Project Overview
As part of its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), West Northamptonshire Council allocated Department for Transport funding to strengthen stakeholder engagement as a way of supporting bus use growth across West Northamptonshire.
Launched in autumn 2024 and delivered by GO Travel Solutions, the Partnering for Success programme established a new way of working between the local authority, bus operators and major trip generators across West Northamptonshire. Partners span healthcare, education, logistics, leisure, retail and sport — sectors that collectively generate significant daily travel demand.
The programme is designed to provide greater market intelligence to shape bus service design and development and offer wider opportunities to market bus services.
Northamptonshire Healthcare, Northampton General Hospital, Stagecoach, Arriva, Northampton Saints RUFC, Silverstone Park, Silverstone Circuit, Northampton Town Business Improvement District, Prologis and SEGRO are just some of the organisations that have signed Partner Pledges committing to data sharing, promotion of bus services and active participation in forums and delivered studies during 2025–26.
Through structured engagement, regular forums and delivery-led collaboration, the programme is creating a long-term, replicable model for growing bus use.
Project objectives
Key objectives are to:
- Grow bus patronage in a sustainable and commercially viable way.
- Maximise the influence and communication reach of major employers and visitor destinations.
- Use shared data and insight to shape targeted service enhancements.
- Establish a scalable engagement model capable of supporting long-term growth beyond initial funding.
Solutions
Solutions delivered
Impact & outcomes
Impact & Outcomes
- 13 organisations signed Partner Pledges, representing a combined workforce and visitor base exceeding 30,000 people.
- Creation of a dynamic, long-term stakeholder partnership model not replicated elsewhere within BSIP programmes.
- An example of the opportunities unlocked through the partnership scheme include the travel planning study for Northampton General Hospital. The study identified 33% of hospital staff could access the site within 45 minutes by a single bus, yet fewer than 5% were using local buses, enabling the introduction of staff incentives including taster tickets and improved travel information via a dedicated hospital spider map.
- Delivery of the “Give it a Try”, “Buses for Everyone” and “Buses for You” marketing campaign during 2025-2026, providing zero-cost promotional opportunities for partner organisations.
Next steps?
