Newport Bus, the main operator in South East Wales is announcing the expansion of its services into the Forest of Dean as of Monday, June 3 2024. Route 72, currently serving Lydney from Chepstow will extend to Mitcheldean via the Dean Heritage Centre and Cinderford, serving the new Forest of Dean Community Hospital.

In November 2022, Newport Bus started its partnership with Gloucestershire County Council when winning the tender for the Chepstow to Lydney bus service.

From Monday 3 June, route 72 will extend beyond Lydney to Mitcheldean / Drybrook via Blakeney, Soudley, Cinderford, and Steam Mills. It will serve the heart of the Forest of Dean passing the Dean Heritage Centre. Between Cinderford and Steam Mills, the service will stop outside the brand-new Forest of Dean Community Hospital. This is an important feature as many of the services of the current hospital in Lydney are moving to the new hospital. Some journeys will also serve The Forest High School and Gloucestershire College. More importantly, the extension of route 72 restores a link via Soudley that has been lost since 2022.

All services will accept contactless payment for single and day tickets and mobile tickets via the Newport Bus app for days, weekly and 4-weekly tickets. Cash payment is accepted as exact change only.

New fares will replace the current Forest of Dean fare as follows. The fares are split into district and local zones – Chepstow, Lydney and Cinderford. A single adult local fare starts at £1.70 with a maximum of £8.40 for an All-Zones day ticket to travel across the whole Newport Bus network, meaning from Cardiff to Mitcheldean. Route 72 can also provide handy connections in Chepstow towards Bristol, Newport and since April 2024, Monmouth and Cwmbran.

Alex Clarke, Commercial Officer at Newport Bus said:” This new service is a great addition to the Newport Bus network. Route 72 has seen growing passenger numbers since we took over in November 2022 and we hope it will continue to do so. We are pleased to be able to provide a convenient bus service to this stunning part of the country and to enable transport links for work, essential appointments, leisure and tourism.

We’re looking forward to welcoming commuters and visitors alike on board our services.”