On Sunday 27th October there will be a number of free vintage bus routes operating to and from the Bluebell Railway, timetables for which are included below. These include Brighton to Sheffield Park and East Grinstead to the Ashdown Forest.
Why not have a day at the seaside by catching the 10.45am Bluebell train from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park and take the bus to Brighton? Or from Brighton take the vintage bus to Sheffield Park, steam train to East Grinstead and then take another vintage bus to the Ashdown Forest for a walk at this picturesque beauty spot.
Sunday 27th October 2013 is also 50 years to the day since the branch line between Haywards Heath, Ardingly and Horsted Keynes closed to passengers. To commemorate this event, as a 'one off', buses are running on Service 88B between East Grinstead and Haywards Heath via Ardingly station. Further details can be found on the timetable for this route, below.
Please note that any service may be cancelled without notice in the event of unavailability of any of the vintage buses, although every effort will be made to provide replacements in such an event.
Passengers travelling by rail from London and Croydon to East Grinstead should note that there are engineering works planned between Croydon and Oxted, check with National Rail Enquiries and allow extra time for your journey. Alternatively, free bus services 409 from Redhill and 708 from Croydon (see timetables) may offer a limited alternative, but are operated by a single vehicle and sufficient accommodation cannot be guaranteed.
Compass Bus Service 769 provides a link between Haywards Heath and Sheffield Park Station, on a normal farepaying basis.
FREE BUS SERVICES: Sunday 27th October 2013
Service 88B: East Grinstead - Ardingly - Haywards Heath and return
Service 88B will operate from Ardingly Hapstead Hall via the former Ardingly Station to Haywards Heath.
Buses will stop at the timing points shown and additionally at all marked bus stops along the line of route.
Service 87A: East Grinstead - Ashdown Forest - East Grinstead
Service 87A will operate from East Grinstead Station to Forest Row via East Grinstead High Street and the A22.
* = timings shown for information only. Buses will not stop at Kingscote due to planning issues currently affecting this station.
12:00 = Leyland National
13:15 = Bristol RE
Services 92/708: West Croydon - East Grinstead - Sheffield Park
This service will be operated by Clive Burgess using AEC Regal RF600.
Service 20: Brighton - Sheffield Park
Buses stop at the timing points shown and additionally on request at St Peter's Church, Elm Grove, Bear Road, The Avenue, Moulsecoomb Way, Coldean Lane and all stops between Offham and Sheffield Park. In the northbound direction, no passenger will be set down before Offham and in the southbound direction no passenger will be picked up after leaving Offham.
Service 409: Redhill - East Grinstead, East Grinstead - Lingfield, East Grinstead - Forest Row
All journeys will be operated by Peter Osborn using AEC Regent RT4779
East Grinstead - Forest Row: Service Summary
All services operate via East Grinstead High Street and A22. They will stop on request at marked bus stops on route, but do not serve the Ashurstwood 'loop'.
C = AEC Regal RF
M = Leyland Olympian
A = Leyland National
B = Bristol RE
R = AEC Regent RT
The Bluebell is running its peak Service Two timetable.