Bus Service Improvement Plan supporting new 1X service

Brighton & Hove Buses’ new express bus route, the 1X, will launch this Sunday 7 July and will operate between Mile Oak and Brighton Marina, offering residents faster connections between the City Centre, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton Marina, Hove, Portslade, and Mile Oak.

Passengers will be able to spot a 1X bus stop instantly by the bright pink bus stop poles that have already appeared across the city.

Supported by the council's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), the new 1X express route will be the fastest way to get from the east to the west of the city and back again by bus, and will follow a similar route to the well-established and much-loved route 1 but with fewer stops.

The route will replace the 1A, with more buses services added to route 1 serving Whitehawk.

To mark the occasion, Brighton & Hove Buses will be at Churchill Square from 2pm to 5pm on Friday 12th July, along with Olympic Gold medalist Sally Gunnell who won the gold medal for the 400 meters hurdles in 1992.

Passengers who come down will be able to talk with the Brighton & Hove Buses team about the new route, board one of our new buses, and test their speed against Sally for the chance to win prizes.

Money from the city’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, funded by the Department for Transport, is being used to increase the frequency of the new express service, meaning it’ll run around every 15 minutes, Monday to Saturday daytimes, every 20 minutes on Sunday daytimes, and every 30 minutes on all evenings.

Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking and Public Realm said: “The 1X is going to be a great addition to the city, complimenting existing services and cutting journey times to key areas of Brighton & Hove like the hospital and the city centre.

“The Bus Service Improvement Plan funding is designed to support cheaper travel, more reliable journeys, grow bus usage and increase passenger satisfaction. I think the 1X will do all that and more.

“We have a fantastic bus network in Brighton & Hove. Improving services means more people traveling by bus which helps us move towards our Net Zero ambitions and improve our air quality.”

Ed Wills, Managing Director at Brighton & Hove Buses, said: “We’re hugely excited to introduce the 1X to Brighton & Hove this summer. This new express route will serve as a new lifeline to our bustling city and offer residents quicker journeys times from A to B.

“We have also massively invested in our fleet this year with the introduction of 44 new buses with the latest accessibility features, six of which will be travelling on the 1X every day.”

The enhancement to the new service is among several BSIP funded improvements, including the 78 and 79 Breeze buses, the 37 and 37B Compass Travel services, and the 16, 47 and 52 Big Lemon services.

Improved service for Whitehawk residents

The changes will mean the current 1A service will be merged into the current 1 route, making for a more robust and reliable service throughout the day and evening.

As demand for services before 7am has grown, the new 1 service will meet this.by increasing in the number of buses from Whitehawk from 8 to 13 before 7 in the morning, Monday to Friday.

Residents will also be able to pick up the 1X at Arundel Road for a faster service to the west of the city.

Councillor Muten added: “I’m pleased to see more services earlier in the morning for Whitehawk residents travelling to work in the city centre or at the hospital.

“It’s important any changes to service don’t negatively impact on residents and I’m confident the new timetable will benefit people in Whitehawk with regular, consistent, better and more reliable services”.

Residents in Whitehawk will also continue to benefit from the BSIP enhanced 21 route which connects passengers to Brighton Marina, London Road and the city centre.