The improvements are designed to better connect communities, support the continued growth of Ebbsfleet Garden City, and provide passengers with a more reliable and convenient public transport network.
It will see seven buses per hour serving Whitecliffe compared with the current two. An additional bus will operate on Route A taking the route up to five buses per hour. The night service will also double in frequency to two buses per hour. Direct bus links will also be restored between Ingress Park and Greenhithe with Gravesend.
This is part of Kent County Council’s (KCC) ongoing commitment to ensuring Fastrack continues to meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors while supporting sustainable growth across Kent Thameside.
New and improved services
The changes include:
- Route A: Services will run more frequently, increasing from every 15 minutes to every 12 minutes. There will also be some small changes to evening service frequencies, and the route will be extended to serve Dartford Acacia Hall.
- Route AZ: There will be additional journeys between Gravesend and Amazon LCY3. The stop at Ebbsfleet International will be removed due to low passenger use. Some journeys between Dartford and Amazon LCY3 will operate as Route N.
- Route B: This route has been changed to operate via Whitecliffe between Bluewater and Ebbsfleet International. This will deliver new direct connections between Dartford and Darent Valley Hospital with Whitecliffe, and more reliable journey times between Bluewater and Gravesend by not using the A2. There will also be minor changes to the frequency of evening services.
- Route C: The new C Route will replace existing Routes E and F. This will operate every 15 minutes between Ingress Park and Bluewater, with buses every 30 minutes extending to Gravesend via Whitecliffe, Ebbsfleet International and Cable Wharf. This will restore the direct connection between Ingress Park and Greenhithe with Gravesend which was lost following service changes in response to the collapse of Galley Hill. Through ticketing introduced in response to Galley Hill for journeys to Dartford and Gravesend from Ingress Park and Greenhithe via Route B to remain in place.
- Route N: Enhanced night services. Buses will run every 30 minutes at night, seven days a week, with Whitecliffe served for the first time. In Temple Hill, the route will be slightly changed to run via Trevithick Drive instead of Littlebrook Manor Way and Henderson Drive.
“The new connections and more frequent services ensure Fastrack remains an attractive option which residents can rely on for all journeys day and night”
Spencer Dixon, Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “These improvements demonstrate our commitment to enhancing the Fastrack network to meet the needs of everyone who uses these hugely important services.
“The new connections and more frequent services ensure Fastrack remains an attractive option which residents can rely on for all journeys day and night.
“Fastrack has around three million passenger journeys each year showing just how valuable it is for people in Gravesend and Dartford. With the final electric vehicles entering service over the coming months, we will continue to build on this and drive more progress forward.”
For a detailed breakdown of the changes, visit www.kent-fastrack.co.uk
