Wednesday 30 September 2015

First to run Eastleigh-Winchester

The mystery surrounding Wheelers E1/E2 has been solved. Wheelers run the routes for the last time on Saturday 10th October, then from Monday 12th October First takes over the E1 at least. Here's their official registration:



PH0006159/405 - FIRST HAMPSHIRE & DORSET LTD, BUS DEPOT, EMPRESS ROAD, SOUTHAMPTON, SO14 0JW
  • Registration Accepted by SN
  • Starting Point: Southampton, Portswood Broadway
  • Finish Point: Winchester, Broadway
  • Via: Eastleigh, Compton, Twyford
  • Service Number: E1
  • Service Type: Normal Stopping
  • Effective Date: 12-OCT-2015
  • Other Details: Monday to Saturday hourly.


No mention of the E2, so it looks like all journeys will be numbered E1. The fact that both Twyford and Compton are mentioned suggests the route will remain more or less as it is now, albeit with an extension on at least some journeys south to Portswood.

With less than two weeks to go until the change, First's website has no news yet and neither does Traveline. When I looked on Hampshire County Council's website, they didn't bother mentioning it either, even though it's them who made the decision to give the contract for this subsidised route to First.

For passengers between Eastleigh and Winchester, First will be the third operator on this route in ten months.


8 comments:

  1. Traveline SW updates are usually available from around lunchtime on Thursdays, so worth a look tomorrow. I'm sure all will become clear very soon.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I give it 6 months before first give it up, like when they done the H1/H2 etc

    ReplyDelete
  3. I guess it's all a bit of a last minute job in re-tendering it etc, assuming it's correct that Wheelers threw it in.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The timetable of sorts is now being shown on the First Southampton website.Service remains as E1/E2.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i don’t no if it’s a error but the timetable saying most trips to winchester start at Shakespeare Road, The Arrow

      Delete
    2. Hence my comment of sorts made.Problems when loading onto the website I would imagine.Bluestar get the same problems as well at times particularly in their current timetable section where the time points don't line up with the times.At present also I can't on my computer get the fare information for each service to work for me.However that may be becaue my computer is quite old now and needs replacing

      Delete
  5. Anyone else a bit surprised it is not team green who got it?

    ReplyDelete
  6. More than likely the green team as you put it have for the moment more than enough services to cope with and may not have even put a tender in for the E1/E2

    ReplyDelete