Fast track your journey with the 1X (2024)

Our new express bus route, the 1X, will launch Sunday 7th 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 Brighton & Hove City Council as part of the Bus Service Improvement Plan, 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 find out how the 1X links with the route 1 click here.

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.”

To mark the occasion, we will be at Churchill Square from 12:00 – 17:00 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 our team about the new route, board one of our new buses, and test their speed against Sally for the chance to win prizes.

Ed Wills, Managing Director at Brighton & Hove Buses, said: “We’re hugely excited to introduce the 1X to Brighton & Hove this summer. The route has been designed in response to passenger requests for faster buses on our network, and this new express service will offer residents of our bustling city quicker journeys times from the east to the west of the city.

“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.”

All the buses are fitted with two wheelchair bays, with even more space for an extra two buggies, and if a wheelchair user is unable to board for any reason the company offer a free accessible taxi. The buses also have next stop audio and visual announcements, dementia friendly seating and flooring and an onboard hearing loop system. All drivers have disability awareness training, and in partnership with Alzheimer's Society and Guide Dogs they are all Dementia Friends and 'My Sighted Guides'.

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 07:00 has grown, the new 1 service will meet this by increasing the number of buses from Whitehawk from 8 to 13 before 07:00 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”.