Thursday 5 October 2017

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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7 comments:

  1. Mainline4216 October 2017 at 02:34

    The Saturday x12 only exists as a temporary extension granted to Go South Coast as a result of an "error in the tendering process" IIRC, so probably won't last long unless they or First take it on commercially.

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  2. Anonymous6 October 2017 at 13:10

    The old x53 Poole - Exeter service is certainly now a shadow of it's former self... What happened to it?

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    Replies
    1. Dave Harrison6 October 2017 at 17:04

      As I understand it...

      It was a Dorset County Council tendered service. First lost the tender to Yellow Buses and so took it commercially in order to protect their business. Except quite a bit of it obviously isn't commercial, especially in the winter.

      Also Stagecoach extended their 52 (now 9/9A) Exeter - Sidmouth bus to Seaton and then to Lyme Regis, meaning there is now an hourly service over that section of route (albeit slower than the X53).

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    2. Anonymous6 October 2017 at 17:35

      I see, interesting. There seems to be enough problems in Dorset re: buses and cuts without bus companies effectively undercutting each other on unprofitable tendered routes!

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    3. Anonymous7 October 2017 at 16:52

      The X53 has never been a Dorset County Council tender. It was a Devon County Council tender and due to funding cuts was whittled away to zero

      Delete
  3. Anonymous6 October 2017 at 22:26

    New First Southampton October timetables are all up on Traveline now!

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  4. Anonymous12 October 2017 at 09:00

    Nx315 also covers the vast part of the x53 ie exeter,bridport,weymouth,wareham and poole and does get people(not day trippers tho) who would/have used the x53 for long distance trips had it still been 1 bus through

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