Bluestar & Velvet new timetables / Co-operation in Hedge End

New timetables start tomorrow on many Bluestar and Velvet routes. Both companies will be co-operating in Hedge End and Botley with Bluestar 3 (City Centre-Botley) and Velvet A (Eastleigh-Boorley Green) accepting each other's return tickets and offering a co-ordinated timetable between Hedge End Superstores and Botley. Bluestar are also introducing an easy access guarantee on most routes, offering a free day ticket as compensation if you have to travel on a bus that isn't fully accessible to all.

Here's a quick summary of the changes happening tomorrow:

Bluestar 2 (City Centre-Fair Oak): Minor changes to some morning journeys.
Bluestar 3 (City Centre-Botley): Cut from half-hourly to hourly Mon-Sat daytimes. Fewer rush hour buses.
Bluestar 8 (City Centre-Hythe): Timings changed to offer a better combined frequency with Bluestar 10, 11 and 12 between Totton and the City Centre.
Bluestar 9 (City Centre-Waterside): New Sunday timetable with daytime frequency doubled to 2 an hour.
Velvet A (Eastleigh-Boorley Green): Weekday daytime timings changed.
Velvet C (Eastleigh-Hiltingbury): New timetables with minor changes to some journeys.
Bluestar F (Eastleigh-Bishops Waltham): Journeys to Marwell Zoo withdrawn. Weekday afternoon 1512 from Swanmore now terminates at Durley instead of continuing to Eastleigh. 0825 Saturday morning journey from Stoke Common to Eastleigh withdrawn.

From Monday 22nd February, Portsmouth Road around Wrights Hill and Sholing will be partially closed overnight from 2000-0600 for around 5 weeks meaning diversions to First 10/10A, 16/16A, 72 and 80. Should end 29th March.

On the weekend of 13th & 14th March, Passfield Road in Eastleigh will be partially closed. Velvet A (Eastleigh-Boorley Green) will be diverting via Derby Road and Southampton Road instead of serving Fleming Park.

Velvet C temporary timetable / Brockenhurst diversion next week

Velvet A (Eastleigh-Boorley Green) is no longer on diversion in Eastleigh, but don't forget that the C (Eastleigh-Hiltingbury) is running a temporary timetable until 19th Feb due to the closure of Leigh Road.

Wilts & Dorset 56 & 56A (City Centre-Lymington) will be diverted in Brockenhurst for a week from Monday 15th February. It's due to work being carried out on the railway bridge. Details of the diversion here.

Staying with W&D, there will be timetable and route changes to the 34 (Romsey-Salisbury) and X7/X71 (City Centre-Salisbury) from 21st March. Details to follow.

New First timetables this Sunday / Velvet C temporary timetable

More details of the changes to First services taking effect with the new timetables on Sunday 7th February:
4 (City Centre-Totton): The last two buses on weekdays will now terminate at Shirley instead of Totton. Reduced to an hourly frequency on Saturdays. Only runs as far as Millbrook Tesco on Sundays, no longer serving Millbrook Roundabout.
5 (City Centre-Lordshill North): Last bus on weekdays now runs at 1828 from town. Reduced to an hourly frequency on Saturdays.
8A (Lordshill-Hedge End): Now runs to Hedge End Superstores on Saturday evenings.
9 (City Centre-Hightown): Evening journeys renumbered 9B terminate at Fairfax Court, no longer serving Hightown.
10 (Lordhill-Thornhill): Some evening journeys numbered 10B extend to Harefield.
11/12/13 (City Centre-Sholing): 13 withdrawn. Fewer evening buses.
Also minor timetable changes on routes 1/1A, 3, 7/7A, 8, 16/16A, 17/17A, 21 and 24.

Velvet A (Eastleigh-Boorley Green) is still diverted in Eastleigh. it's leaving the bus station via Southampton Road and Derby Road to Passfield Avenue, not serving Fleming Park in either direction.

Velvet C (Eastleigh-Hiltingbury) will have a special timetable from 8th to 19th February inclusive, due to the temporary closure of Leigh Road. Full details here.

Cobden Bridge open / Bluestar changes / 15 withdrawn

Cobden Bridge has fully reopened, so First 3 (City Centre-Townhill Park) and Unilink U9 (Townhill Park-General Hospital) are back to normal.

Bluestar have unveiled more details of their timetable changes taking place over the next few weeks. 15 (Bitterne-Weston) will be withdrawn after 6th February, to be replaced by changes to some of First's routes. The new timetable from 21st February for the 3 (City Centre-Botley) is here. A new timetable also for the 8 (City Centre-Hythe) and a new Sunday timetable with more buses on the 9 (City Centre-Waterside). The N18 (Leisure World-Hedge End) will terminate at Thornhill, no longer serving Hedge End. More modern buses will appear on all Bluestar routes that don't currently have them.

Cobden Bridge shut for another week / Bluestar 14 timetable out

Cobden Bridge is closed for another week meaning the disruption for First 3 and Unilink U9 (details in the green panel on the right) will continue until Sunday 24th January with normal services planned to resume on Monday 25th January.

Bluestar have released their timetable for the 14 (City Centre-Bitterne), which they take over from First on Monday 8th February. There's actually no change in the timetable currently operated by First on that route. The main difference is a change of bus stops in the city centre.

Weather / Cobden Bridge closure extended / Timetable changes

There is a lot of disruption due to the weather currently. Before travelling, check with the operator's website or Facebook page. Links in the red panel on the right, beneath the green one.

Unilink advise that Cobden Bridge will be closed for another week, so normality on Unilink U9 (Townhill Park-General Hospital) and First 3 (City Centre-Townhill Park) will not now resume until 18th January.

First have revealed minor changes to the 72 (City Centre-Gosport) and 80 (City Centre-Fareham) from 17th January.

More details coming in about Bluestar's changes from 22nd February. The 2 (City Centre-Fair Oak) will have its timetable tweaked. The 3 (City Centre-Botley) is being cut to hourly Mon-Sat daytimes. The F (Eastleigh-Bishops Waltham) will no longer serve Marwell Zoo.

Various diversions & details of First's planned changes

False alarm regarding diversions to Velvet C1, C2 and C3 in Eastleigh. They're not diverted after all. But the A is. Details here.

Bluestar have caught up regarding the St Cross diversion. They have a summary of the diversion here and special temporary timetables for the E1, E2 and E3 here.

Bedford Place is shut for 39 weeks, meaning First 5 is diverting via London Road and Carlton Crescent. It should resume normal route on 30th September 2010.

Dorset Sprinter have finally released the new timetable for the X5 to Ringwood, that started on Saturday. The main change is a new later journey on Saturdays.

First have given details of the changes to their routes happening on Sunday 7th February. Apparently the B1, B2, B3 and 21 won't be withdrawn after all. We'll let you know when the new timetables are out.

Timetable changes, night buses to Calmore & diversions

Velvet A (Eastleigh-Boorley Green) is currently diverted in West End due to a collapsed sewer near Tesco Express.

Leigh Road will be closed towards Eastleigh from Monday 4th January for an unspecified amount of time, meaning diversions to Velvet A (Eastleigh-Boorley Green), and C1/C2/C3 (Eastleigh-Hiltingbury).

Also from 4th January, St Cross Road will be closed. Links on the right and in previous posts detail the planned diversions on Bluestar 1 (City Centre-Winchester) and Stagecoach 69 (Winchester-Fareham). Velvet have advised details of the diversion to routes E1/E2/E3 (Eastleigh-Winchester), which is very kind of them seeing as they only run the E2 on Sundays, which will have a special timetable during the diversion. The E is run by Bluestar the rest of the week and will be following the same diversion as Velvet.

First will be withdrawing the B1 (Bitterne-Sholing), B2 (Bitterne-Midanbury), B3 (Bitterne Circular) and 21 (RSH Hospital-Hillyfields) as of 7th February with no replacements currently in sight. On the same day, there will be timetable and some route changes to the 5 (City Centre-Lordshill North), 8 (Lordshill-Townhill Park), 8A (Lordshill-Hedge End Station), 10/10A (Lordshill-Thornhill), and 11A/11C/12A/12C/13 (City Centre-Sholing). This is in addition to the previously announced changes to routes 3 (City Centre-Townhill Park), 4 (City Centre-Totton) and 9 (City Centre-Hightown). Details to follow.

Bluestar will have new timetables from 21st February on routes 2 (City Centre-Fair Oak), 3 (City Centre-Botley), 4 (City Centre-Romsey), 8 (City Centre-Hythe), 9 (City Centre-Waterside), N18 (Leisure World-Hedge End night bus) and F (Eastleigh-Bishops Waltham). Details to follow.

Night buses return to Calmore from 26th February with Bluestar N12.