New bus contract secured for Leighton Buzzard & Linslade
Thursday, 8 May 2025
We are pleased to announce Centrebus Ltd has been awarded the contract to operate Leighton’s town bus service from 1 June 2025, following a competitive tendering process.
With the current contract operated by Arriva set to expire on 31 May 2025, we invited bids from operators to enhance and sustain local bus services. Centrebus Ltd submitted the most advantageous tender, delivering the highest quality service at the most competitive subsidy price—ensuring a long-term, sustainable transport solution for the community.
The new timetable, shaped by resident feedback and input from key local groups and organisations, along with the 3 Horizon workshop - a group exercise to explore how buses can best serve the town - will maintain bus services in Leighton Buzzard and Linslade.
Peak-time journeys to and from Leighton Buzzard Railway Station will be enhanced, providing better connectivity for commuters. Additionally, there will be improved links with faster trains to London, making travel more convenient.
School transport connections will be strengthened, ensuring a more reliable service for pupils. Journey times will be adjusted to be more realistic, helping to improve punctuality and reliability across the network. Evening and Sunday services will be retained, while a later Saturday evening departure has been introduced in response to community requests.
In addition, the new timetables will provide better access to key locations, including Bassett Road and Grovebury Road surgeries. Travel to Grovebury Road Retail Park will have improved connections on Sundays, to support shoppers and workers alike.
Councillor Tracey Wye, Executive Member for Sustainability and Climate Resilience, said:
We worked with members of the Leighton Buzzard Community to really explore what a good bus service would look like for the town. While it is not possible to incorporate every idea put forward, I am grateful to those who took part in developing a new, collaborative way of looking at public transport.
We are pleased Centrebus Ltd will be running the new contract, which has been able to reflect some of the group ideas.
The new contract will start on Sunday 1 June 2025. Further details, including full timetable information will be released closer to the launch date.