Stratford to Coventry evening bus service is set to continue.
Residents and visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon can continue to enjoy the popular evening route between The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Coventry as the service is extended thanks to funding from Warwickshire County Council.
The pilot scheme of the X18 Service, which is provided by Stagecoach Midlands and was funded by the RSC to show the demand for late night transport services, began in September 2023. The pilot was due to come to an end in March 2024, but thanks to consistent use and positive feedback from users, the Council has agreed to take over the funding of the route from April with no interruption of service. The continuation of this improved X18 Service evening bus timetable is being funded through a contribution from by Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) 2023-24 funding awarded to the County Council by the Department for Transport.
Running on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the X18 service’s last bus leaves from the Bridge Street bus stop at 22:30. The aim of this continues to be to improve accessibility and connectivity of Stratford-upon-Avon for local residents, visitors, students and theatregoers alike.
Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning said: “We are very pleased to be able to take over the funding of the evening X18 Service between Stratford’s RSC and Coventry that has been so popular with residents and visitors to the town.
“We know from our residents that evening bus services are something that they would like to see more of in Warwickshire and we hope to be able to work with our strategic and delivery partners to deliver more over the coming years.”
Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Creative Learning and Engagement at the Royal Shakespeare Company said: “Following our successful pilot for the X18 bus service, we are delighted for the region and for all customers that have been using the bus since it started last year, that it will be continuing.
“The pilot has shown there is growing demand for late night transport options for visitors, residents, theatregoers and evening shift workers coming to and from Stratford from across the region. This service supports sustainable travel options for visitors as well as supporting our goal of making theatre more accessible for everyone. We are grateful to Stagecoach and Warwickshire County Council for their commitment to maintaining the service.”
Mark Whitelocks, Managing Director Stagecoach Midlands said “We are delighted to continue offering our existing and future passengers’ access to this valuable evening service, thanks to the RSC and Warwickshire County Council. The service provides links between Stratford-upon, Warwick, Leamington & Coventry.
“People will be able to visit Stratford comfortable in the knowledge that there’s a later evening journey available to get them home.”
Find out more about public transport in Warwickshire: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/public-transport
