More High Brooms Buses

A bus service linking High Brooms with Southborough and the hospital at Pembury is being enhanced.

The 284 run by Metrobus began in June and the operator has added an extra journey after three months of successful operations.

The service is the result of many years of campaigning by local residents living at the bottom of the hill in High Brooms, who had to rely on expensive taxis to get to services at the top of the hill in Southborough.

Southborough hosts the library, doctors, dentists and a range of shops that are not available in High Brooms.

The 284 doesn't run on Sunday or Bank Holidays.

The service is off peak so starts after the bus is needed for school transport in the morning and before being used for school children again in the evening. 

Initially the service began at 9.20am every weekday from Tunbridge Wells Railway station, but from Monday 29th September the starting time has been moved back to 8.50am. There are now 6 return journeys instead of 5 every weekday.

Here is the full revised timetable:

The £3 fare cap applies and concessionary fares are permitted.

The new service began on Saturday 7th June - see picture below: 

Nick Hill, Commercial Director at Metrobus, said: “The new 284 bus is the result of requests from the local communities of High Brooms and Sherwood asking for these new links, so we are delighted to be providing them at no cost to the taxpayer. We look forward to welcoming everyone on board.”

More details at:
https://www.metrobus.co.uk/services/MB/284

Local Labour councillor, Alan Bullion (pictured below), says he is delighted that the new service has begun.

He told West Kent Radio: "We do have quite a lot of people who don't have a car in this part of down...there are poorer parts and more elderly people as well who may not be able to drive any more."

Cllr Bullion continued: "This new bus service will help hopefully hundreds of local residents and bring other people into the area who may not have considered coming to shop - and have fun - in Southborough and High Brooms."

A blog about the first day of the new service was published by a bus industry expert, Roger French. Read it here:
https://share.google/Z8K5sjrsqy1XBfYml

Cllr Alan Bullion also told West Kent Radio that a project to install lifts at High Brooms railway station was progressing.

The Hastings-bound platform can currently only be accessed by a long and steep staircase that leads to an underpass. Cllr Bullion says: "A lot of people just don't use the station because it is too dangerous."

The steep staircase is pictured below.

Cllr Bullion has been campaigning for many years for changes to allow access to the down platform for people with disabilities and those with young children and pushchairs.

Cllr Bullion says ramps proved not to be practical, but all the surveys for lifts have been done and High Brooms is now on a shortlist of 3 stations to find funding, which could come in the next year.  It will cost £5 million.