Brackley residents better linked to Bicester thanks to new bus route

A new express bus service will connect the town of Brackley to Bicester Village Railway Station after public funding was secured by Northamptonshire County Council.
New bus route links Brackley and Bicester (courtesy Hugh Jaeger)New bus route links Brackley and Bicester (courtesy Hugh Jaeger)
New bus route links Brackley and Bicester (courtesy Hugh Jaeger)

The initial two-year contract for service 505 Brackley-Bicester, which began on Monday, January 13, is funded through contributions from housing developments in the Brackley area.

The service will run every hour, six days a week between 6am and 8pm and has been devised to allow regular travel to Bicester and onward to Oxford.

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Cllr Jason Smithers, county council cabinet member for highways and place, said: “Sustainable travel is a priority for the county council and although the county council no longer subsidies routes in the traditional way we do work to find solutions to provide transport where we can.

New bus route links Brackley and Bicester (courtesy Hugh Jaeger)New bus route links Brackley and Bicester (courtesy Hugh Jaeger)
New bus route links Brackley and Bicester (courtesy Hugh Jaeger)

“This new service in the south of the county is one such example and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with partners to launch this new route.”

Chris Coleman, managing director at Stagecoach in Oxfordshire said: “We are delighted to be a part of this new service between Brackley and Bicester.

"The route will provide residents in both Brackley and Bicester with a new transport link, connecting people with jobs, family, friends, great shopping and entertainment.

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“It will also allow for connections with trains to London and further reduces the need for people to use their cars. We very much look forward to welcoming all of our new passengers.”

The new service serves Brackley Tesco and town centre, Radstone Road, Poppyfields Road, Bicester town centre and Bicester Village Station, for the Bicester Village Designer Outlet.

Buses in the peak hours are co-ordinated to connect with London commuter trains with the first bus and last bus of the day also connecting Farthinghoe with Bicester.

The new route has been made possible by working in partnership with Stagecoach Oxfordshire. A new vehicle with on-board Wi-Fi and charging sockets for mobile devices has been ordered and will be available later in the year.