Stagecoach South West introduces timetable changes across Exeter and surrounding areas

This September local bus operator Stagecoach South West are introducing a number of changes with some improvements to bus services within Exeter.

From Sunday 1 September 2024 a new Exeter City network is launched with the company investing in additional buses and drivers to provide an increase in the frequency on a number of services, as well as the introduction of more co-ordinated timetables across the City.

To coincide with the start of the new academic year, new links are introduced to and from the University of Exeter. The company is also providing additional capacity on a number of key school and college journeys to tie in with the autumn term.

Changes are also made to a number of timetables to improve the reliability and punctuality of bus services across the area. Full details of the services changing are provided below and timetables will be available via stagecoachbus.com shortly.

The new Exeter City Centre Network

Service A (Alphington - City Centre)

Minor timetable changes to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses. 

 

Service B (Science Park – Exminster via City Centre)

The Monday to Friday peak daytime frequency will be increased to every 20 minutes, providing an additional journey opportunity each hour. 

Buses will now operate via Matford Park Road to avoid peak time congestion and no longer serve Hennock Road East, Silverton Road and Matford Way.

The new timetable has been designed to offer better coordinated frequencies in both Marsh Barton (see below) and Whipton, where a 10 minute Monday to Friday (15 minute Saturday) frequency is offered in conjunction with Services I/J.

Service C (Matford Park & Ride – Sowton Park & Ride via City Centre) 

Service Green will become known as Service C, and working with Service B will provide a co-ordinated frequency between Matford Park and Ride and the City Centre.

The new timetables will see buses operate a combined 10 minute frequency Monday to Friday. On Saturday, Service C will be revised to every 30 minutes, with a combined 15 minute frequency over the common sections of route with Service B.

 

Service E (City Centre - Exwick)

Following a review of current Services E1 and E2, buses will operate a revised route between the City Centre and Exwick, with all journeys following one consistent route known as Service E to improve reliability and punctuality.

Buses will start and terminate on Sidwell Street (Stop 36), following the current route to Farm Hill (via Barley Mount). From Farm Hill, service will operate a one way loop via Kinnerton Way to Exwick Road and Winchester Avenue to Gloucetser Road, then following the current Service E1 route towards the City Centre.

Bus stops on Exwick Road (The Thatched House, Foxhayes Road and Landhayes Road) will no longer be served, however, nearby alternative stops are available on Winchester Avenue (new stop) and Barley Mow.

An enhanced capacity will be offered with larger vehicles allocated to all journeys.

 

Service F1/F2 (City Centre – Savoy Hill / Summerway)

As part of changes to the Exeter City network, new Services F1 and F2 will be introduced.

Service F1 will operate from South Street to Savoy Hill via Fore Street, High Street, York Road, Pennsylvania Road, Union Road, Prince Charles Road, Calthorpe Road, Beacon Lane, King Arthurs Road, Lancelot Road and Chancellors Way.

Service F2 will operate from South Street to Summerway via Fore Street, High Street, York Road, Pennsylvania Road, Union Road, Prince Charles Road, Calthorpe Road, Beacon Lane and Summer Lane.

Services F1 and F2 will each operate hourly Monday to Saturday daytime, offering a combined 30 minute frequency between the City Centre and Beacon Heath.

The introduction of Services F1 and F2 will see the frequency of buses operating via Prince Charles Road increase from every 70 minutes to every 30 minutes.

 

Service H (Exeter St David’s – Digby)

The section of route between RD&E and Digby will now be operated with financial support from Devon County Council, however, there are no changes to the route or timetable.

 

Service I/J (City Centre – Digby) 

Monday to Friday daytime frequency between approximately 0700 and 1700 will be increased from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes on both Services I and J, providing an additional journey opportunity each hour.

The new timetable has been designed to offer a better coordinated frequency with Service B in Whipton, with buses operating up to every 10 minutes. 

Off peak journeys around Digby Drive, Clyst Halt Avenue and Russell Way on Monday to Saturday will be removed due to low passenger demand.

Evening departures are revised to ensure better co-ordination with other services over common sections of route.

 

Service K (Cowley Bridge – Pennsylvania via City Centre)

As a result of changes to the current Services F and P, a new Service K will be introduced.

Service K will operate the current Service F route between Cowley Bridge and High Street, before operating the current Service P route between High Street and Pennsylvania.

Buses will operate hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes, restoring a 60 minute frequency between Cowley Bridge and High Street.

The frequency of buses between High Street and Pennsylvania will be reduced from every 35/40 minutes to every 60 minutes, which better reflects passenger demand.

 

Service P (Crossmead – Pinhoe via City Centre)

The route and timetable for Service P will change, operating between Crossmead and Pinhoe via the City Centre. 

Buses will operate the current route between Crossmead and City Centre, and then via York Road, Pennsylvania Road, Union Road, Prince Charles Road to follow the current Service E2 route to Pinhoe.

The current frequency between Crossmead and the City Centre is enhanced with buses now operating up to every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes.

During the evenings and on Sundays and Public Holidays, buses will operate hourly from the City Centre, via Old Tiverton Road, Stoke Hill and Mincinglake Road then following the current Service E2 route to Pinhoe.

There will be no evening or Sunday and Public Holiday service to Stoke Valley Road, Rosebarn Avenue, Pennsylvania Road and Mount Pleasant Road, which are served by Service K at other times.

 

Service R/S (Wonford and Thornpark Rise Circular)

A consistent route will be followed for all Service R and S, journeys via Woodwater Lane and Quarry Park Road. This will provide a number of new journey opportunities. However, one bus stop will no longer be served between Rifford Road and Quarry Lane.

 

Service UNI (Cowley Bridge – City Centre)

During University of Exeter term time, Service UNI will offer a night service linking student accommodation and the City Centre on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, every 30 minutes between midnight and 4am.

Buses will operate from Cowley Bridge via Cowley Bridge Road, Exeter St Davids, St Davids Hill, Hele Road, New North Road, Streatham Drive, Prince of Wales Road, Pennsylvania Road, York Road, Cheeke Street to Paris Street.

Journeys returning from the City Centre will operate from Paris Street via Sidwell Street to York Road and then operate the reverse of the above.

For daytime travel to and from University of Exeter, please refer to Service 4.

 

Service 4 (University of Exeter / Exeter St Davids – Cranbrook via City Centre) 

All Monday to Saturday journeys on Service 4 will be extended beyond Exeter St Davids to University of Exeter. Offering new links to the University from Exeter St Davids, Honiton Road Park and Ride and Cranbrook.

Monday to Saturday, buses will operate the full new route up to every 12 minutes, from early until late with Sunday and Public Holiday journeys continuing to start and terminate at Exeter St Davids. The frequency of buses during the evening will be enhanced from the current 40 minutes to every 30 minutes.

From Exeter St Davids, buses will operate via St Davids Hill, Hele Road, New North Road, Streatham Drive, The Queen’s Drive, Stocker Road to North Park Road.

From University of Exeter, buses will operate via North Park Road, Rennes Drive, Stocker Road, Prince of Wales Road, Streatham Drive, New North Road, Hele Road and St Davids Hill to Exeter St Davids, where the current route resumes.

Buses will use the new bus gate on New North Road for journeys towards Exeter Bus Station via Sidwell Street and no longer serve Longbrook Street or York Road.

 

Service 4A (Exeter St Davids – Exeter Airport via City Centre and Honiton Road Park and Ride) 

Buses will use the new bus gate on New North Road for journeys towards Exeter Bus Station via Sidwell Street and no longer serve Longbrook Street or York Road.

 

Services into Exeter

Service 1/1A (Exeter – Cullompton / Tiverton)

There are changes to the timetable to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses.

Evening journeys on Service 1 (starting with the 1930 departure from Exeter Monday to Saturday) will operate a slightly revised route in Willand, from Kings Oak Lea via the B3181 to the roundabout at the end of Silver Street, and via South View Road and Somerville Road and then via the normal route towards Exeter.

 

Service 5/5A/5B/5C (Exeter – Crediton / Okehampton / Barnstaple / Chumleigh) 

There are changes to the timetable to improve reliability and punctuality.

Following a review of passenger demand for travel between Exeter and Crediton, the Monday to Saturday frequency of buses will be adjusted to every 30 minutes.

There will no longer be a requirement to change buses on Service 5A will in North Tawton at certain times of the day with buses operating through.

The Monday to Friday Service 5B journey from Exeter to Barnstaple at 1630 will depart at 1645 and operate via Morchard Road instead of North Tawton and Bow.

To provide additional capacity for Exeter College students and commuters, the majority of journeys on Service 5B will now be operated by double decker buses.

Buses will use the new bus gate on New North Road for journeys towards Exeter Bus Station via Sidwell Street and no longer serve Longbrook Street or York Road.

 

Service 6A (Exeter – Okehampton)

Buses will use the new bus gate on New North Road for journeys towards Exeter Bus Station via Sidwell Street and no longer serve Longbrook Street or York Road.

The following changes will be made to journeys:

From Exeter to Okehampton the 0730 (Mon-Fri), 1105 and 1405 (Mon-Sat) and 1705 (Sat) will be withdrawn, however an additional journey will operate at 1305 Monday to Friday.

From Whiddon Down to Okehampton the 0847 Saturday journey will be withdrawn.

From Okehampton to Exeter the 1230 and 1530 (Mon-Sat) and 0640, 0930 (Sat) journeys will be withdrawn and the 1830 Monday to Friday will depart at 1845.

 

Service 6B (Tavistock – Okehampton)

A new Service 6B will be introduced, providing one journey in each direction Monday to Friday from Tavistock, providing connections in and out of Service 6A at Okehampton for travel to and from Exeter. Journeys will depart from Tavistock to Okehampton at 0840 and return at 1420 from Okehampton to Tavistock.

 

Service 7 (Exeter – Totnes via Newton Abbot)

Minor timetable changes are introduced to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses. 

Journeys from Exeter will now terminate at Totnes, Coronation Road as opposed to Royal Seven Stars to better facilitate connections with Service 92 to Dartmouth.

Toward Totnes the 0741 Monday to Friday journey from Newton Abbot will be withdrawn and the 1845 Monday to Saturday journey from Exeter will terminate at Newton Abbot.

From Newton Abbot to Matford Park and Ride the 1830 Monday to Friday journey will be withdrawn.

From Totnes to Matford Park and Ride the following journeys will terminate at Newton Abbot; the 1915 Mon - Sat journeys and the 1942 (Mon- Fri) and 1940 (Sat) which will also depart later at 2000.

From Totnes to Newton Abbot the Monday to Saturday journey at 2040 will depart later at 2100 and the 2140 journey will be withdrawn.

 

Service 43 (Pinhoe – Exeter Airport) 

Having been introduced in October 2022 to provide a direct link between Pinhoe Railway Station and Exeter Airport we have seen very little increase in passenger numbers over the two years of operation. Service 43 will be withdrawn after operation on Friday 30 August 2024 as the service has not proved to be commercially viable.

 

Service 44/44A (Exeter – Honiton / Axminster) 

Minor timetable changes to improve reliability and punctuality, including changes to some departure times.

 

Service 55 (Exeter – Tiverton)

Minor timetable changes to improve reliability and punctuality.

Buses will use the new bus gate on New North Road for journeys towards Exeter Bus Station via Sidwell Street and no longer serve Longbrook Street or York Road.

To coincide with the start of the new academic year at Exeter College, additional capacity will be provided on the 0740 Monday to Friday (term time only) departure from Tiverton Bus Station to Exeter Bus Station.

 

Service 57 (Exeter – Exmouth via Topsham)

There are changes to the timetable to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses.

 

Service 58 (Exeter – Exmouth)

There will be a number of changes to the timetable of Service 58, which are designed to improve reliability and punctuality, while also simplifying the timetable.

All journeys will follow one consistent route between Exeter and Exmouth operating via Digby, Clyst St Mary, Greendale, Woodbury Salterton, Woodbury and Brixington to Exmouth.

Journeys from Exmouth to Exeter, will operate the reverse of the above.

On Monday to Saturday journeys from Exeter to Woodbury at 1225 and from Woodbury to Exeter at 1302 will be withdrawn.

 

Service 355 (Exeter - Tiverton)

There are minor changes to the timetable to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses.

Buses will use the new bus gate on New North Road for journeys towards Exeter Bus Station, therefore no longer serving Longbrook Street and York Road but additionally serving Sidwell Street.

 

Service 358 (Exeter – Otterton) 

There are minor changes to the timetable to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses.

 

Service 360 (Exeter – Bridford)

All journeys will operate one consistent route, avoiding the need for some trips to serve Christow on both inbound and outbound journeys:

From Bridford to Exeter the 0710 (Mon-Fri) and the 0720 (Sat) will start in Christow at 0711 (Mon-Fri) and 0721 (Sat) and then operate via Bridford at 0723 (Mon-Fri) and 0733 (Sat) before continuing to Exeter. The 0921 Monday to Friday and 0920 Saturday journeys will depart later at 0942, having already served Christow.

From Exeter to Bridford the 0825 Monday to Friday journey will depart later at 0845.

 

Surrounding Areas 

Service 24 (Tiverton – Silk Mills Park and Ride)

Some departure times are revised and passengers should check the new timetable before travelling.

 

Service 95 (Exmouth – Sandy Bay)

From 1 September 2024 until 2 November 2024 (inclusive), Service 95 will operate hourly between approximately 0830 and 1730, with a gap in the timetable during the middle of the day.There will be no service from 3 November 2024 for the winter season, with the service resuming in Spring 2025.

 

Service 96 (Exmouth – Lympstone)

Minor timetable changes to improve reliability and punctuality.

 

Services 97/98/99

Due to the introduction of a weight restriction on the Moorfield Road bridge a number of routes are amended. Passengers travelling to the Moorfield Road area will be able to use alternative bus stops on Withycombe Village Road or Bradham Lane. To ensure that a bus service is maintained to this area, there will be a minor change to the route of Service 97 to provide a replacement service for Moorfield Road.

 

Service 97 (Masey Road – Exmouth Town Centre – The Marles)

From Bradham Lane, the service will turn left into Moorfield Road and operate a loop via Green Close, before returning along Moorfield Road and resuming current route at Bradham Lane.

To ensure buses have sufficient time to complete journeys and to improve reliability and punctuality, the frequency of Service 97 will be adjusted slightly to every 75 minutes throughout the day, with departure times adjusted.

To provide an earlier journey opportunity for concessionary pass holders, a morning journey is re-timed to depart Anson Road at 0937.

The Saturday timetable, which currently only operates until lunchtime, will be enhanced and operate the same hours as Monday to Friday, providing additional journey opportunities.

 

Service 98/98A (Exmouth – Littleham)

Service 98 will no longer serve Moorfield Road and will instead follow the same route as Service 98A in this area via Withycombe Village Road.

 

Service 99 (Exmouth – Brixington)

There are changes to the timetable to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses.

 

Service 99E (Brixington – Littleham via Exmouth)

Service 99E will no longer serve Moorfield Road and will instead follow the same route as Service 98A in this area via Withycombe Village Road.

 

Service 157/257/357 (Exmouth – Sidmouth via Budleigh Salterton)

There are a number of minor changes to Monday to Friday journeys to ensure that school and college journeys continue to be provided.

Due to the weight restriction on the Moorfield Road bridge, it is necessary to make changes to journeys that serve Exmouth Community College, which will set down and pick up on Gipsy Lane.

The spacing between journeys on Services 157 and 357 is improved where possible.

 

Service 178 (Newton Abbot – Whiddon Down)

There are minor changes to the timetable to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses.

 

Service 351 (Tiverton – Rackenford Meadow)

Due to low passenger demand for Service 351, the number of journeys will be reduced.

To ensure leisure and retail journey opportunities continue to be available, journeys will continue to operate from Tiverton Bus Station at 0923 and 1155 on Monday to Friday.

 

Service 373 (Cullompton – Tiverton)

There are minor changes to the timetable to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses.

 

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