Fare Changes from Sunday 11 January 2026
We're simplifying our ticket range and introducing some fare changes across Essex services from 11th January
Adult fares starting from just £2
From Sunday 11 January, we're introducing a new, fairer distance-based structure for Single fares across Essex. This means many customers will pay the same or less, with fares better reflecting how far you travel.
Adult Single fares will start from £2 and £2.50, rising to the maximum £3 national fare cap for longer journeys. There will also be a wider range of Single fares available for both adults and children, offering better value and choice.
Adult and child Single fares are shown in the table below.
| Distance (miles) | Adult Single | Child Single |
|---|---|---|
| up to 0.5 miles | £2.00 | £1.50 |
| 0.5 to 2 miles | £2.50 | £1.90 |
| 2-3 miles | £3.00 | £2.30 |
| 3-5 miles | £3.00 | £2.70 |
| 5+ miles | £3.00 | £3.00 |
In addition, there will be price changes to some period tickets, alongside the simplification of our All Essex ticket ranges, combining them into a new Network ticket.
Please see below what your new fares will look like:
Colchester
| Ticket Type | Current Prices | Prices from January 11th |
| Colchester Adult Day | £5.50 | £5.80 |
| Colchester Child Day | £3.70 | £4.30 |
| Colchester 1+2 (High3) | £7.30 | £9.10 |
| Colchester 2+3 (High5) | £11.00 | £11.50 |
| Colchester Adult Week | £22.00 | £22.00 |
| Colchester Child Week | £15.00 | £16.50 |
| Colchester Adult 10-Trip | £25.00 | £25.00 |
| Colchester Child 10-Trip | £20.00 | £20.00 |
| Colchester Adult 4Week | £68.00 | £77.00 |
| Colchester Child 4Week | £49.00 | £58.00 |
| Brightchester Adult Day | £6.00 | £6.50 |
| Brightchester Child Day | £4.00 | £4.80 |
| Brightchester 1+2 (High3) | £8.00 | £10.30 |
| Brightchester 2+3 (High5) | £12.00 | £13.00 |
| Brightchester Adult Week | £24.00 | £26.00 |
| Brightchester Child Week | £16.00 | £19.50 |
| Brightchester Adult 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Brightchester Child 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Brightchester Adult 4Week | £83.00 | £91.00 |
| Brightchester Child 4Week | £55.00 | £68.25 |
Chelmsford |
||
| Ticket Type | Current Prices | Prices from January 11th |
| Chelmsford Adult Day | £6.80 | £7.00 |
| Chelmsford Child Day | £4.40 | £5.20 |
| Chelmsford 1+2 (High3) | £9.20 | £11.20 |
| Chelmsford 2+3 (High5) | £13.60 | £14.00 |
| Chelmsford Adult Week | £27.00 | £28.00 |
| Chelmsford Child Week | £18.00 | £21.00 |
| Chelmsford Adult 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Chelmsford Child 10-Trip | £20.00 | £30.00 |
| Chelmsford Adult 4Week | £93.00 | £98.00 |
| Chelmsford Child 4Week | £62.00 | £73.50 |
Network Tickets (replacing All Essex & Airlink) - valid on all services except 525, 570, 620 and 625 |
||
| Ticket Type | Current Prices | Prices from January 11th |
| Network Adult Day | £12.00 | £12.00 |
| Network Child Day | £7.80 | £9.00 |
| Network 1+2 (High3) | £16.20 | £20.00 |
| Network 2+3 (High5) | £24.00 | £24.00 |
| Network Adult Week | £48.00 | £48.00 |
| Network Child Week | £32.00 | £36.00 |
| Network Adult 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Network Child 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Network Adult 4Week | £168.00 | £168.00 |
| Network Child 4Week | £112.00 | £126.00 |
South Essex |
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| Ticket Type | Current Prices | Prices from January 11th |
| Basildon Inner Adult Day | £6.80 | £7.00 |
| Basildon Inner Child Day | £4.40 | £5.20 |
| Basildon Inner 1+2 (High3) | £9.20 | £11.20 |
| Basildon Inner 2+3 (High5) | £13.60 | £14.00 |
| Basildon Inner Adult Week | £27.00 | £28.00 |
| Basildon Inner Child Week | £18.00 | £21.00 |
| Basildon Inner Adult 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Basildon Inner Child 10-Trip | £20.00 | £30.00 |
| Basildon Inner Adult 4Week | £93.00 | £98.00 |
| Basildon Inner Child 4Week | £62.00 | £73.50 |
| Basildon Outer Adult Day | £9.70 | £10.00 |
| Basildon Outer Child Day | £6.30 | £7.50 |
| Basildon Outer 1+2 (High3) | £13.10 | £16.50 |
| Basildon Outer 2+3 (High5) | £19.40 | £20.00 |
| Basildon Outer Adult Week | £39.00 | £40.00 |
| Basildon Outer Child Week | £26.00 | £30.00 |
| Basildon Outer Adult 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Basildon Outer Child 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Basildon Outer Adult 4Week | £135.00 | £140.00 |
| Basildon Outer Child 4Week | £90.00 | £105.00 |
| Southend Adult Day | £6.00 | £6.00 |
| Southend Child Day | £4.00 | £4.50 |
| Southend 1+2 (High3) | £8.00 | £9.50 |
| Southend 2+3 (High5) | £12.00 | £12.00 |
| Southend Adult Week | £22.00 | £23.00 |
| Southend Child Week | £16.00 | £17.00 |
| Southend Adult 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Southend Child 10-Trip | £20.00 | £30.00 |
| Southend Adult 4Week | £68.00 | £70.00 |
| Southend Child 4Week | £49.00 | £52.50 |
| Brentwood Adult Day | £4.60 | £5.00 |
| Brentwood Child Day | £3.00 | £3.70 |
| Brentwood 1+2 (High3) | £6.20 | £7.70 |
| Brentwood 2+3 (High5) | £9.20 | £10.00 |
| Brentwood Adult Week | £18.50 | £20.00 |
| Brentwood Child Week | £12.50 | £15.00 |
| Brentwood Adult 10-Trip | £30.00 | £30.00 |
| Brentwood Child 10-Trip | £20.00 | £22.50 |
| Brentwood Adult 4Week | £64.00 | £70.00 |
| Brentwood Child 4Week | £42.50 | £52.50 |
Why not download the First Bus app to plan your trip using our journey planner, track buses in real time or purchase tickets before you travel.
