Unilink changes from Sunday / U2 to Swaythling / Yellow shoppers

This Sunday sees new timetables on all Unilink routes in Southampton, plus a new route for the U2, which will now serve Swaythling instead of Chilworth Roundabout. Click the route numbers for the new timetables:

• U1
• U2
• U6
• U9

Here's the route the U2 will now take from town towards Swaythling:

...and here's the route it takes from Glen Eyre towards town:

This means the return of bus services to the stops on Bassett Green Road that were abandoned by First when they withdrew their 5 back in September 2015.

Over in Bournemouth, from Monday, Yellow Buses launch two new shoppers' services that will run on Brockenhurst College days only...

The X37 (timetable here) runs between New Milton and Bournemouth, giving passengers almost 4 hours of shopping time. A more regular service along this corridor is provided by More X1/X2. Here's the X37's route:

The X38 (timetable here) runs between Ringwood and Castlepoint, but you only have 2 hours to get your shopping done. If you miss the bus back or just fancy making this trip on non-college days, then you'll need to get Yellow B3, R3, R4, R5 or More 15 to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and then More X3 or X6 to Ringwood. Here's the X38's route:

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Bournemouth & Poole changes from this Sunday

More and Unibus have a few changes happening in and around Bournemouth from this Sunday 17th September. Here they all are... as always you can click on the route number to see the new timetable:


M1/M2 Poole-Castlepoint/Southbourne Minor timetable changes on Mon-Sat evenings

X1/X2 Bournemouth-Lymington New earlier X1 journey from and later journey to Bournemouth

X6 Poole-Ringwood-Bournemouth Minor timetable changes

10 Poole-Lytchett Matravers Terminus loop in Lytchett Matravers reversed

38 Ringwood-Ferndown Operating hours cut back to between the peaks only

Breezer 40 Poole-Swanage Minor timetable changes

Breezer 50 Bournemouth-Swanage Minor timetable changes

Breezer 60 Poole-Sandbanks Minor timetable changes

Ringo 1/2 Ringwood Local Service Two additional weekday afternoon journeys, but the current last journeys won't run on schooldays

U1 Bournemouth University-Station Minor changes

U2 Bournemouth University-Poole Minor changes

U3 Bournemouth University-Southbourne Minor changes

U5 Bournemouth University-Lansdowne New route

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Official: Adanac Park cut off / Other First changes

Following yesterday's post, First have announced their full changes for 29th October, which they had probably planned to announce much later on had it not been for this blog.

First City Red 10 is being incorporated into the 2, which will run cross-city between Millbrook and Thornhill, just like Bluestar 18. This is a bizarre choice as it throws away the advantage that traffic in Shirley doesn't affect the 10 and traffic in Bitterne doesn't affect the 2, which both affect the full route of the 18.

First 1 is indeed being withdrawn, which cuts off public transport to the Ordnance Survey's headquarters at Adanac Park. It also ends public transport in the heart of Coxford, away from the main roads. Here's a map of First's current routes in that area so you can get an idea of the gaps that will be left when the 1 goes:

Here's how Bluestar serve the same area. The dark blue line is Bluestar 4, which will now be by far the quickest route from Lordshill and Maybush to the City Centre:

The ludicrous decision to reverse the 7's terminus loop in Midanbury and Townhill Park back in February is being reversed. I bet none of you saw that coming!

In better news, the 9 gets a Sunday service. The 6 is diverted due to traffic congestion at Ocean Village. There are minor timetable changes to the three and 11.

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First falters in Southampton?

First have registered that they will stop running routes 1 (City Centre-Shirley-Maybush-Coxford-Lordshill-Adanac Park) and 10 (City Centre-Bitterne-Thornhill) in Southampton as of 29th October. There could be an as yet unannounced and unregistered replacement, but if not then the 1 is almost certainly surrendering to competition from Bluestar 17. The 10, which was launched as a head-on competitor to Bluestar 18, if it disappears will leave just the three from First serving Thornhill alongside the omnipresent Bluestar 18.

More as we get it.

In other news, we have new timetables on the following routes from next week. Click the route number to see the new timetable:

Bluestar 2 Southampton-Fair Oak From Tuesday 12th September an additional schoolday journey will run at 0745 from Southampton to Eastleigh.

Bluestar 5 Romsey-Boyatt Wood From Monday 11th September, there are a couple of minor timing changes to early evening services, plus a route change to the weekday 1709 journey from Templars Way to Eastleigh, which will now run via Derby Road instead of Chestnut Avenue.

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