Go Ahead Grabs All (1)

Local-Bus Network Changes 

from 15th February

Go Cornwall Bus, as part of Transport for Cornwall, has worked closely with Cornwall Council to design a revised network that maintains strong accessibility for communities, major employment sites, education, health and key destinations across the county. While the current First Bus network will not be replicated like-for-like, we have ensured alternative or amended services will operate from 15th February with the pivotal priority to keep Cornwall connected.

Alongside the introduction of these new commercial services, a number of further changes on the network will be introduced on the 15th February, becoming the first main network change date for 2026, with a later review in the summer. The wider network changes are primarily to improve service performance, connectivity, reliability and punctuality and are based on customer and stakeholder feedback.

As outlined in our communication on 21st November, the revised network has been developed on the basis that the former First Bus network would not be replicated, with a strong focus on ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of all new and revised services.

Hmmmm?

So, over the next few blogs, fbb will present his loyal reader with a before and after report allowing (a) comparisons to be made and (b) considering whether the aims covered in the company info above were fulfilled.

Spoiler alert : they weren't!

We will take services area by area, beginning with some of the Penzance routes.

Lands End 

The above map shows a simple "lollipop" route with the assumption that one way round is 1, the other way is 1A. The current timetable does not show "circular" journeys, the passenger has to work it out.

The on-line 'active' route map shows a more complex picture ...

... with variants mainly at school times.

This is what GoAhead says about the 1 and 1A.

The new timetable looks much the same.

But what GoAhead has not written about, is that buses will now run via Paul replacing current service 5. Local users are worried about bigger buses using the narrow roads and a possible problem of bigger buses meeting on the narrow bit.

Many journeys will also take longer.

Madron, Lower Boscaswell

And yes, it is the same current map. For the time being fbb will ignore the 17E (for evening) journeys run by GoAhead. Currently the 17 runs across Penzabce to St Ives.

The 17 and 17A combine to provide a 30 minute headway between Heamoor, Penzance and St Ives. This is a long standing through route.

From February the link is to be broken. 

The Madron and Lower Boscaswell section becomes routes 4 and 4A,

There is a loop element in this timetable which becomes more apparent if we look at the reverse direction.

Route 4A follows the former 17 route to Newbridge and St Just, then, after a break, continues to Boscaswell, 55 minutes later. That is significantly longer than the current 17.

But passengers could take the 4 via Madron and Portherras Cross (the latter tagged on this map) ...

... and get to Boscaswell in 38 minutes, also longer than the 17.

It looks as if many journeys will take longer; even longer if you have to enjoy the delights of St Just bus shelter whilst 'waiting time'.

Which takes us, naturally, to St Ives, currently enjoying a bus every 30 minutes on 17/17A.

St Ives

See 17/17A timetable above. The current map is straightforward ...

... and, apart from a few schooltime wiggles in Penzance, the live map is also OK.

But take a look at the new Go Ahead 17.

More like Go Backwards 17 with a drastic reduction to hourly.

GoAhead does confirm this.

Not good news!

Mousehole

Readers will doubtless remember the fbbs trip to 'Mowzle' in September 2025, enjoying diddy minibuses right down onto the Harbourside.

The service currently runs every 20 minutes.

There were the obligatory school oddities, but the route is simple.

The M6 does provide a local service in Penzance itself. As far as fbb can tell, the route in the town is unchanged but with no 'M' on the blinds.

But the frequency is reduced to every 30!

But it gets worse. In order to reduce the frequency, GoAhead will use bigger buses which will not fit through the chicane that leads to the Harbourside.

So the terminus will be one stop short at The Old Coastguard Hotel ...

... not the best welcome to the picturesque harbour.

So a worse service than current in two ways.

But local knowledge suggests that drivers find a turn at the Old Coastguard ...

... too unsafe and make the turn two stops short of the harbour.

So the new 6 service is palpably worse than current M6.

We have looked at just three existing First Bus routes from Penzance, replaced by four GoAhead schedules. With the exception of journeys between Madron and Boscaswell, all are in some way inferior.

Penzance people are probably particularly peeved at the paucity of the replacement provision.

There will probably be pitchforks at dawn when the changes happen in February.

More services will be reviewed in tomorrow's blog.

  Next GoAhead blog : Thursday 22nd Jan