Palmerston North and Ashhurst had some big changes to the way bus services operate from March 2024. Routes changed to be more direct, operating through the city rather than meandering around the suburbs. The frequency dramatically increased, while the fleet became the first fully electric fleet in Australasia. Horizons Regional Council decided in March 2023 to award the Palmerston North and Ashhurst bus contract for the next nine years to Tranzit Coachlines. Horizons, Palmerston North City Council and Tranzit are working together to deliver the improved service with enhanced infrastructure to support it. The improvements 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 handy tips to make using the network as easy as possible.
These changes put the start and end of lines closer to toilets, which is important for drivers. They also add increased coverage, especially for the Highbury suburb, and enable us to better use the fleet of buses to ensure reliable timings at peak hours. We will be updating timetables, maps, information at stops, and the Transit app to ensure people know where to go once the changes are live. Have a look at the interactive map below to see how the network will run from 1 March 2025.
Timetables are available online. Printed copies are also available at our service centres, on board the bus, at the isite in Te Marae o Hine - The Square, and 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. The Transit app is the best way to navigate public transport in the Horizons Region. You can 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.
This map is current until 1 March 2025, when small tweaks will come to the network. See information & map above to see how the network will operate from 1 March 2025.
Download a printable version of the network map here.
There are three lines similar to the old Massey services. The services have been tweaked to support the urban services rather than operating separately. The new network has additional connections to Massey at key travel times.
The route for this line did not change. However, there was a large increase in service, with seven return trips Monday to Friday and four return trips on Saturday and Sunday.
Things are different for people arriving in the centre of Palmerston North at the Main St Bus Hub now the new network is live. Since the circular routes were replaced by straight lines, buses along the same line now 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.
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 are working 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 installs and maintains 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 talked directly with landowners, tenants and direct neighbours of stops where shelters would be installed.
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.