Just remembering that we used to have a network of late night bus services running all over the City back in the mid 80's. I think there was a Midnight service on most major routes, and then one more followed by a final 2.15am service which also covered most main routes and suited the nightclub revellers. I think it was £1 flat fare on any late night bus but they were very well patronised...all went from High Street and had numbers beginning with the prefix 9.

Now taxi drivers wont like this at all, but does anyone think bringing back the late night bus services here would be a winner? We are one of few Cities now that does NOT have any kind of late bus network and way way behind everyone else. Taxis are just more and more expensive so why dont Mainline and Supertram get there act together and cash in on the ENORMOUS late night market, especially at weekends.

Mainline would be on to a profitable series of routes with some kind of standard late night fare. I remember you could get buses to just about every area until 2.15am, only the minor routes stopped at 11.15pm. Several routes were shovelled together and one late bus served them all, ie the 51/52/60 routes were all mixed together somehow in a kind of circular route.

Has anyone got any comments about this poll? Come on, your opinions as well.......

I cannot see First SY bringing back the old Nightliner network or even the 24 hour service it had on the 52 service until a couple of years ago.
Our request should go to the smaller players like TM Travel or even to some of the coach operators in Sheffield to shake up First SY.

There must have been a genuiihe reason for removing them i'd guess Goldenfleece. Maybe the usage was low or the hassle was too great.

I agree it would be welcome and on a Friday/saturday night having buses departing at 1AM or 2AM would be of use to many. But how many drivers want to carry a bunch of drunks and what is the cost of cleaning up after them.

I'm sure that 90% of the people who use the bus services are genuine people who want to get home but you will have a small element who will want to be destructive and cause mayhem. Maybe ask First why they were withdrawn?

I used a night bus home from Friday and Saturday nights out until only a few years ago.

The night bus to Bradway used to be the 916 at midnight and 917 at 2:30am, which did a circular route taking in Abbeydale, Totley, Bradway, Norton, Woodseats, Norton Lees and Meersbrook.

Then when Valley Centretainment opened, the services changed. The midnight bus became the 975, and went the normal 75 route, and the 2:30am bus became the 921 and started back from outside Club Wow at Centretainment at 2:15am, picked up in town on Arundel Gate, then went via route 97 to Totley, then up to Bradway and Meadowhead. These were not at all advertised and the very existence seemed to be like a state secret.

When the routes were shook up and the Bradway bus was changed to 25A and the 76 became an Overground route, the 921 was withdrawn and replaced with buses on route 76 that left town at midnight and 2:30am.

However the 76 route proved less popular (although still loaded OK), despite normal fares applying for the first time, and First withdrew them citing lack of demand.

However it was quite obvious they was a closure by stealth going on as they were not exactly promoted, and First didn't have enough drivers to work the daytime buses, never mind night time ones!

Whilst I think that the bus services would be valuable to Sheffield as a whole, I also know that I wouldn't be using them.

This has a number of reasons, including the fact that I rarely go out in town at night, and on the occasions that I do, I drive myself and park near to wherever I'm visiting as I don't drink while out and about (I take pills which mean I get smashed on two sips of a g&t so if I'm out I drink fruit juice). So personally I have no need of these services, but for anyone on a low income, factoring in the cost (and hassle) of getting a cab must be a total bind.

My opinion is that they well be welcomed wormly (sp?) esspecially by students and the young people out in town like myself. For me it costs over a tenner to get home in a taxi after a night out and it just hikes up the price of a decent night out. I live on a major bus route (97/97A) and i have always wondered why they dont put a late bus on there as it would make it so much easier for everyone.

If they put a service going to the student areas then which ever bus company would definetly get the passanger through fair to pay it off and make a tidy profit into the bargin. If First SY did it, then there reputation may even improve.....though it would need to be advertised well!

We should have a night bus network - most other cities do. It may even reduce drink driving.

It would also help to further develop the night time economy as I know the cost of taxis does put people off.

So, who should be organising this? SYPTE?

It Was SYPTE previously.....it was quite a revolutionary step back in 1984 when they launched the late night bus services to bring SHeffield more in line with other big Cities......they printed their own night timetables and posters and everything....

Of all the late buses I remember getting, never saw any trouble, yes rowdy drunk 'townies' but enevr once saw a fight or anyone throwing up on the bus. Of course, times have changed and people drink a whole lot more these days..........

I cant remember when they stopped running them specifically, they just kind of faded away, but they were always very full.

Perhaps the lure and comfort of a black cab is too much these days for people? Maybe no one WOULD get on a bus anymore full of loud drunks.....

Also, I think SHeffield population in general was much poorer overall in the 80's......much more affluent today.

Bring back the all-night 52!

Originally posted by goldenfleece
Perhaps the lure and comfort of a black cab is too much these days for people? Maybe no one WOULD get on a bus anymore full of loud drunks.....

Also, I think SHeffield population in general was much poorer overall in the 80's......much more affluent today.

When you can actually manage to get a cab.......

Originally posted by Andy C
When you can actually manage to get a cab.......


tell me about it....had a right job last night trying to find one....

Originally posted by youwhatref
There must have been a genuiihe reason for removing them i'd guess Goldenfleece. Maybe the usage was low or the hassle was too great.

I agree it would be welcome and on a Friday/saturday night having buses departing at 1AM or 2AM would be of use to many. But how many drivers want to carry a bunch of drunks and what is the cost of cleaning up after them.

I'm sure that 90% of the people who use the bus services are genuine people who want to get home but you will have a small element who will want to be destructive and cause mayhem. Maybe ask First why they were withdrawn?

I don't think that First would even consider bringing back night buses its just too much trouble times have changed from even the mid 80s /90/s when there was relatively little trouble on the services now with the advent of the 'Chav' culture and many more undesirables who would get on and cause mayhem.

I disagree with the comments about the buses being full of trouble makers that have drunk too much.

From reading other threads, i would reckon that the bus drivers already have a lot of hassle with kids on the way home from school so they would be used to dealing with similar problems.

However, thats not to say that the same sort of mischief would occur with people on their way back after a night on the town - note the fact that there have been no reports whatsoever (well, i havent' heard any) about increases in levels of violence and disorderly behaviour with effect of the extended drinking hours. I think it has already been discussed on here the fact that a lot of people actually prefer to stay in with a few drinks than go out, so i don't think it would be that busy on the buses anyway - especially when the students are not here.

I remember the 52 used to run until some early hr of the morning a few years back, which was handy for depositing students (and me at the time) back to Broomhill and Crookes. Always seemed to just miss it though when walking up to West Street from wherever I'd been and by the time I got there I carried on walking home.

That's a bit unrealistic now I live in Wincobank and they probably wouldn't put a late bus on to there as I doubt it would be cost effective - except...when I see buses going past after about 6pm they seldom have more than a couple of people on them and often they're empty anyway.

Last time I went out in the centre it cost me nearly a tenner to get back in a black cab and I've had trouble getting taxis to go to Wincobank before - they reckon they're 'not going over that side at this time of night' !! That's like London cabbies with their 'not going South of the river' thing. It's not *that* far. I've walked it in just over an hour. Not in heels at 3am though...

i wouldnt mind the 13,14 or the 25a to be 24hour buses would be easier for me to get home but they would probabily get smashed up in the manor or woodthorpe estate

Originally posted by free2rhyme
i wouldnt mind the 13,14 or the 25a to be 24hour buses would be easier for me to get home but they would probabily get smashed up in the manor or woodthorpe estate


I do not think that night buses will return to the streets of Sheffield and surrounding area's I believe that less buses not more will be around in the evenings before long thanks largely to pillock cap wearing morons smashing bus windows etc bus companies are no longer going to put up with this sort of thing.

The 25A certainly will never go 24 hour - they stopped running is after 6pm on the Sheffield-Woodhouse section because it was deemed unsafe as the buses kept getting vandalised and the drivers attacked & robbed. Then the Sheffield-Bradway section got replaced by the 53 to cut costs.

Originally posted by Andy C
The 25A certainly will never go 24 hour - they stopped running is after 6pm on the Sheffield-Woodhouse section because it was deemed unsafe as the buses kept getting vandalised and the drivers attacked & robbed. Then the Sheffield-Bradway section got replaced by the 53 to cut costs.

oh yes i remeber now they i have heard rumours that they are threatening to take the 14 off at night but this cant be true as there would be no night buses in woodhouse village (apart from 30) or down stradbrooke,manor,manor park or bottom part of wybourn,hyde park

as anyone else heard this?

Those late night buses were great places to cop off.

I met more girls on the bus than in the clubs.

Always chocka block with revellers and usually lots of fun.

Ahh the good ol' days.


VOTE YES (Bring em back).

Not for me, but the next generation of "media labelled" binge drinkers.

never experienced the sheff night bus but went to uni in manchester and the buses run all night all over the city and they are rammed!!! flat fee no matter where you are going and a load of ****** up people - right laff

I voted yes.

As a 20 yr-old female I always feel uncomfortable getting a cab back alone - despite the extra time it takes I feel more comfortable walking home (a longer way along main roads) alone. I would very much welcome night buses.

Yet again another bus issue - what is wrong with this city?

First (no pun) there is an obsession with not paying the required fare set by the private companies, now you want them to run the same service at night? If you learn your lessons you would know that the only way a night service can run is if it can make a profit. To do that fares on the daytime would have to go up to make up for the extra expense.

I remember the 80s night services especially the 52 from High Street when it was a two way road. Back in those days very few people actually lived in the city centre excluding say Park Hill Flats. Now more housing has been built in the city centre, more people in the city centre at night would be those residents, do you think they are going to subsidise the people trying to get home elsewhere?

Please dont bring a night service back. If those fortunate enough to spend their money on drinks in the city centre need transport they can also afford the cab fare home.

kal77uk you make a very valid point. I had not really considered the city centre living aspect to be honest.....possibly a LARGE precentage of the night time revellers these days are residents of the City centre itself, and so late night buses would fail to make any kind of profit at all.

I wonder how many people actually live within the city entre...does it run into many thousands at the moment?

kal77uk you make a very valid point. I had not really considered the city centre living aspect to be honest.....possibly a LARGE precentage of the night time revellers these days are residents of the City centre itself, and so late night buses would fail to make any kind of profit at all.

I wonder how many people actually live within the city entre...does it run into many thousands at the moment?

There are a few hundred i have come across, they arent the majority for sure but they are not your everday Sheffielder. Most of them have moved due to house prices in the south and company relocations. The problem you will find as they have done in Liverpool, Manchester, Docklands London and Birmingham etc is that they wont blend into the city. Hence when it comes to things like night buses, free city centre parking, new schools etc they wont want to pay.

Previous posts have referred to the drinkers and clubbers as being those to benefit most. This is only true to a certain extent but how many clubbers will live in the same area and be at the same bus stop when the bus departs?

With the current crime rates many drivers probably wont want to take the risk anyway.

Yet again another bus issue - what is wrong with this city?

First (no pun) there is an obsession with not paying the required fare set by the private companies, now you want them to run the same service at night? If you learn your lessons you would know that the only way a night service can run is if it can make a profit. To do that fares on the daytime would have to go up to make up for the extra expense.

I remember the 80s night services especially the 52 from High Street when it was a two way road. Back in those days very few people actually lived in the city centre excluding say Park Hill Flats. Now more housing has been built in the city centre, more people in the city centre at night would be those residents, do you think they are going to subsidise the people trying to get home elsewhere?

Please dont bring a night service back. If those fortunate enough to spend their money on drinks in the city centre need transport they can also afford the cab fare home.

There is an extensive night bus system operating on an entirely commercial basis in the Nottingham area, ie. it isn't subsidised by any of the local authorities or transport executives.

These buses run out to Derby, Ilkeston, Keyworth and other such places, and operate on a half hourly basis until 3.30am. They are always heavily loaded and therefore must make a profit, especially bearing in mind that the flat fare for travel is £3.

I see no reason why such a network wouldn't work in Sheffield. The demand is the same, if not greater, especially if getting the bus is going to be infinitely cheaper than getting a taxi.

Night buses on routes 20/20A, 52, 53, 76, X78 or the 97/97A are the way forward :thumbsup:

I cannot see First SY bringing back the old Nightliner network or even the 24 hour service it had on the 52 service until a couple of years ago.
Our request should go to the smaller players like TM Travel or even to some of the coach operators in Sheffield to shake up First SY.

I Agree with this one.

People have to face it that First South Yorkshire Buses are only here to make money and if it doesn't pay they couldn't care less.

I Agree with this one.

People have to face it that First South Yorkshire Buses are only here to make money and if it doesn't pay they couldn't care less.

But i'm fairly certain that it will make money.

Oh well, suppose it's only my opinion really :(

As an aside, the SYPTE could put the services out to tender as previously mentioned. First, TM Travel, Yorkshire Terrier or Powells could run them? Tendering means a guaranteed source of income for the bus company, regardless of how many passengers the service carries. Although this would be at the expense of the South Yorkshire taxpayer.

But thats alright 'cos I live in Derbyshire :hihi: :P