Arriva announce revisions to bus services in Milton Keynes and Luton starting later this month

Bus operator Arriva has announced revisions to some of its bus services in Milton Keynes and Luton from later this month.

The revisions will begin from 31 May, with Arriva saying the new improvements were intended to include enhanced links to London Luton Airport and local schools across the region, the reintroduction of services to some areas, and faster journey times.

Arriva confirmed that the X1 service from Milton Keynes to Luton will run on a new route via the Busway between Dunstable and Luton before extending to London Luton Airport. The service will no longer serve Capability Green.

The company said that by using the Busway, customers will benefit from faster, more reliable journeys across the corridor as part of our wider network improvements, with X1 joining the company’s other Busway services to combine to deliver a super-frequent, turn-up-and-go service, with buses running up to every 7 minutes between Dunstable and Luton Airport.

In Milton Keynes, the X1 services would also serve Fenny Stratford and Saxon Street, providing links for Stadium MK, Milton Keynes Hospital and Woughton Campus.

X2 and X3 services between Milton Keynes and Luton Airport will also face changes, with Arriva saying that these are designed to make services quicker and more direct.

Route X14 will now serve the whole of the Newton Leys development, while route X2 will serve St Helena Avenue before running directly to Leighton Buzzard and Luton Airport. Route X3 buses would also go quicker by using Stoke Road straight to Stoke Hammond, no longer serving Drayton Road.

Following customer feedback, Arriva confirmed they are also introducing later evening journeys from Luton and Luton Airport.

To help keep journeys fast and reliable, route X3 will no longer serve Stanbridge and Tilsworth, with route X4 continuing to provide these links instead, seven days per week, up to every hour.

Route X4 services from Luton to Aylesbury will now go all the way to the airport, with Arriva thanking Buckinghamshire Council and Central Bedfordshire Council for their involvement.

Customers in Roundel Drive will now enjoy two buses per hour (X3 and X4). Stanbridge and Tilsworth will benefit from buses up to every hour on route X4, while Sunday buses between Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury are returning for the first time in more than five years — also running hourly.

The X6 route from Milton Keynes to Aylesbury via Buckingham will have some timetable revisions.

X14 services between Milton Keynes and Aylesbury will now also serve Bletchley bus station. In Newton Leys, buses will loop the development including Galapagos Grove. Off-peak, buses will run hourly between Newton Leys, Bletchley and Milton Keynes city centre, coordinating with service X2 to provide buses up to every 30 minutes from St Helena Avenue.

Arriva also announced they will be introducing a new X15 service providing a fast, direct link between Milton Keynes, Heath and Reach, Leighton Buzzard (Morrisons), Sandhills, Roman Gate and Wing and schools in Aylesbury. The service will operate once on each school day, timed to meet the start and finish times of Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and Aylesbury Grammar School, helping students travel quickly and conveniently.

Service X4 will continue to serve Leighton Buzzard town centre, rail station and Southcourt Road in Linslade, with one journey per school day extending in Aylesbury, boosting connectivity for students attending Aylesbury Grammar School, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School, and Aylesbury College.