WWT unveils 'Slimbridge Shuttle'

A new minibus service will link the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust's (WWT) Slimbridge reserve with nearby villages and the local railway station.

The 'Slimbridge Shuttle' is the first of its kind in Gloucestershire and starts on Saturday 20 May.

The minibus will connect the communities of Cam, Dursley and Slimbridge with Cam & Dursley railway station and WWT Slimbridge on Saturdays and Sundays throughout summer 2023. It will allow visitors to the famous reserve to leave their cars at home and reach the reserve entirely via public transport, cutting carbon emissions.

As well as taking passengers from the station to Cam, Dursley and WWT Slimbridge, it will give local residents access to mainline trains to and from Bristol, Cheltenham and Gloucester using public transport, and link up communities along its route. The Slimbridge Shuttle has also been designed with visitors to the area in mind, and will stop at Shepherd's Patch on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, near the Tudor Arms pub, Black Shed café and Tudor Caravan Park.

The route of the new Slimbridge Shuttle minibus service.

The 16-seater bus service will run hourly, from around 8 am to 6 pm. The route starts from the south end of Dursley town and stops at Dursley bus station, Cam village, Cam & Dursley Station, Slimbridge village, Shepherd's Patch and WWT Slimbridge. It will call in at Cam & Dursley station on the way to and from Slimbridge, taking rail passengers to Cam and Dursley villages as well as dropping off Slimbridge visitors at the station.

Fares are £1 for a single journey or £2 for a return, with contactless payment and cash accepted. Bus pass holders and WWT volunteers travel free, and there are concessions for under 18s.

There is one wheelchair space which can be booked in advance by phoning Community Connexions on 0345 680 5029.

Mobile tickets can also be purchased using the MyTrip by Passenger app. Simply download from the Apple or Android store and search for Community Connexions in the operator list.

WWT's Head of Sustainability, Lucy Smith, has helped to develop the new service, and said: "WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre is really pleased to be part of this service which will enable our existing and new visitors to come to the site without needing to bring a car. We hope it gets good levels of uptake during the trial to make the case to retain and expand the service in the future. I'll be using it to visit the site and go to the station at the weekends!"

Commissioned by Gloucester Community Rail Partnership, the service will be run by Community Connexions, with support from Cross Country trains and Great Western Railway.

More information can be found here.