Passengers of a vital Fenland bus service will be able to return to March at no extra cost as council bosses issue another revised timetable today.

The Stagecoach-run 46 bus between Wisbech and March would have only taken passengers as far as Guyhirn after 4.30pm in the coming months.

But now officials say that “following feedback that this was an issue” they have agreed to change the contract with Stagecoach.

It comes as the service has been reprieved by Cambridgeshire County Council until the end of summer, following the announcement it would be withdrawn at the end of this month.

Last week, passengers expressed their disgust at the changes to the new timetable – with one man fearing he may even lose his job due to transport issues.

In a statement issued today (Mon April 30), a Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “We have been working hard to find a solution that prevents our residents, including students travelling to Neale-Wade Academy in March, suffering from the anxiety of having no bus service following the announcement from Stagecoach that the 46 service between Wisbech and March would be withdrawn at the end of April 2018.

“We recently issued a new timetable for the replacement bus service which meant the last bus to March from Wisbech was 4.30pm on schooldays so passengers would only be able to travel back as far as Guyhirn after this time.

“However, following feedback from residents and local members that this was an issue, we are pleased we have found a solution to this and have since agreed a change to the contract with Stagecoach so that the bus now returns to March both on college days and non-college days at no extra cost.

“The new timetable, which has been scheduled around school times to ensure students for Neale-Wade Academy will see no break in service, will come into effect from today and should shortly be available from Stagecoach.”

Dozens signed a petition to keep the service earlier this year, with elderly passengers fearing they would not be able to make it to hospital appointments, shops and to visit family between the towns.