Brighton & Hove / Metrobus Discussion

[MotCO]

Ah OK, possibly my mistake - I thought it was the snigle deckers based on the image in this news story, but admittedly I didn't have much to go by. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36z7rdd4d4o

Apologies - it seems to be my mistake . It's been so long, I'd got them the wrong way round.

 

[duncan788]

(Image is definitely not mine it is from facebook)

I came across these new Facebook images today. They’re clearer and show a different angle including the livery behind.

Friends of Buses and Coaches | Brighton & Hove 608 BN75 OAH (AX063) seen waiting for onward delivery from the Stena Line terminal on the Wirral, 10/3/2026 | Facebook

Brighton & Hove 608 BN75 OAH (AX063) seen waiting for onward delivery from the Stena Line terminal on the Wirral, 10/3/2026

www.facebook.com

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Mar 2026 ==

I suspect they'll get some branding on top of the base livery.

The front windows display only rainbow coloured text with “I am electric”.

I’m a bit disappointed with the design; it seems they haven’t put much effort into it.

 

[Park47515]

I came across these new Facebook images today. They’re clearer and show a different angle including the livery behind.

Friends of Buses and Coaches | Brighton & Hove 608 BN75 OAH (AX063) seen waiting for onward delivery from the Stena Line terminal on the Wirral, 10/3/2026 | Facebook

Brighton & Hove 608 BN75 OAH (AX063) seen waiting for onward delivery from the Stena Line terminal on the Wirral, 10/3/2026

www.facebook.com

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Mar 2026 ==


The front windows display only rainbow coloured text with “I am electric”.

I’m a bit disappointed with the design; it seems they haven’t put much effort into it.

It also looks like the sides where the Ad boards would go say they are electric, in the same style as the 3X.

But yes, branding is significantly less than I would have expected!

 

[buslad1988]

The front windows display only rainbow coloured text with “I am electric”.

I’m a bit disappointed with the design; it seems they haven’t put much effort into it.

In fairness, I much prefer subtle, understated branding like that than special liveries - like the EY electroliner beside it in the photo.

It just creates a problem further down the line when electric is the norm and they’ll need to phase out the special branding; like the enviro400’s which look a bit out of place on the 5.

 

[mubz13]

When are these buses coming?

 

[brightonbususe]

Registration details etc on the new electric buses for Brighton here: https://history.buses.co.uk/history/fleethist/2026buses.htm

No delivery date listed yet though.

 

[Mark L]

Registration details etc on the new electric buses for Brighton here: https://history.buses.co.uk/history/fleethist/2026buses.htm

No delivery date listed yet though.

I saw one heading along the M25 yesterday afternoon so guess at least one has arrived by now .

 

[duncan788]

I just spotted a new electric bus (no.601) near Preston Park heading towards Brighton at 16:55

 

[hdennis13]

Brighton bus route 18 may be merged with another route due to congestion.

Popular bus route could be merged

A popular city centre bus route could be merged with another in a bid to make it more reliable. The

www.brightonandhovenews.org

 

[stadler]

Brighton bus route 18 may be merged with another route due to congestion.

Popular bus route could be merged

A popular city centre bus route could be merged with another in a bid to make it more reliable. The

www.brightonandhovenews.org

I wonder what route it would be merged with. The most likely one is probably the 21 i would guess. That is the most similar route and the 18 and 21 have been partly merged in the past under a different route number.

Currently the 21 runs as the following routing:

Old Steine - Saint Peters Church - London Road - Open Market - Union Road - Elm Grove

But the 21 could easily be diverted to run as:

Old Steine - Edward Street - Egremont Place - Queens Park Road - Queens Park Terrace - Freshfield Road - Down Terrace - Queens Park Road - Elm Grove

This would mean that the full 18 route would be covered. The journey time of the 21 would remain the same. The route via London Road of the current 21 is already served by other very frequent buses so it would not be a big loss for them. So i reckon this is the most likely one. But we shall have to see.

They can never seem to make their mind up with this Queens Park service. Originally it was the 81 81A 81B 81C 81D 81E services with dozens of different variations. Then they replaced those with a mixture of the current 18 and 21 services and some changes to the 37 to cover evening and sunday parts. Then the 18 was replaced with the 20 for about six months. Then it went back to the 18 again.

It is also worth pointing out that the 18 is the one and only single decker route left at B&H since the bendy buses were scrapped. There are no obstacles to running double deckers on the 18 and it regularly happens but it is just not booked. So i suppose merging the 18 in to the 21 would also be an opportunity for them to standardise their fleet and get rid of the remaining three single deckers. In fact at the moment B&H have zero single deckers (the 18 is being run by double deckers) as the three remaining single deckers for the 18 have temporarily gone to Crawley to help out with the hydrogen bus withdrawal.

 

[Park47515]

Brighton bus route 18 may be merged with another route due to congestion.

Popular bus route could be merged

A popular city centre bus route could be merged with another in a bid to make it more reliable. The

www.brightonandhovenews.org

To what is the question. There's not many obvious candidates unless you recast quite a few services

 

[Hophead]

The company does claim that they don't intend to reduce the level of service to Queens Park (basically the 18 & 21 both every 15 minutes, plus the 23 every half-hour which doesn't serve the city centre). The problem with the 18 is the lack of any real terminating point, which makes it very difficult to recover from delays, so the aim is to deal with that somehow. One option might be to send half the 18 service up to Goldstone Valley, and truncate all the 21s at Churchill Square.

 

[Park47515]

The company does claim that they don't intend to reduce the level of service to Queens Park (basically the 18 & 21 both every 15 minutes, plus the 23 every half-hour which doesn't serve the city centre). The problem with the 18 is the lack of any real terminating point, which makes it very difficult to recover from delays, so the aim is to deal with that somehow. One option might be to send half the 18 service up to Goldstone Valley, and truncate all the 21s at Churchill Square.

I Did Wonder if the plan is to do two different things. The Station- Churchill Square via Homelees loop gets added to something like the 22. Keeping the frequency there. And the Queens Park end gets attached to something that terminates from the West, but the only route there is the 6 and I can't see the regular passengers being happy having to change to get to the station.

 

[stadler]

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus are scrapping return tickets from next week:

Fare updates 30th March 2026

A small number of fares are being updated from 30th March 2026 as part of the annual fare review.

www.buses.co.uk

New tickets and improved fares from 30th March 2026

A small number of fares are being updated from 30th March 2026 as part of the annual fare review.

www.metrobus.co.uk

This is ridiculous. Why would you scrap the most useful ticket type. Every bus operator is doing this in the last few years. Arriva and First and Stagecoach all scrapped return tickets shortly after the fare cap was introduced. Now most Go Ahead operators are doing the same.

Before the fare cap was introduced a return was normally around 1.5x the single which meant you saved a lot of money. But since the fare cap was introduced it has means that most return tickets are double the price of a single ticket. So you do not save money for most longer journeys but the bonus is that it saves time and speeds up boarding times as you only purchase one ticket instead of two.

But for shorter distance fares this now means a price increase. For example a return ticket within the town of Lewes or Uckfield or Crowborough or Dorking etc is still cheaper than two single tickets meaning that some people will pay significantly more now.

It is laughable that their website says "improved fares" when nothing at all is being improved. They are getting rid of return tickets which is the most useful ticket type.

 

[Dwarfer1979]

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus are scrapping return tickets from next week:

Fare updates 30th March 2026

A small number of fares are being updated from 30th March 2026 as part of the annual fare review.

www.buses.co.uk

New tickets and improved fares from 30th March 2026

A small number of fares are being updated from 30th March 2026 as part of the annual fare review.

www.metrobus.co.uk

This is ridiculous. Why would you scrap the most useful ticket type. Every bus operator is doing this in the last few years. Arriva and First and Stagecoach all scrapped return tickets shortly after the fare cap was introduced. Now most Go Ahead operators are doing the same.

Before the fare cap was introduced a return was normally around 1.5x the single which meant you saved a lot of money. But since the fare cap was introduced it has means that most return tickets are double the price of a single ticket. So you do not save money for most longer journeys but the bonus is that it saves time and speeds up boarding times as you only purchase one ticket instead of two.

But for shorter distance fares this now means a price increase. For example a return ticket within the town of Lewes or Uckfield or Crowborough or Dorking etc is still cheaper than two single tickets meaning that some people will pay significantly more now.

It is laughable that their website says "improved fares" when nothing at all is being improved. They are getting rid of return tickets which is the most useful ticket type.

In terms of the fare cap, the scheme only covers single tickets so if an operator reduced their return fares to be less than two capped singles they would not receive any funding to compensate (essentially they would sell fewer capped tickets so their reimbursement for participating would be reduced proportionally). We still, in theory, have return fares but since many of them are above the price of two capped singles you have to be a very persistent idiot to actually buy one (drivers will always tell someone asking for a return that two singles is cheaper but we do occasionally get complaints from customers who insisted on the driver selling them a return and then complaining they were overcharged). It appears illogical but in most cases two capped singles are less than the return fare so passengers are still saving money over pre-cap fares.

In larger towns it has often been traditional to set the day ticket price at less than the price of two singles and so acting as an effective return ticket but these tickets don't tend to exist in smaller towns you highlight which as you say do suffer from such a large move for ticket simplification.

 

[8ace]

Brighton and Hove council wants public control of buses​

Brighton and Hove council wants public control of buses | The Argus

Brighton and Hove City Council says it wants to take control of buses in the city - to stop "millions of pounds going into shareholders' pockets".


The Labour-run council has announced it will apply for government funding to carry out a feasibility study into bus franchising - a model that would give the council far greater say over routes, timetables and fares.
But the boss of Brighton and Hove Buses said a "continued approach of partnership working is the best way forward to deliver further benefits to local people".

What is bus franchising?​

At present, buses in Brighton and Hove operate under what is called an "Enhanced Partnership" model, whereby private bus companies set their own routes, prices and timetables.


The council gives money to bus operators to reduce some fares, increase the frequency of certain services and subsidise routes that would not otherwise be commercially viable - but, the council says, millions of pounds leaves the city each year in bus company profits.


Under a franchising model, the council says it would take control of where buses go, how often they run and what tickets cost. Bus fares would be directed back into improving services rather than going to private shareholders.

Why now?​

The move follows the Labour Government's Bus Services Act 2025, which gave all local transport authorities in England new powers to franchise bus services without needing the approval of the Secretary of State - a significant change from the previous rules.


The council says the new legislation offers a chance to reverse what it describes as the damage done by bus deregulation under Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s.

Council Leader Bella Sankey said the council was "moving fast" to apply for the funding.


She said: "I welcome the Labour Government's move to reverse the Thatcher-era deregulation of bus services and I am keen to explore the potential of taking buses back under public control in Brighton and Hove.


"We have an excellent bus network in Brighton and Hove with some of the best passenger numbers in the country. We currently work in partnership with bus companies to find ways to improve it, but we will always look at potential alternatives, especially given that millions of pounds currently goes out of the city each year into shareholder pockets."


Cllr Sankey also pointed to the cost-of-living pressures facing residents: "People already struggling with the cost of living also have to contend with bus companies putting up fares.

"The time has come for us to consider whether a new model would be better for our residents and our city."

Potential benefits the council cites​

The council has set out a number of reasons why franchising could benefit residents:

• Better routes — services designed around community needs, including schools, hospitals and workplaces
• Simpler fares — the council could set standardised, easier-to-understand ticket prices
• One network — buses working as a single integrated network rather than competing companies running separate services
• Reinvested revenue — money from fares directed back into improving services rather than paid out as profit
• Cross-boundary links — better-coordinated services with neighbouring areas across Sussex
  
  

• What happens next​

  
  The council must submit its expression of interest to the Department for Transport by April 8.
  
  
  If its application is successful, it will commission a study to examine whether a franchising model would work for the city and what it might look like in practice.
  
  
  If it receives funding, the feasibility study would gather evidence to inform whether franchising is the right model for Brighton and Hove - but no final decision has been made. The study itself would be only the first step in what could be a lengthy process.
  
  
  

  Brighton and Hove Buses responds​

  
  Rupert Cox, interim managing director, said: “We recognise it is Brighton & Hove City Council’s right to explore franchising.
  
  
  "Our long-established partnership and joint working has resulted in the highest bus use in the country outside London per head of the population delivering consistent growth over many years.
  
  
  "We’ve invested £50 million over the past three years in bus infrastructure in the city and strongly believe that a continued approach of partnership working is the best way forward to deliver further benefits to local people."

Not sure I trust the council (of any colour) to do a good job here!

 

[buslad1988]

Brighton and Hove council wants public control of buses​

Brighton and Hove council wants public control of buses | The Argus


Not sure I trust the council (of any colour) to do a good job here!

I actually cannot believe the council would even consider this. They have no idea how lucky they are to have Go-Ahead/B&H operating in their area, do they not realise they are consistently one of the best operators in the country and have been for many years.

Why go to the expense and responsibility of taking on the areas bus services when they have a perfectly good, functioning operator already well established. It’s not like Go-Ahead doesn’t invest here either… not a year goes by without new vehicles and continued investment. Other places would bite their arms off to get a B&H style op in their areas.

Yes, I know Go-Ahead have/are having reputational issues in a few other areas of late, but this absolutely has not been the case in the Brighton area.

Crazy!

 

[Park47515]

It's dare I say saber-ratling for the combined authority for Brighton and Sussex who'll be in charge of transport - including franchising.

Will it happen, who knows. But WSCC and ESCC I would say aren't as predisposed to it.

 

[Dwarfer1979]

I actually cannot believe the council would even consider this. They have no idea how lucky they are to have Go-Ahead/B&H operating in their area, do they not realise they are consistently one of the best operators in the country and have been for many years.

Why go to the expense and responsibility of taking on the areas bus services when they have a perfectly good, functioning operator already well established. It’s not like Go-Ahead doesn’t invest here either… not a year goes by without new vehicles and continued investment. Other places would bite their arms off to get a B&H style op in their areas.

Yes, I know Go-Ahead have/are having reputational issues in a few other areas of late, but this absolutely has not been the case in the Brighton area.

Crazy!

Having some contacts in a number of local authorities this is probably elected officials who have no idea how anything works wanting to be London whilst their experienced officers are having kittens back at City Hall trying to work out how to persuade them this is a daft idea - probably exacerbated in this case by what appears to be some Whitehall funding competition that has a deadline next week allowing the politicians to run away with themselves. There are a number of local authorities where the elected members keep suggesting exploring franchising and the council officers keep pointing out they can't afford it but it still hangs around - those officers are still, perfectly reasonably, quite happy to use the threat of franchising to get operators into line within the partnership where something the council wants to do is something the operators are less keen on even if they don't see it as a realistic prospect currently.

 

[JonathanH]

Why go to the expense and responsibility of taking on the areas bus services when they have a perfectly good, functioning operator already well established.

There is a growing belief amongst elected officials and the general public that public transport should not be something which a private profit should be made from, regardless of the quality of the service. This is simply a reflection of that. The view seems to be spreading across the country.

 

[johncrossley]

There is a growing belief amongst elected officials and the general public that public transport should not be something which a private profit should be made from, regardless of the quality of the service. This is simply a reflection of that. The view seems to be spreading across the country.

Of course, franchising will still result in a profit for a private bus company. Tendering all services to a private company is at the neoliberal end of the spectrum when compared to other public transport operators in the developed world. It only seems different in the UK because of its history with deregulation.

Brighton & Hove is of course has one of the best bus networks in the UK. However, that doesn't mean there aren't flaws resulting from deregulation operating in the area. For example, Stagecoach and Compass have their own tickets.

 

[Dwarfer1979]

Brighton & Hove is of course has one of the best bus networks in the UK. However, that doesn't mean there aren't flaws resulting from deregulation operating in the area. For example, Stagecoach and Compass have their own tickets.

Not an insurmountable problem for a decent partnership, as is being shown in Leicester. This weekend the price of the multi-operator Flexi ticket in Leicester is being reduce to match the local Leicester zone tickets of the operators who will then withdraw their equivalent tickets so that if a passenger wants a local Leicester zone ticket it will be valid on all operators without having to pay extra for most passengers all done in the 'deregulated' market under a standard, but effective, Enhanced Partnership.

 

[stadler]

The new 500 is confirmed now and 9th of May is the start date in just over a months time:

https://www.herstmonceuxparish.org.uk/uploads/202604-wealden-district-changes-to-bus-services.doc

It will replace the current Brighton & Hove 54 and Compass Bus 261 services which will both get withdrawn at the same time.

Eastbourne - Polegate - Hailsham - Golden Cross - East Hoathly - Halland - Uckfield - Maresfield - Nutley - Forest Row - Ashurst Wood - East Grinstead - Crawley - Gatwick Airport

It will be a 24/7 service running on seven days and seven nights a week. It will run every hour during the day and every two hours during the night and early mornings and late evenings. This is quite incredible that such rural areas are getting such a frequent night bus. Most of the route is extremely rural countryside and woodland and small villages with very high car ownership. Some small rural villages like Nutley will go from getting just five buses a day to getting a full 24/7 frequent bus service. I am shocked that they decided to run this. It seems a overkill for such a rural area but hopefully it is successful.

The document says it will be operated by Brighton & Hove and Metrobus so it is not entirely clear what brand that it will run under. All other routes are either B&H or MB but this one sounds like it might be joint. Maybe they plan to use both brands on the vehicles. I also wonder what depot it will run from.

 

[nick291]

The new 500 is confirmed now and 9th of May is the start date in just over a months time:

https://www.herstmonceuxparish.org.uk/uploads/202604-wealden-district-changes-to-bus-services.doc

It will replace the current Brighton & Hove 54 and Compass Bus 261 services which will both get withdrawn at the same time.

Eastbourne - Polegate - Hailsham - Golden Cross - East Hoathly - Halland - Uckfield - Maresfield - Nutley - Forest Row - Ashurst Wood - East Grinstead - Crawley - Gatwick Airport

It will be a 24/7 service running on seven days and seven nights a week. It will run every hour during the day and every two hours during the night and early mornings and late evenings. This is quite incredible that such rural areas are getting such a frequent night bus. Most of the route is extremely rural countryside and woodland and small villages with very high car ownership. Some small rural villages like Nutley will go from getting just five buses a day to getting a full 24/7 frequent bus service. I am shocked that they decided to run this. It seems a overkill for such a rural area but hopefully it is successful.

The document says it will be operated by Brighton & Hove and Metrobus so it is not entirely clear what brand that it will run under. All other routes are either B&H or MB but this one sounds like it might be joint. Maybe they plan to use both brands on the vehicles. I also wonder what depot it will run from.

I feel like the link to Gatwick Airport might be a factor for those villages, As it'll be considerably cheaper to get the bus there and back rather than to park.

 

[JonathanH]

It will be a 24/7 service running on seven days and seven nights a week. It will run every hour during the day and every two hours during the night and early mornings and late evenings. This is quite incredible that such rural areas are getting such a frequent night bus.

Not the first time an overnight bus from the South Coast has been tried. I recall heading down to Hastings one night in November 2015 to catch a bus to Gatwick.

The 380 from Hastings to Gatwick Airport didn't last too long.

Metrobus to end Gatwick Early Bird 380 bus service - CBW

A small hours bus service to Gatwick Airport from the coast via the A22, covering Hailsham, Uckfield, Nutley, Forest Row and East Grinstead, looks set to be withdrawn at the end of this week, the [...]

cbwmagazine.com

Metrobus to end Gatwick Early Bird 380 bus service

18/04/2016

A small hours bus service to Gatwick Airport from the coast via the A22, covering Hailsham, Uckfield, Nutley, Forest Row and East Grinstead, looks set to be withdrawn at the end of this week, the Sussex Express said .

St Leonards and Hastings Rail Improvement (SHRIMP), Bexhill Rail Action Group (BRAG) and East Sussex Rail Alliance (ESRA) have all said they are disappointed that the Early Bird 380 to Gatwick, which is operated by Go-Ahead-owned Metrobus and sponsored by Gatwick Airport, is to stop running on April 22.

The twice-nightly service was introduced in mid-2015 to cover for the lack of an early hours rail service to the airport. However, passenger numbers have been consistently low, which has meant the service is not commercially viable.

A spokeswoman from Metrobus told CBW: “We’ve been working with Gatwick Airport to provide these early morning journeys since last Spring but despite lots of local support and promotion, the numbers of people using the service has continued to be very low.

“Unfortunately we cannot continue to operate the service at a significant loss. The last day of operation will be April 22.

“We would like to thank everyone who supported this initiative.”

Martin Woodfine, from SHRIMP, said: “This was a bold initiative which we regret has not been the success that was hoped for.

“Hindsight is a marvellous tool, but the lack of promotion by the operators, a routing which bypassed population catchment areas and unclear signage at the airport are all significant contributory factors to its failure. In reality, a large number of people never saw the bus or knew it operated.”

Wealden District Councillor, Barry Marlowe from Buxted said: “We are trying to persuade Gatwick to continue sponsoring this bus. The problem is it shoots up the A22 in the dark and no-one knows where to catch it.

“If a few changes were made to the route, I am sure it would be viable. We worked hard to set this up and our research shows there are many people who would use it, if they could find where it stops.”

 

[izvor]

I feel like the link to Gatwick Airport might be a factor for those villages, As it'll be considerably cheaper to get the bus there and back rather than to park.

True, but there's not much money in villages. I suspect any small traffic generation here will be outweighed by losses due to late running reducing reliability for existing users.

I think the most promising market here might be East Grinstead to Gatwick direct, but even here the route will suffer the same congestion as all traffic on the A264. (Now if the Crawley Down to EG old railway were converted to a dedicated busway that might be a real game changer!)

I also wonder what depot it will run from.

I understand Eastbourne (B&H) and Crawley (Metrobus) but that's not official. Makes sense though.

 

[JonathanH]

I think the most promising market here might be East Grinstead to Gatwick direct

Isn't that already provided by the 400, with a first bus at around 5am? It doesn't look like the new service is due to miss out Crawley town centre.

 

[izvor]

Isn't that already provided by the 400, with a first bus at around 5am? It doesn't look like the new service is due to miss out Crawley town centre.

Well I looked into this specifically and it appears that it will omit Crawley town centre, unless more recent statements have said otherwise. I really hope it does!

Interesting about the 380, I had forgotten about that one. Hopefully the 500 is better funded. There was also an X38 East Grinstead - Gatwick, which died a slow death about 20 years ago. Since then the market has probably grown, but then so has traffic congestion.

 

[stadler]

Not the first time an overnight bus from the South Coast has been tried. I recall heading down to Hastings one night in November 2015 to catch a bus to Gatwick.

The 380 from Hastings to Gatwick Airport didn't last too long.

Metrobus to end Gatwick Early Bird 380 bus service - CBW

A small hours bus service to Gatwick Airport from the coast via the A22, covering Hailsham, Uckfield, Nutley, Forest Row and East Grinstead, looks set to be withdrawn at the end of this week, the [...]

cbwmagazine.com

Those old 320 and 380 services were interesting. They were very short lived. They only ran two journeys a day (both overnight) and in one direction only. But a return ticket purchased from the bus driver on the 320 or 380 was valid on Southern trains to make a return journey.

 

[Mrwerdna1]

Personally, I think the council should have simply bought Brighton & Hove buses. I understand why most councils are going for franchising, but frankly, in the right time and place, a municipal bus company would be better. Brighton is one of those places. Though mostly, because any elected official with any sense would want to keep the current expertise. But in a practical sense, I think Brighton's buses are second to none country wide. The only thing that could be greatly improved is bus priority, congestion and cheaper fares, all of which the council has full control of today.