Changes to popular Derbyshire bus services – following customers complaints

The bus provider Trentbarton is making changes to several routes from Sunday April 2 in order to improve the reliability of services.

The improvements include H1 enjoying an increased peak frequency from 15 minutes to every 12 minutes Mondays to Saturdays.

i4 will see new Sunday morning journeys to better serve workers’ shift changeovers at QMC and SmartParc SEGRO Derby.

The 7.05am comet from Derby and the 8.15am from Chesterfield will both run ten minutes earlier than now to arrive in Alfreton before 9am.

The 7.54am 33 from Ilkeston will run via the 34 route to improve links to Heanor Gate Spencer Academy.

The two is getting an extra bus to improve reliability and the allestree gets a revised timetable, with changes to which afternoon journeys serve Woodlands Top. The mickleover is getting a revised timetable as well.

Jeff Counsell, trentbarton’s managing director, said: “We’ve listened to what customers have been asking for and these changes to timetables and frequency will better serve customers on those routes.”

However, due to the loss of public funding, the 18 will be withdrawn. Many customers will be able to use indigo or i4. connect evening and Sunday services will cease and its second bus on the blue route will be withdrawn Mondays to Saturdays. Mainline Friday and Saturday evening frequency will be changed to every 30 minutes. The cotgrave will finish slightly earlier in the evenings.

At trentbarton’s sister operator Kinchbus, the Sunday service on Kinchbus 9 between Nottingham and Loughborough, is being reduced to every two hours.

Jeff Counsell, trentbarton’s managing director, said: “The services seeing reductions have been receiving local authority support for the past six months. We all hoped that post-pandemic the customer numbers would return to sustainable levels.

“Unfortunately the numbers have not sufficiently recovered and the local authority support is not being continued for those parts of the services affected. For any customers who are inconvenienced by the changes, we are sorry.

“The adjustments will improve the reliability and sustainability of services. By running more predictable services we will continue to serve the greatest number of people in the most reliable way.”