Getting around
Buses & travel
Every bus serving our four villages, live on one map, the 3 and the 9s through Shortstown and Cotton End, and the 74 and 27 through Cardington and Cople, with next departures below.
Shortstown
No scheduled buses found.
The 3 is the main all-day bus to Bedford (every 30 min). The 9 runs at peak and evening times, and the 9A/9B/9D continue to Shefford, Hitchin and Stevenage.
Cotton End
No scheduled buses found.
The 9A/9B/9D run roughly every 2 hours between Bedford and Hitchin/Stevenage. Route 3 does not reach Cotton End.
Cardington
74Towards Bedford
- 14:0774BedfordLive1 min
- 14:5074BedfordLive44 min
- 15:5474Bedford15:54
- 16:4974Bedford16:49
- 17:4974Bedford17:49
From Bedford
- 14:4974Hitchin43 min
- 15:4974Hitchin15:49
- 16:4974Hitchin16:49
- 18:0474Henlow Camp18:04
The 74 (Mon-Sat) links Bedford, Cardington, Cople and Biggleswade. The 27 calls at Meadow Lane twice a day. Full timetable
Cople
74Towards Bedford
- 14:4874BedfordLive42 min
- 15:5274Bedford15:52
- 16:4774Bedford16:47
- 17:4774Bedford17:47
From Bedford
- 14:5274Hitchin46 min
- 15:5274Hitchin15:52
- 16:5274Hitchin16:52
- 18:0774Henlow Camp18:07
The 74 (Mon-Sat) serves the village centre. The 27, 72 and 73 stop at Octagon Farm on the A603. Full timetable
Bus services changed on 31 May 2026
Stagecoach recast its Bedford network: the 3 is now Shortstown's main all-day bus (it no longer loops via The Hangers and Potters Way), the 9 survives at peak and evening times, and the 9A/9B/9D continue through Cotton End towards Hitchin and Stevenage. After petitions from over 2,300 residents, the Borough Council voted unanimously on 6 July to press for lost links to be restored, we'll keep this page updated. Follow the story in News.
More ways to travel
Community minibuses
- Flittabus FL8, Shortstown & Cotton End to Bedford, Wednesdays. Timetable
- Wanderbus W1, village services into Bedford on set days. Timetables
- Door to Door dial-a-ride (BRCC), accessible minibus, based in Cardington. Register first, then book on 01234 834933.
- The Villager community bus, 01234 781920. Details
Trains
- Bedford St Johns, nearest station, on the Marston Vale line to Bletchley (roughly hourly, no Sunday service).
- Bedford (Midland), Thameslink and East Midlands Railway to London, Luton Airport and the north. Reach it by bus to the town centre.
- East West Rail will rebuild St Johns with more frequent trains over the coming years.
Cycling & walking
- National Cycle Route 51 runs flat and largely traffic-free from Bedford's Priory Country Park to Willington, Blunham and Sandy, a lovely link from Cardington and Cople. Route map
Park & Ride
- Elstow Park & Ride (Progress Park, off the A6) is the nearest, buses into Bedford Monday to Saturday, run by Grant Palmer. Details
Scheduled times shown, please allow for traffic. Live positions are the operators' own GPS and update every 20 seconds. Spotted an error?