Service 3: Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea

First Essex operates the 3 bus service which travels between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea; a convenient route for students travelling to and from school in Chelmsford.

The service operates, at school opening and closure times, Monday to Friday. The current 3 timetable can be found here

Tickets:

We offer a selection of ticket options to choose from which are calculated in-line with the school calendar year (and school opening and closure times). The price of this service can be discounted with the purchase of bulk travel.

Work out which ticket you need:

Southend-on-Sea/Leigh-on-Sea/Hadleigh/Daws Heath to Chelmsford Schools
Battlesbridge/Rettendon to Chelmsford Schools
East Hanningfield/Howe Green to Chelmsford Schools
Thundersley/Rayleigh/Rawreth to Chelmsford Schools
Rettendon/Battlesbridge to The Sweyne Park School

We have you covered for the academic year 2024/2025:

Autumn Term: 2nd September 2024 to 20th December 2024

Spring Term: 6th January 2025 to 4th April 2025

Summer Term: Valid 22nd April 2025 to 22nd July 2025

All prices exclude half-term breaks and school holidays.

If a student travels without a valid bus pass they will be asked to pay the on-bus fare with cash.

Where to buy:

Select and purchase your ticket via our website.

Your ticket is now issued as a travel card (utilising smart card technology). For all your travel card FAQS, please visit: www.firstbus.co.uk/essex/smart

The ticket will be pre-loaded, on the travel card, and dispatched in the next available post (1st class delivery).

BUY TICKET

>>> Service Changes from Sunday 27th July 2025

We are making minor changes to the Essex bus network from Sunday 27th July 2025.

Key details:

We are making some minor changes to services for the duration of the summer school holiday period ONLY. This is to reflect lower demand and provide more appropriate running times when traffic levels are lighter in the morning and afternoon. In Colchester, the 54 service will operate a Sunday service, every 15 minutes - improving frequency. There are also changes to the 88 service which will now be provided by konectbuses during the daytime - Monday to Saturday.

Service	Journey	What's changing?
9	Basildon to Brentwood	Revised Monday to Friday timetable.
20	Southend to Hullbridge	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
21	Landwick Cottages to Canvey Island	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
25	Southend to Basildon Bus Station	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
27	Southend to Canvey Island	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
28	Southend to Basildon	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
300	Chelmsford to Basildon	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
31/331/332/333	Chelmsford to Burnham-on-Crouch	Minor timetable change. Service 332: The Monday to Friday TT - 16:00 departure from Chelmsford Bus Station will not operate during the summer school holidays.
336	Chelmsford to South Woodham Ferrers	Sunday service - DAYTIME services are withdrawn and will no longer operate.
X30	Southend to Stansted Airport	Revised Monday to Friday timetable.
52	Stanway to Highwoods	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
54	Colchester to Greenstead	Revised Monday to Sunday timetable. Improved frequency on Sundays - to operate every 15 minutes.
55	Colchester to Monkwick	Minor changes to the Sunday timetable.
56	Colchester to Layer de la Haye	Minor changes to the Sunday timetable.
57	Colchester to Baronswood Way	Minor changes to the Sunday timetable.
75	Colchester to Maldon	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
87	Horkesley Heath to Brightlingsea	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays. Frequency of service to operate every 30 minutes on weekdays.
88/88A/88B	Colchester to Halstead	The Monday to Friday DAYTIME and Saturday service will be operated by konectbuses. First Essex Buses will continue to operate the Monday to Friday EVENING service and Sunday services.
X20	Braintree to Stansted Airport	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays.
320	Great Notley to Colchester	A revised Monday to Friday timetable will operate during the summer school holidays. Service 320: Monday to Friday TT - 16:13 departure from Colchester Station will not operate during the summer school holiday period.

The NEW timetables are available to download/print here ↓

>>> TEMPORARY TIMETABLE | Service 73/73A/73B | Langford Road, Langford | ROAD CLOSED

Langford Road, Langford will be closed between Witham Road and Maypole Road from Wednesday 23rd July to Sunday 31st August 2025

The 73 (all variants) will be diverted, in both directions, via Witham Road (B1018), Langford Road, Maldon Road, Blue Mills Hill, Witham Road, The Street and Maypole Road.

Two temporary stops will be installed at Langford Church and Mill House Hotel.

The following stops will not be served:

Langford Place
Langford Church

A temporary timetable will be in place, for the duration of the road closure, 23/07/2025 - 31/08/2025:

CHELMSFORD - HATFIELD PEVEREL - HEYBRIDGE - MALDON
	73	73	73	73B	73	73	[ ]
Chelmsford, Bus Station	07:00	10:00	12:00	14:00	16:30	17:55	-
Springfield The Plough	07:11	10:11	12:12	14:12	16:42	18:07	-
Springfield, adj Sainsburys	07:15	10:15	12:16	14:16	16:46	18:11	-
Boreham Village St Andrew Church	-	-	-	14:22	-	-	-
Boreham, Waltham Road	07:21	10:21	12:22	14:25	16:52	18:17	-
Hatfield Peverel, Duke of Wellington	07:25	10:25	12:26	14:29	16:56	18:21	-
Hatfield Peverel, Nounsley Corner	07:29	10:29	12:30	14:33	17:00	18:25	-
Ulting, Does Corner	07:32	10:32	12:34	14:37	17:04	18:29	-
Langford Mill House Hotel	07:36	10:36	12:38	14:41	17:08	18:33	-
↓ NON-STOP VIA WICKHAM BISHOPS TO HEYBRIDGE HOLLOWAY ROAD ↓
Heybridge, Benbridge Hotel	07:58	10:58	13:00	15:02	17:30	18:54	-
Heybridge, Lawlings Avenue	08:01	11:02	13:04	15:06	17:34	18:58	-
Heybridge Basin, The Colliers	08:06	11:06	13:08	15:10	17:38	19:02	-
Maldon Tesco Store	08:13	11:13	13:15	15:17	17:45	19:09	-
Maldon, White Horse	08:15	11:16	13:18	15:20	17:48	19:12	-
Maldon, Fambridge Road	08:17	11:19	13:21	15:23	17:51	19:15	-
Maldon, Cherry Gardens	08:20	11:22	13:24	15:26	17:54	19:18	-
MALDON - HEYBRIDGE - HATFIELD PEVEREL - CHELMSFORD
	73A	73B	73	73	73	73	73
Maldon, Cherry Gardens	-	08:25	11:30	13:30	15:30	18:00	-
Maldon, Milton Road	-	-	-	-	-	-	20:50
Maldon, Washington Road	-	08:28	11:33	13:33	15:33	18:03	-
Maldon, All Saints Church	-	08:31	11:36	13:36	15:36	18:06	20:55
Maldon Tesco Store	-	08:34	11:39	13:39	15:39	18:09	-
Heybridge, Lawlings Avenue	-	08:41	11:46	13:46	15:46	18:16	-
Heybridge Basin, The Colliers	07:05	08:45	11:50	13:50	15:50	18:20	-
Heybridge, Benbridge Hotel	07:10	08:50	11:55	13:55	15:55	18:25	20:59
↓ NON-STOP FROM HEYBRIDGE HOLLOWAY ROAD VIA WICKHAM BISHOPS ↓
Langford opp Church, Maldon Road	07:29	09:09	12:14	14:14	16:14	18:43	21:18
Ulting, Does Corner	07:33	09:13	12:18	14:18	16:18	18:47	21:21
Hatfield Peverel, Nounsley Corner	07:37	09:17	12:22	14:22	16:22	18:51	21:25
Hatfield Peverel, Station Road	07:41	09:21	12:26	14:26	16:26	18:55	21:29
Boreham, Waltham Road	07:45	09:25	12:30	14:30	16:30	18:59	21:33
Boreham Village, St Andrew Church	-	09:28	-	-	-	-	-
Springfield, opp Sainsburys	07:52	09:34	12:37	14:37	16:37	19:06	21:40
Springfield The Plough	-	09:38	12:41	14:41	16:41	19:10	21:44
Chancellor Park, Eglinton Drive	07:57	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chelmer Village, Shopping Centre	08:00	-	-	-	-	-	-
Springfield Park Sandford Road	08:05	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chelmsford Rail Station, Victoria Road	08:16	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chelmsford Bus Station	08:20	09:48	12:51	14:15	16:51	19:20	21:52
Chelmsford, New London Road, H&M	08:22	-	-	-	-	-	-
Moulsham, Oaklands Park	08:30	-	-	-	-	-	-

The TEMPORARY timetable is available to download/print here ↓