New routes announced with Local Authority Bus Grant funding

Following receipt of the 2025/26 Local Authority Bus Grant earlier this month, the first tranche of bus services being launched or improving with the revenue allocation of £2.8m, has been announced.
Published: 08 Jul 2025

As with the previous Bus Service Improvement Plan grants covering 2023-25, these routes have all been suggested by the community through the council’s “scheme on a page” initiative.

I’m delighted to announce these new and improved routes for Suffolk. These changes represent the biggest positive change to bus services across the County since 1998 and along with our previous route improvements, show our commitment to supporting local communities and the bus industry.
Cllr Chris Chambers, Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, Planning and Waste
Cllr Chris Chambers, Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, Planning and Waste

Cllr Chambers continues: “These routes were suggested by the community and we hope to see these services grow passenger numbers over the coming months and years.”

“I would like to thank all Councillors, Parish and Town councils and bus companies who came forward to suggest these improvements.”

The majority of the services are expected to start in late August or early September, however in the case of Mulleys routes covering Marham Park (M77) and Thurston (M40), these began on 7th July, replacing services withdrawn by other operators. This is to minimise disruption for the local community, following the recent cancellation of the Marham Park Flyer.

Cllr Chambers continues: “We have been working extensively, over many months, with local providers and the community to find solutions for those affected by the cancellation of the Marham Park Flyer service. The Local Authority Bus Grant for 2025/26, which was the council received from the Department for Transport on 1 June has enabled us to offer a replacement for this much-loved route.

“To reduce the gap in services around Marham Park, we worked with the Traffic Commissioner to ensure a shorter notice period than usually required for the new route to begin and I am pleased that this new route has now started.

“We have an excellent track record of supporting communities and operators to maintain routes when circumstances like these present themselves, and this is another example of that.”

Alongside the 2.8m revenue for delivering new or enhanced services, the county council also previously announced £5.2m of capital funding from the DfT for new and improved bus stops, bus stations, bus priority measures or vehicle upgrades. Members of the community can suggest bus stop improvement projects for consideration at: https://www.suffolkonboard.com/news/2024/06/bus-service-improvement-plan-where-should-the-money-be-spent/

The website also shows details of all services funded through previous grants.

The new funding is going to:

Ipswich Buses

1

Waitrose - Greenwich - Town Centre

Addition of Sunday service

Ipswich Buses

3E

Town Centre - University of Suffolk - Nacton Road - Greenwich

Addition of Sunday evening service

Ipswich Buses

92

Ipswich - Holbrook - Brantham - Manningtree

Planned reduction in service withdrawn, new peak AM journey from Brantham to Manningtree

Ipswich Buses

93

Ipswich - Capel St Mary - East Bergholt - Colchester

Nothing new - planned reduction in service withdrawn.

Ipswich Buses

4

Town Centre - Broke Hall - Bixley

Increased peak-hour frequency

Ipswich Buses

5

Town Centre - Foxhall Road - Ipswich Hospital

Increased Mon-Fri frequency

Ipswich Buses

7, 16

Ipswich Town Centre – Dale Hall – Castle Hill – Anglia Retail Park and Ipswich Town Centre – Belstead Road – Halifax

Increased peak-hour frequency, additional trips (part-funded by Henley Gate s106)

Ipswich Buses

15/15A

Town Centre - Station - Maidenhall - Pinewood - Chantry

Increased frequency

Chambers

90, 91

Ipswich - Hadleigh - Sudbury

New Sunday service plus additional Mon-Sat journeys

Chambers

784

Sudbury - Nayland - Colchester

New Sunday and evening journeys. Daytime Mon-Sat services retimed to give regular frequency for Stoke By Nayland and Leavenheath. To be linked with 753 for through travel to/from Bury St Edmunds

Chambers

Sudbury Town Service

New Sudbury town service

TBC - will include Tesco, Clermont Ave bus gate, Health Centre - possibly Great Cornard

Chambers

375

Sudbury - Alpheton - Shimpling - Bury St Edmunds

Upgrade from Weds only to run Mon-Sat, route change to cover West Suffolk Hospital

Mulleys

M40

Thurston - Great Barton - Bury St Edmunds

New hourly service

Mulleys

M77

Marham Park - Westley Estate - Bury Town Centre

Extension of existing town service to run earlier and later plus covering Marham Park.

BorderBus

521

Aldeburgh - Thorpeness - Saxmundham - Halesworth

Increased Saturday frequency and extended to Beccles

Dan's Coach Travel

DB1

Stowmarket - Bury St Edmunds

Addition of Saturday service

The Voluntary Network

TBC

Exning - Studlands Estate - Newmarket Town Centre - Railway Station

New Mon - Sat service

The Voluntary Network

TBC

Newmarket - Dullingham - Thurlows - Haverhill

New Mon-Fri service converting current demand responsive option to scheduled route. Also provides peak journey on new town service above.

The Voluntary Network

TBC

Brandon Town service, route TBC

New three day per weeks service linking estates, town centre, country park and High Lodge

Simonds

TBC

Gislingham - Diss

New Friday shopping service

Fareline

TBC

Gislingham - Stowmarket

New Thursday shopping service

Hadleigh Community Transport

461, 462

Hadleigh - Whatfield - Bildeston - Stowmarket

Increase to daily operation and add more journeys

TBC

482

Framlingham - Stradbroke - Eye - Diss

New Mon-Sat service

First

800

Ipswich Park & Ride

Revised route in Ipswich taking in University of Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital (Garrett Anderson Centre rather than Woodbridge Road). Some journeys extended to Adastral Park. 1 journey per hour extended to Rendlesham via Martlesham, Woodbridge and Melton.

First

70

Orford – Sutton Heath – Melton – Woodbridge – Grundisburgh – Ipswich.

Additional journeys from Sutton Heath to Melton and Woodbridge with connections onwards to Ipswich.

First

106

Lowestoft town service

Resumption of service to Gunton area withdrawn in 2019.