Bus passengers used to catching the 265 bus service will be in for a big surprise from Sunday 29th April onwards, when they will discover that First has launched a brand new premium bus service called ‘Discover’.
‘Discover’ is a bus service which greatly improves connections between Bath and towns and villages in Wiltshire and Somerset, using easy-to-remember service numbers D1, D2 and D3. These will replace the existing 265, 267 and 271/272.
Everything, from the new Discover timetables and routes to the interior and exterior of vehicles, has received a thorough make-over. Two of the three services have seen a doubling of frequencies and the modern vehicles have been given a striking new yellow-brown livery on the outside as well as a thorough make-over on the inside, where passengers are welcomed by modern and fresh interiors, new wood-effect flooring and new seating, new USB charging points and free Wi-Fi, so passengers can stay connected on the move.
Andrew Sherrington, First West of England operations director for Bath, Weston super Mare, Wells and Westbury said, “We believe people will like Discover, with its much-improved frequency, and a much more attractive customer experience thanks to the new interior, USB charging points and free Wi-Fi. We hope even more bus passengers are attracted onto our buses.”
The Service D1 (Bath – Warminster – Salisbury) is the new replacement for Service 265. There are no changes to the route and only minor changes to the Sunday and Public Holiday timetable, however, all journeys will be re-numbered to Service D1.
On Sundays and Public Holidays, the journeys operating between Trowbridge and Warminster only will be integrated into journeys to and from Bath. This will provide through journeys from Bath to Westbury and Warminster, and customers will no longer need to change buses in Trowbridge.
The introduction of ‘Discover’ services will be the first phase of a number of improvements to inter-urban services from Bath into parts of Somerset and Wiltshire that First will be making over the coming months.
Considering the changes, passengers are advised to check the new timetable carefully before travelling. Timetables can be downloaded from: www.first group.com/bristol-bath-and-west/routes-and-maps/ discover
