NEW improvements to bus services are set to come into force in Redditch from January 2025.

Worcestershire County Council, alongside providers First Bus and Diamond Bus, have announced changes to services that will see one of the biggest improvements for people travelling by bus in the past 10 years.

Improvements to the services include increased service frequency, new peak time buses, new Sunday services and later evening buses on various routes across the county.

In Redditch, there will be a new Sunday number 12 service operating between 9am and 6pm and weekday enhancements to the service to match hospital closing times.

The improvements are all part of the Bus Service Improvement Plan, which aims to further improve bus provision in the county. It focuses on improving frequency, reliability and punctuality of bus services as well as integrating services with other modes of travel, improving services in rural areas and enhancing infrastructure such as bus shelters and real time information displays.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The improvements to timetables provide a huge boost to bus users and a much broader service across the county. These extended services should make bus travel a good option to travel around the county and beyond, even for those who don’t currently take the bus.

“We want the traditional bus service to link in with the successful Worcestershire on Demand service and to link into other modes of transport, such as rail, to provide a really comprehensive service. We want to give people a real choice about how they travel around the county and wider.

Diamond Bus Group, added: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Worcestershire County Council to bring a number of service enhancements to passengers in Redditch and Kidderminster.

These changes, which will see more early morning journeys on the 3 and 8 for commuters travelling into Kidderminster and better links to Alexandra Hospital in Redditch on the 12 are great news for people in the area".