Bus service timetables and journey planning

Cheshire East is in National Lockdown - to help stop the spread, think before you travel

In line with Government guidance, all residents need to reduce non-essential travel as much as possible to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and save lives. There will be increasing checks and enforcement action across the transport network including fines for those breaching the rules. For further information on National Lockdown restrictions, visit the Government's coronavirus guidance page.

Safety guidance when travelling

If you do need to make an essential journey, stay local – avoid travelling outside the part of Cheshire East where you live.
Reduce the number of journeys you make and walk or cycle if you can.
If you need to use public transport, you must wear a face covering at the stops and on the bus unless exempt and follow safety guidelines – follow the operator's instructions, keep your distance from other passengers, clean your hands frequently and use contactless payment if possible.
If you are using public transport, plan ahead, allow extra time for your journey, consider travelling outside peak times and using quieter routes. Make sure to check with the operator before travel as some services may be suspended or reduced at short notice.

You must wear a face covering unless you are exempt - if you do not you may be refused travel or fined. Exemptions include young children, people with disabilities and those with breathing difficulties
Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or support bubble.

If you’re clinically extremely vulnerable, please check the latest government guidance.

Bus passes - free travel before 9.30am from Thursday 21 January to support the vaccine rollout

To help support the Governments vaccine rollout for the most vulnerable people from Thursday 21 January all English National Travel Concessionary bus pass holders are allowed to travel free of charge before 9.30am. All bus operators have been informed about these changes and asked to update their staff of the changes.

Travelling Safely on FlexiLink

Cheshire East Council's demand-responsive FlexiLink service restarted on 3 August 2020. Please see specific guidance for using the FlexiLink service during the pandemic.

Bus pass applications and replacements

Eligible Cheshire East residents can apply for an older person’s or disabled person’s bus pass via the new Cheshire East Bus Pass Portal. You can also use the portal to replace lost or damaged cards (£10 fee applies).

Please contact the relevant Library to confirm they are open as you will now need to book an appointment for any bus pass related enquiries. Information can be found at Cheshire East Council Libraries. Please note the Customer Centres at Macclesfield Town Hall and Delamere House remain closed until further notice.

Shopmobility Services

There are number of shopmobility services that operate within the Cheshire East Borough. See our Shopmobility service pages for details.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 virus pandemic and Government instructions for people to work from home and self-isolate, some of our services continue to be reduced or suspended. We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause and we look forward to reintroducing services as soon as it is safe to do so.

If you know your bus route number use the bus timetable list to go to the buses page for details of times and fares or use the bus and rail maps to help plan your journey on the bus network.

You may be able to use one of the community and flexible transport services that operate in East Cheshire to complete your journey.

If you are of eligible age or disabled you may qualify for a senior or disabled persons bus pass or senior and disabled persons railcard.

There are also other railcards available to passengers.

Planning your journey online or by phone

Door to door travel planning

You can use the Traveline journey planner to find routes and times for your journey anywhere in Great Britain, or click on the icons at the top of the journey planning box to find live departures or look up a timetable for buses and trams that cover all the stops served.

You can plan your journey with the help of the Traveline telephone service by calling 0871 200 22 33 (12p per minute from landlines and mobiles, plus your phone companies access charge).

The English Traveline call centre opening hours are 7am to 10pm most days. You can find full details on Travelines website.

You can also track your bus in real time with the operators listed below

Bus operator contact details and complaints

Contact the operator for further information regarding individual services and fare information

Arriva 0344 800 44 11
D&G Bus 01270 252 970
First 0345 602 0121
High Peak Buses 0844 351 1120
Hollinshead's Coaches 01782 512209
Mikro Coaches 01270 588 867
Stagecoach 0161 273 3377
Compliments and complaints about bus services

Bus service changes, disruption information and notices

You can find further information on the Cheshire East public transport news and notices page

You can also track your bus in real time with the operators listed below