FARMINGTON — Western Maine Transportation Services will expand its GreenLine commuter bus on Wednesday, Oct. 1, increasing to six weekday round trips between Farmington and Lewiston-Auburn.

The GreenLine links Farmington with Wilton, Jay, Livermore Falls, Livermore and Turner, with southbound runs beginning at the University of Maine at Farmington’s Olsen Center and northbound service turning at Lewiston’s Oak Street Bus Station.

Departure times: southbound from UMF — Olsen Center, South Street: 6:25 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 3:45 p.m.; northbound from Lewiston — Oak Street Bus Station: 5:45 a.m., noon, 3:25 p.m.

Fares remain unchanged, and the schedule is subject to change.

Craig Zurhorst, community relations manager for WMTS, said the change was long in the works.

“Bidirectional service on the GreenLine had been contemplated for some time,” he said. “With the recent arrival of new/replacement buses, we decided it was time to make the change.”

Zurhorst said the expanded schedule is designed to better serve commuters and students.

“The new schedule, to the extent funding and resources allowed, is designed to provide more useful service for individuals going to work, and for students traveling to both UMF and (Central Maine Community College),” Zurhorst said. “We believe this bidirectional service will also benefit individuals who need to access healthcare, retail and other services.”

Zurhorst noted that WMTS continually evaluates options for additional service.

“As before, to the extent funding and resources allow, we are continually looking at ways we can improve schedules to accommodate workforce and student travel needs, because we have found other riders are, generally, more flexible,” he said.

While weekend service was tested in the past but ended due to low ridership, Zurhorst said demand can change. “Needs often go in cycles,” he said. He added that WMTS is also open to adding stops when possible.

“It’s important to mention that we can make request stops along the route, as long as the stop location is determined to be safe,” he said.

Zurhorst said public awareness is a key part of the expansion.

“In our experience, sending information to local media, maintaining our email distribution list, Facebook page and website, and having our drivers carry the most current schedules are the best ways to reach riders,” he said.

WMTS, a nonprofit regional provider created in 1976, also operates the BlueLine. The GreenLine Connector, which linked Rumford, Mexico, Peru, Dixfield and Canton, was discontinued on March 28 due to lack of ridership. The Lisbon Connection ended after a change in federal funding eligibility and the absence of local funding from Lisbon’s municipal budget. As of Sept. 30, WMTS will no longer operate the Citylink bus system in Lewiston and Auburn after 27 years.

The new BlueLine bus schedule goes into effect Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. The schedule provides six round trips between Lewiston, Lisbon, Brunswick and Bath with stops at the Topsham Fair Mall and Market Basket. Not all stops are served on every run.