List of changes here:

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/news/south-east/2026/august/hastings-network-changes-from-6-september-2026 

 

Changing down 

**Bangs head against the table**

This another lot of changes to grace Hastings and Bexhill bus routes, almost exactly 2 years after the last, which were also addressed here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18g5Sar9br/

There is some outstanding irony that these should take place on Catch The Bus Month, the very time we are attracting persons to buses. Concerning too that with just a week and and a day to go (at the time of writing), the many bus users, not exclusively the digitally excluded ones, had absolutely idea of the changes.

For full disclosure, I have history with Hastings, lived there 5 years and continued to grow my family there. I have seen this conquering and masterful service of up to twelve buses per hour, when 'A's' went to Hollington Tesco and 20, 21 & 22 went their own ways with east side equivalents also logically working - now dwindling to what we have today.

 

Set up

A recent public meeting took place, arranged and managed by a local MP - so it's not too clear if these changes have any baring from it. There's no mention of it on the website.

These have been brought about with a nod to the traffic issues that continue to plague Hastings (which is on you Hastings I'm afraid) and result from the usual and understandable caveats of higher fuel cost, National insurance rise and running costs. Some changes have been more positive than others with introduction and retention of certain early and late buses. But it's far from perfect in paradise...

 

In practice 

Here we appear to be clipping the nails down further. 

Route 328 now misses the long standing link to Malvern Way. Left with route 300A/C and 331 (itself currently diverted in Ore, utility work believed to be related to house building!), it is one less direct route to the local town of Ore and one less to Hastings itself, with none beyond. This won't go down well.

329A a brilliant service, which I, myself have only just got used to, now cut and partially replaced by a new hourly loop route 300. This is an east side looping route via both Downs Road (replacing 324) and Park View (replacing 329A)

Remember 26/26A used to run every 20 minutes via Park View and back around via St Leonard's. And that didn’t need the 'C' for Clockwise either. This may be confusing at Queens Road and Morrisons.

300 is bit of a round number in every sense and as far as Hastings is concerned, it history and following its own logic, the route number is actually 00!

By the way, where is 307 & 327?

The removal of the Sainsbury's link is to remove another important shopping link. Despite the fact only 4 buses did it at an odd 60/60/30/60 frequency. No wonder it wasn't used! At the same time route 14 here in Newhaven goes to Sainsbury's every 40 mins all Sunday - and it’s commercal!

The lettering makes for a massive headache too. Route 322 goes from A & C to B & E and while this makes sense so as not messing up the current letter arrangements, it does beg the question of its usefulness. Also I am not entirely sure where increasingly used 'E' has come from, assumed 'Evening', there is an early Saturday bus also. 322 also has a reduction to one an hour via Stonehouse Drive for which the alternative service is not lettered and is a 1/2 to 2/3 service loss. This is presumably due to the four courts demolition (but nothing more for Ashdown House...figures!). Passengers intending a 322 at Blackman Avenue now needing to wait on the corner of Marline Road for the best option.

324 now gone, for whatever reason, just as schools go back with children having got used to the routes ready for High School - at least route 98 is extended to Silverhill in its place at better frequency. This link has been tinkered with far too much, whilst accounting for drivers and changeovers too - ironically a previous arrangement using a daytime link via Church Road as route 24!

Route 100 is positive with one extra bus on Sunday AM. From my own observations, there really is far, far more potential to the 100/101 corridor during the summer, warranting at least a 30 minute summer service on both routes and supported in full, due to being a key link, by TiNLD.

At least route 99 and others survived the changes. Did you know a later bus was added in late July? Now for that faster link! We'll ignore the broken down buses on half the trips taken recently - not, it has to be said, anything to do with Hastings - but the drivers of these buses have been amazing.

 

Road ahead

There is some anticipation over what the future holds. There is also the redevelopment of the inner town area of Hastings underway currently. These changes are hardly 'Come one, come all and marvel at the armory of a new bus service!' Neither is it an arrow in the heart (see what I did there!) for the customer, commuter and tourist alike. It is just more tinkering. Brighton & Hove have shown that changes can be changed again, very quickly, if needed and still attract custom in the face of adversity.

I really don't want to be an entirely negative Nashe, but, if we're going for simplification and service reductions in the face of a rising costs, a massively hilly and touristy town, then let's do it the Brighton way - with simple easy to understand routes, more bus lanes, good information, a map(!) and a positive attitude. All this being everyone's business but without traffic (in every sense) to get in the way...

And, by the way, when the changes come - It is NOT the fault of the drivers. Please be patient and understanding with them.