A Brief History of the 94

This information is taken with permission from the Gloucestershire Bus History Pages by Richard Waters.

The first buses operated between Gloucester and Cheltenham in 1921 by the then Bristol Tramways & Carriage Company Ltd, at up to half-hourly frequencies. The direct service remained virtually unchanged for 15 years until the company increased the level of service in 1936 to three per hour after 1100.

Whereas non-essential services were cut during World War Two, the strategic importance of service 49 meant that it was increased to every 15 minutes during weekday daytimes and every 20 minutes in the evenings (to the last buses at 2130), with additional buses between Gloucester and Hare & Hounds on Fridays and Saturdays. By the end of the War, the frequency on 49 had increased on weekday afternoons to "every few minutes", up to the last buses at 2130. Later evening bus services were introduced in 1946 but passengers could only enjoy departures at 2230 from both termini from 1952.

1955 saw further journeys added but as a short term expedient, evening and Sunday frequencies were cut from 15 to every 20 minutes in 1956, owing to the Suez Crisis. The Sunday frequency was again cut to every 20 minutes in 1963 and this was longer lasting. In line with Bristol Omnibus' renumbering of 1967, the 49 became 549, the service remaining unchanged.

Significant changes followed in 1971, with the reduction of buses on weekday daytimes to every 15 minutes and to every 30 minutes during the evening and on Sundays. Long standing hourly service 529 (Cheltenham to Bristol via Gloucester) which, like the 549 served the Golden Valley between Gloucester and Cheltenham, was withdrawn. Bamfurlong services had by this time reverted to two off-peak journeys, the 559 number having been dropped but the service had again become hourly off-peak as 559 by 1979. Sunday morning journeys were further reduced in 1976.

549 escaped the major reorganisation and withdrawals of 1981 because of its relatively strong position. In 1983, 549 reverted to plain 49 but with variants: 49 via the main road, 49A via the main road and Lansdown, and 49B via Bamfurlong.

There was a major change in 1984 as the new Cheltenham & Gloucester Omnibus Co started showing its new-found freedom. This was the introduction of the X1 C&G Flyer, from Dursley to Cheltenham, direct between Gloucester and Cheltenham. This was joined in 1986 by the X2 from Stroud, providing a limited stop journey every half-hour.

49s themselves were renumbered 94 in 1986. The service went down to every 30 mins at de-regulation but back to 15 minute intervals in 1990, to every 10 in 1995 and even every 8 during the peaks in 2000. In 2002 N94 (Friday night/Saturday morning and Saturday night/Sunday morning) and half-hourly limited stop X94 were introduced. The current timetable has been in place since 2003 and this includes an even 20 minute service on Sundays