New 9 timetable / TfL Rail lowers fares

First have released the new timetable for the 9, which will apply from 5th July. Only a few morning journeys have been retimed.

Not quite bus related, but you may have noticed that the trains from Brentwood station are now operated by TfL Rail rather then Abellio Greater Anglia. This is the first step of the transition to Crossrail.

For now, it means lower rail fares for some journeys as train travel from Greater London to Brentwood now uses the same fare scale as the tube, rather than a premium being charged for what was a National Rail service.

The line is still technically part of National Rail however, meaning a through rail ticket to or from any other railway station in the UK is still available to/from Brentwood. A paper rail ticket is still needed in order to buy a Brentwood/Shenfield Plusbus ticket.

Sunday Saver price rise

The Essex County Standard is reporting that the County Council are soon to increase the price of the Sunday Saver ticket from £2.80 to £4 for an adult.

The ticket is valid on all buses that run across Essex every Sunday and even with the price rise is one of the best value bus tickets in the whole country.

Please note that the Sunday Saver is not valid on some TfL routes that run into Essex, including the 498 to Brentwood.

The price rise takes place on Sunday 14th June. See the official announcement here.

Early evening Ongar journeys reinstated: 21A

The two weekday early evening journeys on the 21 that no longer serve Brentwood have now been reinstated, with a catch: they are subsidised by the county council and are operated by EOS. Townlink still run the commercial daytime service and it looks like EOS do not accept Townlink tickets, so if you're not a pensioner you'll have to either pay again or use an Essex Saver ticket, which is valid on both.

The reinstated journeys are numbered 21A and you can see the timetable here.

The main 21 timetable is here.

First fares to rise in January

First are putting some of their fares up from 5th January. Details here.

For us in Brentwood, it means that a FirstDay Brentwood goes up to £3.60.

FirstWeek Brentwood will be £15.

First4Week Brentwood will be £50.

A day return to Billericay on the 9 goes up to £4.40.

There's no change to FirstDay Essex, which remains at £8 - the same price as an Essex Saver which can also be used on other bus companies.

FirstDay Basildon Outer, which includes Brentwood, goes up to £6.40.

Cuts to early evening buses to Ongar

Townlink have brought in a very poorly publicised new timetable on the 21, with the last two journeys to and from Brentwood on weekdays axed. The Gazette mentioned it last month.

The last 21 towards Brentwood on weekdays now departs Harlow at 1600, Epping Station at 1629 and Ongar Four Wantz at 1650. The last weekday 21 towards Ongar and Harlow leaves Warley at 1730 and Brentwood High Street at 1742.

The Saturday timetable looks like it is unchanged.

See the full new timetable here.