From Monday 5 January, a number of planned changes to the timetable for the Goole + Howden Hopper bus service will come into effect. 

These changes are being made in response to a marked increase in demand from customers at certain times of day, but also aim to connect with the most popular train services at both Howden Station and Goole Station. Efforts have been made accommodate passengers using the buses to commute to and from work, school and college, whilst also maintaining regular services throughout the day for people travelling between Goole  and Howden for shopping and leisure purposes. These latest changes to the timetable reflect the continuing success of the Goole + Howden Hopper, but also demonstrates the ongoing commitment to adjusting services accordingly to ensure that everyone who needs to use the buses at particularly busy times of day is able to do so.

The updated timetable can be viewed here and will also be shared on the Goole Town Deal Facebook and LinkedIn pages. A limited number of paper copies will also be available for passengers to pick up on the buses.

Meanwhile, the timetable for the Christmas and New Year holiday period is as follows:

Christmas Eve: Last service will be 17.08 from Goole and 17.35 from Howden.

Christmas Day: No service,

Boxing Day: No Service.

Period between Christmas and New Year: Normal Service.

New Year’s Eve: Last service will be 17.08 from Goole and 17.35 from Howden.

Monday 5 January onwards: New timetable comes into effect.

The Goole + Howden Hopper bus service was initially funded by the Goole Town Deal programme as a pilot project and has proved incredibly popular, with around 5,000 journeys being made each month, on average. With the Goole Town Deal regeneration programme now in its final few months, the Board is working with partners and stakeholders to explore ways to ensure that the bus service can continue beyond the lifespan of Goole Town Deal. Discussions between East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Public Transport team and Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority, which will be responsible for deciding how future Government funding allocations for transport are spent, are continuing and all potential funding sources are being considered.

Phil Jones, Chair of the Goole Town Deal Board, said: “The Goole + Howden Hopper has, without doubt, been one of the runaway success stories of the Goole Town Deal programme and a huge amount of work is taking place behind the scenes to try to ensure that it can continue to operate beyond the lifespan of Goole Town Deal.

“It was launched in May 2024 as a pilot project to improve connectivity between the railway stations at Goole and Howden, in and around Goole town centre, and with key employment sites on the edge of town. For the last 18 months, we’ve listened closely to feedback from users and carefully monitored passenger numbers to get a clear picture of demand, reviewing and refining the timetable accordingly to try to serve people’s transport needs as well as we possibly can. These latest changes are a further example of that, reflecting the increased demand for services at certain times of day on specific routes, as well as broader feedback received from customers as our knowledge and understanding of their transport needs has increased.”

Two 19-seat buses provided the Goole + Howden Hopper bus service, which is operated by local firm Sweynes Coaches.