Arriva is making changes to the bus network in and around Milton Keynes this Easter, commencing Good Friday (2/4).
The changes are a result of changing travel patterns and the introduction of the Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) network, where council-subsidised bus routes will be replaced with a dial-a-bus style transport system.
Early morning, later evening, and Sunday timetables will change for several Arriva services. These are:
1: Newport Pagnell – Central Milton Keynes – Whitehouse and 2: Newport Pagnell - Central Milton Keynes - Grange Farm
- Service 1 will run up to every 30 minutes, but will no longer serve Oldbrook, Coffee Hall, Bletchley or Newton Leys. For a replacement service, please see the revised F70/F77.
- Service 2 will run up to every 30 minutes and on Sundays service 2A will run hourly between Newport Pagnell Market Hill, Green Park, Poet’s Estate, CMK and Grange Farm.
- Together, giving a combined every 15-minute frequency between Newport Pagnell and Central Milton Keynes.
- At Newport Pagnell, both services are extended to serve Renny Lodge and Tickford End every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime.
- At Downs Barn, both services will run via Darley Gate, increasing the frequency to every 15 minutes.
- There are additional changes to later evening and Sunday buses following the introduction of the new Milton Keynes Demand Responsive Transport network.
View the new 1 timetable here.
View the new 2 timetable here.
3: Magna Park - Central Milton Keynes - Westcroft - Snelshall West
- A new service 3 will run up to every 20 minutes replacing services 7A and 300.
- At Magna Park, all buses will serve Amazon.
- At Snelshall West, buses will serve Anderson Gate and Snelshall Street for Cranswick Foods, XPO Logistics and DHL from new bus stops on Snelshall Street between Chaffron Way and Standing Way.
- Together, services 3 and 8 will give a combined 10-minute frequency between Kingston, Central Milton Keynes and Westcroft.
- Eagle Farm will no longer be served and there are additional changes to early morning and later evening services following the introduction of the new Milton Keynes Demand Responsive Transport network.
4: Bletchley - Central Milton Keynes – Wolverton
- Buses will run up to every 15 minutes between Bletchley and Central Milton Keynes.
- Buses will run every 30 minutes beyond Central Milton Keynes to Wolverton replacing service 14. Buses will also run via Shenley Church End replacing service 7, calling at Child's Way, Watling Street, Burchard Crescent, Watling Street, Portway and Kensington Drive.
- At Bletchley, buses will call at both the bus and rail stations, improving access to Milton Keynes College and Bletchley Park.
- At Hodge Lea, buses will run directly via Great Monks Street towards Wolverton, and via Millers Way and Great Monks Street towards Central Milton Keynes. Hodge Lea Lane will no longer be served.
- There are additional changes to later evening and Sunday buses following the introduction of the new Milton Keynes Demand Responsive Transport network.
5: Lakes Estate - Bletchley - Central Milton Keynes – Wolverton and 6: Lakes Estate - Bletchley - Central Milton Keynes – Wolverton
- Together, services 5 and 6 will give a combined 10-minute frequency between Lakes Estate, Bletchley Bus Station, Central Milton Keynes and Wolverton.
- At Bletchley, both services will run via Manor Road and Queensway in both directions.
- At Lakes Estate, service 5 will be diverted to serve Newton Leys Asda every 20 minutes.
- Service 5 will no longer serve Windermere Drive, but service 6 will stop here every 20 minutes.
- Fern Grove (Herbert Leon School) will continue to be served by both routes, with a bus every 10 minutes.
- Water Eaton Road and Brooklands Road will be now be served every 30 minutes by services F70/F77, which are extended to CMK.
View the new 5 timetable here.
View the new 6 timetable here.
7: Central Milton Keynes – Wolverton
- Buses will run up to every 15 minutes.
- Shenley Church End will be served by a revised service 4.
- If you usually travel from Shenley Lodge or Loxbeare Drive, you will need to use services 3 or 8 from Childs Way or Chaffron Way.
- If you usually travel from West Bletchley, you will need to use service 4 from Whaddon Way.
- If you usually travel from Furzton, you will need to use Demand Responsive Transport.
- There are additional changes to later evening and Sunday buses following the introduction of the new Milton Keynes Demand Responsive Transport network.
8: Walnut Tree - Central Milton Keynes - Westcroft – Kingsmead
- Buses will run up to every 20 minutes between Walnut Tree, Kingston, Central Milton Keynes and Westcroft.
- Together, services 3 and 8 will give a combined 10-minute frequency between Kingston, Central Milton Keynes and Westcroft.
- From Westcroft Centre, service 8 will run a loop of Tattenhoe Street, Childs Way, Snelshall Street and Chaffron Way for Oxley Park, Kingsmead and Tattenhoe Park.
- All journeys will be numbered 8 and run via Childs Way between Shenley Lodge and Central Milton Keynes (there will be no 8A or 8X variations).
- If you usually travel from Oxley Park, you will need to board on Childs Way, and those from Tattenhoe Park on Chaffron Way.
- There are additional changes to later evening and Sunday buses following the introduction of the new Milton Keynes Demand Responsive Transport network.
9: Bletchley – Kingston
- Service 9 will no longer run following the end of Milton Keynes Council funding and will be replaced by Demand Responsive Transport.
- If you usually travel between Bletchley and Kingston or Walnut Tree, please use services 5/6 connecting with services 3/8 at Central Milton Keynes. These services will all run up to every 10 minutes.
14: Central Milton Keynes – Wolverton
- Service 14 is being replaced by a revised service 4, running up to every 15 minutes between Bletchley and Central Milton Keynes, extending every 30 minutes to Wolverton.
- At Hodge Lea, service 4 will run directly via Great Monks Street towards Wolverton, and via Millers Way and Great Monks Street towards Central Milton Keynes. Hodge Lea Lane will no longer be served.
33/33A: Central Milton Keynes – Northampton
- From 1st April, Arriva will take on operation of service 33/33A on behalf of Milton Keynes Council.
- The service will operate every 90 mins Monday to Saturday, with off-peak journeys diverted via Gloucester Road in Wolverton, replacing service 23.
150: Aylesbury - Leighton Buzzard - Central Milton Keynes
There is no change to this service.
300: Magna Park - Central Milton Keynes
- Service 300 is replaced by new service 3, running up to every 20 minutes between Magna Park, Kingston, Central Milton Keynes, Westcroft and Snelshall West.
- Together, services 3 and 8 will give a combined 10-minute frequency between Kingston, Central Milton Keynes and Westcroft.
- At Magna Park, all buses will serve Amazon.
- Eagle Farm will no longer be served and there are additional changes to early morning and later evening services following the introduction of the new Milton Keynes Demand Responsive Transport network.
301: Woburn Sands - Central Milton Keynes - Stony Stratford
- Service 301 will no longer run following the introduction of the new Milton Keynes Demand Responsive Transport network.
- Service 1 will provide a replacement service between Central Milton Keynes and Whitehouse up to every 30 minutes.
- If you usually travel from Fairfields, please use revised service X60 which will run via Watling Street up to every 30 minutes. Milton Keynes Council are looking to provide new bus stops along this section of route.
310: Magna Park - Central Milton Keynes
There is no change to this service.
F70/F77: Luton - Leighton Buzzard - Central Milton Keynes
- Buses will be diverted via Newton Leys (St. Helena Avenue) every hour in partial replacement of service 1. Service 5 will also serve Newton Leys (Asda) up to every 20 minutes.
- At Bletchley, buses will run via Lakes Estate (Stoke Road), Water Eaton Road, and Brooklands Road / Duncombe Street.
- Buses will be extended beyond Stadium MK, with both running via Saxon Street (for MK University Hospital), Chaffron Way (for MK College), Station Square and Midsummer Boulevard to Central Milton Keynes The Point.
- The Open University will continue to be served during the morning and evening peaks.
X60: Aylesbury - Buckingham - Central Milton Keynes
- Buses will run every 30 minutes during peak periods and hourly off-peak.
- Between Central Milton Keynes and Old Stratford, the route is revised to run via Portway, Watling Street, and Stony Stratford in partial replacement of service 301.
- All buses will run to and from Central Milton Keynes The Point. There will be no journeys terminating at Milton Keynes Station Square.
- Towcester Road in Old Stratford will no longer be served, as buses will run via Queen Eleanor Street and London Road between Stony Stratford and Deanshanger Road.
Speaking about the changes, Luke Gilroy, General Manager at Arriva, said: “The new, simpler Arriva Milton Keynes network is focused on improving punctuality, sustainably maintaining key connections and revising routes to provide improved links to employment areas, and essential retail.”
In line with current government guidance, customers using public transport must continue to wear a face-covering for the duration of their journey.
Arriva is operating social distancing measures with revised capacity on all buses to keep bus travel safe.
To help reduce the amount of physical contact between customers and drivers, Arriva is asking everyone to only use contactless payment or pre-purchase tickets via the Arriva UK Bus app.
Cash will only be accepted as a form of payment in exceptional circumstances and where the correct fare can be paid, our drivers will not be able to provide change at this time.
