Seven Harborough bus routes are free every Saturday from today, 3 October, to 26 December. Which buses count, first and last times, and the ones that do not.
Seven bus routes in Harborough district are free to ride every Saturday from today until Boxing Day.
Leicestershire County Council announced the offer on 1 October. It covers every bus service the council supports with funding, from Saturday 3 October to Saturday 26 December. That is 13 Saturdays. There is no pass and no voucher: you get on, and the driver issues a ticket showing a fare of £0.
The catch is that it only applies to council-supported routes. Buses run commercially by the operators are not included, so check the number on the front before you board. In Harborough, the free ones all start with LC or HC.
The seven free routes in Harborough district
The county’s list of participating services names these seven. The times are Saturday journeys from the timetables the county publishes alongside the offer.
| Route | Where it goes | Saturday journeys |
|---|---|---|
| HC1 | Market Harborough to Little Bowden, via the station and Kettering Road | 13 loops from the Market Hall, 07:20 to 20:30 |
| HC2 | Market Harborough to Great Bowden, via the station, St Luke's Hospital and Robert Smyth Academy | 13 loops, 07:40 to 20:50 |
| HC3 | Market Harborough to Wellington Place, via the station, St Luke's and Welland Park Academy | 13 loops, 07:50 to 21:00 |
| HC4 | Market Harborough to the Southern Estate, via the leisure centre and Farndon Fields | 13 loops, 08:05 to 21:20 |
| LC4 | Market Harborough to Fleckney, via Great Bowden, Foxton and Kibworth | 9 from Market Harborough (06:30 to 20:10), 8 back from Fleckney (07:20 to 19:29) |
| LC10 | Market Harborough to Lutterworth, via Lubenham, Theddingworth, Husbands Bosworth, the Kilworths and Walcote | 8 each way: from Lutterworth 07:00 to 18:15, from Market Harborough 07:40 to 18:55 |
| LC11 | Market Harborough to Corby, via Dingley, Stoke Albany, Wilbarston and East Carlton Country Park | 2 each way: from Market Harborough 10:00 and 13:45, back from Corby 13:00 and 17:00 |
The LC10 is the one to know about if you live in the south of the district. It is the only free link between Lutterworth and Market Harborough, and the full run takes 36 minutes from Morrisons in Lutterworth to the Market Hall, on the published timetable.
The LC4 is the free route between Market Harborough and Kibworth and Fleckney. From the Market Hall to Kibworth Beauchamp is 33 minutes, according to its timetable.
The LC11 runs only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On Saturdays its timetable connects at Corby with the CB14 to Rushden Lakes, with through tickets available. The county’s FAQ lists the service as “LC11/CB14”. It does not say in so many words that the Corby to Rushden Lakes leg is free, so ask the driver before you rely on it.
FoxConnect is half price on Saturdays
The same offer gives 50% off FoxConnect, the county’s on-demand bus, on Saturday journeys in all 11 of its zones. You book through the FoxConnect app or by phone on 0116 216 7756, and the discount is applied automatically, according to the offer’s FAQ page. FoxConnect runs from 6am (earliest pick-up) to 7.30pm (latest drop-off), Monday to Saturday. Cash is not accepted on board; you pay by card in the app or by contactless.
What it means for you
- Saturdays only. Weekday and Sunday fares are unchanged. HC1, HC2 and HC3 run on Sundays too, but you pay on a Sunday.
- Look for LC or HC on the front. Commercial routes through the town are not part of the offer, so you will be charged on those.
- Bus pass holders lose nothing. Older person’s passes still give free off-peak travel and disabled person’s passes still give free travel all day, the county says.
- Boxing Day is included. It falls on a Saturday this year and the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. The county expects its supported services to run as normal on 26 December and says it will update its FAQ if that changes.
- The HC2 has a changed route. Since 13 July it has been diverted away from Clarence Street, which became one way under an experimental order, and runs via Albert Road and Fernie Road instead, according to the county’s disruption notice.
- Northampton Road is still shut. The A508 Northampton Road, which the HC4 uses past the leisure centre, is closed for resurfacing until 10 October. The county has not published an HC4 notice for it. Our roadworks and travel page has the latest.
Ann Carruthers, the county council’s director of growth, environment and transport, said the offers were meant to “make it easier for people to access public transport, support local businesses, visit attractions and stay connected with their communities”.
Questions not covered by the FAQ go to choosehowyoumove@leics.gov.uk. If you are driving into town instead, our guide to parking in Market Harborough lists the car parks and charges.
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