First Essex have announced a number of changes to services in Braintree.

The following changes will take effect from May 4:

Service 21 Black Notley to Deanery Gardens

•  Revised Monday to Friday peak timetable, notably around school time, to improve punctuality.

Service 70 Chelmsford to Colchester via Braintree
•  Minor changes to the Monday to Friday timetable on schooldays, with the 0720 and 0750 Chelmsford to Colchester journeys leaving five minutes earlier at 0715 and 0745, with extra time given between Chelmsford and Broomfield Hospital. Consequently, the 0626 ex Marks Farm and 0700 ex Braintree to Chelmsford will also need to start five minutes earlier as they then run onto these trips.

• The 0803 Braintree to Marks Tey schoolday journey to terminate at Coggeshall.
•   1550 and 1605 Chelmsford to Colchester journeys have additional running time to improve punctuality.
•  The schooldays only 1545 Chelmsford to Braintree journey to start at King Edward Grammar School at 1550.
• The 1620 Colchester to Great Notley (Bakers Lane) journey to terminate at Braintree.
•  The 2000 Colchester to Braintree 70X to operate as a standard service 70 journey.

Service 131/132 Witham to Halstead via Braintree
Minor changes to the Monday to Friday timetable. 0545 Braintree to Witham to depart at 0540, then 0635 Witham to Halsted advanced to 0630, allowing connection at Braintree Bus Park with the 0723 Braintree to Chelmsford service 70. This follows requests from Broomfield Hospital staff. The last two journeys from Braintree to Witham are revised to leave at 1735 and 1805.

Adrian Jones, managing director of First Essex, said: “A number of these changes were made following customer feedback. Some of our journeys are now starting earlier to support commuters and we have revised the service 21 timetable, particularly around school times.
“First is committed to delivering better journeys for life and these changes will help improve the punctuality of our services.”