Charcoal Line moves to seven day service in latest bus service improvement
Bus Services between Bungay and Norwich are moving to seven days a week thanks to money that Norfolk County Council secured from the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve bus services across the County.
The changes, which come into effect on Sunday 3 September, will see the Charcoal Line – the service that includes the 40, 40A, 41, 41A and X41 bus services – running an hourly service every Sunday, Starting at 08:10 and running through to 17:10.
This is the first time the Charcoal Line will run on Sundays, giving users a service into the city centre.
Cllr Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: “The old fashioned view of Sunday as a day of rest still holds true for some, but for many people Sunday is as busy as any other day of the week. Whether it’s getting to work, doing some shopping or just heading out for a meal with friends and family, the enhancements to the Charcoal Line will give people an easy, affordable option to get into the city and will let more people make the choice to leave the car at home.”
The new service will run from Hillside Road West in Bungay through to St Stephens in Norwich, with stops in in Bungay, Ditchingham, Hedenham, Woodton, Kirstead, Brooke, Poringland, Stoke Holy Cross, Framingham Earl and Trowse on the route.
The change follows on from enhancements to the Charcoal Line introduced earlier this summer, including the move to half-hourly bus services running on Monday to Saturday between Bungay and Norwich since 24 July.
This is one of a number of service enhancements which are being funded by the £49.55 million funding which Norfolk County Council was successful in securing from the Department for Transport (DfT) to use on improving bus services across the County over the next three years.
Approximately £12 million of the funding has been allocated to provide new or expanded bus routes and increase service frequencies on key routes, including more evening and weekend services.
Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “People up and down the country deserve a modern, reliable, and affordable public transport system. That is why we have provided Norfolk County Council with more than £49.5 million to boost its bus services.
“Supporting the Council with rolling out new Sunday services across the ‘Charcoal Line’ is fantastic for local residents, who will now benefit from more buses to make the most of the weekend and fantastic days out in Norfolk.”
The new timetables for the Charcoal Line can be found on the Firstbus website.
Source: Norfolk County Council
