West Yorkshire Mayor teams up with local operator to improve Calderdale bus route

26 February 2025

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has joined forces with a local bus operator to take back and improve a Calderdale bus route.

Passengers using the 571 service, which runs between Halifax and Shelf, via Brighouse, Southowram and Hipperholme, were seeing poor performance from the previous operator on the service.

But the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has stepped up to not only retender the service to a new operator, Go Ahead Buses, but also to increase its frequency.  

A revised timetable – starting this week – was introduced for the service, paid for using money from the Combined Authority’s Bus Service Improvement Plan. Daytime frequency of the service for the Halifax to Brighouse section of the route has now been increased from one every hour, to one every 30 minutes.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “Services like the 571 are the lifeblood of our communities, and we have a responsibility to do what we can to step in when communities are abandoned in this way.

“Services like these are being cancelled or run down by the larger bus operators who are more interested in their profits than their passengers.

“So while we are working towards a fully-franchised West Yorkshire-wide bus network, we are also stepping in to make improvements to services right now – and I look forward to working alongside Go Ahead to help create a better-connected West Yorkshire.”

The route will be Go Ahead’s first passenger service in West Yorkshire. 

Commercial and Operations Director of Go Ahead West Yorkshire Stuart Fillingham said: “We are delighted to partner with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Mayor to improve the 571 route.

“Our small but dedicated team of drivers are excited to get to know both existing and new customers as we deliver an enhanced service. We look forward to growing our customer base and continuing our close collaboration with the Combined Authority.”

Services will run half-hourly between Halifax Bus Station to Brighouse from 7.25am until 6.35pm on weekdays and Saturdays, with an hourly service continuing to Whinney Hill Park, Hipperholme and Shelf. Last services will run from 9.20pm (from Halifax) and 8.25pm (from Shelf).

For more information on service times, visit: https://www.eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk/services/FRW/571?date=2025-02-24&direction=inbound