Bus firm steps in as First Bus plans to leave

The bus operator said 275 jobs are at risk

Bus operator Go Cornwall has said it will step in to offer bus services after First Bus announced plans to withdraw all its services due to rising costs and falling passenger numbers.

First Bus is ending all 14 services by the middle of February 2026, putting 275 jobs at risk.

Following its announcement, Go Cornwall said it would offer alternative or amended services for the routes First Bus was to axe next year to "keep Cornwall connected."

First Bus, which has a fleet of 85 buses, said it had taken the "extremely difficult decision" to stop operating in Cornwall and withdraw from its five depots at Camborne, Falmouth, Penzance, Summercourt and Truro.

'Extensive efforts'

Richard Stevens, the managing director of Go Cornwall Bus, said: "We understand how concerning this news will be for residents who rely on these routes every day.

"Our message today is simple and clear: no community will be left unserved."

The intervention has come after First Bus said it would be leaving Cornwall despite making "extensive efforts to turn the business around and cut costs."

Managing director Simon Goff blamed "above-inflation costs, changing travel patterns and recently an increasingly competitive market all added extra pressure".

The company said passenger numbers in 2025 had fallen 21% fall year-on-year, which followed a 13% fall in 2024/25.

The RMT union said the move was "a devastating blow for our members and for communities that rely on these services", which it said were vital and "must not be allowed to disappear overnight".

It said it would press the bus operator to avoid compulsory redundancies.

Truro and Falmouth MP Jayne Kirkham welcomed Go Cornwall's move to pick up the affected bus routes.

She said she was concerned for affected workers who faced uncertainty about their jobs, adding: "These bus routes are vital for everyone getting to study, work and medical appointments in the area, and must not be lost."

St Austell and Newquay MP Noah Law said a bus franchising pilot in Cornwall "couldn't have come at a more apt time, because clearly there are questions to be asked about whether the profit motive should be the primary driver of providing these services".

First Bus said it was working with staff affected by the decision and supporting them to find other roles "wherever possible" within First Bus and parent company FirstGroup.

It will continue to operate its current network in Cornwall as normal until the last day of service on Saturday 14 February.

It said it was working closely with Cornwall Council and other operators "to ensure a smooth handover and in the hope that as many routes as possible can be maintained".

A council spokesperson said: "This news has come as a shock, and we know it will cause real worry for the passengers who depend on these services every day, as well as for First employees in Cornwall.

"Our bus network continues to face major challenges, and some routes have only survived thanks to targeted extra funding."