Thamesdown set to reduce Wichelstowe bus service

In wide ranging service changes from 8^th January, Thamesdown Transport have announced a reduction of their daytime service between Wichelstowe and Swindon Town Centre. In what may seem like a step back to 2013, Thamesdown Service 15 — which runs every 20 minutes on weekdays during the daytime — will be replaced by Service 11 running once every 30 minutes. The route between Wichelstowe and Swindon town centre will be unchanged, but in north Swindon Service 11 will serve Pinehurst, the Orbital Centre, Redhouse and Oakhurst, whereas Service 15 served Moredon and Taw Hill instead of Pinehurst.

The reduction in daytime service from Thamesdown comes as no surprise. Since Stagecoach rerouted their Service 9 through Wichelstowe almost a month ago, East Wichel has had seven buses an hour to Swindon town centre — more than any similarly sized settlement on the edge of Swindon.

Bus service frequencies in the late evenings and at weekends will be unchanged, though the northern ends of the bus routes will change. The half-hourly Sunday service will be extended to Taw Hill.