Botley loses evening services

First 8 has a new timetable from 19th July. From that date the evening extension beyond Hedge End to Botley is withdrawn.

There is also a big reduction in evening journeys on the remainder of the 8. The last bus from town currently leaves at 2245 (1800 on Sundays), but after 19th July it will be at 2025 (still 1800 on Sundays), making an evening out in the city centre more difficult for those living in Peartree, Chartwell Green, West End and Hedge End not to mention Botley.

That last bus on the 8 is also the last bus of the evening towards Hedge End, as both Bluestar 3 and Xelabus X11 stop running even earlier than that.

Botley and the northern part of Hedge End have their railway stations, which will make getting home still possible for some. Here are the evening train times to get back to Botley the week after the changes to the 8 come into effect:

In other news, Bluestar's New Forest Tour starts again this weekend for the summer season.

Cadnam commuters cut off

Bluestar have confirmed that their peak hour extensions of route 11, taking it beyond West Totton to Cadnam, Netley Marsh and Winsor, are to end from 21st June due to funding cuts by Hampshire County Council.

These are the journeys being cut back to run between Southampton and West Totton only:

That section of route beyond West Totton will then only be served by Wheelers T3 and T4, which only run three days a week:

Those living on the Cadnam section of route will now not be able to get into Totton before 0956 and will need to depart from Totton at 1700 in order to get back home the same day. To continue in to Southampton, you'll need to change buses to Bluestar 6, 8, 11 or 12 and now that the T3/T4 are run by Wheelers, you'll need to either pay twice or use a Solent Go ticket.

Tatchbury Mount Hospital is among the destinations to lose their 6-days-a-week service and their last remaining direct link to Southampton.