Stagecoach cuts student bus services by a quarter as U2 route axed

The wait for a bus is about to get even longer as Stagecoach cuts daily services between Leamington and the University campus by more than a quarter, The Boar can reveal.

A restructuring of the bus timetable comes as Stagecoach scraps its U2 service – which currently operates between the University and Warwick Gates during term-time – in favour of a new U1A route. The new timetable will begin on Saturday (25 April).

Research by The Boar has found that the revised timetable will see the number of Stagecoach services run daily from Parish Church cut from 97 to 70 on weekdays: a reduction of nearly 28%.

Student anger at bus services is already at a high with long queues forming at University Interchange and Parish Church daily, so these changes are only set to infuriate students even more, especially as exam season looms.

Saturday services will also be cut by 22% with 42 journeys running daily, instead of the current 54. Sunday services will not be affected by the new timetable, with 30 services running in both directions during the day.

This is despite Stagecoach telling The Boar that the new service will reflect “current passenger demand and the need to improve service reliability”.

Post-3am bus services will also be scrapped on weekdays and on Saturdays, with the last bus leaving Parish Church at 2:54am on weekdays and 2:58am on Saturdays – even before some Leamington clubs close.

Student anger at bus services is already at a high with long queues forming at University Interchange and Parish Church daily, so these changes are only set to infuriate students even more, especially as exam season looms.

On average, four Stagecoach routes will run every hour in both directions – but even then, two of those will terminate at Leamington Spa Hospital. For commuters looking to continue onto Warwick Gates, they will need to catch the existing twice-hourly U1 service.

These changes are designed to deliver a more reliable and consistent service for customers, while continuing to meet demand on this key corridor.

Mark Whitelocks

Stagecoach told the Students’ Union (SU) back in November that issues with their services was a result of problems with the charging capacity for their electric fleet of buses. That problem, however, was due to be solved by the end of the year.

Now, problems could continue to worsen for commuting students, 3/4 of whom already reported missing lectures and seminars due to bus delays and cancellations when polled by The Boar in 2024.

Stagecoach Midlands’ Marketing Director, Mark Whitelocks, told The Boar that the upcoming changes are “designed to deliver a more reliable and consistent service for customers, while continuing to meet demand on this key corridor.”

He added: “From the new timetable, services will operate up to four times per hour during the daytime, split between the U1 and new U1A, with additional peak-time journeys to support the busiest periods.”

As Warwick students flock back to campus after the Easter break, it seems like bus services will remain the word on everyone’s lips. Students can only cross their fingers that the new services will “improve reliability, particularly during peak times” as Stagecoach has promised.