Sheffield Connect was relaunched back in March 2024 after the delivery of four brand new, fully electric buses and expanded the service by offering a second city centre-based route. Since then, more than 78,000 passengers have used the completely free hop on, hop off service, helping them to get around the city centre.
It’s been an incredible year for Sheffield Connect since it relaunched back in 2024, and I’m delighted to see so many people are now using the service every single day. Between the two routes, residents and visitors to the city centre are now able to get around for free, linking up several of the most popular areas including Atkinson’s department store, Sheffield City Hall and our fabulous Heart of the City development.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee
Figures covering the first nine months since the relaunch show more than 40,000 passengers used Sheffield Connect Route 1, compared with 16,500 passengers before the service went fully electric.
The addition of Sheffield Connect Route 2, which covers areas of the city centre including Moor Market, Haymarket, Arundel Gate, and Snig Hill among many other stops, has seen more than 37,000 passengers use it since it launched in March 2024.
The success of Sheffield Connect is another example of how our city centre is transforming. With more people living, working and visiting Sheffield, we’re creating a city centre everyone can be proud of. People have told us they want a quick, easy and free way to get around everything the city centre has to offer — and that’s exactly why we introduced this service. Now we want to encourage even more people to jump onboard.
As part of our Connecting Sheffield programme, we’re transforming the city to make bus travel more attractive, as we move towards bus franchising that has just been announced by South Yorkshire’s Mayor’s Oliver Coppard. The success of our two Sheffield Connect services shows that when you provide a high-quality, reliable service, people will use it. The introduction of four fully electric buses has also helped to improve the air we breathe in the city centre — something we’re determined to build on. With our new £11.3 million fund, we’re now looking forward to helping electrify even more of Sheffield’s bus fleet, further improving air quality and enhancing the passenger experience.Cllr Miskell
Sheffield Connect Routes 1 and 2 are delivered in partnership with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and Sheffield City Council as part of the Connecting Sheffield: City Centre project and operated by South Pennine Community Transport. Find timetables on the Travel South Yorkshire website.