Brighton Bus Routes 18 and 50 to Be Replaced by New Route 20 From 14 June
Brighton and Hove Buses will launch new route 20 on 14 June 2026, replacing both the number 18 and number 50 services.
Brighton and Hove Buses has confirmed a new bus route will launch on Sunday 14 June, replacing two existing services that have run separately for years.
The new route 20 will merge the number 18, which currently serves Queens Park, with the number 50, which serves Hollingdean. The combined service will run between the two neighbourhoods via the city centre, Brighton Station and London Road Shops.
What Is Changing
The number 18 has been one of the most popular bus routes in Brighton but has long suffered from reliability problems. Because of its circular route with loops at either end, there was no recovery time built into the timetable, meaning late-running buses had no opportunity to catch up. Brighton and Hove Buses said the route was also financially unsustainable at night, with passenger numbers covering just three-quarters of the cost of running the evening service.
The new route 20 addresses both problems by creating a straight cross-town service with recovery time built in at both ends.
The New Route
Route 20 will run from Queens Park through St James's Street, Old Steine, Brighton Station, North Road and London Road Shops to Hollingdean. It will serve most stops currently used by both the 18 and the 50.
However, some changes to the existing routes will affect passengers. The new route will not stop at Churchill Square and will miss out a section of the number 18's route through Seven Dials. The stops it uses at Brighton Station will also differ from the existing services and it will travel toward Hollingdean via North Road rather than North Street.
Following feedback from residents, community groups and councillors during a period of engagement, several changes were made to the original proposal. The new route will serve Imperial Arcade in both directions, will serve stop N1 in addition to N4 on North Street, and will be extended to Lewes Road Sainsbury's during late morning and lunchtime on weekdays to provide a link from Hollingdean that residents had specifically requested.
Frequency
The new route 20 will run every 15 minutes during weekdays and Saturdays, every 20 to 25 minutes on weekday evenings and every 30 minutes on Sundays. This maintains the same headline 15-minute frequency as the existing 18 and 50 services.
New Connections
Brighton and Hove Buses commercial director Nick Hill said the new route would create several connections that do not currently exist, including a direct link from Hollingdean to Brighton Station, Lewes Road Sainsbury's, St James's Street and Edward Street. Queens Park Road will also gain a new service to London Road Shops.
"We can now confirm that new route 20 will replace routes 18 and 50 from 14 June, running from Queens Park to Hollingdean via the city centre, Brighton Station and London Road Shops," Hill said.
David Nash, who chairs Brighton Buswatch, said the combined route had many benefits including recovery times at either end that would help address the reliability problems that have dogged the 18 service for years.
What It Means for Passengers
Passengers currently using the number 18 should check the new route map carefully before 14 June, as the changes to stops at Brighton Station and the loss of the Churchill Square stop will affect some journeys. The full timetable for the new route 20 is available on the Brighton and Hove Buses website at buses.co.uk.
The number 18 and number 50 will both cease operating on Saturday 13 June. From Sunday 14 June, the number 20 replaces them both.
