Commuters who enjoyed a 30-minute journey to work now have to face a three-hour trip instead after National Express scrapped a coach service because of costs.

The National Express direct link between Handy Cross coachway in High Wycombe and Heathrow and Gatwick has been axed by the bus company this month amid a review of their routes and their cost.

Jon Barrow, who uses the bus service, said there was “disappointment” among commuters – who now have to go via London to get to work at Heathrow instead.

He said: “Passengers now have no option but to go via London Victoria and this has increased the travel time from 30 minutes to over three hours.

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“Many local people used this service to commute and travel to Heathrow. The subsequent impact this will have on the local community needs to be highlighted and addressed.

“What is the point in the coachway if National Express are not utilising this in the appropriate manner?

“In addition, Heathrow Airport actively encourage commuters and passengers to travel using public transport.”

Mr Barrow said the service stopped on or around February 10 – leaving regular users of the service in the lurch.

It is not the first time commuters who uses public transport to get to Heathrow Airport have criticised bus companies.

Carousel Buses reinstated a “vital” Heathrow Airport service through its Chiltern Hundreds service in November last year – a year and a half after the A40 route, which served the airport from High Wycombe, was “reluctantly” axed because of costs, prompting outrage from commuters.

In response to the latest concerns about the National Express service being scrapped, a spokesman for the company said: “The National Express direct service between High Wycombe and Heathrow ceased operating earlier this month.

“As a commercial operator, we run services at our own cost and risk and this change is part of a comprehensive review of our national network to improve both efficiency and overall financial viability.

“We appreciate some people will be disappointed and recognise it may not be as convenient but passengers can still make this journey by travelling via Victoria Coach station.

“Although there are no immediate plans to reinstate the service, we will keep this decision under review. We welcome any feedback or suggestions from interested parties which can be submitted via info@nationalexpress.com.”