A special bus service which connected Great Yarmouth railway station with the town centre, seafront and a major holiday park has proved hugely popular again this year with some 6000 people travelling, over 5% up on the previous year.
Operated by Great Yarmouth company Ambassador Travel in conjunction with the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership this is the fifth year the service has run with Ambassador Travel taking over the circular route in 2025.
Buses ran every thirty minutes during daytime seven days per week from mid-July to the end of August calling at Vauxhall Holiday Park, the town centre, bus station and key points along the seafront. As the only bus service to call directly outside Great Yarmouth railway station it enabled people arriving or departing by rail much better connectivity for their journeys.
In support of the Wherry 100 Summer Bus, Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership volunteers helped distribute printed timetables and posters to communities along the railway including the villages of Brundall, Cantley, Lingwood, Acle and Reedham as well as at Norwich railway station, volunteers also distributed timetables on board some train services arriving in Great Yarmouth.
The service is designed for people to just turn up and go, without any need to book in advance with Wherry Lines support enabling prices to remain capped at £2 for adults with discounts for children, families and acceptance of senior bus passes.
Martin Halliday, Community Rail development officer at the Wherry Lines said, “We were pleased to partner with Ambassador Travel for a second year and are delighted that the service proved so popular. “Connectivity is a key priority for us and with the service the only one to call at Great Yarmouth railway station it is extremely helpful for rail passengers enabling them to easily reach key tourist attractions, accommodation and the town centre. “We wish to thank Ambassador Travel, especially all the drivers who were so friendly and helpful”.
Ian Forkes, Director at Ambassador Travel added, “We were delighted to work with Wherry Lines to operate the service again this Summer and have been very pleased with the operation and the number of people using it. “We are now in discussions with the Community Rail Partnership about running again in 2027.”
This year buses serving the route were fully accessible vehicles which are currently being fitted with next stop announcement kits for when the service returns next Summer.
In May this year the Wherry Lines worked with First Bus to improve connectivity at Lowestoft railway station, an initiative which has seen the X1 to Great Yarmouth and 99 to Southwold bus services both rerouted to run via the Lowestoft station interchange.
