Arriva X1 Brighton 1X Comparison (1)

 

Go back a bit and a visitor to Brighton would hardly notice that there were two different bus companies providing services for the local community. Brighton Corporation had a network concentrated on the original municipal area and their buses (above) were red and cream.

The other company, Brighton and Hove,  was the local branch of the nationalised monster, initially part of the Transport Holding Company, later to become the National Bus Company. B&H buses were red and cream. Spot the difference!

To add to the misconceptions, there was a very complex agreement between the two operators. To balance mileage, costs and revenue, every so often a Corporation route would be run by the Company and vice versa.

For a while, the corporation attempted an independent identity by paining its buses blue - shock horror!

But privatisation led to a merger of the two already working together operations under the name of Brighton and Hove and with a much revised red and cream livery.

Before then, however there is a long and complex history of buses in the area. Here, for example, is a service 9 from Portslade Station to Mile Oak ...

... and a model of a B&H FLF showing 26, also to Mile Oak.

Then we have an obviously THC bus on route 40 to Whitehawk.

And, finally, in these nostalgic nibbles, we get closer to today's set up. Here is a leaflet from an era when the two operators were very much one in branding with a big b - to symbolise their togetherness.

We can welcome a route 1 from Downs Park in the west all the way to Whitehawk in the east. The pattern of today's service is being established.
 

So the 1 and 1A became a major cross town artery from quite early in the development of the privatized Brighton and Hove.

It was also one of the routes that began the policy of route branding. Bus watchers were shocked by the innovation of coloured wedges for some routes, in this case the 1/1A.

Even more shocking, the name "Metro" was applied!

But at this stage only single decks graced this "main line" route ...

... but very much the 1 and 1A from Mile Oak to Whitehawk.

In view of the new 1X variant (tomorrow's blog) one development is worthy of note. For about ten years a limited stop service, branded "Shuttle" shuttled to Mike Oak; and it wore a very outlandish livery ...

You do wonder why it didn't last and why the new 1X has appeared doing much the same as the former route 60? 

We shall see.

A more swirly pink route branding followed to match a more swirly base livery ...

... the extra swirl and the big pink route numbers defining the service's colour on maps and publicity. The detail has varied over the years ...

... but the red and cream plus pink additions has been a constant reminder of the quality and quantity of this bus service.

And they mean quality!

So the 1/1A ran from Mile Oak ...

.. south to Portslade then east via New Church Road and Western Road (but not along the coast road) to the he city centre and on to Whitehawk.

Tomorrow we will look at the recent developments on route 1/1A, including the new 1X.

Bur one question remains ...

... "What has happened to PINK?"

Here are non-pink 1/1A buses at the Mile Oak shops terminus ...

... and just one blue 1 at Whitehawk.

Another operator is ditching its useful and passenger friendly route branding.

M3 Policy?

Motiveless Management Meddling!

 Next 1X blog : Tuesday 16th July