A vital bus service linking Nantwich residents to Leighton Hospital has been saved from the axe.
The 78 bus service was being cut by D&G Bus from July 22, a move which angered many users needing it to get to and from the hospital.
Nantwich Town Council discussed the issue last month after an impassioned plea by regular user Carole Thomas.
And now Mikro Coaches has stepped in to provide a replacement service which will follow the same route and almost the same times.
The move has been welcomed by passengers and members of the Crewe & District Bus Users Group who also lobbied Cheshire East Council to try and save the service.
Carol Jones, of Crewe & District Bus Users Group, said: “We found out about the withdrawal of the service and put it on C&D BUG Facebook page.
“Then we were informed by a person from Mikro that they were thinking about it.
“We talked to the passengers on the bus, we contacted a member of Nantwich Town Council who took it to council after receiving an email from a member of the public.
“We had a meeting with officers at CEC and the rest is history.”
A Cheshire East Council spokesman said: “The current 78 service is not subsidised by the council and current operator D&G Buses has decided there were too few passengers to make the 78 service economically viable.
“The replacement 78 is also a commercial bus service, not subsidised by the council, and the continuation of the route will depend on passengers using the service.”
The new 78 service will start on Monday July 23.
It was have a slightly different timetable but the route will remain the same. See below for full timetable of new service.
Further details of the new 78 service and upcoming changes can be viewed on the council’s website at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/bustimetables
Will the 78 bus from Nantwich to Leighton Hospital be returning soon
It’s a shame they haven’t reinstated the entire 78 route into Sandbach. My girls have been cut off since D&G changed the route number and terminated it at Leighton. We live in Wistaston and so they can only get half way home. The alternative is via the railway station and a long walk from Edleston Road, which is ok in the summer, but I don’t want them walking in the dark during winter.
Excellent news and Mikro are to be congratulated elated for at least giving it a go! Unfortunately, the earliness of the last service does mean that some potential users will return on alternative services via Crewe bus station but at least there is some hope.
Clearly a case of use it or loose it……