Stagecoach announce new service for Oakhampton and Launceston

• Stagecoach and Devon County Council working in partnership to replace withdrawn Western Greyhound 510 service from Exeter to Okehampton and Launceston
• New route 6 combines Stagecoach’s existing X9/X10 routes with Western Greyhound’s withdrawn 510
• Timetable retains key journeys between Launceston and Exeter 
• Sunday and Bank Holiday service between Exeter and Bude will also be introduced

Stagecoach South West has confirmed that, from Sunday 22 February, it will be introducing a new route to replace Western Greyhound’s route 510 between Exeter, Okehampton and Launceston which Western Greyhound are withdrawing the day before.

In partnership with Devon County Council, Stagecoach are introducing new route 6 to combine their existing X9 and X10 services with Western Greyhound’s 510 service. The 6 replaces the direct X9 service to Okehampton that continues to Holsworthy and Bude, whilst a 6A will serve the villages between Exeter and Okehampton before continuing to Launceston in place of the 510 and X10.

Frequencies on the 6 (previously X9) will remain unchanged, whilst the 6A (previously X10) will run in-between these journeys providing four Monday – Saturday journeys between Launceston and Exeter and five between Exeter and Launceston. This maintains key early morning and afternoon peak journeys currently offered by Western Greyhound along with some daytime journeys. In addition, commuter journeys from/to Launceston will be linked to Bude to provide greater coverage of the Towns.

A new Sunday and Bank Holiday service is also being introduced, albeit with fewer journeys between Okehampton and Exeter than offered by Western Greyhound. On the positive side, a Sunday service is being restored to Bude after cuts made by Western Greyhound last summer.

Stagecoach ticket prices between Okehampton and Exeter were reduced by as much as 23% at the start of 2015 with the extension of the Exeter Dayrider and Megarider Plus zone to include Okehampton. A day ticket is just £5.50 or a weekly Megarider is £20, and this deal will continue to be available on the new service. Unlimited travel between Launceston and Exeter – and on all other Stagecoach South West buses – is £7.50 for a day (Explorer) or £26 per week (Megarider Gold).

For the historians, and those wondering “why the new number?” 6 was the number used by Devon General for its service to Okehampton between 1930s and 1970s. As the new timetable consolidates all the services between Exeter and Okehampton into one, a “new/old” number seemed like a good way to highlight this!

The new 6/6A timetable is available to view online and will be in print very shortly. For travel information on the go customers can now follow Stagecoach on Twitter @StagecoachSW.