All Unilink routes get new timetables from 31st August. The U2 is rerouted in the city centre to now serve the new Mayflower Halls instead of the Civic Centre and is doubled in frequency to every 10 minutes on weekdays during university terms between the City Centre and the University Interchange. Details here.
Stagecoach 69 and some of their other Winchester routes have timetable changes on 31st August. Details here.
Wheelers launched their WA briefly before Velvet's relaunch, but it launches properly from 1st September providing a direct alternative to the new Velvet's A. We'll let you know once the WA's timetable has been released.
Staying with Wheelers, the W2 is to be withdrawn after 27th September. It has run since last November and provides a direct link from Southampton City Centre to Hill Lane, Valley Park and Hiltingbury. Most direct journeys that can be done on the W2 will require two buses after it stops running.
A definite improvement to First service12 where it will now serve stops that people wish to board or alight to and from Bitterne/Northam direction-Shame about Wheeler's W2 but explains why it was not included in the recent HCC timetable isseud for Eastleigh/Hedge End area I must presume-Nice to note that they will still be going ahead with the WA as at the moment Velvet to me at least still look rocky-Big improvement to U2,however will this now lurch the First service 5 into an early withdrawel on the Bassett Green to City section-As for Stagecoach at least they only make changes when necessary, and in one go, in the areas affected,unlike First which is constant and no good for public confidence in planning travel to/from work on a daily basis - PAC
ReplyDeleteMost operators change their services every 6 months or so. Your post suggests that first change their services every few days (ie commuters).
DeleteYes a very fair comment that-However most operators only adjust their times at peak periods where traffic circumstances keep changing-I don't notice Bluestar,Stagecoach,Brijan keep rerouting services-I note a rerouting this time for First service 12 which was only rerouted in June this year and now just after 6 weeks of operation another small rerouting between Brintons Road and City Centre-However on this occassion it will benefit passengers,but could have been avoided if in June they had done what they are now going to do-The reason given is the turn from New Road into Palmerston Road which is difficult for long single deck vehicles-However sometime ago when the 8 was changed and did this turn within a few days it was rerouted via Above Bar as it had the same problem-It would seem the planners did not learn with the 8 and a few years later do the same with the 12 and now have to reroute it-Perhaps the penny has now dropped-PAC
DeleteShame about the W2, but I'm fully aware that I'm one of the few people who used it. It's actually by far the fastest bus from the city centre to the hospital (because its route is a more direct version of the S1), but it only runs off-peak so it's no use as a commuter bus, and I don't know if you earn much money from concessionary passes.
ReplyDeleteI note this morning on Traveline a revised timetable for the W1 where one journey now starts in the morning from Hedge End Superstores running to Southampton then onto Romsey-Has the plan for the WA now been dropped? - PAC
ReplyDeleteI note yesterday the Velvet facebook page spring back to life with the announcement of fare changes from 1st September 2014-once a site that was very lively, as was the twitter site, it seems no one hardly bothers anymore to make a posting,and those that do now rarely receive a reply-All a great pity and very sad-However in speaking to a few drivers over the past few weeks, they seem to like the new chap running it-No news yet I note on Wheeler's WA - PAC
ReplyDeleteShould be interesting to see wether the revised Uni-Link U2 will be able to serve the new stop by Mayflower Halls as it looks far from complete with the works in the area-Note also First service 13 will no longer serve the Central Station from end October-PAC
ReplyDeleteWheelers - I note that no WA route has been registered, but that they are expanding into Salisbury with the ex Hatts Travel routes:
ReplyDeleteAfter the 30 August we (Salisbury Reds) will no longer be operating the extra journeys (that Hatts/Wiltshire buses used to run) on the following services...
7 and 8A - Devizes Road, Quidhampton to Salisbury
44 - Woodfalls to Salisbury
66 - Salisbury, Idmiston to Shipton Bellinger
67 - Salisbuy to Tidworth
217 - St Margarets, Marlborough Town Centre to Rogers Meadow
All journeys on the..
12 - City Centre toStratford Bridge, Devonshire Road to Wyndham Road
14 - City Centre toMilton Road, Harvard Heights to Harnham Hill
29 - Shaftesbury to Salisbury
From 1st September the journeys above transfer to Wheelers Travel, who will operate the same routes and timetables