Transport for Somerset Blog

Berrys Coaches go cashless for their London Superfast service

Berrys Coaches go cashless for their London Superfast service.

Bristol Airport goes cashless for its Drop and Go car park

Starting on Monday 12 May, Bristol Airport will go cashless for its Drop and Go car park.

Taunton's former bus station to begin redevelopment in the Summer

The site of Taunton's former bus station is to be redevelopment over the Summer, into a transport hub for Taunton.

Currently, the site is being used as a car park, but signs from Somerset Council have appeared informing people that the site will be fenced off and unaccessible after Monday 14th April.

Somerset's Exmoor Coaster to return in 2025 as the Exmoor Explorer

Somerset's Exmoor Coaster to return in 2025 as the Exmoor Explorer.

Taunton's number 2 bus service is to be merged with the current number 1 service

The number 2 bus service that currently serves Taunton town centre, Priorswood and the Nerrols Farm estate is to end on Saturday 19th April, and will instead be merged into the current number 1 service that already serves Taunton, Pyrland, and part of Priorswood.

Buses running at 30 minute intervals, using a new fleet of single deck electric buses.

Berrys Coaches to end the on board catering service on their London Superfast routes

Berrys Coaches to end the on board catering service on their London Superfast routes.

First Buses of Somerset announce their new Spring & Summer timetable

First Buses of Somerset announce their new Spring & Summer timetable, which will begin on Sunday 20th April 2025.

One big change for Taunton is the removal of the Number 2 service, which currently operates around Priorswood. This route will be merged into the current Number 1 service, with buses running at 30 minute intervals.

Rail fares will be higher from today

Rail fares will be higher from today.

Bristol Airport to raise parking charges in March

Bristol Airport to raise parking charges in March.

Railway line between Castle Cary and Yeovil to close for repairs

Railway line between Castle Cary and Yeovil to close for repairs.

Service 99: Hatch Green Coaches to replace Buses of Somerset

Hatch Green Coaches are to replace Buses of Somerset as the operator of the 99 service between Taunton and Chard, after the latter informed Somerset Council they no longer wished to operate the route.

Hatch Green Coaches have stated the route and timetable will remain the same.

How do Somerset Railway Station crime rates compare to the rest of the Country

How do Somerset Railway Station crime rates compare to the rest of the Country.

Yeovil Bus Station could be a big part of a regenerative project in the town

Yeovil Bus Station could be a big part of a regenerative project in the town.

The Taunton to Weston-super-Mare section of the railway is closed for the week

The Taunton to Weston-super-Mare section of the railway is closed for the week, starting from Monday 3rd until Friday 7th February 2025.

Network Rail have closed the section between Taunton, Bridgwater, Highbridge & Burnham and Weston-super-Mare, to allow them to repair railway bridges that cross the line in various places.

GWR services that usually operate between Taunton and Weston-super-Mare will be replaced by railway buses, whereas services that operate between the South West of England and London won't be affected.

CrossCrountry services will continue to operate, but will divert from Taunton via Westbury, with journey times being extended.

Electric buses to hit Somerset roads in April

The first wave of electric buses are scheduled to start operating on Somerset bus routes in April.

Work to install electric charging points at Minehead outstation have been completed, with 4 Heliox Rapid 150kW charging units being available for up to 8 buses to charge at once. These buses will begin serving the 28 routes in July, which includes the 28, 28A and X28. This route will be operated by a fleet of 9 Wrightbus GB Kite single deck buses, which have a range of 200+ miles on a single charge.

An additional 10 chargers are currently being installed at the Taunton bus depot on Hamilton Road, allowing for up to 20 buses to charge at once. The Taunton depot will house 16 Yutong buses, 12 of which will be double decked. These buses should start serving routes 1, 2, 21 and 22 in April.

Somerset bus route timetable changes announced for April

Somerset bus route timetable changes announced for April.

Stagecoach take over route 20 between Taunton and Seaton from previous operator Dartline

Stagecoach take over route 20 between Taunton and Seaton from previous operator Dartline.

Local bus enthusiast Fred uploaded a video review of the new service

FirstBus stop bulk purchases of £2 single fares amid pending fare cap rise

FirstBus stop bulk purchases of £2 single fares amid pending fare cap rise.

Bristol Airport put up for sale by Canadian owner

Bristol Airport put up for sale by Canadian owner.

New hope for a mainline connection from the West Somerset Railway

New hope for a mainline connection from the West Somerset Railway.

Go-op rail service given green light by the Office of Rail and Road

Go-op rail service given green light by the Office of Rail and Road.

GWR (Great Western Railway) win award for best UK domestic service

GWR (Great Western Railway) win award for best UK domestic service.

Contactless Tap on Tap Off fares coming to Buses of Somerset

Contactless Tap on Tap Off fares coming to Buses of Somerset.

Upgrades at Taunton and Minehead bus depots for new electric buses are undearway

Upgrades at Taunton and Minehead bus depots for new electric buses are undearway.

First Bus and Flixbus join forces for new express coach services in the South West

First Bus and Flixbus join forces for new express coach services in the South West.

Free bus travel during Remembrance weekend in Somerset

Free bus travel during Remembrance weekend in Somerset.

A £3 single bus fare cap for 2025

The Department for Transport have announced that a £3 single bus fare cap will be introduced for the entirety of 2025. This will replace the current £2 single bus fare cap that expires at the end of 2024.

Taunton and Minehead bus depots begin the upgrade process for electric bus charging facilities

Taunton and Minehead bus depots begin the upgrade process for electric bus charging facilities.

RailAir fare changes between Reading Railway Station and Heathrow Airport

RailAir fare changes between Reading Railway Station and Heathrow Airport.

The 376 service from Bristol now serves Yeovil, replacing the 77 to Wells

The 376 service from Bristol now serves Yeovil, replacing the 77 to Wells.

Railcard discounts set for a marginal decrease

Railcard discounts set for a marginal decrease.

Bristol and Yeovil will be linked by bus when the 77 service is merged with the 376

Bristol and Yeovil will be linked by bus when the 77 service is merged with the 376, with an additional 376x service running between Yeovil and Wells.

RMT Strikes to affect bus services in Somerset

A 48 hour RMT bus workers strike will affect bus services in Somerset on Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th July.

First Bus Bristol, Bath and the West to increase fares & reduce student discounts

First Bus Bristol, Bath and the West (also known as First West of England) have announced that fares will be increasing, with current student discounts also being reduced.

Zipp Mobility pulls the plug on scooters in Somerset

Zipp Mobility pulls the plug on scooters in Somerset.

Vehicles damaged after First Buses of Somerset bus depot is broken into

Vehicles damaged after First Buses of Somerset bus depot is broken into.

Somerset to get Yutong Electric buses as First Bus order 169 vehicles

Somerset to get Yutong Electric buses as First Bus order 169 vehicles.

Megabus add a new route between the South West and London

Megabus have added a new route that connects the South West diretly to central London.

Vintage bus event taking place in Taunton today

Vintage bus event taking place in Taunton today.

Cows cause railway delays between Taunton and Exeter

Cows cause railway delays between Taunton and Exeter.

The Taunton bus zone single fare cap has risen to £1.50, while the £2 Somerset zone cap remains in place

The Taunton bus zone single fare cap has risen to £1.50, while the £2 Somerset zone cap remains in place.

The exception is Taunton's Park and Ride service, which will remain at the £1 level for a single journey.

Buses of Somerset to amend timetables in June

Buses of Somerset to amend timetables in June.

Taunton bus station will reopen as the Mobility Hub in 2025

Taunton bus station will reopen as the Mobility Hub in 2025.

Upgrade planned for Silk Mills Park and Ride in Taunton to prevent caravans from pitching up on site

Somerset Council are to spend up to £125,000 to prevent future encampments of caravans on the site of the Silk Mills Park and Ride car park.

Yeovil Bus Station to be bought by Somerset Council

Yeovil Bus Station could be bought by Somerset Council, if commercial discussions with the current owner are positive.

30 drunk easyJet passengers removed from Bristol Airport flight

An easyJet flight due to depart from Bristol Airport to Malaga was delayed while 30 drunk passengers has to be removed.

First Buses of Somerset not tracking their new bus services

First Buses of Somerset not tracking their new bus services.

Taunton could be getting additional bus lanes

Taunton could be getting additional bus lanes.

A terrible week for the Buses of Somerset

A terrible week for the Buses of Somerset.

The Taunton £1 bus fare is raising by 50%, to £1.50

The Taunton £1 bus fare is raising by 50%, to £1.50.

The exception is the Taunton Park and Ride, which will remain at £1 for a single fare.

More problems for First Buses of Somerset on Monday

First Buses of Somerset passengers had to deal with multiple cancellations again on Monday (29th April 2024).

First Buses of Somerset struggle to maintain services

First Buses of Somerset were struggling to maintain services on Friday (26th April 2024) with cancellations across multiple routes.

South West Coaches new timetable leaves school childen stranded in Castle Cary

South West Coaches new timetable leaves school childen stranded in Castle Cary

Silk Mills Park and Ride closed while travellers are evicted

The Silk Mills Park and Ride site was closed for a few hours today while travellers were evicted.

The 374 & 375 join the 376 bus services, linking Bristol with Taunton and Bridgwater

The 376 First Bus service which currently operates between Bristol and Street (via Wells and Glastonbury) has had two extensions added to it, in the form of the 374 heading to Taunton, and the 375 heading to Bridgwater.

The West Somerset Railway rebrand to take advantage of bus funding

Funding a heritage railway has been a challenge for the West Somerset Railway, and so to help raise more money for the service, they have decided to tap into the BSIP+ funding pot.

To be able to do this, they have decided to rebrand as the West Somerset Busway, allowing them to legitimately apply for bus funding from the government.

Starting today, passengers who post on social media are asked to refer to the service as a local bus service, rather than a railway, to ensure they don't get caught out.

As well as being able to offer the £2 single fare cap on each train journ.......... bus journey, the WSB as it will now be known, will also be able to apply for ZEBRA 2 funding, allowing it to purchase four brand new electric steam trains 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃⚡💡.

Choo Choo, erm, beep beep!!

The Exmoor Coaster service commences for the 2024 season

The Exmoor Coaster service commences for the 2024 season.

CrossCountry Trains will not be stopping at the new train station in Wellington

CrossCountry Trains will not be stopping at the new train station in Wellington.

Stagecoach add a second bus with the new livery for Taunton's Park and Ride bus service

Stagecoach have repainted a second bus with their new livery for Taunton's Park and Ride bus service.

The West Somerset Railway steam service starts up for the 2024 season

The West Somerset Railway steam service starts up for the 2024 season

First Bus win government grant to purchase new electric buses

First Bus in the West of England have announced the purchase of new eleectric buses which are to be funded by the Department of Transport's ZEBRA 2 scheme.

Are Stagecoach struggling to maintain a reliable service in Taunton?

Passengers of the Park and Ride servce in Taunton have been complaining of an unreliable service ever since Stagecoach took over in February.

First Bus to extend service 29 and 75 into Bristol

From April, First Bus are to extend service 29 and 75 into Bristol, and will be renumbering the services from 29 to 374, and from 75 to 375.

First Bus to introduce "Revenue Protection Officers" to bus routes

First Bus (Bristol, Bath and the West) are to introduce "Revenue Protection Officers" on bus routes starting from the 1st of March.

First Buses of Somerset and Somerset Council agree to keep bus services going

Four bus routes which were under threat of being reduced or cut have been protected.

Service 25 and 54 will be supported financially by Somerset Council for a further year, using BSIP funds. Service 28 and 58 will continue without financial subsidy, with timetable and route changes for the 28.

Stagecoach debut new livery for Taunton's Park and Ride bus service

Stagecoach have debuted their new livery for Taunton's Park and Ride bus service.

Somerset Bus Partnership held protest in Bridgwater to protect bus services

Somerset Bus Partnership held another protest to protect bus services, this time in Bridgwater.

Stagecoach have a shaky start to Taunton's Park and Ride bus service

Stagecoach's new Park and Ride bus service in Taunton hasn't been going as smoothly as anticipated.

Somerset Bus Partnership held protest in Wiveliscombe to protect bus services

Somerset Bus Partnership held another protest to protect bus services, this time in Wiveliscombe.

Stagecoach commence operating the Taunton's Park and Ride bus service

Taunton's Park & Ride is now being operated by Stagecoach South West, using three double decker buses at 20 minute intervals.

First Buses of Somerset bid farewell to Taunton's Park & Ride

Today marks the final day that First Buses of Somerset will be operating the Park & Ride service in Taunton.

Somerset Bus Partnership hold protest in Yeovil to protect bus services

The Somerset Bus Partnership held a protest in Yeovil today demanding that at risk bus services are protected.

Flixbus give the "Highly Commended" award to a Berrys Coaches driver

A coach driver who works for Berrys Coaches in Taunton has been given the "Highly Commended" award by Flixbus, after he recieved a large number of compliments from Flixbus passengers on the Berrys operate routes.

Berrys operate the 045, N45 and 078 routes on behalf of Flixbus.

First Buses of Somerset could withdraw the Yeovil based 54 and 58 bus services in April

First Buses of Somerset have informed Somerset Council that they may have to withdraw the Yeovil based 54 and 58 services in April of this year.

Previously, Somerset Council announced that subsidies paid to First Bus to help support local services may be cut, and as a result, First Bus say they are unable to maintain the current services without that support.

Therefore, the loss making 54 and 58 services may be withdrawn entirely, unless Somerset Council commits to maintaining the subsidy.

At the same time, First Buses of Somerset stated that the 25 and 28 Taunton based services would also have to be reduced, again due to loss of a subsidy.

First Buses of Somerset want to add a faster X28 service between Taunton & Minehead

First Buses of Somerset are hoping to create the new X28 service between Taunton and Minehead, which will be a direct service that will avoid Bishops Lydeard and Watchet.

Stagecoach intend to launch the No.24 service between Tiverton and Taunton in April

Stagecoach are hoping to launch a new "early morning into Taunton" and "late evening out of Taunton" service using their three Park and Ride double decker buses.

Berrys Coaches join the Guild of British Coach Operators

Stagecoach confirm double-decked buses with a 20 minute frequency for Taunton Park and Ride service

Stagecoach, who will take over the operation of Taunton's Park and Ride service, have confirmed they will be using double-decker buses with a new livery, with a bus every 20 minutes in each direction. This means there will be 3 buses per hour from both the Silk Mills and Gateway car parks.

The service will run between 6am and 8pm, Monday to Friday, and between 8am and 6pm on Saturday's. The service will not operate on Sunday's.

First Buses of Somerset service 54 between Taunton and Yeovil at risk

The First Buses of Somerset service that links Taunton to Yeovil is at risk, due to Somerset Council funding due to end in March.

Route 54, which also serves Langport, Somerton, and Ilchester, currently operates every two hours, and has six trips a day in each direction.

First Bristol, Bath and the West relaunch the 126 service

First Bristol, Bath and the West have relaunched the 126 service, starting today.

First Bus celebrate an increase in passenger numbers

First Bus (who operate Buses of Somerset) have said an extra 6 millions journeys were made in the West of England during 2023, compared to the previous year.

Much of this can be attributed to the bus fare cap that is currently in place, which limits many local bus trips to £2 for a single journey.

First Buses of Somerset pull out of Taunton Park and Ride Contract.

First Buses of Somerset have informed Somerset Council that they intend to pull out of the local contract to operate the Taunton Park and Ride service, which runs buses back and forth between the Silk Mills and Gateway car parks.

The company claim operating the service is no longer viable for them from a business perspective.

First Buses of Somerset have operated the Taunton Park & Ride since 2014, when they became the interim contractor after WebberBus lost the contract due to complaints about the service. First Buses of Somerset later became the permanent operator of the service.

Somerset Council put the contract out to tender, and awarded the contract to Stagecoach South West, who it's believed will operate the service with buses based at their Tiverton depot.