Hertfordshire County Council has secured £360,000 from the Department for Transport (DfT) to explore new ways of improving rural bus services — with North Hertfordshire among the first areas set to benefit.

The county is one of just five in England chosen for this national initiative, which will review how public transport is currently run and look at new models to deliver more reliable, affordable and sustainable journeys for residents.

The project will assess how Transport for Hertfordshire (TfH) works with private bus operators and whether a franchising model — where the council has greater control over routes and timetables — could help improve connectivity across rural areas.

The review will also examine network stability, service frequency and existing council-run schemes such as HertsLynx, focusing initially on North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire and Stevenage.

Cllr Paul Zukowskyj, Executive Member for Transport at Hertfordshire County Council, said:

"We've made a commitment to fix our buses and improve journeys in our county, and securing this funding is the first step in making that promise a reality.

We want everyone in Hertfordshire to be able to travel sustainably and safely across the county, and a reliable, efficient bus network is central to that ambition."

The county council will work with partners in the Intalink Enhanced Partnership and the Department for Transport as the review gets underway.

Simon Lightwood, Roads and Buses Minister at the DfT, added: "We're backing Hertfordshire to explore how it could take control of its bus network and transform rural services to work for everyone — ensuring passengers, not profit, are put first."

Proposals are expected to be submitted by April 2026, and further funding may follow to move approved plans into implementation.

For Hitchin and the wider North Hertfordshire area, the project could pave the way for better connections between local towns and villages — helping residents travel more easily to work, school and leisure destinations.