M1 MetroBus - Bradley Stoke Journal

Photo showing a line of M1 MetroBus vehicles at the BCT depot in Bedminster. — M1 MetroBus vehicles at the Bristol Community Transport depot in Bedminster.

Bradley Stoke’s M1 MetroBus service began operating on 6th January 2019.

The route runs between Cribbs Causeway, Bradley Stoke, UWE, Bristol city centre, Bedminster and Hengrove Park.

MetroBus operators are required to provide a minimum frequency of service to all MetroBus stops on the routes that they serve. For the M1 route, these are:

Six journeys per hour (i.e. every 10 minutes) between 6am and midnight Monday to Saturday
Three journeys per hour (i.e. every 20 minutes) between 9am to midnight on Sundays and bank holidays

Note: These are the contractual service frequencies specified in the original Quality Partnership Scheme. Frequencies have since been lowered (see timetables below), partly in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The M1 MetroBus service was initially operated by Bristol Community Transport, but was transferred to First West of England on 5th September 2022.

Route map

Click to enlarge, or view hi-res PDF version.

Timetable

Current timetable, valid from Sunday 3rd September 2023:

View the timetable interactively on the First Bus website (shows main stops only)
View the timetable interactively on Traveline SW (option to show all stops)
View the timetable as a PDF file on the First Bus website (shows main stops only) [1.11MB]
View the full timetable downloaded from Traveline SW (shows all stops) [PDF; 136kB]

Current service frequencies:

Monday to Saturday peak: Every 10 minutes
Monday to Saturday off-peak: Every 12 minutes
Monday to Saturday late evening: Every 20 minutes (approx)
Sunday daytime & late evening: Every 20 minutes
Sunday last few journeys: Every 30 minutes

Timetabled journey times from the Willow Brook Centre to Bristol city centre range from 26min to 43min, depending on the time of day.

Last journey back to Bradley Stoke from the city centre leaves at 00:25 (Monday), 00:24 (Saturday) and 00:33 (Sundays and bank holidays).

TIP: The T1 service offers slightly faster journey times between Bradley Stoke and the city centre as it joins the M32 motorway at Junction 1 rather than serving the UWE campus and using the bus-only junction at Stapleton Allotments. The T1 service also serves all stops on Bradley Stoke Way (not just the MetroBus stops). However, the frequency of the T1 service is lower than that of the M1 MetroBus.

For information about amended timetables during holiday periods (Christmas, Easter etc.), see: Holiday Opening Hours

Previous timetables

Timetable from 2nd April 2023 [PDF; 109kB]
Timetable from 22nd January 2023 [PDF; 126kB]
Timetable from 5th September 2022 [PDF; 105kB]
Timetable from 24th July 2022 [PDF; 126kB]
Timetable from 24th April 2022 [PDF; 133kB]
Timetable from 8th January 2022 [PDF; 139kB]
Timetable from 26th September 2021 [PDF; 137kB]
Timetable from 29th August 2021 [PDF; 185kB]
Timetable from 5th January 2020 [PDF; 113kB]
Timetable from 15th September 2019 [PDF; 131kB]
Timetable from 1st September 2019 [PDF; 122kB]

Tickets

MetroBus is a ‘buy before you board’ or ‘Tap On, Tap Off‘ service. Tickets may be purchased on the First Bus smartphone app or using a Travelwest smartcard (now known as Travelcard). Paper tickets may be purchased from iPoints using a credit or debit card (but not cash). Existing First paper tickets bought at Paypoint shops are also accepted on MetroBus, as are concessionary passes.

Note: From 1st January 2023, First Bus will no longer be retailing paper tickets from Paypoint shops.

NEW: From Sunday 17th July 2022, you can use ‘Tap On, Tap Off’ on MetroBus services. Tap a credit/debit card (or use Apple/Google Pay on your smartphone) on the on-board card reader when getting on AND off the bus. Note that this method applies adult fares; other ticket types (including child, student or group) should be purchased from iPoints or on the First Bus app prior to boarding the bus. Read more: ‘Tap On, Tap Off’ payment now available on all MetroBus and First Bus services

MetroBus tickets can be used equally on the First West of England network in Bristol and, vice versa, tickets bought on First services (including mTickets purchased via the smartphone app) can be used on MetroBus routes.

Any single journey on any section of the M1 route costs £2.00. A day ticket offering unlimited travel on all MetroBus routes and all other bus services in the Bristol zone is £6.00. There is also a 2-trip ticket, available via the First Bus app or using ‘Tap On, Tap Off’, priced at £3.50.

A group ticket, valid for up to five people of any age from 9.30am Monday to Friday or all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, costs £12.00 (via the First app). This offers unlimited travel on all First buses in the Bristol zone for one day (excluding Airport Flyer services).

More information: MetroBus prices, validity and how to buy (Travelwest)