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From Sunday 5 April, First Bus will introduce several changes designed to improve punctuality, strengthen connections and make the network more reliable for passengers.
Check before you travel
Due to timetable changes across the wider region, passengers are advised to check updated information before travelling.
Full details of all service changes and new timetables are available online.
New A2 airport service
One of the biggest additions to the network is the new A2 bus service, providing a direct connection between North Somerset and Bristol Airport.
Running hourly, the A2 will connect, Portishead, Clevedon, Nailsea and Backwell. The service will also stop at Nailsea and Backwell railway station, giving passengers easy access to rail services to:
- Weston-super-Mare
- Taunton
- Exeter
- Bristol Temple Meads railway station.
This means passengers can easily connect to onward rail travel to destinations including Bath, South Wales and London.
Although the service provides a convenient link to the airport, it has also been designed for everyday journeys. The timetable has been planned with local schools and rail connections in mind, making it useful for commuting, education and local travel.
For journeys between non-airport stops, fares will be the same as other local bus services. Students and concessionary bus pass holders will also be able to use the service with their usual discounts.
Try the improved X6 and X11 for free this April
The X6 and X11 services are being updated to cover the routes that were previously served by the X7 and X18.
To help passengers get used to using the X6 instead of the X7, and the X11 instead of the X18, a free travel period will be available on the X6 and X11 in April. Dates for this offer will be announced on First Bus and our social media channels and news pages.
WESTlink
Changes to the WESTlink service will also be coming from April. This includes changes to times of operation and to the zones you can catch a WESTlink from.
Keep an eye out on the WESTlink website as well as the app for confirmation of these changes and new maps of operation.
Zones in North Somerset will no longer operate on Saturdays and on weekdays will only operate from 9am to 2pm.
The proposed changes to the zones aim to simplify services and reduce duplication where regular bus routes already provide good coverage. Areas such as Worlebury, Pill, Tickenham, Avonmouth, and Banwell, Sandford, and Winscombe are being removed from the zones because they are now served by existing bus routes, or in Avonmouth’s case, due to low usage and potential delays when crossing the Avonmouth Bridge.
The Weston Rural zone will be split, creating a new Wrington zone in the east. This allows the western part to focus more directly on connections to Weston-super-Mare, while eastern villages will instead rely on bus services for travel to Weston but still have access to key destinations like the airport, Yatton rail station and interchange points.
The remaining Weston Rural zone will no longer connect directly to Yatton but can use Worle station instead.
The Yatton shared zone will be reduced in size, reflecting improved bus services in the area while still maintaining Yatton as an important hub for surrounding villages to access bus and rail connections.