Xelabus to take Eastleigh-Hedge End from Velvet?

The following has appeared on Xelabus's website (the yellow highlighting is mine):

The Mon-Sat daytime service is run commercially by Velvet, so either they have agreed to hand the route to Xelabus or Xelabus have decided to attack. If the latter is true, then the highlighted wording on their website is rather ungentlemanly.

The section of the A between Hedge End and Southampton is not affected at the moment. Indeed it should see more passengers after the changes to First 8/8A from June.

Velvet have not yet confirmed whether or not they will continue to operate the Eastleigh-Hedge End section of the A.

The saga of the 67 route between Winchester and Petersfield is being covered over on our sister blog, British Bus Bugle.

Freebies & discounts for Catch The Bus Week

It's national Catch The Bus Week and Bluestar are marking the occasion by giving out free and discounted tickets by the Bargate on Friday. Details here.

First changes: details / Spider maps

First have released details of the changes they are making from 1st June. Here's a quick summary:

Three: Mon-Sat daytime frequency increased to every 7/8 minutes. Every 20 mins Mon-Sat evenings. Last buses will run later.

4/4A/X4: rerouted to serve Wrights Hill. Minor timing changes.

5: Sunday service withdrawn. Mon-Sat daytime service cut to hourly.

7: Minor timing changes.

8/8A: Merged into one route with just two buses an hour. New one way loop around Hedge End. Rerouted to serve Peartree and Woolston.

9: Will no longer serve the stops on Bullar Road Gyratory. Minor timing changes.

12: Mon-Sat daytime frequency increased to every 15 minutes. Rerouted to serve Northam instead of Peartree and Woolston. Also rerouted to serve Wakefield Road.

13: Minor timing changes.

R1: Withdrawn, leaving Jurds Lake Way unserved once again.

The full timetables have not yet been released. We'll let you know as soon as they are out.

In other news, Southampton City Council have issued some London-style spider maps for major locations in the city. See them here (scroll down to 'downloadable documents'), but bear in mind that First's changes will render most of them already obsolete as of 1st June. Here's a glimpse of the Bitterne one:

Sunday service on Good Friday and Easter Monday

That's across all of our region's bus operators. Happy Easter!

W3 and R1 to go / New Velvet route / First revamp 1st June

Let's have a summary of changes on the way:

Wheelers W3 is set to be withdrawn from 22nd April. Boyatt Wood loses its direct link to Southampton, but the rest of the route is already covered by other services.

Wheelers W1 gets a new timetable on the same day. Some journeys are diverted to serve Chilworth Science Park. See the new timetable on Traveline.

Wheelers W2 gains an additional weekday afternoon journey from Southampton to Hiltingbury.

First have timetable and route changes to several routes from 1st June. The R1 is put out of its misery and there are changes to routes 2, three, 4/4A/X4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13.

Velvet launch a new route on 4th June: the 15B4 will connect Bitterne with Bursledon. Could it be a free bus to Tesco?

See an always-updated list of changes on the way here.

Marwell Zoo bus resumes

Velvet is still with us and from Saturday their route M starts up again for the summer, providing a direct link between Eastleigh and Marwell Zoo. Full details and timetable here.

W56 launches this Thursday / 300 and night buses cut

Hamble, Netley and Hedge End gain a new market day link to Eastleigh from this Thursday. Wheelers W56 will run more or less to the same route as the old First 56 which was withdrawn back in April 2012. It runs only on Thursdays but does restore an additional link to Eastleigh for the market. Full details here.

This Saturday 5th April is the final day of running of Velvet 300 to Ringwood and also Velvet's night buses N6 and N8, all without replacement. If you need to get to and from Ringwood after Saturday, then National Express is your only option, but they do run several times a day.