Watford Arriva services axed and new routes created

Last week Intalink, which manages public transport in Hertfordshire, confirmed the upcoming bus service changes for November in the county.

These happen every month, but November 19 will see a particularly large number of changes to journeys to, from, or passing through Watford.

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All the impacted routes are run by Arriva and all the changes will come into effect from the 19th. The 355 and 356 between Watford and Amersham are set to be withdrawn and no replacement has been lined up yet.

However, replacement services are “being investigated”, Intalink said.

Meanwhile, a new 725 Stevenage to Rickmansworth service will be added, as part of the 'Connect Herts' bus service improvement scheme, which will operate hourly every day except Sunday.

Arriva 321 bus (Image: Arriva)

It will be a limited stop route serving Stevenage, Knebworth, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, St Albans, Watford, and Rickmansworth.

Alongside a new 721 Luton to Hemel Hempstead, the 725 will partly replace the 321 Luton to Maple Cross, as the 321 is being rerouted to end at Watford General Hospital instead of Rickmansworth’s Berry Lane Estate and Maple Cross.

The 10 and 20 between Abbots Langley/Hemel Hempstead and the Holywell Estate will become a single service on the 20 route.

Full list of changes for November here

Also canned are the 508 Hemel Hempstead to Mount Vernon Hospital and the 9 Watford town centre to Leavesden Park.

A new 328 bus between Abbots Langley and Mount Vernon Hospital is set to partly replace all three (10, 508, 9) by operating every 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday, between Mount Vernon Hospital and Watford, as well as extending to North Watford and Abbots Langley hourly.

On Sundays, the 328 will operate between Watford and Mount Vernon Hospital only.

A 322 service from Hemel Hempstead to Maple Cross/Berry Lane Estate will also help replace the 508.

A new 320 bus from Hemel Hempstead to Maple Cross on schooldays, with two journeys in each direction, replaces the 821 from Watford town centre to Reach Free School.

There are also some "minor timetable changes" set for other routes.