Stroud's commuter coach to London returns on Tuesday 8 September, £30 day return. It runs Tuesday to Thursday until 21 October and stops at West Drayton.

The commuter coach from Stroud to London is back on Tuesday 8 September, and the autumn dates are now on sale.

Go Stroud Ltd has released 20 travel dates, running Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday every week from 8 September to Wednesday 21 October. There are no dates on sale for the rest of August, so 8 September is the next departure. The dates are listed on the operator’s own booking page.

A standard day return is £30. The coach leaves Stroud at 6.00am and the operator aims to get passengers into central London by 9.00am.

Where it picks up, and when

The coach starts in Stonehouse and finishes at West Drayton station in west London, where passengers change on to the Elizabeth Line. It is not a local service: you cannot use it to travel between Stonehouse and Cirencester, and the fare is the same wherever you get on.

Morning, towards London:

  • 5.40am, Stonehouse, Elgin Mall bus stop (by China City), High Street
  • 6.00am, Stroud, Cheapside
  • 6.10am, Chalford and Minchinhampton, Glider Cafe lay-by, A419
  • 6.20am, Cirencester, Chesterton Lane bus stop, A419
  • 7.55am to 8.15am, arrive West Drayton railway station

Evening, coming home:

  • 6.15pm, depart West Drayton railway station
  • 7.50pm, Cirencester, Hospital bus stop, A419
  • 8.00pm, Chalford and Minchinhampton, Glider Cafe lay-by, A419
  • 8.15pm, Stroud, Cheapside
  • 8.30pm, Stonehouse, Post Office bus stop, High Street

Go Stroud asks passengers to arrive five minutes before the listed time. At Chalford and Cirencester the coach leaves as soon as the waiting passengers have boarded, so turning up late is a genuine risk rather than a technicality.

Two of the four stops are outside Stroud town. Cirencester is about 13 miles east, in Cotswold district, and Stonehouse is about three miles west.

What it costs

The booking page lists a £30 day return. Singles are £25 for the morning run towards London and £20 for the evening run back. If you want to travel out on one day and back on another, Go Stroud says to book two singles.

There is a 10 per cent discount with the code CLUB10 when you book three or more tickets in one go, advertised on the operator’s events listing. That listing also quotes slightly different single fares, £22 and £19.80, from the ones on the booking page itself, so check the price at checkout rather than assuming.

Go Stroud says the TfL daily cap will get you anywhere in Zones 1 to 6 from West Drayton for no more than £16.30 on top.

For comparison, and from our own Stroud train times page: the direct Great Western train from Stroud to Paddington takes 1 hour 24 minutes at its quickest, an Anytime Return is £210.00 and a Super Off-Peak Return is £63.20. The coach is slower, at about two hours to West Drayton before you have even joined the Elizabeth Line, and it only runs three days a week. On price at peak times it is not close.

Bar chart comparing a Stroud to London return: coach day return £30, rail Super Off-Peak Return £63.20, rail Anytime Return £210.00
What a return trip from Stroud to London costs. Sources: Go Stroud booking page and GWR walk-up fares. Graphic by Stroud Today

Who runs it

Go Stroud Ltd is the booking agent. The coach itself is operated by Barnes Coaches, part of The Coach Travel Group, which put a PSVAR-compliant vehicle with tables and newly fitted Wi-Fi on the contract when the service made its first journey on Monday 7 July.

Ross McKay, transport manager and head of sales at Barnes Coaches, said at the launch that the firm was “delighted to be working alongside GoStroud as they launch this exciting new commuter service to London”, and that Barnes was moving into its 106th year.

On board there is Wi-Fi, USB charging, a toilet, a mix of table and standard seating and one wheelchair space. Passengers boarding in Stroud can add coffee and pastries when they book, and there are snacks and drinks on board paid for through an online honesty box.

What it means for you

If you commute from the Five Valleys to London on peak trains, the sums are the reason to look at this. A £30 day return against a £210 Anytime Return is the whole argument, and the trade is roughly 45 minutes each way and being tied to a 6.00am departure.

Before you book, three things are worth knowing, all of them from Go Stroud’s own terms:

  • Arrival times are a guide only. Go Stroud explicitly excludes liability for missed connections, missed flights, missed appointments or lost wages caused by delays or breakdowns. If your arrival time is critical, it advises making other arrangements.
  • You can change your mind until midnight the night before. Reschedule or cancel up to then. A cancellation is refunded as a voucher, not cash, and the voucher lasts six months.
  • If Go Stroud cancels the journey, you get a full refund of the ticket price, and nothing more. It will not cover replacement transport or a hotel.

Under-16s must travel with an adult aged 18 or over. Bikes and large luggage may be carried, but that is the driver’s decision on the day. Questions go to hello@gostroud.club.

Only 20 dates are on sale, and the last one is Wednesday 21 October. Whether the service carries on past then has not been announced.