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New community bus 'a lifeline' for rural towns

Ellen Knight,in Shrewsburyand
Charlie Stubbs,in Bishop's Castle
BBC A man with short grey hair and a beard is looking into the camera and smiling. He is wearing a bright yellow high-visibility jacket and is standing in front of a white minibus that has "Three Castles Shuttle" written above its windscreen. BBC
Neil Langford says his team is keen to see young people use the shuttle, too

A new community mini-bus service has started in a rural county, running three days per week.

From 2 September, the Three Castles Shuttle service connects Bishop's Castle with Ludlow, passing through towns, including Clun and Craven Arms.

Passengers can guarantee their spot on the wheelchair-accessible bus by pre-booking a seat.

Neil Langford, from Shrewsbury Dial-A-Ride, which is running the service, said the route "really is a lifeline for people".

It operates along what was formerly the 745 route, which shut earlier in August due to what Shropshire Council called a commercial decision by operator Minsterley Motors.

The new Three Castles service runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, with plans to extend to Saturdays later in 2026.

The full list of stops is Bishop's Castle, Colebatch, Clun, Clunton, Little Brampton, Kempton, Lydbury North, Aston on Clun, Long Meadowend, Craven Arms and Ludlow.

The first port of call is Bishop's Castle at 09:30, with the bus winding its way through south-west Shropshire until it reaches Ludlow at 10:40.

It will then depart Ludlow at 13:15, making stops along the way before arriving back in Bishop's Castle at 14:25.

Ellen Knight/BBC A close-up image of a logo that reads "Three Castles Shuttle", which is written in blue letters on the upper part of a white vehicle. There is a large grey metal wall in the background. The sky is blue with a few white and grey clouds. Ellen Knight/BBC
The shuttle connects the "three castles" of Bishop's Castle, Clun Castle and Ludlow Castle

"We can get anybody [onto the bus], whether they use an electric scooter, a walker, or a wheelchair," Langford said.

Shrewsbury Dial-A-Ride "prides itself" on accessibility and "making the journey really nice and pleasant", he added.

And he wants to see young passengers using the service, too: "It's also about youngsters... getting out of rural areas into Ludlow or wherever they want to go.

"Our main motto here is that we provide services for people who cannot access traditional transport."

With the Three Castles Shuttle - named for Bishop's Castle, Clun Castle, and Ludlow Castle - essentially replicating the former 745 route, Langford clarified that "it's not a like-for-like" replacement.

"We're not a big bus, but we'll have some fun - everyone gets to know each other."

People are "lost" without these services in rural communities, Langford added.

"If you cut that off, you don't just cut off the ability to do shopping, you cut off their whole personal life," he explained.

Charlie Stubbs/BBC A close-up image of a woman with short wavy brown hair who is smiling. She is wearing a black top, a navy blue cardigan, and a gold necklace with a sun-shaped pendant. She is standing on a street, with the road stretching away up the hill behind her. There is a car parked and shops on the left with a rack of clothing on the side of the pavement on the right.Charlie Stubbs/BBC
Elaine Sharp sys using the bus will be more "economically feasible" than driving

In Bishop's Castle, the shuttle's first port of call, resident Pat Morrison said the service is a "good alternative" that will be "really important".

"I think it just gives people an option to get out of their little town because so many shops are closing, so you haven't got everything on your doorstep anymore," she added.

Another local, Elaine Sharp, said it is a "fantastic idea", adding that "there are many elderly people and young people who would love to go to Ludlow but just can't get there."

While she does have her own car, Sharp said she "would rather use a bus" because it was "economically feasible and also environmentally responsible".

Charlie Stubbs/BBC A close-up image of a woman with short white hair and wearing dark glasses, a silver chain around her neck and a blue and orange checked shirt. She is standing on a street that extends downhill behind her. There are cars parked on both sides of the road and there are shops and multi-coloured buildings. Charlie Stubbs/BBC
Gillian Petford says buses give rural communities "freedom"

Gillian Petford, another resident of the town, said the shuttle was "a really, really good idea" that will be "a big help".

It was "definitely" something she would use, she added, "for shopping and things like going to appointments".

These services are "really important", Petford said, because they "give everybody the freedom to get out of the town and see other places".

"Living out here, the buses are such a lifeline for the town; they really are."

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