Leeds buses: Every bus route axed by First and rescued by Transdev and Yorkshire Buses
A number of new bus routes have been launched across Leeds and West Yorkshire in recent months, filling gaps left by First Bus.
From April, First Bus introduced a wave of changes to Leeds services due to low passenger numbers, these included rerouting the 508 service connecting Halifax to Leeds and cancelling the number 9 service, connecting Horsforth to the White Rose.
The 48 Wigton Moor - Morley service and the 87 (evening journeys) Bramley /Leeds - St James' Hospital were also withdrawn while a changeover was announced to the 51 and 52 services which travel through Leeds city centre from Morley in the south to Moor Allerton in the north to improve punctuality.
A number of these cancelled routes have since been rescued, however. From April 3, Yorkshire Buses stepped in to operate the 9 service, connecting Horsforth to the White Rose, and last week Transdev announced plans to launch a new 60A Bramley service, helping to partially fill the gap left behind by the 508 in west Leeds.
The 11E Pudsey - Leeds, operated by First, was previously withdrawn in 2019. The Leeds to Pudsey section was replaced by service 81A operated by CT Plus, before the company entered administration last August following a period of financial difficulties.
The 8 8A 8B Pudsey - Halton/Thorpe Park service operated by Connexionsbuses has also been withdrawn and replaced by the extended service 9 operated by SquarePeg. Elsewhere Arriva announced the relaunch of their 164 and 165 bus services, running through the Springs and Thorpe Park.