COMMUTERS will benefit from improved access to Benfleet train station after a new express bus route was unveiled.

The new service, which will be called the 21A, will offer more frequent buses from Canvey, Benfleet and Thundersley.

There will also be improvements made to the 27X service.

Commuters can now benefit from coordinated bus and rail times after First Essex and c2c teamed up - meaning that when passengers leave the train station a bus will be waiting for them.

The new 21A service will run from Thundersley Church Road to Benfleet train station via the route taken by service 21, on Monday to Friday at peak times - providing more buses to the rail station.

Services 21 and 21A combine to provide a bus approximately every 10 minutes.

The improved 27X service will have improved frequency, meaning that there will be buses every 10 minutes at peak times in the morning.

Buses starting at 5.54am.

Services in the late afternoon and early evening have also been improved with an increase in frequency between 5.30pm and 8pm.

Daniel Worley, operations manager for First Essex, which has a depot in Hadleigh, said the new routes show that bus travel is not only cost effective and convenient, but also takes away the stress of having to find a parking space and sit in congestion if using the car.

He added: “I am pleased to be announcing the improvements to our bus services that provide our commuters with links to Benfleet rail station. The coordinated departure times and increased frequencies we have introduced to and from the station, will make journeys more seamless and convenient for people travelling to work, shopping and for leisure activities”.

A daily return ticket will be priced at £3.20 and a weekly ticket is £14.50.

Visit firstgroup.com/essex for details.