Hull City Council is assessing whether to reinstate the Moorsbus route in 2026 after strong uptake during the 2025 summer season. The M1 service, which linked Hull with Pickering and connected passengers onwards to the North York Moors, operated on Sundays and bank holiday Mondays between May and September.
Council data shows 2,249 people used the M1 service in 2025, with more than half starting their journeys in Hull and the East Riding. Combined passenger numbers for the M1 and its connecting M3 service exceeded 3,800 over the summer.
The route ran from Hull Paragon Interchange through Cottingham, Beverley, Driffield and Malton before reaching Pickering, where travellers were able to transfer to services heading further into North Yorkshire. The 2025 operation was funded through the bus service improvement plans of Hull City Council and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, supported by Department for Transport allocations.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transport and infrastructure at Hull City Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted to hear how popular the return of the Moorsbus M1 service has been.
“Providing greater choice in how people can travel for leisure purposes and visit destinations in our county, such as the North York Moors, is an important part of our bus service improvement plan for the year and the summer season has shown, unquestionably, that there is a customer demand for this service and we will be looking at what can be done to deliver this again next year.”
Officials are now reviewing the service’s performance and funding position to determine whether the route can be offered again in 2026.
