Explore Kent By Public Transport

Kent County Council (KCC), in partnership with Stagecoach, is enhancing public transport connectivity in Dover with an extended Fastrack timetable that better aligns with Southeastern’s High Speed services from Dover Priory.From Monday 8 December, the Fastrack timetables will be extended seven days a week. Monday to Saturday services will be timed to meet the first and last High Speed Rail services to and from London.This update marks a significant milestone, with Dover Fastrack now reaching its full intended timetable, having previously been made shorter. The improved schedule will make it easier for passengers to transfer between bus and rail, creating smoother, more efficient journeys and supporting the local community’s access to London.In addition, a new trial bus service, Route 66, operated by Stagecoach, will launch to the Port of Dover, offering a direct and convenient link to one of the UK’s busiest transport hubs. This pilot route is dependent on passenger uptake to ensure its continuation – residents and visitors are encouraged to use the service to help secure its future.As part of the wider network update, Route 67 shuttle service will be withdrawn on Friday 5 December due to consistently low passenger numbers. Introduced last year as a 12-month trial funded through the overall Dover Fastrack budget, the service was subject to review based on usage.To help maintain connectivity for areas previously covered by Route 67, the new Port of Dover service will include Whitfield. Buckland Hospital and the River area will continue to be served by Route 64, ensuring ongoing access to public transport.Spencer Dixon, Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “I’m pleased to see Dover Fastrack reaching its full potential with this extended timetable. These improvements will make public transport more reliable and accessible for residents, especially those commuting to and from London.‘The new link to the Port of Dover is an exciting addition, which I encourage everyone to use to help ensure its long-term success. Maintaining connectivity is a top priority for KCC. We are thankful to Stagecoach that the Port of Dover service includes Whitfield, and that other areas such as Buckland Hospital and River continue to be served.”Joel Mitchell, Managing Director for Stagecoach South East, said: “We are pleased to be introducing the new Route 66 as a pilot, which strengthens local connections and provides an important link to the Port of Dover. We recognised the need to maintain access for communities previously served by Route 67, which is why we ensured Whitfield is included within the new route. We’re committed to supporting Dover’s transport network and look forward to welcoming customers on board.”For more information and the new timetables visit:  Fastrack timetable extension and new Port of Dover service | Stagecoach

The new bus lane on Pencester Road in Dover is now complete and will start to be used by Dover Fastrack from Sunday 20 April.The Pencester Road Bus priority scheme will improve the reliability of Dover Fastrack and will allow better access to the town centre and connections to existing bus services throughout Dover.The scheme has included:adding a contraflow bus and cycle lane along Pencester Roadadding a new northbound bus stop on Pencester Road outside Poundlandrealigning kerbs and pavements at the Biggin Street and Maison Dieu Road junctionsinstalling traffic lights and improved pedestrian crossings in the areaThe new junction signals will be switched on during Saturday 19 April, prior to the opening of the bus lane.Simon Jones, Kent County Council’s Corporate Director, Growth, Environment and Transport, said: “The new bus lane on Pencester Road will be ready for buses to use from Sunday 20 April. The bus lane will support Stagecoach to improve the local bus network, giving local people more reliable and well-connected bus services in Dover.”Stagecoach is currently making arrangements to transfer the Fastrack service to the new bus lane. The updated timetable will be available on their website before the start date: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables.

Temporary changes designed to optimise journey times are set to be introduced on Fastrack Kent Thameside services in response to the continued closure of Galley Hill Road.They will come into force from Saturday 5 April and will build on the service reliability improvements delivered by the November 2024 timetable change.A summary of the key changes include:Fastrack B will have no stops between Bluewater and Ebbsfleet International, providing a journey time saving of 12 minutes between Ebbsfleet International and Bluewater.A new shuttle service (Fastrack F) will run every 12 minutes to connect Bluewater, Greenhithe and Ingress Park. Through ticketing will be available between Fastrack B and F at no extra cost to service users, with a change of bus at Bluewater.Fastrack B to serve Temple Hill, replacing Fastrack C and serving the eastern half of Temple Hill in both directions.Fastrack B to increase in frequency to up to every 12 minutes (from every 15 minutes currently).As well as delivering improved journey times and more frequent journeys between Gravesend, Ebbsfleet and Bluewater, this timetable change will also lay the groundwork for further changes expected in August 2025 on Route A.From August (subject to the completion of the Fastrack busway in the Ebbsfleet Garden City), Fastrack A will extend from Bluewater to Gravesend via Castle Hill and Ebbsfleet International.This will initially operate every 15 minutes and will be implemented from the April timetable change between Bluewater and Dartford via The Bridge prior to the August extension of Route A.This change comes ahead of the introduction of the new electric fleet on Fastrack, which is due to be rolled out on Route B from late Spring, with further routes to follow.These adjustments will have an impact on residents living near to Galley Hill Road, particularly in terms of connectivity. KCC has put in place a mechanism so users will not pay twice for what would usually be a single trip with interchange opportunities at Bluewater maximised.Neil Baker, Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, said: “The Galley Hill collapse has caused Fastrack significant operational issues. We know that the most important aspects of bus travel for passengers are value for money and journey times.“Against the local trend, Fastrack has retained the £2 fare cap and these service changes will make journey times on Fastrack significantly quicker overall.“We remain committed to all communities on our network and the measures taken to introduce the F shuttle service is a temporary solution until the reopening of Galley Hill.”For a detailed breakdown of the changes on each route along with details of ticketing arrangements, please see www.kent-fastrack.co.uk/