Northumberland County Council

Bus travel

This page provides information about bus travel in Northumberland.

Northumberland has an extensive network of local bus routes, and the county benefits from great coverage for residents and visitors.

Much of the network runs without subsidy from the local authority. Choosing to travel by bus is far better for the environment than travelling by car.

Bus timetables and fares

Traveline North East

Traveline is provided by a partnership of councils and public transport operators, and includes details for stops on all routes throughout North East England.
Traveline will help you to plan your journey through Northumberland via public transport.
For more information, please contact Traveline on 0871 200 2233.

Timetables

For a list of timetables for the county, and to use the Travel Map, please visit the Nexus website:
- Nexus bus timetables
- Live travel map
Some bus operators provide online timetables as well as printed ones:

Fares

The council is not able to provide comprehensive information on bus fares, as they can change. For exact travel fares, you should contact the bus operators.
For most journeys, most operators offer single, return, and multi-journey tickets.
For travel across the network, including crossing county boundaries, please click here to open the Explorer North East website.
For concessionary fares and information, please click here for more information on concessionary travel.

Have your say on bus travel

If you wish to complain, or if you have a constructive suggestion for improving any bus service, please contact the relevant bus operator. If you are not satisfied with your response, Bus Users UK is an independent company that can help you.

Bus Users UK

This company represents bus passengers, and aims to help communication between bus users and the bus service.
You can join Bus Users UK as an individual member on the Bus Users website.
They can help you if something unsatisfactory happens on your bus journey, whether you are a member or not.
You can contact Bus Users UK:

Via email: enquiries@bususers.org

Via telephone: 0300 111 0001

Via post:
Bus Users
Princes Exchange
Princes Square
LEEDS
LS1 4HY

Experience Northumberland by bus

Why use buses in Northumberland?

Northumberland boasts a world heritage site and two areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB):

It is a place where you can relax and explore your surroundings. Northumberland offers attractions ranging from dramatic ruined castles to miles of golden beaches, and a wealth of country houses, parks and museums.

For an even more relaxing visit, exploring the county by bus relieves the stress of driving during your trip. The bus network is enhanced by a number of seasonal services giving access to most parts of the county.

Planning your visit to Northumberland by bus

Traveline is the easiest way to plan your journey. Please either visit their website, or call Traveline on 0871 200 2233 for more information.
Alternatively, you can use the following bus timetables:

Bus service operator's grant (BSOG)

From 1 January 2014, the Department for Transport (DfT) have paid an annual grant to eligible local authorities in England to replace the Bus Service Operators’ Grant (BSOG) for tendered services which, up until this time, had been paid direct to the bus operators.

As part of the grant conditions, Northumberland Council is required to report on how they have made use of these funds by completing a short survey issued by the DfT, details of which can be found in the Devolved BSOG Grant

Please click here for devolved BSOG Grant Annual Outputs Reports

Here you will find information about reporting damaged bus stops, requesting new stops or shelters.

PLEASE NOTE: In rural Northumberland, town or parish councils are the responsible body for maintaining bus shelters. All queries should be directed to the relevant clerk.

Reporting damage to bus stops

You should report a damaged or dangerous bus stop, or one that has been involved in an accident.
Please click here to report a damaged bus stop.

Requesting a new bus stop

If you wish to propose a new site for a bus stop, please contact highwaysprogramme@northumberland.gov.uk

Requesting a new bus shelter

Members of the public wanting to request a bus shelter in their area should contact their parish or town council.
Parish and town councils wanting to build a new shelter, or to move an existing shelter, should contact the project planning team before arranging any work. This is because the highway authority must agree to the plans.
For parish and town councils requesting a new shelter, please contact highwaysprogramme@northumberland.gov.uk.