Left to right: Luke Freathy (Devon County Council); Tim Steer (Barnstaple Town Council); Rachel Phillips (Devon County Council); Rory Grey, Peter Knight and Sarah Clark (Stagecoach South West); Mike Tucker (Devon County Council); Councillor Andrea Davis (Devon County Council Deputy Leader); Dave Growns and Dan Thomas (Stagecoach South West).We’ve welcomed Stagecoach South West’s investment of over £1.5 million in 12 brand new single deck buses for its North Devon fleet.
The new Optare ‘Solo’ buses will replace older vehicles and operate on various routes out of Barnstaple including the newly awarded Lynton, Lynmouth and Woolacombe services.
The new services follow our successful tender which will see Stagecoach operate up to six journeys in each direction from Monday to Saturday via Mortehoe from Barnstaple to Woolacombe catering for school, college and commuter needs on Service 303. The 309 / 310 services to Lynton and Lynmouth will offer additional connections including earlier and later journey options. Service 310 will operate hourly from 0600 to 2045, while Service 309 will provide two daily trips via Shirwell.
Councillor Andrea Davis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said:
“Stagecoach should be applauded for this latest investment in bus services in the county and these additions to their north Devon fleet will be warmly welcomed by passengers who will be able to enjoy the upgraded facilities on these new buses. We look forward to working with Stagecoach on these routes.”
Stagecoach South West Managing Director Peter Knight said: “We’re delighted to bring brand-new buses to North Devon, including three vehicles that highlight ‘rail link’ onward journey connection opportunities available from Barnstaple Railway Station with Great Western Railway. This investment of over £1.5million demonstrates our commitment to investing in North Devon and follows the commencement of new services in our wider North Devon bus network. These enhancements allow us to offer a wider range of journey opportunities, connecting people to the places that they need to get to the most.”
The new vehicles will offer a more comfortable travel experience for passengers; the buses are fitted with high-specification modern interiors, with contemporary grey e-leather seats, wood style flooring and USB charging. They will also feature next-stop audio and visual announcements to inform passengers as they approach each bus stop and the ultimate destination of the bus.
The delivery of these new buses this year is a significant step forward to reducing the average age of Stagecoach’s South West fleet in North Devon ahead of a wider electric vehicle roll out in 2025, when the journey of decarbonising the fleet will begin. This will Include 20 brand new electric buses for the North Devon bus network. This is thanks to successful Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) funding from the Department for Transport (DFT) of £2.5million with £8.4 million of private investment from Stagecoach.