The new Palmerston North and Ashhurst network went live on 4 March. You can now enjoy fast, direct, frequenty and simple routes across the city.
Palmerston North and Ashhurst will see some big changes to the way the bus service operates from March 2024. Routes will change to be more direct, operating through the city rather than meandering around the suburbs. The frequency will dramatically increase, while the fleet will be the first fully electric fleet in the country. Horizons Regional Council decided in March 2023 to award the Palmerston North and Ashhurst bus contract for the next nine years to Tranzit Coachlines, the current network operator. Horizons, Palmerston North City Council and Tranzit will be working together over the coming months to deliver an improved service with enhanced infrastructure to support it. The improvements will coincide with Connect, Horizons' public transport brand, being rolled out across the network. Follow Connect on Facebook and Instagram to get the most up-to-date information, including previews of the new buses and handy tips to make using the network as easy as possible.
New timetables are available online now. Printed copies are also available at our service centres, on board the bus, at the isite in Te Marae o Hine - The Square, or from Palmerston North City Council's customer service centre. To see timetables and stop maps online, scroll to the bottom of our download a timetable page. These timetables and stop maps are subject to change. If you would like any of these printed, please pop in to one of our service centres. We have also updated the Transit app with the new network lines. The Transit app is the easiest, most up-to-date way to get information about the new network. You can also use it to plan your trips, get real-time alerts on when your bus is approaching your stop, and give information about your trip. Download the Transit app for free here.
Download a printable version of the network map here.
There will be three lines similar to existing Massey services. The services have been tweaked to support the urban services rather than operating separately. The new network will have additional connections to Massey at key travel times.
The route for this line will not change. However, there will be a large increase in service, with seven return trips Monday to Friday and four return trips on Saturday and Sunday.
Things will be a bit different for people arriving in the centre of Palmerston North at the Main St Bus Hub once the new network goes live. Since the circular routes are being replaced by straight lines, buses along the same line will stop at different platforms depending on the direction they're heading in. The easiest way to figure out where to catch the bus is to remember the following: arrive at one platform, leave from the other. If your bus from home into the hub stops at Platform 3 (the side nearest the courthouse), you'll leave to get home from Platform 2 (the side nearest Downtown). Travelling to Ashhurst, Feilding, Marton, Taihape, Whanganui or Levin? You always catch the bus from Platform 1 - the small shelters on the footpath between the historic post office building and Downtown. The table below gives a full breakdown of what direction buses will head when you catch them from the Main St Bus Hub.
The new network will see buses no longer go down some streets and begin going down others. This is a result of the new network having routes focused on being more direct. All these changes are in Palmerston North, since Ashhurst's line is not changing. The downloadable table below includes all the details on street changes, broken down to say which sections of streets will see changes.
Palmerston North City Council also has an interactive map showing where new stops and shelters are proposed to go, and what current stops will no longer operate. View it by clicking or tapping here.
Horizons and Palmerston North City Council successfully secured $6.9 million from the Transport Choices Package to upgrade Palmerston North’s and Ashhurst’s bus stop infrastructure to support the rollout of the new network. The two councils will work together to deliver these improvements in the coming months. While Horizons runs the network, Palmerston North City Council owns the bus stops and shelters. That means Palmerston North City Council will be doing the work to install new shelters. You can keep up to date with information about the new shelters, including designs and locations, on the Palmerston North City Council website. Palmerston North City Council asked for public feedback on proposed locations for new bus stops and shelters. This public consultation closed at 4pm on Sunday 17 September 2023. The city council is also talking directly with landowners, tenants and direct neighbours of stops where shelters would also be installed. As Palmerston North City Council goes through the process of resolving objections to bus shelter locations, it will be errecting temporary bus stops where there are objections. This does not prejudice people's objections, and may result in these temporary stops not becoming permanent. We will update this information as we get it to ensure minimal disruption.
If you have any questions about the shelters, please email busshelters@pncc.govt.nz. If you have questions about buses or routes, please visit this section of the Horizons website or email transport@horizons.govt.nz. For more information about the Waka Kotahi Transport Choices programme, which is funding upgrades to shelters and stops, head to Transport Choices programme.