First bus Leeds: Every service changing this weekend including key Pudsey, White Rose and city centre routes

First Bus has announced it is splitting its 51 and 52 services which travel through Leeds city centre from Morley in the south to Moor Allerton in the north to improve punctuality.

Buses will now combine a changeover in the city centre on Eastgate. New service numbers 38 and 39 will operate on the Leeds Eastgate-Moor Allerton section and a through-ticket is also being introduced for customers travelling the whole route. The alteration is being made following extensive consultation with local councillors and customers.

Changes come as part of a package of alterations First is introducing which includes the withdrawal of services and frequency reductions on underused routes – from Sunday (April 2) services 9, 48 and 87 in Leeds will no longer operate but a new 9S service will provide school trips.

A number of services run under contract for West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), which is due to expire in April, also face changes.

It comes after WYCA’s contract with fellow operator Transdev, to operate local bus services in the Otley, Ilkley, Guiseley and Yeadon areas, expired in February.

Kayleigh Ingham, Commercial Director of First West Yorkshire, said: “We appreciate that some amendments will be disappointing for customers affected. First West Yorkshire has carefully reviewed these together with WYCA in order to limit changes. This action is necessary now to ensure we build a sustainable network into the future and that we balance customer demand with available resources, where there is a clear need for additional capacity.

“It would not be prudent for any organisation, private or public, to continue to operate the same services knowing that the demand across the bus network has changed.”

The full list of service changes are as follows:

9 – Horsforth - White Rose Centre – Withdrawn.

New 9S – Horsforth - White Rose Centre – One 6:40am journey from Horsforth for student travel.

9A – Horsforth - Pudsey - White Rose Centre - Seacroft – New route Seacroft - White Rose Centre only. Revised timetable.

14 – Pudsey - Leeds - Logic Business Park – New route Pudsey - Leeds. Revised timetable with new hourly frequency.

New 38/39 – Moor Allerton - Leeds – Replaces the northern leg of the 51/52 service which will now only operate Leeds - Morley.

40 – Leeds - Crossgates - Seacroft – Revised timetable.

47 – Leeds - White Rose Centre – Revised route and timetable.

48 – Wigton Moor - Morley – Withdrawn.

51/52 – Moor Allerton - Leeds - Morley – New route Leeds - Morley.

64 (early, evening & Sunday journeys only) – Aberford - Cross Gates - Leeds – New route Aberford - Cross Gates only.

87 (evening journeys) – Bramley /Leeds - St James' Hospital – Withdrawn.

PR1 – Elland Road – Timetable amendments. Will now operate Monday - Friday only.

PR2 – Temple Green – Timetable amendments. Will now operate Monday - Friday only.

PR3 – Stourton – Timetable amendments. Will now operate Monday - Saturday only.