First announce changes to Chester bus services

Dec 4 2008 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

BUS passengers in Chester should note changes to First’s 25 and 9 services, effective from January 4, 2009.

First says it is responding to customer requests in terms of service 25 and operational reliability observations with respect to service 9.

Currently service 25 operates from Chester – Foregate Street, to Belgrave Road, Great Boughton, via St Anne Street and Crewe Street, every 30 minutes.

Customers asked if the service could be extended, at the Chester end, to journey into the bus exchange on the far side of the city centre.

The company decided it would be possible to extend the service into the bus exchange, and maintain the half hour frequency between Great Boughton and Chester, by routing one bus per hour – alternate journeys – via St Anne Street and Crewe Street, with the other operating direct from the bus exchange to Great Boughton.

To accommodate the new arrangements, service 25A will operate via St Anne Street and Crewe Street, while service 25 will route direct between the bus exchange and Belgrave Road, via Boughton.

Chester outbound services operating at 10 minutes to the hour will be numbered 25A and those operating at 25 minutes past the hour will be numbered 25. Departures from Belgrave Road are re-timed to leave at 10 minutes past the hour and 20 minutes to the hour.

Also effective from January 4, in order to improve off peak service reliability, are changes being introduced to route 9 (Chester – Pipers Ash). In the off peak period only, between approximately 9.15am and 3.30pm Monday to Saturday, services will be rescheduled to every 20 minutes. Peak services will be maintained at a 15 minute frequency. There are no changes to the service route.

To obtain copies of the new timetables, visit the Cheshire Bus Information kiosk at Chester bus exchange, ring customer services on 08708 500868 or go to the website www.firstgroup.com and follow the links for bus travel in Chester and Wirral.