Torcross bus service revamped after storm damage

Residents and visitors in the storm-hit Torcross have seen their bus service overhauled with a shuttle service that connects them to a diverted route.

With the catastrophic damage caused to the A379 Slapton Line by the brutal storm conditions earlier this year, the Stagecoach 93 service cannot reach the villages and towns of Strete, Stoke Fleming and Dartmouth by travelling along the iconic coastal road.

As such, the bus is operating on a diverted route between Kingsbridge and Strete, from where it continues normally to Dartmouth.

This means after leaving Kingsbridge, rather than heading towards Torcross like it would have done before the closure of the A379, it now heads, via the A381, to Woodlands Leisure Park which is on the A3122.

It then heads to Strete, Stoke Fleming – both Blackpool Sands and Shady Lane – and then Dartmouth.

The bus operator said: “A temporary shuttle service is in place between Kingsbridge and Torcross [via Frogmore], with tickets accepted for onward travel on service 93.

“We are working closely with Devon County Council to assess the longer-term implications for the route. 

“In the meantime, we will continue operating the diversion and shuttle service, with customers advised to check the Stagecoach website and app for the latest updates.”

The first daily shuttle bus to leave Kingsbridge bus station is at 6:15am, arriving at Slapton at 6:44am.  The final departure from Kingsbridge is 17:40.

The first service to leave Torcross departs at 6:47am from Torcross Stores, arriving in Kingsbridge at 7:15am. The last shuttle bus from Torcross is 18:08, getting to Kingsbridge at 18:34.

The diversion of the 93 service is also likely to impact residents of nearby Slapton, who could have walked on to Slapton Line to catch the 93, but now may have to try and navigate their way to Torcross to catch the shuttle bus.