A major overhaul of Pulhams Coaches’ bus route 801 has improved connections between Moreton-in-Marsh station and communities across the Cotswolds.
The service, which Pulhams has operated since 1934 to connect Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Cheltenham, has benefited from funding secured by Gloucestershire County Council under the Department of Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan scheme.
The improvements include:
- Extension of the route from Moreton-in-Marsh to Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, from Monday to Saturday
- An increase in the frequency of buses, with an hourly service most of the day, plus extra buses to and from Cheltenham during peak hours
- Better-timed connections with train services at Moreton-in-Marsh station
- An all-year-round Sunday and bank holiday service, operating every two hours between Moreton and Cheltenham, instead of the previous summer-only operation.
The extension of the route from Moreton-in-Marsh to Chipping Norton reinstates a bus-rail link for the town after the former X8 service to Kingham station stopped running in 2021.
The 801 will serve the villages of Little Compton and Salford en route between the two towns, although passengers will need to walk to and from stops on the A44 to use the service.
Alex Chutter, the managing director of Pulhams, said: “This is excellent news for bus users and for the communities on the whole route. It will enable more people to travel sustainably for work, education and leisure, helping connect communities and support the economy.
“It is a wonderful way to mark the 90th anniversary of Pulhams operating this vital route and we are grateful to Gloucestershire County Council for securing the funding that made the wide-ranging improvements possible.”
Click here to download the new route 801 timetable.
- Moreton-in-Marsh station is also served by Pulhams’ route 51 to Stratford-upon-Avon via Shipston-on-Stour and Stagecoach Midlands’ routes 1 and 2 to Stratford via Blockley and Chipping Campden (route 1 also serves Broadway and Willersey).
Picture: Pulhams Coaches