Mersea Island - Tide Tables

We made changes to our network on Sunday 20th April 2025. Click here to find out more >

On occasion there will be exceptionally high tides at Mersea Island which will affect our services.

During this time the following services will be required to terminate and start at Peldon:

55A	Colchester to West Mersea	Monday to Saturday
67	Colchester to East Mersea	Thursdays ONLY
68	Highwoods to West Mersea	Monday to Saturday
68A	Colchester to West Mersea	Sundays ONLY
69/69A	Colchester to East Mersea	Tuesdays ONLY

Strong winds can affect our pre-scheduled arrivals/departures from Peldon. Some tides are predicted to be just under height; therefore any bad weather could cause a rise in tide. Please continue to check the First Bus app and our social media channels for up-to-date travel information.

April 2025

To West Mersea (departing from Angel Court, Colchester)

Date:	Day:	High Tide Peak Time:	Bus Time:	Bus Time:	Bus Time:
26/04/2025	Sat	11:50 (4.99m)	10:02	11:02	12:02
27/04/2025	Sun	12:39 (5.19m)	11:45*
28/04/2025	Mon	13:25 (5.29m)	12:02	13:02
29/04/2025	Tue	14:08 (5.27m)	13:02	14:02
30/04/2025	Wed	14:49 (5.13m)	14:02	15:02

*27/04/2025 - Sunday TT - 11:45 - This journey departs from Jump Street, Colchester.

To Colchester (departing from High Street, West Mersea)

Date:	Day:	High Tide Peak Time:	Bus Time:	Bus Time:	Bus Time:
26/04/2025	Sat	11:50 (4.99m)	10:58	11:58	12:58
27/04/2025	Sun	12:39 (5.19m)	12:40
28/04/2025	Mon	13:25 (5.29m)	12:57	13:57
29/04/2025	Tue	14:08 (5.27m)	13:57	14:57
30/04/2025	Wed	14:49 (5.13m)	13:57	14:57	15:52

May 2025

To West Mersea (departing from Angel Court, Colchester)

Date:	Day:	Tide Time (BST)	Height (m)	Bus Time:	Bus Time:	Bus Time:
26/05/2025	Mon	12:12	5.01	11:02	12:02
27/05/2025	Tue	13:03	5.09	12:02	13:02
28/05/2025	Wed	13:51	5.10	13:02	14:02
29/05/2025	Thu	14:35	5.03	14:02	15:02	15:05*

*29/05/2025 - 67 Thursdays TT ONLY - 15:05 - This journey departs from Osborne Street, Colchester.

To Colchester (departing from High Street, West Mersea)

Date:	Day:	Tide Time (BST)	Height (m)	Bus Time:	Bus Time:	Bus Time:
26/05/2025	Mon	12:12	5.01	11:57	12:57
27/05/2025	Tue	13:03	5.09	12:57	13:57
28/05/2025	Wed	13:51	5.10	12:57	13:57	14:57
29/05/2025	Thu	14:35	5.03	13:57	14:57	15:52

This webpage was last updated on: 29/04/2025

Service Changes from 20th April 2025 - North Essex

North Essex

We are making some changes to the Essex bus network from Sunday 20th April 2025. Many of our changes are intended to improve the punctuality of the bus services that we provide. In Colchester, we are combining some services together to provide new connections and in doing this we have made the decision to renumber some services. Scroll down to find downloadable pdf versions of the NEW timetables and the NEW network maps for Essex and Colchester.

Key details:

Service:	Journey:	What's changing?
1A	Greenstead to Shrub End	Revised timetable to improve punctuality.
16A	Barnhall to St Helena School	Service in the morning will start from Stanwell Street (Colchester Bus Station).
68 *68A*	Highwoods to West Mersea	Service 68 - the evening timetable has been revised. The Sunday 86 will be re-numbered to 68A.
87	Horkesley Heath to Brightlingsea	Revised timetable with extra afternoon peak journeys towards Brightlingsea.
88/88A/88B	Colchester to Halstead	Revised timetable – the service will run to a 2 hourly frequency during the off-peak period from Monday to Friday and throughout the day on Saturday.
102 104	Colchester to Harwich	Revised timetable to improve the punctuality of the service.
X20 320	Colchester to Stansted Airport	Revised timetable to improve the punctuality of the service.
S1 51	Highwoods to Wivenhoe	Revised timetable to improve the punctuality of the service. There will be more journeys at peak times from Monday to Friday. Service to be renumbered from S1 to 51.
S2 *52*	Highwoods to Stanway	Revised timetable to improve the punctuality of the service. Service to be renumbered from S2 to 52.
S3 *53/53A*	Colchester to West Bergholt	Revised evening timetable. The NEW 53A service will operate from West Bergholt to Old Heath, Stalin Road. Daytime services are renumbered from S3 to 53 and will now run as one service all the way through from West Bergholt to Rowhedge.
S4 *54*	Colchester to Greenstead	Revised timetable to run at an improved frequency of up to every 7 to 8 minutes, during the day, from Monday to Saturday.
S5	Colchester to Greenstead	WITHDRAWN. This service will no longer operate.
S6/S7 *56/57*	Colchester to Shrub End/St. Michaels	Revised timetable - Services to be renumbered from S6 to 56 and S7 to 57.
S8 *55*	Colchester to Monkwick	Revised timetable - Services to be renumbered from S8 to 55 and 86 to 55A. A small number of 55/55A Monday to Friday peak journeys to start/end at Colchester Hospital.
86 *55A*	Colchester to West Mersea (via Monkwick)	Service 86 is replaced by the NEW 55A service - journeys will provide an hourly service through to West Mersea.
S9 *53*	Colchester to West Bergholt	Service to be renumbered from S9 to 53. The 53 service will operate as one service from Rowhedge to West Bergholt during the day. Evening tendered journeys will terminate at North Station.
S10	Colchester to Colchester Hospital	WITHDRAWN. This service will no longer operate.

All NEW & REVISED timetables are available to view / download here →

Mid Essex

We are making some changes to the Essex bus network from Sunday 20th April 2025. Many of our changes are intended to improve the punctuality of the bus services that we provide. Additionally, we are introducing a NEW Monday to Sunday hourly route - Service 333 from Chelmsford to Heybridge via Maldon. This will provide a 30-minute frequency service from Maldon to Chelmsford from Monday to Saturday. Scroll down to find downloadable pdf versions of the NEW timetables and the NEW network maps for Essex and Maldon.

Key details:

Service	Journey	What's changing?
C1	Galleywood to Broomfield Hospital	Minor changes to the timetable.
C2	Chelmsford to Broomfield Hospital	Revised Monday to Friday timetable, to improve punctuality. Some departure times will change. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
C3	Chelmsford to North Melbourne	Revised Monday to Friday timetable, to improve punctuality. Some departure times will change. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
C7	Chelmsford to Galleywood	Revised Monday to Friday timetable, to improve punctuality. Some departure times will change. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
C8	Chelmsford to Beaulieu Park	Revised Monday to Friday timetable, to improve punctuality. Some departure times will change. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
C11	Chelmsford to Springfield	Revised Monday to Friday timetable, to improve punctuality. Some departure times will change. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
3	Chelmsford to Southend	Minor timetable changes to improve the punctuality of the 3 service.
31/331/332 *333*	Chelmsford to Burnham-on-Crouch	We are introducing a NEW Monday to Sunday hourly route *Service 333* from Chelmsford to Heybridge via Maldon, serving the Westcombe Park area of Heybridge. This will provide a 30-minute frequency service from Maldon to Chelmsford from Monday to Saturday. An hourly service to Maldon will be provided on a Sunday alongside the existing 332 service to Burnham-on-Crouch.
71/X71/371/372	Chelmsford to Colchester	The timetable will be revised to improve punctuality. On school days, a new 16.15 departure will run as service 372 between Chelmsford and Colchester.
*X70*	Colchester to Chelmsford	Additional journey on schooldays only departing at 14:20 from Colchester to Chelmsford.

All NEW & REVISED timetables are available to view / download here →

Service Changes from 20th April 2025 - South Essex

This notice was amended on 17/04/2024 | Reason for amendment: Information added regarding the NEW 3A and 26 services.

South Essex

We are making some changes to the Essex bus network from Sunday 20th April 2025. Many of our changes are intended to improve the punctuality of the bus services that we provide. In the Thurrock area, we are introducing some new connections, with significant changes to our 200 service. Service 200 will connect Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary with Basildon. Scroll down to find downloadable pdf versions of the NEW timetables and the NEW network maps for Essex and the Southend Area.

Key details:

Service	Journey	What's changing?
3	Chelmsford to Southend	Minor timetable changes to improve the punctuality of the 3 service.
9	Basildon to Brentwood	Revised Monday to Saturday timetable to improve punctuality. Departure times have been revised. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
20	Southend to Hullbridge	Revised Monday to Friday timetable to improve punctuality. Some morning journeys will depart earlier than at present. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
21/~~21A~~/21S *3A* *26*	21/21S/26 Shoeburyness/Great Wakering to Canvey Island 3A Leigh-on-Sea to Southend-on-Sea	Revised Monday to Saturday timetable. The 21 will continue to run between Great Wakering and Canvey and will operate to a new timetable, with an hourly service during the daytime. Sunday service remains unchanged. Service 21A will be renumbered as the NEW 26 service and will no longer serve Great Wakering but instead run via Ness Road, to serve Campfield Road, and East Beach in Shoeburyness. Additional short journeys will run between East Beach and Asda (via Campfield Road). The NEW 26 service will also run along London Road, between Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea, restoring connections between London Road and Leigh-on-Sea. The section of route previously provided by the 21A service (via Carlton Avenue) will now be provided by the NEW 3A service. The 3A service will operate on an hourly basis, during the day, Monday to Saturday - now routed via Blenheim Chase. Travel will be free of charge on the section of the 26 route between Bournes Green Roundabout and Shoeburyness, and for the full length of the 3A service, until the service registration process is complete. Please note. this will be revised pending the approval of our application. Service 3A is funded by UK Government through Southend-on-Sea City Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan. Service 26: all journeys, east of Bournes Green Roundabout, are funded by UK Government through Southend-on-Sea City Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.
25	Southend to Basildon	Revised Monday to Friday timetable to improve punctuality. Some morning journeys will depart earlier than at present. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
27	Southend to Canvey, Leigh Beck	Revised Monday to Friday timetable to improve punctuality, with revised departure times from Southend in the morning and afternoon, to improve co-ordination with service 28.
28	Southend to Basildon	Revised Monday to Friday timetable to improve punctuality, with revised departure times from Southend in the morning and afternoon, to improve co-ordination with service 27.
63	Rayleigh to Great Wakering	Revised timetable for punctuality, with some departure times amended. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
100	Basildon to Lakeside	Revised Monday to Friday timetable to improve punctuality. Some morning journeys will depart earlier than at present. The Sunday timetable is also revised. Customers are advised to check the new timetable prior to travel.
200/201	Basildon to Grays	Change to the routing of the 200 service. The service will continue to run between Basildon and Grays but will no longer serve Orsett and instead serve Chadwell St Mary, Tilbury and Little Thurrock, offering new connections to Basildon. The 200 service will replace Ensign's 66 service between Chadwell St Mary, Tilbury, Little Thurrock and Grays. Ensign's 88 service is extending from Stifford Clays to Orsett, to provide an hourly service from Orsett to Grays, in place of First's 200 service. Connections to Orsett from Basildon and Stanford-le-Hope will be provided by the 201, which will operate four times a day, in each direction, from Monday to Friday, subject to regulatory approval. The confirmed timetable for route 201 will be displayed soon.
300	Chelmsford to Basildon	Revised Monday to Friday timetable to improve punctuality. Some morning journeys will depart earlier than at present.
Z3/Z4	Southend/Pitsea to Tilbury	There are no changes to the timetable. However, this will operate as a closed service for Amazon staff only.