Pictou County Transit route changes

What’s happening? 

PCT is changing its bus routes! These changes primarily impact the expansion route. We are also making minor changes to the main route.

The changes will take effect on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. 

The proposed changes aim to make it easier to take the bus in Pictou County, with a focus on better connections between destinations in Pictou, Pictou Landing First Nation, New Glasgow, Stellarton, Trenton, and Westville.

Explore the new routes

The key changes to each route are detailed below. Download the new PCT Bus Map to see the new routes and schedule in detail.

Overall changes:

  • A simplified schedule with regular service hours
  • Integration with Google Maps
  • A new bus map and clear signage at all stops
  • Better alignment of both routes to allow for transfers 

Changes to the main route (route 1)

  • Reducing the number of diversions off of major roads to improve efficiency
  • Renaming the main route as Route 1

Changes to the expansion route (route 2)

  • More direct and frequent service between Westville and Trenton (every two hours), with convenient stops in Stellarton and New Glasgow
  • Renaming the expansion route as Route 2
  • Service hours adjusted to 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Monday to Saturday)

Simplified route map

The image below shows a simplified map of the new bus network, including where the two routes intersect. For more detail, view the PDF of the new PCT Bus Map. 

Route 1 (the main route, shown in green) continues to offer hourly service within Stellarton and New Glasgow, along a one-way loop.

Route 2 (the expansion route, shown in purple) runs in the following order, with stops along each route indicated on the map:

  • Westville (2) to Pictou (2A)
  • Pictou (2A) back to Westville (2)
  • Westville (2) to Pictou Landing (2B)
  • Pictou Landing (2B) back to Westville (2)

 Simplified network map of Pictou County Transit, showing routes 1 and 2

Why are these changes happening?

The expansion route launched in June 2024 as a trial. We learned a lot in its first year of operations. Many local residents shared how important it is to have a bus route travelling between different communities in Pictou County. However, we also heard challenges, including long wait times for return trips and difficulties understanding the route and schedule.

It was important for us to address these challenges quickly. The proposed bus route and schedule have been developed through detailed technical analysis and informed by two rounds of community engagement (one in the fall 2024, and the second in summer 2025). These improvements are part of an ongoing project to improve transit access in rural Nova Scotia, funded by the Province. A redesign of Pictou County’s expansion route was the primary recommendation from a pilot study in 2024-25, commissioned by the Nova Scotia Community Transit Network (NSCTN).