"It's finally happening!" - Helen welcomes new bus route

The announcement of a long-called-for bus service has been met with delight by Helen who said North Shropshire had been “overlooked for too long”.

A new route, operating between Whitchurch and Market Drayton, and onward to the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford College and Wellington bus station will begin in the New Year and follows a long-fought campaign by Helen and local councillors.

Shropshire Council announced on Wednesday (3rd December) that the service, numbered the 340, will start on 5th January and will be operated by D&G Buses.

Reacting to the news, Helen said: “I’ve wanted to see this route announced for a long time, so I’m delighted to hear it’s finally happening. For too long, North Shropshire has been overlooked when it comes to investment in public transport, and as a result we have some of the worst transport links in the country.

“A lack of decent public transport isn’t just inconvenient, it's isolating and a barrier to education, healthcare and employment. This new service will help to overcome all of that, and I hope it’s well used.”

Buses will operate Monday to Saturday, starting at 7.05am from Whitchurch to Market Drayton then Wellington. The service from Wellington to both towns starts at 7.10am.

The service provides a connection between the market towns, as well as both Wellington and Whitchurch railway stations. The last bus from both Wellington and Whitchurch will be at 6.40pm.

Helen has raised the issue of poor public transport in Parliament, tabling her own proposed new law that would ensure that residents in market towns like Drayton and Whitchurch can access key services.

The MP has described Market Drayton as an ‘island’ and catching a bus as “less a convenience and more a test of endurance”.

She has pointed to successive governments that “have left market towns and villages to decline” in favour of metropolitan or more urban areas.

Speaking during a debate on the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, brought before Parliament by Helen in September 2025, she said: “Out of the £1billion bus funding that was announced last November for rural and coastal areas, only £2.5m of revenue was allocated to Shropshire.

“It has been a difficult experience for my constituents.”