Planned changes to the timetable and fares for the Goole + Howden Hopper bus service will come into effect in June.

The Goole + Howden Hopper is currently operating as a pilot project but has proved incredibly popular, with between 5,000 and 6,000 journeys being made each month. The Goole Town Deal Board announced the changes last month as part of its efforts to ensure that that the service is able to continue beyond the lifespan of the Town Deal programme by making it less reliant on public subsidy.

Earlier this year almost 800 people shared their views as part of a consultation exercise and this feedback was used to develop a revised timetable (see below) incorporating an additional stop at the Ozone Business Park near Howden, where Yara UK’s new £50 million fertiliser factory will open later this year, and another opposite the Tesco supermarket in Goole. 

The new timetable will come into effect from Wednesday 11 June, 2025. Further changes have been made to better align it with train services at both Goole and Howden Stations. Also, because there’s lower demand for the service on weekday evenings, only one of the two Goole + Howden Hopper buses will run at those times. This will make it easier for the buses to be serviced and maintained.

As of Monday 9 June, 2025, the fare for a single journey will increase from £1 to £2, and the cost of a weekly ticket from £5 to £7. Both fees will still be well below the national bus fare cap of £3 per journey. The vast majority of those who took part in the consultation exercise said they would be willing to pay higher fares to ensure that the service can continue.