Today, Sunday 19th March, sees new timetables on More Breezer 40 and 60 with seasonal frequency increases.
Bus travel within the City of Portsmouth is free on all Sundays in March, with 26th March being your last chance to get a free ride.
From Sunday 2nd April, First Solent 18 has a new timetable and is cut to back to terminate at Southsea Shops, no longer serving South Parade Pier. The 13, 14 and 22 have been reprieved and will continue to run.
On the same day, Stagecoach have a new timetable on the Coastliner 700. Buses from Portsmouth will no longer run beyond Chichester, so if you want to get to Bognor and beyond, you'll need to change buses in Chichester.
A new timetable also from 3rd April on routes 37 Havant-Petersfield and 38X Alton-Cowplain.
Changes are coming to Bluestar's Romsey routes which receive subsidy from Hampshire County Council:
- 35 Romsey-Braishfield: New reduced timetable from Monday 3rd April. Just one journey a day each way, weekdays only.
- 36 Romsey-Lockerley: Withdrawn. Runs for the last time on Thursday 30th March. No replacement.
- 39 Romsey-Nomansland: Withdrawn. Runs for the last time on Friday 31st March. No replacement.
Stagecoach also have some changes from Monday 3rd April:
- E1/E2 Winchester-Eastleigh: New timetable and E2 rerouted to run direct via Twyford Road instead of via Boyatt Wood.
- 49 Hedge End-Bishops Waltham: New service to partially replace the withdrawn Xelabus X9/X10 which run for the last time om Friday 31st March. Passengers for Southampton will need to change in Hedge End to Bluestar 3 or 14. Passengers for Eastleigh will need to change in Botley or Horton Heath to Bluestar 3. There's no weekend service, so if you want to get to or from Bishops Waltham then, you'll need to use Stagecoach 69 and change in Fair Oak for Bluestar 2 to Eastleigh and Southampton.
- 49h Hedge End-Hamble: New service restoring the severed link between Hamble and Hedge End.
More are having a launch event for this year's Breezer services in Poole Park on Good Friday 7th April.
Stagecoach also have several changes to several of their Winchester routes from Sunday 16th April. Amongst other changes, route 1 is renumbered as route 2, to help avoid confusion with Bluestar 1. Timetables are yet to be released.
Easter service levels:
I noticed an X10 at Southampton yesterday (10.00, I think) and it had a few people on it. I wonder if there are going to be quite a few people missing the service? Hopefully they will make HCC aware of the removal of the long-standing through service, pressure them to provide a like-for-like replacement (e.g. fund a 14 extension), and perhaps threaten to vote for other parties in the upcoming local elections....
ReplyDeleteHampshire CC are not interested in other than a one bus operation between Bishops Waltham and Hedge End.
ReplyDeleteAn extension of the 14 (funded by them, not commercially provided) every 2 hours would be effectively that, though - only one extra bus needed. To extend from Hedge End Stn to BW and then Eastleigh, and then return, should be doable in 2 hours.
DeleteHCC has not got the money to be seen "competing" with a commercial service! heaven forbid!
ReplyDeleteI ive this new 49 service 6 months and then it will be so poorly used it will result in Community Transport or Dial a Ride. The replacement service that HCC look to provide is simply so poor for residents of Durley and Curdridge and I can imagine a great deal of public complaint is heading HCC's way.
ReplyDeleteAbout time someone from HCC removed all the travelling during Covid signs they attached to bus stops in areas including :West Totton and Chandler`s Ford,as they haven`t been relevant for two years now.
ReplyDeleteFirst bus are to build a new depot in Portsmouth with completion time expected in 2026
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like more great news for Go Ahead Reece. An almost new depot there by 2030 eh?
DeleteWho knows but the article states its to be an all electric bus depot.
DeleteWhy does the Marwell bus not run from somewhere that all trains stop, like Southampton Airport? What's the point running from Eastleigh?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that is much cheaper to operate from Eastleigh, with excellent bus connection from Soton via Bluestar or direct bus from Winchester. Can't see the need for airport stop personally as would ruin a one vehicle rotation.
DeleteGSC have authorisation to run 154 vehicles from Empress Road
ReplyDeleteSo the 154 buses is presumably Eastleigh plus Totton. Presumably if so this will involve significant changes in working the Totton routes.
ReplyDeleteYou presume incorrectly. Totton is staying right where it is!
DeleteSo is Eastleigh. 30 buses being kept at BP
ReplyDeleteThe 154 is therefore simply a theoretical maximum in that case? I presume the vehicles operating the 1-5 will remain at Eastleigh while those on the 7, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20 will move to Empress Road?
ReplyDelete(AFAIK routes 1-5 don't interwork with any city services at any point in the day)
ReplyDelete75% of 4 services are operated by Totton. Otherwise you are not far wrong.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's true, I meant the 4s operated by Eastleigh. Haven't attempted to work out what proportion of 4s are Eastleigh, but it does seem to be a number on Mon-Fri with some interworking with the 3.
DeleteJust to attempt to answer some of the points raised on the Hampshire Bus update site, the ex First depot appears to have been purchased outright, but from whom remains open to question. The depot will initially be operated well below the 154 vehicle limit, to allow for future expansion plans, leaving a small outstation at Barton Park, as well as Totton depot.
ReplyDeleteThere is no impact to Totton, from the withdrawal of local Romsey services, as they have been operated from Eastleigh. Neither will there be any changes to services from Lymington, since both depots are at full capacity.
Don`t know why the bus companies even issue passengers with a paper ticket for a single journey.I haven`t seen an inspector on board a bus in the last twenty years-so no one is going to check you have a ticket anyway.
ReplyDeleteTap on tap off has done away with most tickets. Only the few paying in cash get one. Certainly not worth bumping the driver over the head for his takings anymore! Inspectors still exist, but they tend to work across the whole operating area, purging one area at a time for short periods. Many won't ever see them, but don't think they are not there.
DeleteHow many more Bluestar bus services are going to be cancelled "Due to a problem with the bus"? Don`t they know how to maintain buses?
ReplyDeleteIt won't always be maintainance related, could also be things like soiling, vandalism, minor accident damage (wing mirrors and so on). On a big network you will always get a fair number of these sorts of incidents and Bluestar is now a big network! But hopefully any individual passenger will only be affected very rarely.
DeleteAs the other poster points out, there are many descriptions of a problem with a bus. The tiniest amount of body fluid can take a bus out of action, a window left open, causing a drenched seat, or a minor door defect. Loads of things can happen, which could use the same description, including silly warning lights on modern vehicles. The difference between Bluestar and others,is that they try to be honest. As a suggestion, why not ask them, to go and sit in the control room for a couple of hours. You would be amazed at how many things can, and do go wrong, in a typical day!
DeleteDon't know if this has already been mentioned here, but in Weymouth services 3 and 9/9A are scheduled for cancellation.
ReplyDeleteThere is indeed a different First HDB before and after the departure of Marc Reddy...
Good to see that Bluestar are finally dispensing with their Covid screens on a few buses i`ve seen/been on.
ReplyDeleteShould all be gone by the end of April.
DeleteAbout time-wish the supermarkets would do the same.
DeleteI thought the reason they were retained was to reduce anti-social behaviour and attacks on drivers
DeleteI thought it was to keep the wet wipes in Totton and Romsey(who were still afraid to catch a bus without their face nappy) happy.
DeleteThey were never intended as security screening. Some drivers may have felt safer because they were there, but in reality they made them faceless aliens hiding behind a screen. Now that they are going, the driver becomes a human being again, with whom the public interact.
DeleteAnon @2302, please try to remember that many of the people that still wear a mask are Immuno suppressed, and are under strict orders from medical professionals, that they should continue to wear a mask. In those circumstances, your personal view's are irrelevant.
DeleteIt seems like the psychology of this would be pretty complicated and I'm not sure it's as simple as screen = safer from assault. Can well imagine that with both parties feeling safe behind a screen some arguments and conflict situations could actually become more likely to escalate than if the screen wasn't there at all. And then they find out the hard way that a flimsy Covid screen doesn't actually provide much assault protection.
DeleteAre Stagecoach or Hampshire Country Council actually going to update any bus stops regarding the 49, there are no timetables or information on bus stop flags down Hamble Lane. Considering before last Monday the previous bus service was late last year you would think they would advertise that a bus now stops there.
ReplyDeleteI believe HCC has to provide the bus stop, and Stagecoach the information. When Bluestar took over Southampton routes, everything was updated ready for operations to commence. Stagecoach continues to disappoint, even with the story from Romsey, in the Echo today.
DeleteOf course , no one can be as
Deletegood as Bluestar on here! 🤔😉
The evidence is pretty clear, unless you have something else to prove to the contrary? Have to wonder whether you are Mr Tosh, who never has a positive?
DeleteWho is Mr Tosh?
DeleteThat's what I would like to know.
DeleteI remember Mr Tosh vividly. We used to have a poster who was almost certainly connected to Bluestar, who gave us all very informative comments, which always turned out to be true. Mr "Tosh" then came on here berating him as a fraud, describing his comments as "tosh", ,which made him very distinctive. He was always screaming for evidence and trying to make the original poster reveal who he was. It was very entertaining but the original poster always out thought him, because he only dealt in facts, not speculation.
DeleteSo are you Mr Tosh2?
DeleteVery unsure what that is meant to say? I am just someone who remembers the original and hilarious Mr Tosh, and how he lost every battle with Mr Blue!
DeleteXelabus had notices on buses about the X9/X10 being withdrawn about 4 weeks before. The Bus station also had notices. All timetables and signs were either removed or covered over.
ReplyDeleteXelabus do publish a timetable update every time a change is made. Bluestar don't have any comprehensive timetables at all without asking a driver?? Racks are at Eastleigh Bus Station provided by Xelabus.
ReplyDeleteBluestar do have printed timetable leaflets available from the Bluestar shop at the Bargate and maps available ,inc.on the Bluestar site.
DeleteYes but could do with some at the Bus Station in Eastleigh. The 1, 2, 3 and 5 are important routes and yet can't get anything to pick up!
DeleteYou can download timetables on Bluestar Website and traveline sw have up to date timetables
DeleteYou could ask them to post you some i suppose.
DeleteTrue but no need to as I can easily access them on my smartphone
DeleteNot everyone has that facility and paper timetables readily available from an outlet is far better
DeleteA bit OT to the current discussion but I've noticed that during the school holidays, the Bluestar 16 and 20 are operated with double deckers Mon-Fri, whereas they are single deckers during term time. Obviously there are more double deckers available during school holidays, but wondering what the reason is for switching the vehicles on these 2 routes? Are they statistically significantly busier during school holidays, more than any other single-deck route?
ReplyDeleteI suspect that the lightly used double decks are deployed to allow more stringent maintenance on the heavily used singles.
DeleteYes 20 is a busy route
DeleteOK thanks, yes the 20 always seems quite busy, it's got the Townhill Park passengers plus Portswood which is always busy.
DeleteHeading to Bournemouth, there will be a partial recast of the network.
ReplyDeleteWithdrawn routes:
23 - Burton - Somerford
Recasted routes:
1a - more buses throughout the day
1b - extended to Burton, partially replacing 23 (and reintroducing direct connection from Burton to Bournemouth)
1c - former 1, extended to Hunt Road, Somerford and Mudeford (and reintroducing direct connection from Hunt Road to Bournemouth)
12 - former Bmth 4
22 - former Bmth 2
5/5a - new route around Kinson
6/6a - more buses throughout the day
14 - new route around Kinson
18 - HERE IS THE BIGGEST NEWS - doubled frequency and introduction of a Sunday timetable
24 - Extended to RBCH
25/26 - former Poole 5/6
20, 33, 36, U1, 737 - New timetable
X1/X2 diverted out of Mudeford
Great recast of routes, however the only things I would change are an extension of route 1a to New Milton and a direct route on the X1/X2 to Somerford - Christchurch - RBCH - Bournemouth.
Well done to the planners!
X1/X2 going via Somerford is still excellent news. The long slog through Mudeford was always tedious at best and was always better suited to a more local route.
ReplyDeleteWonder why the 18 is being increased? I always thought it was rather quiet for a tendered intra-urban route.
Those of you with long memories (and me who drove them back in the day) will remember Broadstone to Bournemouth used to be every 30 minutes via Oakdale and Parkstone as services 109 110, and Canford Heath direct to Bournemouth by services 106 107. 18 is the combined legacy of these four routes and has really been a bit unattractive as an hourly service. The increase is being funded by the BSIP provisions for enhancing existing services to see if the better frequency will drive up demand.
DeleteI remember this however the combination of routes was at first the 108 (Winter 2005) which was half hourly Monday to Saturday with an hourly Sunday and evenings service before it became the 18 (and 19 for the Broadstone loop) (Winter 2006) which was hourly Monday to Saturday (evening service on Fridays and Saturdays) with a two-hourly Sunday service before it became just the 18 (when the Yellows took over - late 2007?) on an hourly Monday to Saturday daytime service.
DeleteHopefully this increased service will be better used.
BSIP funding is paying for the increase to the 18.
Delete46 / 461 Stagecoach. This route has a new timetable from Sunday 16th April 2023.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole good changes but using the same route number 1c for both ways round the Hunt Road/Mudeford loop is crazy and will cause confusion, particularly for holidaymakers.
ReplyDeleteWhile the routes are all good I can't help feel they missed some opportunities to improve numbering. I've never been convinced that the whole 1/1a/1b/1c system is better than using numbers 20-23. If more reverted to Yellows old numbering here it would be far tidier - a Christchurch network built around the 20-24 numbering, and that 1c loop in either direction could be reflected with the 22 and 23 numbering. Existing route 20 could be renumbered in the 31-39 range reflecting other council funded routes. It even makes it simpler in Southbourne and Boscombe where you want a M2 or a 2(0-23) bus, rather than a M2 or a 1(abc) bus but not an M1 - I know this does cause confusion.
ReplyDeleteAlso if the 2/4 (soon to be 12/22) continue to loop at Castlepoint maybe it would be better to run as a clockwise/anti clockwise loop like the 8 and 9 do. 18 and 19 could be used for this (current 18 could be renumbered 27 as a Canford Heath grouping).
Looking back I kinda agree with you now. The 1a, 1b and 1c could have sensibly been numbered as 21, 22 and 23 respectively, while what will be the 22 and 12 should have been merged into a loop route with the clockwise route numbered 11 (as that number has been vacant since Poole - Bearwood was axed) and anticlockwise numbered as 12.
DeleteThe problem with clockwise and anticlockwise numbering is that people making a return journey have to return on a different number to the one that they came in on and that does catch people out. Especially on a big loop. If you are trying to get from the town centre back to Queens Park for example you wouldn't want to accidentally catch the one going the long way round!
DeleteIt's worked out OK in Hayling Island on Routes 30/31
DeleteThat's a smaller loop though. If you get on the one going the longer way round it doesn't matter too much.
DeleteBut clockwise/anti-clockwise numbering already exists on the 8/9 in Hamworthy, so isn’t a completely ridiculous concept.
DeleteOne solution to loop route numbering, I guess, is to change over at the furthest point. So if you have City Centre-Suburb A-Suburb B-Suburb C-City Centre, you always use N on the section from City Centre to B via A, and N+1 on the section from City Centre to B via C. The routes are still circular but they switch number at B.
DeleteIs also a smaller loop. From Poole to Hamworthy, Upton you can travel either way round the loop without taking all day but Bournemouth to Queens Park or Bournemouth to Winton you would definitely not want to go via Castlepoint
ReplyDeleteOne future improvement i’d be interested to see is the merging of routes 14 and 22 to create a Poole - Kinson - Castlepoint - Boscombe - Bournemouth megaroute. It would restore direct links lost with the withdrawal of the old Yellow Buses 2/2a/2b routes.
ReplyDeleteThe 2 (22) changes to/from a 4 (12) at Castlepoint to form a loop in that manner, and allowing through journeys to/from RBH from Muscliff.
DeleteExcept that with the current arrangement, one can't travel direct from Boscombe to West Howe or Kinson
DeleteCan we please have the bus pull-ins returned to the stops in Above Bar,outside the Civic Centre and outside West Quay,in Portland Terrace.It just causes pointless congestion -especially the one outside West Quay.
ReplyDeleteYou may remember that it was intended that Portland Terrace was going to be closed to traffic, but no idea whether it is still in the plan. Guessing that buses won't stop at WQ, once the mini bus station opens in Castle Way? Above Bar does not allow vehicles before 6pm, so can't see a need there.
DeleteNo buses will stop at West Quay, once the mini bus station opens in Castle Way opens, I guess? Also, traffic is barred from Above Bar before 6pm, so not really an issue there.
DeleteI am guessing that West Quay will not have stops, once the mini bus station is formed in Castle Way? Above Bar is not open to traffic before 6pm. Can't think of any lay by that has been removed at Civic.
DeleteLay by right outside the Civic Centre building,where buses to Bitterne leave from was filled in leaving buses to hold up other traffic.
DeleteStagecoach in Winchester have announced that route 64 will be free of charge every Sunday till the end of May.The route runs to Alton from Winchester.
ReplyDeleteCan't think of any Civic lay bye removed. No traffic allowed in Above Bar before 6, and no West Quay stops once Castle Way bus interchange opens. Simple.
ReplyDeleteLay by just outside Civic Centre building ,for buses to Bitterne was paved in .
DeleteThe one outside the main Civic Centre building.
DeleteTranspora have announced from the 30th May 2023 that a service 2 route will run from Bournemouth Square to Boscombe Bus Station
ReplyDeleteTranspora Bus to start running Route 2 from Bournemouth Square to Boscombe Bus Station running every 20 Minutes, starting on the 30th May 2023
ReplyDeleteTranspora Bus to run Service 2 from Bournemouth Square to Boscome Bus Station starting on the 30th May 2023.
ReplyDeleteRunning every 20 Minutes
Transpora just registered a “limited duplication” of more 22 in Bournemouth. What do I mean with this?
ReplyDeleteThey are launching service “the two” between the Triangle and Boscombe Bus Station every 20 minutes.
It will run via the Square and then basically the same route as more 22 until Boscombe. (I actually think they will run via Bath Road and not via Old Christchurch Road)
This service will not survive, especially if Morebus just increases the frequency to every 20 minutes (one extra bus).
Exactly. YB used to operate the 2 at a 15 minute frequency, but More will definitely win with its established brand and through ticketing to other services. I can see the 22 being increased in the near future once the new m1 and 5/5a fleet has arrived.
ReplyDelete