Services 322, 323 and 324 - normal fares to be charged from 30th Sept 2024

As of Wednesday 31st July 2024, First Essex Buses took over the operation of the following Essex County Council bus services:

• 322 Lindsell Village - Bishops Stortford, Interchange
• 323 David Wright Close - Bishops Stortford, Interchange
• 324 Stebbing, outside The White Hart - Bishops Stortford, Interchange

The operation of these services were provided at very short notice due to a change in circumstances of the intended bus service provider.

As a result, the services have been run free of charge pending the approval of our service registration application.

The service registration has now been approved by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner.

As of Monday 30th September 2024 normal bus fares will be charged on the 322, 323 and 324 services.

The Government £2.00 fare cap will continue to be the maximum single fare charged until Tuesday 31st December 2024.

Creephedge Lane, East Hanningfield will be closed for roadworks from Wednesday 25th September to 00:00hrs on Friday 27th September 2024.

Due to the location of the road closure, the 3 service will divert in both directions via East Hanningfield Road.

The following bus stops will not be served (in both directions):

• Hyde Hall

We apologise for the disruption to your bus journey.

Rowhedge Road, Rowhedge will be closed for roadworks from Monday 23rd September to Monday 21st October 2024.

Due to the location of the road closure the S9 service will be placed on diversion:

Towards Rowhedge

The S9 service will divert via Fingringhoe Road and Rectory Road. The bus journey will terminate at the turning circle. Passengers will be able to disembark and board the service at the turning circle. 

Towards Colchester

The S9 service is to commence journeys at the turning circle on Rectory Road. The S9 service will divert via Fingringhoe Road before returning to normal line of route on Old Heath Road.

The following bus stops will not be served in both directions:

• Rowhedge Road
• Battlesbrook Road
• Cleavelands
• Battleswick Farm
• Shipyard Corner
• Taylor's Road
• Heath Road Turn
• Rowhedge

We apologise for the disruption to your bus journey.

Service update was amended on 26/09/2024 | Reason(s)for amendment:

• Added - More detail regarding the location of road closure.
• Added - The roadworks/road closures cancelled on Wednesday 25th September 2024 due to bad weather.
• Added - No roadworks/road closures enforced over the weekends. Dates listed.
• Added - Diversion route for the C4 service.
• Added - Diversion route for the X30 service.

Parkway, Chelmsford will be closed (from junction with Rainsford Road to junction with Viaduct Road) for roadworks, on a nightly basis, from Thursday 26th September* to Friday 1st November 2024. *The roadworks/road closure on 25/09/2024 cancelled due to bad weather.

The road is to be closed from 21:00hrs each night and is to re-open from 05:00hrs the next morning.

Please note. roadworks/road closures will not be conducted over the weekend. Therefore, diversions are NOT to be enforced on the following dates:

• 28/09/2024 - 29/09/2024
• 05/10/2024 - 06/10/2024
• 12/10/2024 - 13/10/2024
• 19/10/2024 - 20/10/2024
• 26/10/2024 - 27/10/2024

Due to the location of the road closure the C4, 300, X10 and X30 services will be placed on diversion:

C4

Towards Chelmsford Bus Station: Normal line of route - no diversion required.

Towards Writtle: The C4 service will divert after serving Chelmsford Bus Station via Broomfield Road, Parkway, Rectory Lane, New Street, Victoria Road, Parkway and New London Road, Writtle Road and Waterhouse Lane before returning to normal line of route on beeches Road.

The following bus stop will not be served: Fire Station

300

The 300 service will not serve Chelmsford Bus Station. Instead the 300 service will terminate at Chelmsford Retail Market bus stop. The journey will wait time and restart service towards Basildon at next scheduled departure from Chelmsford Cathedral bus stop (located on Dukes Street).

The following bus stops will not be served:

• County Hotel
• Chelmsford Bus Station

X10

The X10 service will serve all bus stops as normal - however, the service will approach/depart Chelmsford Bus Station from a different direction. Due to the length of the diversion, there will likely be minor delays to service.

X30

The X30 service will serve all bus stops as normal - however, the service will approach/depart Chelmsford Bus Station from a different direction. Due to the length of the diversion, there will likely be minor delays to service.

We apologise for the disruption to your bus journey.

A section of Station Road, Little Dunmow will be closed for works from Thursday 12th September to Friday 15th November 2024.

Due to the location of the road closure, the 570 service will be placed on diversion:

Towards Colchester

Service 570 will divert, after serving Homelye Chase bus stop, via Braintree Road/Dunmow Road (B1256), Braintree Road (B1417) and Station Road before turning onto Tanton Road, Flitch Green. Passengers can board the bus on Tanton Road, Flitch Green. The bus will then continue journey back towards Felsted.

The next bus stop will be Mill Road bus stop.

Towards Great Dunmow

Service 570 will divert, after serving Mill Road bus stop, via Tanton Road, Flitch Green. Passengers can disembark the bus on Tanton Road, Flitch Green. The bus will continue journey back towards Felsted.

The next bus stop will be Homelye Chase bus stop.

The following bus stops will not be served (in both directions):

• Braintree Road
• The Flitch of Bacon
• The Moors
• Bramble Lane
• Baynard Avenue
• Tanton Road (bus stop located on Station Road)

We apologise for the disruption to your bus journey.

This notice was amended on 06/09/2024 | Reason for amendment: Information added regarding amendments to the 75 service (Colchester to Maldon). New timetables attached for the 75 service and the X20/320 service.

This notice was amended on 31/08/2024 | Reason for amendment: Information added regarding amendments to the X20 and 320 (Colchester to Braintree/Stansted Airport).

A few bus services will be changing from Sunday 1st September 2024. 

In summary:

• There will be some minor timetable changes to improve punctuality.
• We are introducing two NEW routes (schoolday only) to our network.

Service Changes:

All NEW & REVISED timetables are available to view / download below:

Service update was amended on 20/08/2024 | Reason for amendment: The road closure is no longer time constricted "The road is to be closed each night from 20:00hrs to 06:00hrs the next morning." The road closure will be enforced at all times.

The Avenue, Wivenhoe will be closed for roadworks, on a nightly basis; from Monday 19th August to Monday 30th September 2024.

Due to the location of the road closure, the S1, and 87 services will be placed on diversion:

S1

The S1 service will divert, in both directions via, Rectory Road and Belle Vue Road.

The following bus stops will not be served (in both directions):

• Wivenhoe Cross
• Rosabelle Avenue
• Co-op

87

The 87 service will divert, in both directions via, Rectory Road. 

The following bus stops will not be served (in both directions):

• Wivenhoe Cemetery
• Co-op
• Rosabelle Avenue
• Wivenhoe Cross

We apologise for the disruption to your bus journey.

This notice was amended on 30/07/2024 | Reason for amendment: Information added regarding NEW services 322, 323 and 324 (Bishops Stortford to Lindsell / Great Dunmow / Stebbing).

This notice was amended on 11/07/2024 | Reason for amendment: Information added regarding the 94 service (Sundays and Public Holidays only) being withdrawn.

Several bus services will be changing from Sunday 28th July 2024. In summary:

• We are introducing a brand NEW bus route to Colchester - Service S5.
• There will be some minor timetable changes to reflect passenger numbers during the school summer holidays.
• There will be changes to the financially supported bus network, across Essex, following the outcome of a recent local bus service consultation exercise by Essex County Council. In the majority of cases, the timetables remain unchanged. However, service operation has transferred between bus operators.

All changes have been detailed below by area and by category:

Area: South Essex, Mid & West Essex and North Essex.

Category: Revised Service(s), New Service(s), Operator Change(s) and Withdrawn Service(s).

South Essex

REVISED service(s)

• 300 Chelmsford to Basildon - The Monday to Friday timetable has been revised for the school holidays.

NEW service(s)

The following services will now be operated by First Essex Buses. These services are financially supported by Essex County Council.

• 4A Southend-on-Sea to Great Wakering & Landwick (Sundays and Public Holidays). Additional Service 4 journeys will operate between Southend-on-Sea and North Shoebury, The Renown.
• 7 Southend-on-Sea & Hockley to Rayleigh (Monday to Saturday Evenings). The Monday to Saturday Daytime service continues to be operated by Arriva.

OPERATOR CHANGE(s)

The following service(s) will now be operated by another bus operator. These services are financially supported by Essex County Council.

• 14 The Wick to Wickford Station - The Monday to Friday timetable (before 08:00 and after 18:00) will be operated by NIBS Buses. The following First Essex Bus routes will continue to serve The Wick:
  • Service 13 Chelmsford to Wickford (via West Hanningfield)
  • Service 13A Chelmsford to Wickford (via West Hanningfield and Ramsden Heath)
  • Service 13B (the current Service 14 - revised/renamed) (via Ramsden Heath)
• 21 Basildon to North Benfleet - The Monday to Saturday timetable will be operated by NIBS Buses.
• 104/106 Basildon to Tesco, Langdon Hills - The Monday to Friday timetable will be operated by NIBS Buses.

WITHDRAWN service(s)

Following the outcome of a local bus service consultation exercise by Essex County Council in 2023, the following services will cease operation:

• 256 Ramsden Heath to Basildon (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday only)
• 552 Ramsden Heath to Billericay Station (Monday to Friday)

For further details regarding these changes; please visit the Travel Essex (Essex County Council) website: Consultations & Supported Services | Travel Essex

Mid & West Essex

REVISED service(s)

• 14 Chelmsford to Wickford/The Wick will be re-numbered as 13B. There are no changes to the timetable.
• 336 Chelmsford to South Woodham Ferrers - Revised Sunday timetable.
• C11 Chelmsford to Beaulieu Park - The Sunday timetabled 22:21 departure from Beaulieu Park to Chelmsford City Centre will no longer operate.

NEW service(s)

• 19/19A Chelmsford to Harlow (Monday to Saturday timetable).

The following services will now be operated by First Essex Buses. These services are financially supported by Essex County Council:

• 4 Harlow to Latton Bush (Monday to Saturday Evenings). The Monday to Saturday Daytime service continues to be operated by Arriva.
• 14 Harlow to Pinnacles (Monday to Saturday)
• 59 Harlow to Chelmsford (Sundays and Public Holidays). The Monday to Saturday service continues to be operated by Arriva.
• 322/323/324 Bishops Stortford to Great Dunmow, Stebbing and Lindsell (Monday to Saturday - Lindsell on Tuesdays only) *The 322/323/324 services will commence from Wednesday 31st July 2024. For further details regarding these changes; please visit the Travel Essex (Essex County Council) website: Consultations & Supported Services | Travel Essex
• 407/417 Old Harlow to Harlow (Monday to Saturday - NEW ROUTE - to serve Edinburgh Way, Harlow Town Railway Station and Princess Alexandra Hospital.

OPERATOR CHANGE(s)

The following service(s) will now be operated by another bus operator. These services are financially supported by Essex County Council.

• 40 Witham Town Service (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday only) will be operated by Hedingham & Chambers.

WITHDRAWN service(s)

• 39 Witham Town Service (Saturday only) will cease operation. The Monday to Friday service continues to be operated by Stephensons of Essex.

Following the outcome of a local bus service consultation exercise by Essex County Council in 2023, the following services will cease operation:

• 94 South Woodham Ferrers (Sunday and Public Holidays only). The 94/94A/94B services (Monday to Saturday) continue to be operated by NIBS Buses.
• 345 Fuller Street to Braintree Village Shopping Centre (Wednesday only) - will be replaced by a DigiGo service.
• C56 Chelmsford to Galleywood (Sundays and Public Holidays)

For further details regarding these changes; please visit the Travel Essex (Essex County Council) website: Consultations & Supported Services | Travel Essex

North Essex

REVISED and NEW service(s)

• S5 Colchester to Greenstead (Monday to Saturday) - NEW ROUTE - to serve East Hill and Harwich Road. Up to EVERY 12 MINUTES.
• 75 Colchester to Maldon. Additional journeys to operate, on Sundays, between Colchester City Centre and Colchester Zoo. Revision to be implemented for the duration of School Holidays and on August Bank Holiday Monday (26th August 2024). 

The following services will now be operated by First Essex Buses. These services are financially supported by Essex County Council:

• 15 Lexden to Marks Tey Station (Monday to Friday)
• 50/50A Colchester to Layer de la Haye/Tollesbury (Monday to Saturday)
• 694 Colchester to East Bergholt School (School days only - commencing Monday 2nd September 2024)

The following services have additional daytime/shopping bus journeys added to their day-to-day operation:

• 50B Colchester to Great Wigborough (Mondays)
• 69/69A Colchester to East Mersea (Tuesdays)
• 85/92 Colchester to Layer Breton (Wednesdays)
• 67 Colchester to East Mersea (Thursdays)
• 79 Colchester to Tiptree via Messing (Fridays)

OPERATOR CHANGE(s)

The following service(s) will now be operated by another bus operator. These services are financially supported by Essex County Council.

• 4 Hythe to Stanway (via Colchester City Centre Monday to Friday). To be operated by Hedingham & Chambers and re-numbered as Route 14.
• 11 Colchester North Station to Highwoods Circular (Monday to Friday - Peak Times Only). To be operated by Hedingham & Chambers.
• 17 West Bergholt to The Stanway School (School days only). To be operated by Hedingham & Chambers and re-numbered as Route 907.
• 80/80A/81/81A Colchester to Boxted/Dedham/Manningtree (Monday to Saturday). To be operated by Hedingham & Chambers.
• 82/82A/82B Colchester to Colne Engaine (Monday to Saturday). To be operated by Hedingham & Chambers.
• 83/83B Colchester to Bures (Monday to Saturday). To be operated by Hedingham & Chambers.
• 74B Colchester to Clacton-on-Sea (Monday to Saturday Evenings). To be operated by Hedingham & Chambers.
• 76 Colchester to Clacton-on-Sea (Sundays and Public Holidays). To be operated by Hedingham & Chambers.
• 174/175 Colchester to Fingringhoe & Abberton (Monday to Saturday). To be operated by Stephensons of Essex.

All NEW & REVISED timetables are available to view / download below: