CELEBRATIONS are underway as a 'missing' York bus service has been restored.
The Number 15 Sunday route into York serving Bishopthorpe and Woodthorpe is back.
Luke Charters, MP for York Outer and Cllr Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport on City of York Council, have welcomed the launch of a new trial Sunday bus service restoring 'long-missing links' between Bishopthorpe, Woodthorpe and York city centre.
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From Sunday, January 25, the Number 15 York service will begin operating on Sundays on a trial basis, reconnecting Bishopthorpe and Woodthorpe with York via Bishopthorpe Road. The service is being delivered by East Yorkshire Buses and will be trialled through to Easter.
The launch marks the first Sunday bus service in Bishopthorpe since the Covid pandemic, ending several years in which residents had no way to travel into York by public transport on a Sunday. For many people, this has meant missing out on simple but important things - visiting family, attending worship, going shopping, or enjoying time in the city.
Luke Charters Labour MP for York Outer, said: “As it’s been nearly six years since the Sunday bus service was lost, during Covid, I’ve heard time and again how isolating that has been for people in Bishopthorpe.
"When the news of this trial was released in mid-December, I received an email from an elderly resident telling me it was the ‘best early Christmas present’ they could have hoped for. That really brought home how much this matters.
"Being able to get into York on a Sunday makes a huge difference to people’s lives, and I’m delighted to see this service starting on January 25.”
He said he wants to keep hearing from constituents who care about improving bus services in the city after several cases in 2025 where changes were made.
He added that he's committed to working hard to improve services for the people of York.
Cllr Ravilious, said: “Public transport is about far more than journeys or getting from A to B - it’s about independence, opportunity and connection.
"The absence of a Sunday service has been felt strongly in Bishopthorpe, Woodthorpe and Southbank, particularly by older residents and those without access to a car.
"This trial will reconnect communities on a Sunday, whether they'd like to meet friends in the centre of York, pay respects to loved ones at the crematorium or go for a pub lunch in Bishopthorpe, and I’d encourage everyone to use the service so we can help secure its future.”
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