Melton to Nottingham buses to restart on Saturdays

Operators, Centrebus, resumed the 19 route in June this year but it has only been run from Monday to Friday.

Passengers welcomed the restored service but many had also wanted a weekend bus to and from Nottingham to go shopping, visit family and friends and to watch sports events.

And Centrebus says the 19 will soon now run on Saturdays as well and it also plans changes to the times of some of the weekday services on the route.

The Saturday buses will be trialled until March next year and only continued if there is a big enough demand.

Keith Myatt, head of business development at the company, told the Melton Times: “We will be introducing a Saturday service to the 19 between Nottingham and Melton Mowbray from October 27, 2024.

"To coincide with this, and in response to customer requests, we are extending the first journey Monday to Friday into Nottingham to not run into Broadmarsh Bus Station but to instead run up to Victoria Centre to provide better links to education and employment locations and to run 10 minutes earlier to give a more convenient time.”

Centrebus say it will release the revised timetable for the 19 service soon.

The Saturday buses are funded by Leicestershire County Council.

Ozzy O’Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We’ve always said that buses need to be well used to justify being subsidised, that’s why we’re supporting Centrebus by funding this trial to see how it goes, and if we see positive results by the end of March then we can work with the operator to consider how it might be maintained for the longer term.

“The trial also takes into account feedback from the public for us to make the route better for users and we hope this makes a difference."

People can also get on the 19 at Ab Kettleby, Nether Broughton, Upper Broughton, Hickling Pastures, Stanton on the Wolds, Normanton on the Wolds, Tollerton and Edwalton.

Centrebus had axed the 19 route back in April 2022 because it wasn’t commercially viable at the time.