Changes this weekend

It's this Sunday that First have new timetables on most routes in Southampton. See them here.

The main changes are:
Route 1 is withdrawn completely. The last bus ever from Adanac Park leaves on Saturday evening at 1840. Here are the final journeys in each direction on Saturday:

The 2 and the 10 merge into the new 2.

The 7 re-reverses its terminus loop in Townhill Park and Midanbury, resuming the route it used before February. That's clockwise, serving Townhill Park first, then Midanbury. Here's the full list of stops it will serve in the order it will serve them on the terminus loop from Sunday:

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First new timetables / Bluestar fares up

The new timetables have been released that take effect on First Southampton from 29th October. Click the route number to see the timetables: 

2 Millbrook-Thornhill

three Lordshill-Thornhill

6 City Centre-Hamble

7 City Centre-Townhill Park

9 City Centre-Sholing

11 City Centre-Weston

13 City Centre-Harefield

Don't forget that the 1 is withdrawn and that the 10 is being replaced by the extended 2.

Some fares are going up on Bluestar routes 4, 17 and 18 from Sunday 8th October:

City Centre to Millbrook remains at £1.90 single and £2.90 return. There are ways of getting that down however:

• Route 16/18 Dayrider: £3
• Southampton zone Dayrider: £3.70
• Southampton zone 10 Dayriders: £33 on the Key (that's £3.30 per day)
• Route 18 weekly ticket: £6 (that's 86p per day)
• Routes 7/16/17/18 weekly ticket: £10 (that's £1.43 a day)
• Southampton zone weekly ticket: £14 on the Key or the app (that's £2 a day)
• Southampton zone 30 day ticket: £44 (that's £1.47 per day)
• 12 single journeys on the Key for £17.50 (that's £1.46 per journey)
• 24 single journeys on the Key for £33 (that's £1.38 per journey)
• 36 single journeys on the Key for £47 (that's £1.31 per journey)

As a comparison, First charge a minimum of £2 single and £3 return, but there are ways of getting that down too:

• FirstDay Southampton: £3.50
• 5 FirstDays on the app: £15 (that's £3 per day)
• Millbrook/Route 10 FirstWeek: £6 (that's 86p per day)
• FirstWeek Southampton: £10 (that's £1.43 per day)
• FirstMonth Southampton: £39 (that's £1.30 per day)
• 10 single journeys on the app: £15 (that's £1.50 per journey)

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Poole-Weymouth by bus on Saturday: Yes, you can

First X54 between Poole and Weymouth now runs on weekdays only, its last Saturday of operation being that just gone. It is still possible to get to Weymouth by bus on a Saturday, although it is easier (but not cheaper) to get the train:

The Traveline journey planner gave me a journey starting from the railway station, but the X8 actually starts from stand L at Poole Bus Station at 0850. The connection is made at this stop at Tesco in Blandford St Mary:

Buses in both directions on both the X8 and the X12 use the same stop, so it's a good one to use as an interchange. Here's the journey back:

The X8 and X12 (click for timetables) are operated by More and Damory, both part of Go Ahead, so you can use the £8.60 zone ABC Dayrider for the full journey. That price of course includes unlimited onward travel with More at the Poole end.

The Poole to Wareham stretch is served 7 days a week by More Purbeck Breezer 40.

That leaves the bit of the X54 between Wareham and the outskirts of Weymouth with no bus service at the weekends.

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