Monday 18 April 2011

Eastleigh: Free shoppers, new So'ton express and double A.

All bus companies are running a Sunday service on the many bank holidays that are fast approaching.

Xelabus's experimental free shoppers' buses in Eastleigh were an apparent success back in December. So much so, that they are running again. Full details here.

Staying with Xelabus, they launch route X12 (City Centre-Eastleigh) on Monday 23rd May. It will however provide just two return trips a day, but a much quicker journey than on Bluestar 2 (City Centre-Fair Oak). I can't help wondering if people who wanted to get between Southampton and Eastleigh in a hurry wouldn't be better off on the train. Expect the X12 to disappear within 6 months.

Good news from Velvet: a doubling in frequency on part of route A (Eastleigh-Boorley Green/Oaklands) from Monday 6th June. It will run every half hour Mon-Sat daytimes between Eastleigh and Hedge End Centre with one bus an hour continuing as now to Botley and Boorley Green and the other doing a circuit of Oaklands. In an era of so many cuts, this is certainly a welcome boost.