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Brighton & Hove / Metrobus Discussion

ctrh136

Member
Joined
2 Sep 2014
Messages
139
XD, Also Crawley is voted as one of the ten most depressing towns in the UK so "depression in Crawley" (sorry anyone from Crawley)
Also spotted some B9TLs on the coaster routes, I don't know if this is normal.
I think one working uses a Volvo on schooldays at least based on bustimes.org diagram numbers as it's worked from Whitehawk rather than Newhaven.
 
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b5tlgem2

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Joined
17 Dec 2024
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37
Location
Brighton
Saw 6918 today on eastern road but was unfortunately unable to take any photos of it, livery actually looks quite nice.
 

johnw

Member
Joined
22 May 2013
Messages
176
I actually really like the Live & Breathe livery, I like the punchier colours on the newest B&H livery, but the actual design itself is pretty mediocre. There are a lot of things I notice as a designer (too boring to mention here) that really bother me.
Would be really interested to know the bits that bother you!

Myself I thought the red and cream worked much better as a livery in its application and the colours have become associated with Brighton.
 

ItCouldBeJae

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2021
Messages
23
Location
Crawley
It appears 6918 seems to be having quite a lot of issues. On the first day It didn't complete a full day and today engineers have attended to it at Crawley bus station
 

Murray J

Member
Joined
10 Aug 2019
Messages
790
Location
Southampton
It appears 6918 seems to be having quite a lot of issues. On the first day It didn't complete a full day and today engineers have attended to it at Crawley bus station
Not really, it's a 13 year old vehicle that failed in a heatwave, vehicles do break down occasionally.
 

MotCO

Established Member
Joined
25 Aug 2014
Messages
6,128

b5tlgem2

Member
Joined
17 Dec 2024
Messages
37
Location
Brighton
855 is now named Andy Durr instead of William Marsh

Would be funny if someone took a picture with current Andy Durr and the former Andy Durr together

So I'm guessing 854 will be Chris Turnham?

Are they withdrawing the b9 e400s?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

can someone explain what is 151 doing?

its straying off to... i don't know where
 

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b5tlgem2

Member
Joined
17 Dec 2024
Messages
37
Location
Brighton
Anyone been on 854 yet?

(Apologies for horrible photo taking)
Unfortunately couldn't get upper deck shots.

Also more b7rle training buses from Warrington's own buses.
 

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ItCouldBeJae

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2021
Messages
23
Location
Crawley
Not sure if its new or not was on 6978, driver turns on the bus you get your usual audible message but a new one too "You are driving a large vehicle, please check the height of the vehicle" Has this been added due to past few decker decapitations across the country?
 

JonathanH

Veteran Member
Joined
29 May 2011
Messages
23,388
All single deck on the Metrobus 420/460 since start of service on Wednesday. The double deckers are running on the 100 instead. Presume low trees on the Raglan Road diversion in Reigate.
 

Minstral25

Established Member
Joined
10 Sep 2009
Messages
1,967
Location
Surrey
All single deck on the Metrobus 420/460 since start of service on Wednesday. The double deckers are running on the 100 instead. Presume low trees on the Raglan Road diversion in Reigate.
Low railway bridge on Croydon Road.
 

Minstral25

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Joined
10 Sep 2009
Messages
1,967
Location
Surrey
High enough for double deck buses to go under though. It is 14 ft 9 in.
I thought so too but watching the buses on the App whilst waiting for buses when route still double decker they avoided that bridge and went from Raglan Road via Batts Hill, Danes Hill, Linkfield Lane and back along A25 to Croydon Road, then via Rushworth Road to Reigate Station stop to resume normal route. Deliberately avoiding the Railway Bridge but going along Raglan Road and it's trees.

I guess in reality it's probably a bit of both, although Bridge is 14'9" and bus 14' 5" so technically ok.
 

JonathanH

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Joined
29 May 2011
Messages
23,388
I thought so too but watching the buses on the App whilst waiting for buses when route still double decker they avoided that bridge and went from Raglan Road via Batts Hill, Danes Hill, Linkfield Lane and back along A25 to Croydon Road, then via Rushworth Road to Reigate Station stop to resume normal route. Deliberately avoiding the Railway Bridge but going along Raglan Road and it's trees.

I guess in reality it's probably a bit of both, although Bridge is 14'9" and bus 14' 5" so technically ok.
Ah, thanks. That is interesting.

Croydon Road Railway Bridge is on the 324 and 611 school routes which use double deckers, but I guess the Hydroliners are full height bodywork.

The signage on the Croydon Road bridge has just been updated, presumably in readiness for the diversions.

I have noticed that some of the drivers have been missing Rushworth Road as well, going straight down Croydon Road to stop next at Bancroft Road.
 

stadler

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Joined
5 Jun 2023
Messages
3,304
Location
Horsley
Does anyone know what exactly this new route 470 service next month is?


It seems to duplicate the existing route 270 and follow the same exact route.

18:47 Haywards Heath to East Grinstead 19:32
20:32 Haywards Heath to East Grinstead 21:17

17:55 East Grinstead to Haywards Heath 18:40
19:40 East Grinstead to Haywards Heath 20:25

It is just two journeys in each direction. So four journeys in total. It seems like it is only planned to run on Saturday the 23rd of August and on Sunday the 24th of August next month. So unless bustimes have made a mistake then it seems like a special service for two days only.

Also if it is simply additional journeys then why are they giving it a separate 470 number instead of 270 like all the other journeys. It seems bonkers. A great way to confuse passengers.

Does anyone have any more information on what this new service is all about?
 

johncrossley

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Joined
30 Mar 2021
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4,445
Location
London
So unless bustimes have made a mistake then it seems like a special service for two days only.

It doesn't look like a mistake, because Metrobus have this on their website:

470​

East Grinstead Station - Haywards Heath, Perrymount Rd (23rd & 24th August only)

 

stadler

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Joined
5 Jun 2023
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3,304
Location
Horsley
It doesn't look like a mistake, because Metrobus have this on their website:



It is very odd. I even checked the Bluebell Railway website but there is nothing major on those days and the trains all finish far earlier than these buses. I thought maybe these were special heritage buses for a railway gala but it seems not. It is just four random journeys on two days duplicating the 270 but numbered 470 instead.
 

Hophead

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Joined
5 Apr 2013
Messages
1,399
Metrobus have now corrected the dates on which the 470 will operate.
 

b5tlgem2

Member
Joined
17 Dec 2024
Messages
37
Location
Brighton
What's happening with the b9tl enviros?
They've not been in service for 2 weeks with 222 for a month
Are they withdrawing them? (they are listed as rw)
 
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Park47515

Member
Joined
28 Sep 2022
Messages
201
Location
London
Has anyone seen how loadings and indeed what is on the "P&R" between the university and Valley Gardens that has been contracted to B&H today?
 

stadler

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5 Jun 2023
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3,304
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Horsley
That new P&R bus is one of the biggest wastes of money i have seen. That route has extremely frequent buses in to town already. So why do we need a separate dedicated P&R bus. The normal buses operate at least every ten minutes or better on all days of the week.

It is also a massive rip off. They charge £7.00 for parking and a return bus ride. But you can park for free on the nearby residential roads in Falmer village (or dozens of other residential roads in the nearby areas) and take the bus in to the city for a £6.00 all day ticket. Also the park and ride side is pay by phone only. So who is going to be bothered to go to all that effort of working out the pay by phone system when you can just park for free nearby and take a bus for £1.00 cheaper and get a day bus ticket.

This new service will be a complete failure. I can not see many people bothering with this. It just seems like a stunt for council to give themselves some publicity and look good for introducing a park and ride bus. It is a total waste of money.
 

johncrossley

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It is also a massive rip off. They charge £7.00 for parking and a return bus ride. But you can park for free on the nearby residential roads in Falmer village (or dozens of other residential roads in the nearby areas) and take the bus in to the city for a £6.00 all day ticket.

It is £7 per car, so if there are two or more passengers then it is cheaper than the normal bus.
 

duncombec

Member
Joined
3 Sep 2014
Messages
1,160
That new P&R bus is one of the biggest wastes of money i have seen. That route has extremely frequent buses in to town already. So why do we need a separate dedicated P&R bus. The normal buses operate at least every ten minutes or better on all days of the week.

It is also a massive rip off. They charge £7.00 for parking and a return bus ride. But you can park for free on the nearby residential roads in Falmer village (or dozens of other residential roads in the nearby areas) and take the bus in to the city for a £6.00 all day ticket. Also the park and ride side is pay by phone only. So who is going to be bothered to go to all that effort of working out the pay by phone system when you can just park for free nearby and take a bus for £1.00 cheaper and get a day bus ticket.

This new service will be a complete failure. I can not see many people bothering with this. It just seems like a stunt for council to give themselves some publicity and look good for introducing a park and ride bus. It is a total waste of money.
I think this may be looking at it from the perspective of an experienced bus user, and not someone from the nether regions of, e.g., south London who only goes to Brighton one or two days a year.

The route mostly operates on Sundays, except for the bank holiday weekend, when the 25 only operates every 12 minutes (the 23 takes a longer route, so isn't really relevant). The journey times may not be that different, but there is an element of perceived speed if you don't have to stop at other bus stops along the way. The 25 would also pick up mid way along the route, whereas the P&R buses can be there and present - whether by accident or design, it's noticeable that the "next" bus is due to arrive a minute after the "previous" bus has left, meaning there should nearly always be a bus on site. I think it's also reasonably well-held industry knowledge that a dedicated Park & Ride bus can get people out of their cars where a parking spot with a regular service bus can't always achieve that.

It really isn't a massive rip-off by any stretch. Whilst it may be legal, and you may have a "right" to park there, why should the residents of Falmer village (or elsewhere) have to accept (often inconsiderate) parking from visitors, just because they happen to live somewhere vaguely in the direction of a major resort. They may well be very happy to see their council tax (or BSIP allocation?) spent accordingly! Pay by phone is now very common in lots of car parks, and the biggest complaint I hear is not about its existence, but the multitude of apps you'd have to have to use it effectively! Parking in the centre of Brighton is extremely expensive - I could only find one car park on the council website where £7 would get you more than about 3 hours. Perhaps you could calculate the cost for a family of four on the bus, who think kids go free everywhere and the parents have only used an Oyster card and think they are valid in Aberdeen as in London, and where £7 wouldn't even get you a visitor's parking permit for the day and tell us whether you still think £7 on one app for all of them is unacceptable?

I've only seen two pictures on a Facebook enthusiasts group thus far (private group, and not my photos, so I won't share them): the first shows, at a rough count, 44 people on the bus or in the queue for one departure (and likely more, as I can't see the offside upper deck passengers or very clearly too far back in the queue), and the other shows about 20-odd, but with rows and rows of cars in the background. It may not necessarily be Glastonbury, and I'm aware there were a particularly large number of visitors to Brighton last weekend, but suggesting it will be a "complete failure" from - presumably - the proverbial armchair many miles away, seems somewhat unfair.
 

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