Metrobus Crawley

[SouthEastBuses]

Hi and welcome to this new thread of my local UK bus operator, Metrobus Crawley.

Before we start. Metrobus Crawley is a bus operator owned by the Go Ahead group and part of Brighton & Hove. It runs local and rural services around the Crawley, Horsham, Redhill and East Grinstead area.

It also runs services as far north as Sutton (420), as far south as Worthing (23) and Brighton (270, 271, 272, 273), and as far east as Tunbridge Wells (231, 233, 291).

(btw, if this thread already exists, please let me know and I will be happy to delete this and post in the already existant thread.)

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Wright StreetLite 6121 (SK19 FBY) on Redhill & Reigate town routes 430 and 435.

 

[MotCO]

Metrobus Crawley is an off-shoot of Metrobus Orpington. The original Metrobus was, I believe, very innovative - it introduced the 358 (Orpington to Crystal Palace), 351/352/354 Bromley routes, and I believe it instigated the 246 (Bromley North to Westerham/Chartwell) as an offshoot of the 320 (then Bromley North - Biggin Hill or Westerham). Of course, not forgetting the original 353 /357 (Orpington to Croydon).

It also took over the Crawley routes from Arriva, and made it successful which Arriva couldn't do. It was then sold to Go Ahead, which seems to have reduced its innovative drive, and I'm struggling to recall any recent innovations. (I'm not knocking Go Ahead - I think it was probably the best major bus company who could take over the company.)

The ethos of the original Metrobus still lives on in Kent / Surrey; there are a couple of smaller companies which seem to be innovative in the same way - Southdown PSV and Go-Coach are two which spring to mind.

 

[transmanche]

The original Metrobus was, I believe, very innovative - it introduced the 358 (Orpington to Crystal Palace)

I believe that service started with just a couple of journeys a day - weekdays only. Today, it has about 5bph off-peak daytime (3bph evenings and Sundays). That must be fairly unusual in this day and age. And still operated by Metrobus (albeit now under contract to TfL).

 

[Man of Kent]

It also took over the Crawley routes from Arriva, and made it successful which Arriva couldn't do. It was then sold to Go Ahead, which seems to have reduced its innovative drive, and I'm struggling to recall any recent innovations. (I'm not knocking Go Ahead - I think it was probably the best major bus company who could take over the company.)

Sorry, chronology wrong here. Go-Ahead acquired the business in 1999, and Crawley was not taken over until 2001. Go-Ahead subsequently purchased the Horsham operations of Arriva Wiki says 2009, I don't have a second source to check this at the moment.

The red TfL operations are now managed alongside (and legally part of) the rest of Go-Ahead London, while the Crawley operation is now managed as part of Brighton & Hove.

There's been plenty of innovation, not least of which is the Fastway network, which has generally seen frequency increases and new vehicles at regular intervals. While it now may be old hat, Metrobus were one of the first operators to introduce mobile tickets, including a single ticket, and the entire fleet has audio-visual next stop announcements. It now offers tap-in tap-out ticketing by contactless card.

It still issues a comprehensive timetable book (plus local leaflets), runs three travel offices, and I'm told that telephone enquiries will be answered by a real locally-based person 24/7 - alleged to be the duty inspector overnight. Oh, and it won top depot at last year's UK Bus Awards. But apart from that, very little achieved under Go-Ahead ownership.

 

[MotCO]

Sorry, chronology wrong here. Go-Ahead acquired the business in 1999, and Crawley was not taken over until 2001. Go-Ahead subsequently purchased the Horsham operations of Arriva Wiki says 2009, I don't have a second source to check this at the moment.

The red TfL operations are now managed alongside (and legally part of) the rest of Go-Ahead London, while the Crawley operation is now managed as part of Brighton & Hove.

There's been plenty of innovation, not least of which is the Fastway network, which has generally seen frequency increases and new vehicles at regular intervals. While it now may be old hat, Metrobus were one of the first operators to introduce mobile tickets, including a single ticket, and the entire fleet has audio-visual next stop announcements. It now offers tap-in tap-out ticketing by contactless card.

It still issues a comprehensive timetable book (plus local leaflets), runs three travel offices, and I'm told that telephone enquiries will be answered by a real locally-based person 24/7 - alleged to be the duty inspector overnight. Oh, and it won top depot at last year's UK Bus Awards. But apart from that, very little achieved under Go-Ahead ownership.

I stand corrected! Yes, I now recall GoAhead took over Crawley because they were able to resource some buses from City of Oxford. 2009 sounds about right for Horsham, but did that arise since Arriva was losing contracts and reducing its presence there?

Was Fastway a Metrobus initiative, or a Gatwick Airport initiative?

I also forgot that Metrobus was one of the first operators of low floor single deckers in London with Optare Excels on the 358. There were very striking, if not too reliable. And also introduced Trident low floor double deckers at a very early stage in London. I would argue that this was more innovative and forward thinking than Fastway.

Maybe it's just that the bar for innovation is higher than it was before. Comprehensive timetable booklets should be universal, but aren't. Low floor is expected everywhere. Maybe electric or zero emission buses is still a novelty, or maybe ihyrogen-fuelled is the next innovation on a large scale.

 

[radamfi]

Was Fastway a Metrobus initiative, or a Gatwick Airport initiative?

Gatwick and West Sussex. It was originally going to be operated by Arriva.

 

[radamfi]

Maybe electric or zero emission buses is still a novelty, or maybe ihyrogen-fuelled is the next innovation on a large scale.

Fastway is supposed to be getting fuel cell buses, but that was announced some time ago. Pantograph charging should be the way to go and is becoming widely used elsewhere.

While it now may be old hat, Metrobus were one of the first operators to introduce mobile tickets, including a single ticket, and the entire fleet has audio-visual next stop announcements. It now offers tap-in tap-out ticketing by contactless card.

Metrobus allow you to change buses on a single ticket when using mobile ticketing and obviously tap-in tap-out is a major innovation, two things that sceptics say aren't viable in the UK. However not allowing unlimited tap ins within an hour is a missed opportunity.

 

[paul1609]

Fastway is supposed to be getting fuel cell buses, but that was announced some time ago. Pantograph charging should be the way to go and is becoming widely used elsewhere.

I reckon that ultimately electric buses lorries and vans will be regarded as a failure and hydrogen fuel cells will become the norm.

 

[radamfi]

I reckon that ultimately electric buses lorries and vans will be regarded as a failure and hydrogen fuel cells will become the norm.

But when? While we wait for fuel cells to become "the norm" we need to do the next best thing. TfL have been testing fuel cells for years but they are now vastly outnumbered by battery buses.

 

[ChrisPJ]

“Pantograph charging should be the way to go and is becoming widely used elsewhere.”

How widely? Is there a list somewhere of current examples? I can think of Harrogate and Malmo, that’s about it, the proposals for Edinburgh and London were canned.

 

[radamfi]

“Pantograph charging should be the way to go and is becoming widely used elsewhere.”

How widely? Is there a list somewhere of current examples? I can think of Harrogate and Malmo, that’s about it, the proposals for Edinburgh and London were canned.

Here are the just the places that I can think of at the top of my head:

Schiphol airport, Edam, Cologne, Eindhoven, Groningen, Amiens, Luxembourg, Copenhagen, Maastricht, Barcelona, Namur, 's-Hertogenbosch

 

[Hophead]

To add to the list of innovations - routes 10 / 20 / 100 & 200 serving Gatwick all run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fastway 10 also runs on Christmas Day, including overnight before/after; it's been running continuously without a break of longer than a couple of hours or so for at least 4-5 years now.

Crawley is a regular winner of the Depot of the Year prize, though not this year.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

To add to the list of innovations - routes 10 / 20 / 100 & 200 serving Gatwick all run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fastway 10 also runs on Christmas Day, including overnight before/after; it's been running continuously without a break of longer than a couple of hours or so for at least 4-5 years now.

Crawley is a regular winner of the Depot of the Year prize, though not this year.

I thought it won this year? Because 6971 YP58UGM (the OmniCity DD with Gold front) had the Gold front since this year.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

To add to the list of innovations - routes 10 / 20 / 100 & 200 serving Gatwick all run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fastway 10 also runs on Christmas Day, including overnight before/after; it's been running continuously without a break of longer than a couple of hours or so for at least 4-5 years now.

Crawley is a regular winner of the Depot of the Year prize, though not this year.

Actually, you're absolutely right. It says 2018 on the front. My bad lol

 

[zuriblue]

Here are the just the places that I can think of at the top of my head:

Schiphol airport, Edam, Cologne, Eindhoven, Groningen, Amiens, Luxembourg, Copenhagen, Maastricht, Barcelona, Namur, 's-Hertogenbosch

Bern, Vienna and Geneva as well.

 

[Man of Kent]

Actually, you're absolutely right. It says 2018 on the front. My bad lol

2018 is last year. This year's winner (announced on Tuesday) was Blairgowrie.

 

[paul1609]

But when? While we wait for fuel cells to become "the norm" we need to do the next best thing. TfL have been testing fuel cells for years but they are now vastly outnumbered by battery buses.

I'd say that its because the battery buses are in the short term the cheaper technology. However in the medium term the cost of replacement batteries and the cost of the capacity to charge them is going to skyrocket once they move out of being a niche market.

 

[MotCO]

To add to the list of innovations - routes 10 / 20 / 100 & 200 serving Gatwick all run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fastway 10 also runs on Christmas Day, including overnight before/after; it's been running continuously without a break of longer than a couple of hours or so for at least 4-5 years now.

Crawley is a regular winner of the Depot of the Year prize, though not this year.

Again, without taking anything away from Metrobus, whose idea was 24 hour working on the routes? Was it a suggestion from the Airport, or was it Metrobus spotting a gap in the market? If the latter, then good for Metrobus.

Can't argue against being Garage of the Year.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Again, without taking anything away from Metrobus, whose idea was 24 hour working on the routes? Was it a suggestion from the Airport, or was it Metrobus spotting a gap in the market? If the latter, then good for Metrobus.

Can't argue against being Garage of the Year.

200 running 24/7 is amazing because whenever I catch an early flight from Gatwick, I no longer have to rely on taxis lol. Just a shame it's been ruined with Streetlites.

 

[radamfi]

Just a shame it's been ruined with Streetlites.

So many of their urban routes have become unusable for the same reason.

 

[Wirewiper]

Of course, not forgetting the original 353 /357 (Orpington to Croydon).

Strictly speaking, the 353/357 Orpington to Croydon, and the 355 Forestdale route, were not Metrobus innovations having been run by a succession of different operators and in different forms over the years. Metrobus did however bring stability to the operation and eventually reached agreement with London Transport to charge London Transport farescales and accept London Transport passes.

 

[radamfi]

Metrobus have announced new fares today. The fares using touch in touch out contactless will still be the same as cash fares, which is a missed opportunity to speed up journey times.

KeyGo will now be pointless in Crawley, unless combined with a train journey. Currently singles are the same price as 60 minute m-tickets but KeyGo will become more expensive. Similarly for the day cap vs 24 hour m-tickets.

 

[markymark2000]

Metrobus have announced new fares today. The fares using touch in touch out contactless will still be the same as cash fares, which is a missed opportunity to speed up journey times.

KeyGo will now be pointless in Crawley, unless combined with a train journey. Currently singles are the same price as 60 minute m-tickets but KeyGo will become more expensive. Similarly for the day cap vs 24 hour m-tickets.

It's good that the contactless fares will be the same as cash. Metrobus has a very confusing fare system whereby every payment method has a different cost. It's randomness like that which makes people complain that fare structures are complex.

 

[radamfi]

It's good that the contactless fares will be the same as cash. Metrobus has a very confusing fare system whereby every payment method has a different cost. It's randomness like that which makes people complain that fare structures are complex.

Cash payment is highly undesirable because it wastes time, and therefore increases operating costs and reduces the attractiveness of the service.

 

[markymark2000]

Cash payment is highly undesirable because it wastes time, and therefore increases operating costs and reduces the attractiveness of the service.

I can see cash being undesirable on the buses, that makes sense. Stagecoach have it in a few areas now where fares are different for 'on the bus' and 'on the app'. I don't however see why people should be penalised for wanting to use the smart card but paying to update it in the travel shop. It adds another price into the mix to confuse passengers.

Also, the tickets available are vastly different depending on which method you use to pay which again, adds to passenger confusion.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Cash payment is highly undesirable because it wastes time, and therefore increases operating costs and reduces the attractiveness of the service.

Also, if everyone was to pay with cash, the bus would be late as it can take a good few seconds to pay.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Metrobus have purchased an Enviro200 from Yourbus, SN66 WLP (fleet number 6783 ex 1405). If anyone who works at Metrobus is reading this, can you please tell me what bus it will be replacing and what route it will be allocated to?

 

[KX03HZY]

Metrobus have purchased an Enviro200 from Yourbus, SN66 WLP (fleet number 6783 ex 1405). If anyone who works at Metrobus is reading this, can you please tell me what bus it will be replacing and what route it will be allocated to?

It will replace an accident damaged Streetlite, fleet no 6111, and mostly be used on Crawley town work.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Thanks. So 6111 is being written off then?