Falcon Coaches

[MasterSpenny]

There isn’t a thread for Surrey bus operator Falcon Coaches so I thought I’d make one.

So as we know, Falcon started operating the 715 the other day, and they have also acquired a pair of ex Abellio London Enviro 200s (8878/9 as original fleet codes, registered YX12DLD and YX12DLE). Does anybody know what they have been acquired for?
Source:

Transport UK London Bus | The Bus Forum

While in the introduction day the staff showed us some powerpoint slides showing what it is like working in the company. In one slide it showed the future of travel london which was.. Ex

tangytango.proboards.com

8778 and 8779 have a new life at Falcon now

 

[Surreyman]

There isn’t a thread for Surrey bus operator Falcon Coaches so I thought I’d make one.

So as we know, Falcon started operating the 715 the other day, and they have also acquired a pair of ex Abellio London Enviro 200s (8878/9 as original fleet codes, registered YX12DLD and YX12DLE). Does anybody know what they have been acquired for?
Source:

Transport UK London Bus | The Bus Forum

While in the introduction day the staff showed us some powerpoint slides showing what it is like working in the company. In one slide it showed the future of travel london which was.. Ex

tangytango.proboards.com

You probably know that as well as the 715 Falcon have taken on some additional work in the form of the 437 (from Whitebus) 557 from Diamond, 615 from London General, 663 from Diamond & 814 from Diamond.
I think most of Falcons 'modern fleet' is leased, these might be 'short-term stand ins'.
I noted a fairly full 9 metre E200MMC on the 715 leaving Guildford @ 6pmish yesterday.

 

[busesrusuk]

There isn’t a thread for Surrey bus operator Falcon Coaches so I thought I’d make one.

So as we know, Falcon started operating the 715 the other day, and they have also acquired a pair of ex Abellio London Enviro 200s (8878/9 as original fleet codes, registered YX12DLD and YX12DLE). Does anybody know what they have been acquired for?
Source:

Transport UK London Bus | The Bus Forum

While in the introduction day the staff showed us some powerpoint slides showing what it is like working in the company. In one slide it showed the future of travel london which was.. Ex

tangytango.proboards.com

Falcon have taken on a bit of extra work. As well as the 715 they also have taken on the 437 and 557 from White Bus and Diamond Bus respectively. There are supposed to be up to 6 new E200's due imminently for the 715 (source - LOTS).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Aug 2023 ==

Looks like posts crossed as Surreyman posted whilst I was typing(!)

 

[Flange Squeal]

Steve Telling of Falcon, and previously Tellings Golden-Miller (TGM) who operated out of the same Byfleet premises before that part of the business was sold to National Express before passing on to Abellio and the rest of TGM going to Arriva, attended a recent North West Surrey Bus Users Group (NWSBUG) public meeting in Woking. He explained that their peak vehicle requirement (PVR) will increase by ten following the awards of Surrey County Council tendered routes 437 (x1), 557 (x2), 715 (x3), 615 (x1), 663 (x1) and 814 (x3). I realise these add up to 11, but its possible he said "around 10" and I misheard, or maybe the way the duties will work will see the operation of one of the school routes absorbed into the current PVR. He also added at the meeting that further brand new vehicles had been ordered, but these were expected over a couple of batches - from memory, some around October and the rest around Christmas. This was backed up in a recent Alexander Dennis press release about the delivery of YX23 ORV, which added

Falcon Coaches also confirmed a further order for another six brand-new low-emission Enviro200 buses to be delivered over the next four months for another three new services the company is starting this summer.

Those six are presumably for main daytime routes 437, 557 and 715. It may therefore be that any second hand vehicles present now are to make up the remaining balance of four for the school routes, as well as some temporary additions until the six brand new additions arrive.

Steve Telling will be the guest speaker at the NWSBUG's next public meeting this Saturday (2nd September) which is taking place at Addlestone Methodist Church 1000-1200. If you are local and able to attend, then these sessions usually include a Question and Answer session. More information about the group can be found on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nwsurreybug/

 

[Whistler40145]

Here’s a link showing one of the new Enviro200s

Falcon Coaches takes delivery of a 34th Enviro200 bus

Surrey-based operator Falcon Coaches has taken delivery of a further Alexander Dennis Enviro200 single-decker, adding to its 33 already owned examples.

www.route-one.net

 

[MasterSpenny]

Falcon Buses has introduced software from Freeway Fleet Systems to help with fleet maintenance

Falcon Buses adopts Freeway Fleet Systems digital platform - routeone

Falcon Buses has introduced software from Freeway Fleet Systems to digitise its fleet maintenance across two workshops.

www.route-one.net

Falcon Buses adopts Freeway Fleet Systems digital platform​

Falcon Buses of Byfleet has introduced software from Freeway Fleet Systems to digitise its maintenance. The platform is being rolled out in two workshops and it will have the benefits of eliminating paper and providing live information on the 65-strong coach and bus fleet.

Engineering staff will be equipped with tablets to replace paper-based reports. Live data from those tablets is sent to a central Freeway system to provide fleet visibility, and the system also manages other assets, such as workshop equipment and stores. A dashboard on a wall-mounted monitor provides an overarching view of the status of all work.

Falcon Buses started looking for a digital solution in 2019, although implementation of the Freeway system was delayed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has employed consultancy FleetPerks to assist with the shift.

The operator says that the digitisation journey started after it found itself overwhelmed with paper as its fleet grew. That had an impact productivity. A quest for a new approach thus began, with one of the stipulations being integration with the Ticketer platform.
That was vital for us, as we wanted to move to digital driver checks but we did not want to issue drivers with mobile devices,” says Managing Director Richard Telling.

Such integration allows walk-round check results to be recorded via the Ticketer machine, which provides workshop staff with instant information on any defects found.

That represents a change from before, adds Mr Telling. It allows rectification work to be scheduled immediately, which minimises vehicle downtime and assists in workshop resource allocation.

Stores management will see the Freeway system control stock, track parts usage, and ultimately “measure the performance of individual parts and the real costs of keeping individual vehicles on the road,” explains the supplier.

Mr Telling adds that a further useful aspect of the Freeway platform is its wheel nut retorque app. It provides an automatic alert when such a process is due.

“Retorquing has traditional been difficult to manage as the vehicles tend to be back in service and out of ‘the system’ engineering-wise,” he observes. “This neat retorquing feature in Freeway is really useful.”

 

[MasterSpenny]

The third Enviro 200 MMC that has been on order for Falcon has been recorded on buslistsontheweb.co.uk is YX73PGY.
(My figures include the 23 plate example they have)

 

[Flange Squeal]

There are some timetable changes from Monday after next (8th Jan) that the Hants & Surrey Bus Blog have written a blog about. The Woking to Guildford 28 is mainly just timing changes to the clockface timetable, but the 436 and 456 (Woking to Weybridge or Staines respectively) will now have differing off-peak clockface times depending if it's a weekday or a Saturday. The 436 is typically a five minute difference (from Woking xx05/35 weekdays and xx00/30 Saturdays, and from Weybridge xx12/42 weekdays and xx07/37 Saturdays). The 456 is somewhat more extreme though, with departures from Woking at xx50 on weekdays and now xx25 on Saturdays.

Monday 8th January​

28: Woking – Brookwood – Guildford
Operated by: Falcon Buses
Revised timetable to improve reliability, in connection with interworked route 456 (see below). Departures from Woking will now generally be at xx55 rather than xx13, with departures from Guildford being xx10 rather than xx40. Journeys in the peak hours at either end of the day are several minutes either side of these times. In the Guildford to Woking direction, this results in a later first end-to-end journey of 0810 (arriving 0905) compared to 0735/0740 M-F/Sat (arriving 0835/0840) as now. All journeys will now serve Woking Morrisons bar the 0650 Woking to Guildford, where as at present a couple of others also skip it.

436: Woking – West Byfleet – Weybridge
Operated by: Falcon Buses
Revised timetable to improve reliability. Weekday departure times from each end generally shifted 5 mins later to xx05/35 from Woking and xx12/42 from Weybridge, along with other minor timing adjustments. Saturday departure times remain xx00/30 from Woking and xx07/37 from Weybridge.

456: Woking – Addlestone – Staines
Operated by: Falcon Buses
Revised timetable to improve reliability. Journeys still generally depart Staines at xx10 but are given additional running time arriving Woking xx14/15 (M-F/Sat) instead of xx08. From Woking, buses on weekdays will generally depart xx50 instead of xx45, again with additional running time arriving Staines xx02 instead of xx51. Saturdays vary in this direction though, generally departing Woking xx25 and arriving at Staines xx38. These layovers in Woking will therefore affect those passengers who made previous cross-Woking links to/from the Morrisons supermarket from points east of town on the 456, and latterly 456/28 interworking. Assuming buses on the 28 and 456 will still interwork though, this mid-route layover will at least hopefully help stop delays caused by roadworks/congestion spreading across both routes as easily, compared to today’s 5 mins recovery time between routes in each direction (which also has to factor in unloading and boarding time). While actions to improve reliability are obviously welcome, I do feel it is a shame that the 456 will now have substantially different departure times depending if weekday or Saturday in the northbound direction.

Source: https://handsbusblog.wordpress.com/2023/12/31/2024-the-year-of-the-inconsistent-timetable/

 

[SW Buses]

Looking at the website for Falcon Buses (www.falconbuses.com) anyone know who produces their network map and downloadable PDF timetables please?

 

[Cesarcollie]

Looking at the website for Falcon Buses (www.falconbuses.com) anyone know who produces their network map and downloadable PDF timetables please?

Adeon I believe

 

[Flange Squeal]

From 2nd April the Addlestone to Sunbury route 557 will be diverted weekday off peak and all day Saturday between Addlestone and St Peter’s Hospital. Instead of Ottershaw, buses will run via Green Lane which saw its bus service withdrawn last year when Runnymede Community Transport withdrew their 457 route. The half hourly 461 will continue to run Addlestone to St Peter’s Hospital via Ottershaw, with this due to increase to three buses per hour at an undisclosed date (see below).

Source: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-a...ort/bus-timetable-changes/forthcoming-changes

2 April 2024​

Falcon Buses​

557 - Timetable has been revised to improve reliability, and off-peak journeys are being diverted via Green Lane in Addlestone.

The Hants & Surrey Bus Blog’s Facebook page has also posted about a public meeting of the North West Surrey Bus User Group at which a representative of Surrey County Council was the guest speaker. There was quite a bit of Falcon news.

436 Woking to Weybridge via West Byfleet and Brooklands can no longer serve the Brooklands Museum stop following Mercedes Benz World telling them that the manoeuvre to turn around is unsafe. It is private property. It will however be gaining an enhanced evening and new Sunday service funded by Surrey County Council at an un yet undisclosed date.

The same funding will also help see the 461 (St Peters Hospital to Kingston via Addlestone and Weybridge) increase from every 30 to every 20 minutes during the daytime, the 479 (Guildford to Epsom via Bookham and Leatherhead) get an evening service and double the Sunday frequency to hourly, and the 456 (Woking to Staines via Chertsey) get hourly short trips between Woking and West Byfleet which alongside the 436 will offer a quarter hourly frequency Woking - Sheerwater Estate - West Byfleet.

If Surrey County Council’s bid for electric bus funding gets approved then Falcon’s 436 and 461 routes will be beneficiaries of this (as well as White Bus 446 Woking to Hatton Cross via Chertsey, Staines and Ashford Hospital).

It was also said that they had looked into previous requests for the current evening journeys on the Guildford to Kingston route 715 that terminate at Cobham to be extended to/from Guildford, but that the current driving duties would go over hours.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/yXbfmf1TtvXUz896/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Today was a North West Surrey Bus Users Group (NWSBUG) meeting in Addlestone, with Val Sexton from Surrey County Council as guest speaker. In summary, some of the following key points may be of interest to readers.

Mercedes-Benz World have instructed Falcon to stop serving the ‘Brooklands Museum’ bus stop on the 436 (Woking to Weybridge) for “health and safety reasons”. The route will still serve the ‘Mercedes Benz World’ stop outside the Brooklands Hotel, then turn at the roundabout.

Forthcoming Monday to Saturday service enhancements on the Falcon network, using Surrey County Council’s recent £3.9 million funding award, are set to include the 456 (Woking to Staines) doubled to half-hourly between Woking and West Byfleet only to offer a quarter hourly Woking - Sheerwater - West Byfleet frequency alongside the 436, the daytime 461 (St Peters Hospital to Kingston) increased from half-hourly to every 20 mins, the 436 (Woking to Weybridge) gain an evening and new Sunday service, the 479 (Guildford to Epsom) increased evening and enhanced hourly Sunday service. The funding is for two years, with these enhancements needing to become commercially viable in order to continue. The existing 456 ‘short’ Sunday service between Woking and Addlestone, operated by White Bus, is set for retendering next September (2025).

A new bus stop is being worked on for Westfield Road in Mayford (Woking) to be served by Stagecoach route 34 (Guildford to Camberley). Currently Mayford has half-hourly 34s running through it, but only the infrequent 35 actually stops, since the re-routing of the 34/35 and nature of the existing infrastructure layouts. A new bus stop in Woking, Church Street West, is now in use with more permanent infrastructure to follow.

The evening Falcon route 715 (Guildford to Kingston)’s short journeys have been looked at for extension south of Cobham to/from Guildford, but this is not possible in line with current driver duties/hours.

Surrey County Council’s ZEBRA funding bid for 19 electric buses would see Falcon 436 (Woking to Weybridge), White Bus 446 (Woking to Hatton Cross) and Falcon 461 (St Peters Hospital to Kingston) with the results expected this month.

The ‘Surrey Connect’ Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) fleet is set to increase from 12 to 28 vehicles. While not specifically confirmed, my fear is that this will see some fixed timetable shopper type routes such as Carlone 525/533/545/592/593/599, Safeguard 39A/39B/39C/40 and Stagecoach 503/520/523/538 replaced by these DRT operations, similar to Stagecoach’s 17 (Guildford to Wood Street & Fairlands). Some have already been mentioned in past documents. While the theory behind requesting a bus and it taking you to where you want to go sounds great on paper, as readers of Roger French’s ‘Bus & Train User’ blog will know, the reality is often somewhat different. Particularly when you consider that many who rely on these services are the elderly or less mobile who may struggle with using apps, when even Roger as a regular DRT patron often has issues.

New Surrey County Council timetable books are being put out, however the number of changes affecting the Chertsey area book has seen that one being put off. There is a possibility that a new edition may have two timetables effective before/after a certain date to get it published sooner. The Diamond 555 (Whiteley Village to Heathrow Airport) has been put out for retender from September, with the result not yet known, for example.

 

[Flange Squeal]

The 456 is going half-hourly from 10 June. Quote from Hants & Surrey Bus Blog Facebook page:

UPDATE ON FALCON 456 ENHANCEMENT

I have previously reported on the various proposed Falcon Buses service enhancements after they were revealed at the last North West Surrey Bus Users Group meeting in Addlestone. The 461’s increase to every 20 mins occurred fairly soon after, but there was no date for the 436, 456 and 479.

The 456’s enhancements have now been formally announced, with the frequency doubled to half-hourly over the FULL route Monday to Saturday from Monday 10th June. Talk at the time suggested it may just be the Woking to West Byfleet section, so this is particularly positive news. Departure times from Woking are also aligned to generally be the same mins past each hour Mon-Sat, rather than the current situation where Saturday differs from weekdays by around half an hour.

Departures from Woking will mostly be xx20/50, which with the 436 at xx05/35 offers an even 15 minute frequency over the Woking - Sheerwater - West Byfleet section. From West Byfleet, departures are generally 00/14/30/44 towards Woking spread between the two routes.

As a side note, Falcon have also increased their authorisation at the Woodham operating centre from 17 to 22 vehicles, as well as re-adding 2 vehicles at Esher Rugby Club (they previously had an operating centre on their licence here for 4 vehicles but this was removed, from memory, during Covid).

I’ll get the Service Changes page updated to reflect this, and with a more detailed breakdown of the changes, probably tomorrow. For now, you can read Falcon’s announcement and view the timetable at: https://www.falconbuses.co.uk/news/456-more-often/

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/PY9mLLxa4rVERsgY/

 

[Surreyman]

Changes to operating centres, copied and pasted: -

PK1109969 SI FALCON COACHES LIMITED Director(s): STEPHEN RICHARD TELLING, RICHARD TELLING, Andrew Telling 20A WINTERSELLS ROAD, BYFLEET, WEST BYFLEET, KT14 7LF Increase at existing operating centre: Site D & G, Capital House Site, Woodham Park Road, Addlestone, KT15 3DG New authorisation at this operating centre will be: 22 vehicle(s)
New operating centre: 369 MOLESEY ROAD, WALTON-ON-THAMES, KT12 3PF New authorisation at this operating centre will be: 2 vehicle(s) New licence authorisation will be 72 vehicle(s)

Note the Molesey Road site is the Rugby club, I believe Falcon have used this site before.
i am guessing that the Woodham Road site is mostly used for coaches?

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Does anybody know who does the new announcements onboard Falcon Buses? Sounds very much like the "Elinor" voice which SWR now use. Just interested if it's the same person or one who sounds alike.

 

[stadler]

Does anybody know who does the new announcements onboard Falcon Buses? Sounds very much like the "Elinor" voice which SWR now use. Just interested if it's the same person or one who sounds alike.

I did not realise that Falcon Buses had automated announcements now. There has never been any on the buses i have been on. That must be new. Elinor Hamilton is used on all National Express Coaches and National Express West Midlands buses so it could well be her as she certainly does lots of transport announcements. Which route and vehicle did you hear announcements on? I do not suppose you have a recording?

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I did not realise that Falcon Buses had automated announcements now. There has never been any on the buses i have been on. That must be new. Elinor Hamilton is used on all NXC and NXWM buses so it could well be her as she certainly does lots of transport announcements. Which route and vehicle did you hear announcements on? I do not suppose you have a recording?

They've had them for at least a couple of weeks now, but only on a handful of vehicles it seems.

It was on the 715; I remember hearing them a few weeks ago on the route, but it was only yesterday that I heard them again and it clicked that the voice sounded remarkably similar to Elinor.

It was onboard bus "PGY", which interestingly has an updated information screen, which is square rather than long and thin like the other buses used on the 715 (and those are never turned on).

I do not have a recording, I'm afraid, however I am a semi-regular user of the 715 so will attempt to take a recording when I hear the announcements again.

 

[Edvid]

Falcon have used their share of the ZEBRA 2 pot to order 13 Enviro200EVs, which will be allocated to routes 436 & 461.

Falcon Buses is first independent operator to order 13 next-generation Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV electric buses​

14 Nov 2024

Alexander Dennis, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, today announced that it has taken a firm order from English bus operator Falcon Buses for 13 of its next-generation Enviro200EV single deckers.

The order was confirmed at Euro Bus Expo 2024 exhibition and is the first from an independent operator for the new Alexander Dennis electric single decker.

It follows Falcon Buses’ successful bid in partnership with Surrey County Council for funding from the second phase of the UK Government’s Zero-Emission Regional Bus Areas (ZEBRA) scheme. When delivered in 2026, the buses will be allocated to route 436 connecting Woking with Weybridge and route 461 between Chertsey and Kingston.

The Enviro200EV for Falcon Buses will each be 10.9m long and seat up to 37 passengers. In addition to 31 fixed seats, there will be six tip-ups in two wheelchair bays, flexibly maximising travel opportunities for passengers with reduced mobility and those travelling with pushchairs. The manufacturer’s revised interior for the Enviro200EV, featuring warmer colour tones, distinctive styling lines and a revised surface finish, will create a pleasant travelling environment on board.

The zero-emission buses will be powered by the Voith Electrical Drive System in its medium-duty version. Energy will be stored in 400kWh batteries offering plenty of operational range between charges at the Falcon Buses base in Byfleet thanks to the vehicle’s lightweight design and the manufacturer’s focus on system efficiency.

Alexander Dennis Regional Sales Manager, Mark Taylor, said: “Our new Enviro200EV has been designed to replicate all the great features that have made the conventional Enviro200 Britain’s best-selling bus in an electric vehicle that cuts out tailpipe emissions and improves energy efficiency.”

“For Falcon Buses, this means the new zero-emission fleet will seamlessly integrate with the company’s large number of low-emission buses, giving driving and engineering staff alike a familiar working environment and delivering fleet benefits. We’re really looking forward to supporting Richard and the team at Falcon Buses in their transition to zero-emission mobility.”

Richard Telling, Managing Director for Falcon Buses, added: “The Enviro200 has long been the mainstay of our services, with over 50 in operation and 15 examples added this year alone to give us a robust fleet that protects our bottom line.”

“With this classic now upgraded for the next generation and updated with latest zero-emission technology, and offering four seats more than other vehicles of this length, the Enviro200EV was an easy choice for us. We can’t wait to start this new chapter for our business in 2026.”

 

[stadler]

Does anybody know who does the new announcements onboard Falcon Buses? Sounds very much like the "Elinor" voice which SWR now use. Just interested if it's the same person or one who sounds alike.

They've had them for at least a couple of weeks now, but only on a handful of vehicles it seems.

It was on the 715; I remember hearing them a few weeks ago on the route, but it was only yesterday that I heard them again and it clicked that the voice sounded remarkably similar to Elinor.

It was onboard bus "PGY", which interestingly has an updated information screen, which is square rather than long and thin like the other buses used on the 715 (and those are never turned on).

I do not have a recording, I'm afraid, however I am a semi-regular user of the 715 so will attempt to take a recording when I hear the announcements again.

I have heard the new announcements on Falcon Buses now and it is indeed Elinor Hamilton who voices them.

 

[Bungle965]

Thread reopened for @Edvid to provide an update

 

[Edvid]

Another 8 electric buses (E200EVs, it seems) will be added to the fleet, enabled by additional ZEBRA 2 funding for Surrey.

£1.7m for more cleaner, greener buses across Surrey

Following a successful bid for funding to the Department for Transport, Surrey County Council has been awarded an additional £1.7m for 12 new zero emission buses. This follows a previous allocation…

news.surreycc.gov.uk

Richard Telling, Managing Director of Falcon Buses said, “Through the partnership working with Surrey County Council (SCC), who have been awarded Department for Transport (DfT) ZEBRA 2 funding, we are now enhancing our roll out of zero Emission buses, introducing 21 electric buses into our fleet.

“Financial investment from Falcon Buses, together with SCC and DfT has enabled us to place orders with Alexander Dennis for the supply of their brand new Enviro 200 EV next generation bus and we will see electric buses operating on a number of our services from Spring 2026. Exciting times are ahead for Falcon operating new technology with electric buses, and we look forward to our customers coming on the journey with us.”

 

[Flange Squeal]

The latter part of May will see some service enhancements to a pair of existing routes, 436 and 461, plus a new route to Wisley Gardens that will itself enhance the present 715. The following comes from the Hants & Surrey Bus Blog website:

Saturday 24th May​

**NEW** 714: Kingston – Cobham – RHS Garden Wisely
Operated by: Falcon Buses
New service running hourly Monday to Saturday offering a combined half-hourly frequency alongside the 715 between Kingston and Cobham, from where the 714 will then run to/from RHS Garden Wisley. More information to follow when made available.

.

Tuesday 27th May​

436: Woking – West Byfleet – Byfleet – Weybridge
Operated by: Falcon Buses
Revised timetable all week. Monday to Saturday, there will be additional evening journeys. The current last full-length weekday/Saturday journeys from Woking are 1815/1805 (plus Mon-Sat 1835 & 1935 shorts to Brooklands), and from Weybridge are 1911/1812 (plus Sat 1842 & 1912 shorts to Brooklands). The two-hourly Sunday & Public Holiday service, introduced in January, will also be doubled to now run hourly. More information to follow when made available.

461: Chertsey / St. Peter’s Hospital – Kingston
Operated by: Falcon Buses
Alongside “minor timetable tweaks to improve consistency”, the Monday to Saturday evening provision will be doubled from the current approximate hourly frequency to half-hourly. More information to follow when made available.

Source: https://handsbusblog.wordpress.com/changes/

 

[Flange Squeal]

Surrey County Council have now posted the new 714 and enhanced 436/461 timetables to their website and the Hants & Surrey Bus Blog has written a detailed comparison. Clicking the route numbers takes you to the timetables on Surrey County Council's website.

Falcon’s May 2025 new and enhanced timetables published​

May 8, 2025/ Hants & Surrey Bus Blog
I’ve previously mentioned on the blog’s Facebook and Service Changes pages that Falcon’s existing 436 and 461 routes are to receive enhancements later this month, along with a brand new route 714 being launched. Surrey County Council have today (8th May) published timetables for these on their website. All come into effect from Tuesday 27th May.

436: Woking – West Byfleet – Byfleet – Weybridge
Monday to Saturday sees new evening journeys introduced. In the direction Woking towards Weybridge, the existing 1905 Woking to Brooklands is extended to Weybridge, plus new journeys introduced are 2005/2105 Woking to Weybridge and a 2205 Woking to Brooklands short. In the other direction, from Weybridge towards Woking, the Saturday 1912 Weybridge to Brooklands short is extended to Woking, plus new Mon-Sat journeys introduced are 2012/2112 Weybridge to Woking and a 2212 Weybridge to Brooklands short.
The two-hourly Sunday & Public Holiday provision, introduced in January, is also doubled to now run hourly. From Woking towards Weybridge, this consists of hourly 0905-1605 Woking to Weybridge full-length trips sandwiched between 0841 Brooklands to Weybridge and 1705 Woking to Brooklands shorts. In the other direction, from Weybridge towards Woking, hourly 0912-1612 Weybridge to Woking full-length trips are sandwiched between 0828 Brooklands to Woking and 1712 Weybridge to Brooklands short trips.

461: Kingston – St. Peter’s Hospital / Chertsey
Alongside minor timing adjustments, the headline news is that the Mon-Sat evening frequency is largely doubled from hourly to half-hourly. From Kingston, the current 1751, 1811 (1821 Sat), 1900, 2000, 2100, 2210* & 2306* evening service becomes 1750 (1751 Sat), 1810 (1821 Sat), 1850, 1920, 1950, 2020, 2050, 2120*, 2210* & 2310* (*terminate Addlestone). From St. Peter’s Hospital, the current 1750, 1810 (1820 Sat) Addlestone short, 1845, 1951, 2101 & 2201 evening service becomes 1750, 1820 (now full-length), 1850, 1920, 1950, 2020, 2050 & 2200.

**NEW** 714: Kingston – Cobham – RHS Garden Wisley
This new route runs hourly Mon-Sat daytime, slotting into gaps between the existing hourly Falcon route 715 (Kingston to Guildford) to offer a combined half-hourly service over the Kingston – Thames Ditton – Esher – Cobham shared section. Beyond Cobham, rather than follow the 715 to Ripley, Burpham and Guildford, the 714 continues the short distance to RHS Garden Wisley where it terminates. Departures from Kingston to RHS Garden Wisley are 0815, 0915, 1015, 1115, 1215, 1315, 1415, 1515 (1525 Sat) & 1625, followed by 1735 & 1830 journeys terminating at Cobham. In the other direction towards Kingston, Cobham has 0718 (0721 Sat) & 0827 departures, followed by RHS Garden Wisley departures at 0909, 1009, 1109, 1209, 1309, 1409, 1509, 1609 (1619 Sat) & 1730.

Source: https://handsbusblog.wordpress.com

(Edited to add link to source)

 

[Flange Squeal]

According to the Hants & Surrey Bus News Facebook page, Falcon Buses have won a number of routes currently with Safeguard Coaches, Stagecoach South or White Bus.

In addition to Stagecoach losing the 11 (Farnborough to Camberley via Deepcut) to White Bus as part of this year’s round of Surrey County Council tendering, as reported on this page previously, Falcon Buses are said to also be making several gains according to a post on ‘The Bus Forum’. These are reportedly…

- 12 (Heatherside to Paddock Hill via Camberley) from Stagecoach

- 39A, 39B, 39C & 40 (Woking to Chobham / Hermitage / Horsell / Ripley) from Safeguard Coaches, along with the associated 690 morning/afternoon term time journeys these shopper buses are operationally sandwiched in between

- 81 (Woking to Barnsbury Estate) from Safeguard Coaches

- 456 (Woking to Addlestone Sunday service) from White Bus

Surrey County Council tenders usually take effect in line with the academic year, in late August/early September.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1025107733095325&id=100067883228937

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 May 2025 ==

Falcon are in discussions with Surrey County Council to up their order for 21 electric buses to 23.

19/05/25 - MORE FALCON ELECTRIC BUS NEWS

Last month I posted about further funding for twelve vehicles, allowing Falcon Buses and White Bus to increase their orders for thirteen ADL Enviro200EVs and six Yutong E10s to twenty-one and ten vehicles respectively. A Route One article, posted on the magazine’s website today, says that Falcon are in discussion with Surrey County Council to add a further pair of vehicles to this, upping their electric bus order to twenty-three.

We already know that White Bus’ ten Yutong E10 buses are intended to work routes 446 (Hatton Cross to Woking) and 555 (Heathrow Central to Whiteley Village), which judging by the timetables add up to require six and four vehicles respectively. Their arrival will also see the two routes join Carousel 102, Thames Valley 703 and Newbury & District 730/731 as further spokes added to the green branded Flightline network of daily early-til-late services serving Heathrow Airport.

The initial order of thirteen Enviro200EVs for Falcon were said in the operator’s announcement last year to be for routes 436 (Woking to Weybridge) and 461 (Kingston to St Peter’s Hospital / Chertsey), which look to me to have a peak vehicle requirement of four and nine respectively. I don’t recall a subsequent announcement detailing plans for the extra eight, but with it being two extra vehicles being sought I speculatively wonder if it might relate to the three vehicle requirement for the Mon-Sat 715 being joined by two more with the introduction of next week’s 714 journeys (Kingston to Wisley). That would leave five unaccounted for, which I believe is the requirement for the 479 (Guildford to Epsom). The initial order of thirteen buses was stated as being for 10.8 metre vehicles, so if these extra eight/ten are also that length then that would also appear to fit, as from observation I believe the 479 & 715 tend to be allocated longer length buses. This is all mere speculation on my part though!

I think we can safely rule out the extra eight as being five for the 456 (Woking to Staines) and three for the 514/515 (Kingston to Brooklands) though, on account of the increased height of the electric Enviro200EVs versus the low bridges on Camphill Road and More Lane respectively.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16LKFYvUym/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

[Flange Squeal]

Falcons tender wins effective 31 August have now been formally announced by Surrey County Council.

They’ve won the 12 from Stagecoach South, 39A/B/C, 40, 81 & 690 from Safeguard Coaches, and Sunday 456 from White Bus with extension to Staines as per their Mon-Sat service. They’ve also retained their 514, 515 and 564 routes, with the latter getting an enhanced timetable.

Quote from Hants & Surrey Bus News Facebook page:

2025 SURREY TENDER RESULTS

The results of this year's round of Surrey County Council tendering have now been published publicly, with the new contracts effective from Sunday 31st August. Below is a summary of the routes involved, including any known changes of operator and service pattern. As more information is made available, such as timetables, then I will of course share that as and when. Some of these have already been reported or bits known/hinted at, such as the 11/12 changing hands and Safeguard losses, but now we have the full picture.

11: Farnborough - Deepcut - Heatherside - Camberley
[CHANGE] Stagecoach > White Bus
Notes: 5 bids.

12: Heatherside - Camberley - Frimley - Paddock Hill
[CHANGE] Stagecoach > Falcon
Notes: 4 bids.

39A: Woking - Chobham (M/W/F)
39B: Woking - Hermitage (Thu)
39C: Woking - Horsell (Tue/Thu)
40: Woking - Ripley (Tue)
[CHANGE] Safeguard > Falcon
Notes: 5 bids. Package bid with 81/690 routes.

81: Woking - Barnsbury Estate
[CHANGE] Safeguard > Falcon
Notes: 5 bids. Package bid with 39&40/690 routes, plus enhancements to 437 (Woking to West Byfleet) and extending the route beyond Woking town centre to the community hospital. One assumes this will be by buses offering through journeys between the 81 and 437.

456: Woking - Addlestone (Sun)
[CHANGE] White Bus > Falcon
Notes: 3 bids. Alternative award extending the Sunday provision from Addlestone to Staines, matching Falcon’s own Mon-Sat provision.

514: Kingston - Molesey - Hersham - Brooklands
515: Kingston - Esher - Hersham - Brooklands
[RETAINED] Falcon
Notes: 4 bids.

564: Hersham - Xcel Leisure Centre
[RETAINED] Falcon
Notes: 3 bids. Enhanced to provide hourly frequency including journeys serving Heathside School.

690: Woking College - Worplesdon
[CHANGE] Safeguard > Falcon
Notes: 4 bids. Package bid with 39&40/81 routes.

694: Broadwater School - Ash
[CHANGE] Carlone > Stagecoach
Notes: 1 bid.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/446030/Local-Bus-retendering-results-for-August-September-2025-30052025_112642.pdf

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/1KyHNG53fv/

 

[capitalpotter]

Does anyone think that in the future it may be possible for Falcon to tender for some TfL routes around Epsom or Kingston?

 

[greenline712]

Does anyone think that in the future it may be possible for Falcon to tender for some TfL routes around Epsom or Kingston?

Nothing to stop them ... apart from.ceding control of a large chunk of their business to TfL.
Many operators in the past have regretted that ... better to be smaller and in control ...

 

[Flange Squeal]

The Hants & Surrey Bus News Facebook page is reporting that the Falcon 814 school route will be operated by four vehicles, instead of the current three, from the new school term following the forthcoming cessation of some free school buses due to the designation of a controversial safe walking route.

There have been a few local news stories over recent months regarding the withdrawal of free school buses to Esher High School in favour of a walking route that has proved controversial with some parents, with fears the current Surrey County Council tendered route 814 wouldn’t be able to cope with the additional students potentially trying to use it instead.

The council has now announced that the Falcon Buses-operated 814 (Esher High School to West Molesey) will have an extra bus added from September, on a trial basis for the first half-term to offer increased capacity and gauge usage on whether it’s needed beyond then. This will bring the 814’s vehicle requirement up to four buses.

Extra bus service introduced to connect pupils at Esher High School

Surrey County Council has worked with Falcon Buses to introduce an additional bus service to transport pupils to and from Esher High School. Four buses will now operate on the 814 route following a…

news.surreycc.gov.uk

Source: https://www.facebook.com/100067883228937/posts/1048263907446374/