First Bus Improvements

The post COVID-19 bus use declines seems to be on the rise again. This increase is leading to returned services and expanding routes to cater for the demand.

Pink Line

From Sunday 14th May, First Bus will be be extending the Pink Line to 2 buses per hour from the N&N Hospital through to Hethersett. On Mondays to Saturdays these extensions will be provided by buses on service 11, service 11A buses will operate on Sundays. 

Buses will serve Hethersett village centre along West Croft, Mill Road, Gt Melton Road, Henstead Road and Back Lane. They will also operate via the new housing development (via Baker Drive, Coachmaker Way and Harness Maker Way). This will provide a direct link between these areas, the hospital and the city centre. 

There will be a small number of peak time journeys starting/ending at Wymondham Cross on Mondays to Saturdays. This is to provide direct links with the hospital at the most common shift start and end times.  These journeys will operate to/from Wymondham Cross via Norwich Road B1172 (the same route as Turquoise Line 13) serving all stops along the way.

Pink Line 11|12 will operate more often on Saturdays. Buses will run up to every 10 minutes throughout the day, providing the same frequency six days a week. 

See the new Pink Line timetable here.

Turquoise Line

First are introducing a new Turquoise Line 13 timetable for Mondays to Saturdays to help buses stay on time when the traffic is heavy. 

Evening 13A journeys will now operate between Hethersett and the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital via Baker Drive, Coachmaker Way, Harness Maker Way and Hethersett Lane.  Between Newmarket Road and the N&NUH, 13A buses will continue to run via Cringleford Bus Interchange, Roundhouse Way and Colney Lane.

Turquoise Line 13C journeys serving Wymondham College will be withdrawn, and replaced by school bus service 923.

*There are no changes to daytime routes or frequency.

See the new Turquoise timetable here.

Excel Line

The Excel line have buses available up to every 30 minutes along the whole route from Norwich to Peterborough. This route has services between Dereham and Norwich taking just 35 minutes, with extra journeys at peak times and new evening journeys. Whilst also offering journeys between King’s Lynn or Swaffham direct to/from Norwich via the A47.

Excel A|B

Buses on services A & B will now operate via Norwich Road between the A47 McDonalds roundabout and Swaffham Market Place. 

Excel A will continue to provide an hourly service between Dereham and Norwich on Sundays.

*There will be no other changes to bus times, frequencies or routes.

Excel D

Due to increasing demand, excel D, which runs between Norwich and Dereham, will return to operating up to every 30 minutes throughout the day. Monday to Saturday. 

See the new Excel timetable here.