MAYOR BACKS IMPROVEMENTS TO SOUTH YORKSHIRE BUS SERVICES

Published 28 August 2025 at 3:30pm

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, has supported improvements to a number of bus services which begin this coming weekend, improving links between residential areas and also to education facilities and business hubs.

 The service improvements, funded by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and the Government’s Bus Grant, mean passengers will benefit from new, extended bus services.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “South Yorkshire needs a public transport network that’s fit for purpose.

 I know that our network needs to be better. More reliable, more accessible and easier to use.
 That’s why I’ve pushed ahead with reforming our bus system at pace. And why, earlier this year, I took the decision to bring our buses back under public control. Because I believe our buses should work for the public. The clue is in the title!

 But until we have a truly world-class public transport network, I’ll keep finding ways to make things better. And I’m proud to be able to fund these latest improvements. Because every step forward brings us closer to the transport system we deserve.”

The changes have been made following consultation with local authorities. Full details, together with information on all service changes, are available at  Travel South Yorkshire service changes page. Among the changes are:

From Saturday 30 August:

• Service 135 Rotherham – Chapeltown (Stagecoach)

Additional journeys will be introduced every 2 hours on Monday to Saturday evenings and on Sundays, reintroducing links to Chapeltown.

From Sunday 31 August:

• Service 7 – Rotherham – Barnsley (Globe Coaches)

Additional journeys will be introduced every 2 hours on Monday to Saturday evenings and on Sundays.

• Service 136 Rotherham – Hoyland (Stagecoach)

Globe Coaches will now operate the service instead of Stagecoach and journeys will run along a revised route to serve Kimberworth Park (Great Park Road, Kimberworth Park Road and Oaks Lane) with a slightly revised route in Thorpe Hesley to serve the western part of the village (Hesley Bar and Hesley Lane).

 The frequency will be reduced from every 90 minutes to every 2 hours and the timetable will be co-ordinated with service 137 on Monday to Saturday evenings and on Sundays to provide a service every 60 minutes between Rotherham and Kimberworth, Church Street.

• Service 137a Rotherham – Meadowhall (Stagecoach)

Reintroduction of evening and Sunday buses, cut by the commercial operator in 2023, operating every 2 hours on Monday to Saturday evenings and on Sundays. It will follow the route of service 137 between Rotherham and Blackburn, West Hill, and then run directly to Meadowhall Interchange along New Droppingwell Road, Blackburn Road and Meadowhall Road.

•  Service 9a Sheffield – Manor Top (TM Travel)
• Service 56 Nether Edge – Sheffield – Manor Park (First Bus)
• Service 83 Sheffield – Chapeltown (First Bus)
• Service 86 Sheffield – Chapeltown (First Bus)

Additional journeys will be introduced on services 9a, 56, 83 and 86 on Monday to Saturday evenings to increase the frequency from every 2 hours to every 60 minutes.

• Service 70a Sheffield – Woodhouse (TM Travel)

The service will be extended from Woodhouse to Meadowhall on Monday to Saturday evenings.
 
 From Woodhouse, this service will run along Stradbroke Road and Richmond Road and then follow the route of service 70 route through to Meadowhall, to provide a new service through Tinsley Park (serving Sheffield Business Park), improving access to employment at both the business park and Waverley.

From Monday 1 September:

• Service 37 – Barnsley – Monk Bretton (SouthPennine)

SYMCA will be funding this new service to partially address the re-routeing of service 39 between Barnsley and Monk Bretton. The service will run during the daytime on Monday to Saturday and run along the same route as the current service 39, between Barnsley Interchange and Monk Bretton (Long Causeway and Bishops Way).

• Service 39 – Barnsley – Upton (Globe Coaches)

Journeys will be re-routed along Pontefract Road, away from Burton Road and Monk Bretton. The service will continue to run between Barnsley and Upton but will no longer run between Upton and Pontefract.

• Service 32 Sheffield – Northern General Hospital (TM Travel)

The service will be extended through to Meadowhall to improve access to employment and education. Additional journeys will be introduced on Monday to Saturday evenings to increase the frequency from every 2 hours to every 60 minutes.

The route will change at Sheffield Lane Top to serve Longley Park College. Hatfield House Lane will no longer be served, and a new service will be introduced along Shiregreen Lane.

In addition to these service updates, there will be changes to the times of some morning and afternoon school bus services. These follow discussions with the schools, and mainly involve new arrival and departure times to better suit the school start and finish times. Some services will also have changes or extensions to their existing route.

A full list of school services for South Yorkshire can be found on the Travel South Yorkshire school buses page.