Harborough Estates Set To Lose Peak-Time Bus Service

Market Harborough’s Southern and Farndon Fields estates could be left without a peak-time bus service. 

Operator Arriva has announced plans to stop serving them with its X3 service from January and although Centrebus will still run their buses, services don’t start until late morning and end before 5pm.

Arriva also wants to cut the frequency of the X3 between Market Harborough, Kibworth, Great Glen and Leicester from half hourly to hourly, with all buses terminating at the Market Hall in Market Harborough.

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien and Cllr Phil King, Leader of Harborough District Council, are jointly calling for an urgent meeting with the bus company to discuss the situation.

Pic: Hfm

Neil said, “I know from previous discussions with constituents how important this service is to many of them, so both Cllr King and I are keen to meet with Arriva to discuss these proposals as soon as possible.

“We need to understand the journey numbers taking place to gauge the impact these proposed changes might have on constituents.

“This service is well used by residents of Market Harborough and communities along the A6 between the Town and Leicester such as Kibworth and Great Glen.

“We need to urgently meet with Arriva to discuss these proposals on behalf of those who may be impacted by these changes.”

A spokesperson for Arriva told Hfm: There are changes to our X3 service from 4^th January which will see the combined frequency of buses between Market Harborough and Leicester revert from four to three buses per hour, the same as it was in 2018.

“The early morning journeys from the Southern Estate will now commence from the Town Centre.

“There is no change to the Centrebus 30 which is the main service for the Southern Estate and Farndon Fields, and is funded by Leicestershire County Council.

“We welcome the opportunity to meet with Neil O’Brien MP and Cllr Phil King, and look forward to discussing these changes as well as the opportunities for Market Harborough presented by the Government’s National Bus Strategy.”