Go-bus has another go at Arriva

Tuesday 13th January 2026

Franchising may be a thing in many parts of Britain, but down in the Home Counties bus deregulation appears to be alive and well as it approaches its Ruby anniversary later this year.

Hot on the heels of Berkshire’s Bus Battle described in last Tuesday’s blog comes another skirmish in Kent following Go-Coach (now known as go-bus) introducing a new off-peak Mondays to Fridays route between Sevenoaks and Tonbridge via Hildenborough, and in so doing blatantly challenging Arriva’s long established route 402 between Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells – once a key trunk route in London Transport’s Country Bus network running from Bromley to Tonbridge with Green Line route 704 also on the corridor continuing south to Tunbridge Wells and not forgetting route 403 (from Wallington, West Croydon and Westerham and then Sevenoaks to Tonbridge).

I mustn’t over egg this one as go-bus is only running five competitive return journeys on Mondays to Fridays clearly fitted around peak school journeys and a driver’s hour’s break mid morning but nevertheless it adds five departures from Sevenoaks at 09:45, 10:45, 12:45, 13:45 and 16:45 with return journeys back to Sevenoaks leaving Tonbridge half an hour later.

Arriva’s timetable comprises a half hourly frequency in the off-peak generally at 23/53 from Sevenoaks and 22/52 back from Tonbridge. Interestingly, aside from a journey at 07:13 from Sevenoaks the next departure is at 08:51. Similarly from Tonbridge the first northbound journey is at 07:15 then nothing until 08:35 and 09:12. So, not particularly helpful for commuters and school children. The go-bus incursion doesn’t add anything to plug these gaps either.

Go-bus has got form adding off-peak journeys to established routes as the company did the same with Arriva’s 477 between Dartford and Swanley last year. This time I don’t think there’s any question Arriva will walk away, as they did in that case. By offering a half hourly frequency I’m sure passengers will continue to use Arriva’s well established departure times and doubt they’ll become aware go-bus is offering a small number of alliterative options.

I travelled on the go-bus 13:45 departure from Sevenoaks to Tonbridge last Tuesday, the route’s second day, and wasn’t particularly surprised to see only two other passengers board in the bus station who travelled all the way to Tonbridge.

No other passengers were waiting at any of the bus stops on the journey south so it was just the three of us on board.

At Tonbridge one passenger boarded at the terminus at Quarry Hill Parade when the bus left at 14:15 but I waited for the Arriva departure on route 402 at 14:22. I noticed this was running about 10 minutes late on its journey coming up from Tunbridge Wells, and sure enough it didn’t arrive until 14:31 and with a driver changeover didn’t leave until 14:34 with one passenger having boarded joining the 10 already on board.

We then spent eight minutes crawling north through Tonbridge High Street due to temporary traffic lights for roadworks with four passengers alighting and three boarding at the next stop at the Castle. Five passengers alighted at four stops between there and Hildenborough which we passed through running 20 minutes late.

One more alighted on the outskirts of Sevenoaks with three doing so in the town centre and the remaining one on board continuing into the bus station where we arrived at 15:04, 18 minutes late. Luckily the next departure back to Tunbridge Wells was off-frequency at 15:00 so the bus leaving at 15:05 with one on board wasn’t too bad a recovery.

It’s an odd decision to add another five journeys to the established half hourly service provision which looks adequate for the demand, aside from the already mentioned morning peak hour gaps. I doubt the revenue on these interloping journeys will even cover the marginal cost of fuel and wear-and-tear.

There’s not a lot of places to generate custom along what was in times gone by the main A21 other than in Hildenborough which isn’t that great a metropolis.

Go-bus also runs a route 5 between Sevenoaks and Tonbridge comprising just three off-peak journeys which deviates to serve Sevenoaks Weald (see above map). Leaving Tonbridge Castle at around 14:40 the third journey of the day was just arriving from Sevenoaks with no-one on board.

It was good to see go-bus had posted timetables along the route…

… which perhaps are simpler to read and understand than Arriva’s departure listing for multiple routes in Tonbridge.

It was nice to have a double deck ride on the 4, and as you can see, although the 402 is normally double deck operated, the journey I travelled on was on one of Arriva’s Mercedes Citaros. Go-bus’s double deck had been given a makeover with some smart red moquette but three of the front seats obviously didn’t make the cut – giving a clue as to the vehicle’s previous (‘first’) owner.

Some might justifiably wonder if go-bus has spare off-peak resources why not use them to supplement the rather sparse timetables it operates on routes to Westerham or Orpington rather than adding to an already adequately served corridor.

Roger French

Blogging timetable: 06:00 TThS