Buckinghamshire 11 30 min frequency
Buckinghamshire 12 Evenings
Buckinghamshire 12 Sundays
Buckinghamshire 7 Evenings
Buckinghamshire 7 Sundays
Buckinghamshire 800 Evenings
Buckinghamshire 800 Sundays
Buckinghamshire 6 Specific journeys
Buckinghamshire 11 Evenings
https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/proposed-closure-of-aylesbury-and-high-wycombe-depots

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