At Cheshire College, we believe in providing you with as much support as we can to help you focus your attention on your education. This includes helping you get to College, which is why we offer free transport for 16-18 year old students. Find out if you’re eligible and your best route!
Our free transport service is available to all 16-18 year old students who live over a mile away from the Campus they study at. Our students travel to College from Cheshire, Staffordshire, Merseyside, North Wales and beyond. Getting here for free can save you money, time and stress, allowing you to focus on what’s important: your course, friends and getting the most out of your College experience!
In the average week, our coach service transports over 1,800 students directly to campus. This transport is intended to enable students to travel from their primary home address to college.
NO PASS, NO TRAVEL
As with any other transport method, the College Coaches operate on the basis of a ‘No pass, no travel’ policy. Bus passes are on student ID cards which are also required to enter college, so please make sure you have this with you when you leave the house! Routes are regularly reviewed and monitored for capacity and service requirements. If you live outside of the areas that are advised on the Transport Booklet, please get in touch to discuss your individual needs. Whatever your transport queries, we will try to help wherever possible. Crewe Campus Coach service routes and times can be found in the Transport Booklet, here. Please note that the timetable is subject to change, and we advise students to arrive at least 5 minutes early to their stop and be wearing their college lanyard ready to board the bus. Any changes to the timetable throughout the current academic year will be sent to learners by text message. All further terms and conditions of travel can be found on the Transport Booklet.
Public bus services that we may be able to provide passes for are Arriva, D&G, First and Stagecoach. For students that are eligible to receive a public bus pass, we ask that they purchase their ticket for the journey into college on their first day and then collect their bus pass as soon as they are able to. Students will receive text messages to let them know where to collect bus passes from at the start of the September term. If you are unsure of the route that you would take to your campus of study, we have a reference table on the Transport Booklet. For a more personalised route, each company that we have bus passes for have an online route planner.
Transport may be provided by your local council in some circumstances for full-time learners who are between the ages of 16 and 19. You must be attending the nearest appropriate college and live over 3 miles away from campus. Each council has their own Post-16 Transport Policy which you can find on their website. You will need to contact your local authority in order to apply. You can find the contact information here.
For students that live away from public or College bus routes, we can offer to refund the cost of train tickets. Students will need to keep either physical or digital tickets as long as it details the date of travel, route taken and ticket price and submit them to the team in person or via email.
We also encourage students to purchase an annual rail saver card such as the 16-17 Rail Saver (16-25 Rail Saver for those that are turning 18) in order to reduce upfront costs of train fares. Please note that refund of tickets is done on the basis of attendance and is monitored closely.
The College encourages staff and students who live within three miles of their Campus to maximise their environmental friendliness by cycling to College. We have plenty of secure cycle storage and cycle racks. There are also changing and drying facilities in the Sports department to enable cyclists to change before going to class.
To find out if there is a service available to suit you, get in touch with one of our College Transport Offices based at the Campus where you will be studying:
Crewe Campus: 01270 654654
Ellesmere Port Campus: 01244 656200
Chester Campus: 01244 656200
We have a committed Bursary department who are focused on helping provide you with the support that you need. You can always get in touch at bursary@ccsw.ac.uk, or if you need any financial assistance, please find out more on our Financial Support page.
Find out your bus timetables to College
Dedicated Crewe Coach Service:
The College provides a dedicated coach service for Crewe Campus students, offering a direct and accessible transport option to college. Find out more about the College Coach timetables here:
For Desktop:
Open the map in full screen mode. You will see a panel on the left-hand side of the screen. Type your address or postcode into the search bar. The map will then move to your location. You can then find the nearest Crewe Coach bus stop and click on the bus stop to view the pick-up time. Please make sure you arrive a few minutes early because the coach will leave at the scheduled time.
For Mobile:
Open the map in full screen mode. Tap on ‘CCSW College Coaches Pick Up Points 26/27’ to open the list of bus stops. Type your address or postcode into the search bar. The map will then move to your location. Find the nearest Crewe Coach bus stop and tap on it to view the pick-up time. Please make sure you arrive a few minutes early because the coach will leave at the scheduled time.
Public Bus Service:
Alternatively, students can travel to Crewe Campus using local public bus services where the College Coach Service is not available. Some public bus routes may be supported through the Free Transport Scheme. You can use Google Maps below to help plan your journey to Campus using public transport.
Please note: Google Maps routes are for guidance only and may include services not covered by the College. Financial support is only available for routes listed in the Eligible Public Bus Routes section. Train travel is only considered in exceptional circumstances where no suitable bus route is available.
All eligible funded bus lines for Crewe:
Travel to Crewe Campus under the Free Transport Scheme will only covered on the bus routes shown in this section. If you can’t find a suitable bus route or would need to travel by train, please get in touch with our Bursary & Transport Team for more information and advice!
Public Bus Service:
Students can travel to Ellesmere Port Campus using local public bus services where the College Coach Service is not available. Some public bus routes may be supported through the Free Transport Scheme. You can use Google Maps below to help plan your journey to Campus using public transport.
Please note: Google Maps routes are for guidance only and may include services not covered by the College. Financial support is only available for routes listed in the Eligible Public Bus Routes section. Train travel is only considered in exceptional circumstances where no suitable bus route is available.
All eligible funded bus lines for Crewe:
Travel to Ellesmere Port Campus under the Free Transport Scheme will only covered on the bus routes shown in this section. If you can’t find a suitable bus route or would need to travel by train, please get in touch with our Bursary & Transport Team for more information and advice!
Public Bus Service:
Students can travel to Chester Campus using local public bus services where the College Coach Service is not available. Some public bus routes may be supported through the Free Transport Scheme. You can use Google Maps below to help plan your journey to Campus using public transport.
Please note: Google Maps routes are for guidance only and may include services not covered by the College. Financial support is only available for routes listed in the Eligible Public Bus Routes section. Train travel is only considered in exceptional circumstances where no suitable bus route is available.
All eligible funded bus lines for Crewe:
Travel to Chester Campus under the Free Transport Scheme will only covered on the bus routes shown in this section. If you can’t find a suitable bus route or would need to travel by train, please get in touch with our Bursary & Transport Team for more information and advice!
For College Coach Services, your bus pass will be displayed on your College ID card. If you lose or damage this ID card, this will need to be reprinted before you can travel on a College Coach.
If you have been provided with bus pass for a public service (e.g. Arriva), you will need to visit the College’s online store to buy a replacement pass at a discounted price (prices vary depending on provider). If you report that your pass is lost, this pass will be remotely cancelled so it can no longer be used. Please make sure that you are certain your pass is lost before buying a replacement pass.
If you have lost your public bus pass before, you will need to pay the full cost of replacing the pass (prices vary depending on provider).
If you miss your bus or coach, you will need to find an alternative method of travel to or from College that day. For anyone travelling home from Crewe Campus, the last College Coach of the day will always leave at 4:15pm and there will be no later services.
If you are travelling via the College Coach service, you will need to show the coach driver your College ID, which will display that you are eligible for free travel on that specific coach.
If you are travelling via public transport, you will need to show your bus pass which has been provided by the College. It is important to take care of your College ID and bus pass, as you won’t be able to travel if these are lost or damaged.
If you live at more than one address (e.g. your parents/carers are separated or divorced), this isn’t a problem. You will just need to provide the address where you spend the most time when you submit your free transport application.
You will however need to travel to and from this address on the days when you attend College to access the correct service, or you may need to find alternative transport for days where you are not at your main address.
In some cases, we may be able to approve a ‘dual pass’ for split households based on capacity for both services. This would require a £50 fee and an emailed statement from a listed parent/carer to confirm the second address and the required transport route.
If your bus or coach is delayed or cancelled due to bad weather, road closures, or other issues, we’ll send you a text alert wherever possible so you know in advance and can plan an alternative way to get to College that day.
We want everyone to travel safely and comfortably, so students are expected to behave on transport just as they would at College. Behaviour is recorded, and CCTV is in place on all College Coaches.
In rare cases where safety or comfort is affected, we may need to temporarily or permanently restrict access to the free transport service. This is only to ensure a safe and positive experience for all students and staff.
You will only be eligible for a College Coach pass or a free public bus pass, depending on where you live and which service is most suitable. You won’t be entitled to both types of passes.
No, all bus passes are non-transferable and must match your name and home address. You won’t be able to share your pass with friends or family members.
If you are found to be sharing your pass, your pass will be removed as this is against our free transport terms and conditions.
There are a few options on our free transport form to help you choose the best pass for your Campus.
If you’re not sure which pass to choose, email us at transport@ccsw.ac.uk and we
When you apply, we’ll check your address to make sure you’ve selected the right pass. If another service works better for you, we’ll contact you to let you know.
No, public bus passes provided by the College will only be valid for travel Monday – Friday and during term time only. You won’t be able to use your pass at the weekend or during half terms and other holidays.
The College reserves the right to refuse transport should we have reason to believe that a student’s behaviour jeopardises the safety, security, and comfort of others on one of our coaches. Buses are fitted with audio CCTV to provide added security for learners and drivers.
College buses are an extension of the College and disciplinary action can and will be taken for students who are not behaving appropriately.
When travelling, students must: –
Not play loud music or use a personal device at a volume which may be heard by other passengers
Not leave rubbish or discarded items on the bus
Follow instructions of both the College staff and bus driver, and act in a manner which shows due regard for the safety and comfort of other students, including not standing next to emergency exits, the vehicle entrance, next to the driver or sitting in gangways, on staircases or standing upstairs on a double deck vehicle
If the vehicle is fitted with seatbelts, it is a legal requirement that the student must wear it. This is for the student’s safety and the student may be liable for prosecution if they do not wear it
Except in an emergency, do not talk to the driver whilst the bus is moving, obstruct the driver’s vision or otherwise distract them
Not interfere with equipment fitted on the vehicle
Not damage or deface any part of the vehicle
Not smoke, including e-cigarettes and ‘vaping’
Not move around whilst the bus is moving and remain seated
Some students are required to bring kits and small suitcases to College. These luggage items must be placed on the student’s knee, in the luggage rack, or under the seat. Bags must not be placed on an empty seat.
If you find lost property on a bus, you must hand it in to the driver.
The College will do all that we reasonably can to locate and return any property left on a College bus. To reclaim lost property from a College bus, students must contact the Coach operators and arrange collection of their belongings.
If the lost property is perishable and not claimed within 24 hours of being found, it will be disposed of.
If the lost property is contained in a package, bag or other container, the College may open it and examine it to trace the owner.
For public services, students must contact the operator directly who will have their own lost property policy.
The College welcomes suggestions and complaints because they help us to improve our services. We will handle complaints with consideration and will provide a response as quickly as possible aiming to respond within one week of receipt
You may see a fee attached to the course you’re interested in, but if you are 19+ there may be funding options available to cover the cost of your course.
Get in touch with admissions@ccsw.ac.uk if you’d like anymore information.
