Public Transport

Public transport is a handy alternative for some trips to help you reduce your reliance on travelling by car. Whether you’re looking to travel locally or nationally, there are plenty of options available to travel either by bus or train just make sure you check with the service operators before travel!

Buses

The closest bus stop to St John’s Mead is Mill Gardens, located on Wetherden Road. This is only a short 2-minute walk from the entrance of St. John’s Mead. From this stop, Dan’s Coach Travel buses DB1 travel between Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds, Monday to Friday. The operator’s website can be found here.

Also from this stop is Mulley’s’ school bus service 988 to Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds, running once per day Monday to Friday.

To check whether you are eligible for various concessionary travel options, please go to the Suffolk County Council webpage for details.

For up to date services, please have a look at the apps and websites:

• Suffolk On Board
• Bus Checker

Trains

Elmswell train station is the closest to St John’s Mead, it is only a 14-minute walk away or a 4-minute cycle ride. From Elmswell station, direct services to Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and Peterborough can be reached, operating around every 60-minutes. Elmswell station provides 8 cycle storage spaces, however does not provide a car park. Bikes can also be taken on the train, to find out more visit NationalRail.co.uk.

If you’re not sure which form of transport is the best for you, use Traveline’s journey planner. It gives you a variety of travel modes to choose from, including walking, bus, coach, train and more.

Rail cards & discounted travel

For £30 per year (£20 for a Disabled Persons Railcard) National Rail offers a variety of Railcards, giving discounts for train travel, including:

✔ 16-25 Railcard â€“ for those aged 16-25, and mature students in full-time education

✔ 26-30 Railcard â€“ for those aged 26-30, and mature students in full-time education

✔ Two Together Railcard â€“ for two named people travelling together

✔ Family & Friends Railcard â€“ for those travelling with children aged 5-15 (up to 4 adults and 4 children can travel on one card)

✔ Senior Railcard â€“ for those aged 60 and over

✔ Disabled Persons Railcard â€“ those who have a disability that makes travelling by train difficult could qualify for a Disabled Persons Railcard, giving the user 1/3 off rail fares across Britain for them and a friend. For further information, and to order online, go to railcard.co.uk.

PlusBus

Use PlusBus as a cheaper way to get around areas such as Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds by coordinating unlimited local bus travel when purchasing your train ticket. This can be done on the Greater Anglia website, or direct with PlusBus.

If you have any questions about the public transport options in your area, contact us.