Here are links to the Christmas and New Year service levels that have been announced so far:
- Bluestar
- First City Red
- First Solent
- First Wessex
- More
- Salisbury Reds
- Southern Vectis
- Stagecoach Portsmouth
- Stagecoach Winchester
- Unibus
- Unilink
- Xelabus
More as we get them.
In other news, there have been fares rises at More, and First City Red 13 has a minor timetable change from Monday 28th November.
Those complaining about the lack of firstbus service in Southampton on Boxing Day must know that most of their routes are also served by Bluestar,or have Bluestar nearby-even those in Harefield have Bluestar 3 passing by the entrance to the estate-though not ideal,especially for those with poor mobility.
ReplyDeleteStagecoach are not running much on Boxing Day either (21 and 23 in Portsmouth is about it) - so First are not alone in their plan.
DeleteSurprised they are running the 21 as Portsmouth are playing away to Exeter City
DeleteNow I have seen the First Solent offering, I am not surprised at all. A common theme appears across the City.
DeleteWhat are you talking about?
DeleteThey are offering a great service over the Christmas period, even running Christmas Day on FIVE services.
What is who talking about?
DeleteI am NOT surprised Stagecoach are running the 21 as all the Portsmouth services uplifted by the Bus Service Improvement Plan money have a Christmas Day and Boxing Day timetable (except the 18)
Just checked the First Solent site and it says they are operating special services on Christmas Day.
ReplyDeleteSo are Stagecoach in Portsmouth
DeleteFirst Bus operations in Southampton to end on the 19th February 2023
ReplyDeleteOnly the X4 and X5 will operating in Southampton via Woolston and Sholing out of Hoeford Depot
Happy Christmas First Southampton. What a heartbreak for all the staff. So sorry for you. Plenty for the Blue star management to get their heads around too! A new depot perhaps, and lots of drivers?!
ReplyDeleteSorry Reece!
DeleteI saw this day coming.
ReplyDeleteI am actually pleased to finally see a good decision from First.
This is what I think it will happen with Bluestar:
Delete1 - Southampton - Winchester (no changes to freq.)
2 - Southampton - Fair Oak (no changes to freq.)
3 - Southampton - Hedge End - Eastleigh every hour interworked with new route 13
4 - Southampton - Romsey (no changes to freq.)
5 - Eastleigh - Romsey (no changes to freq)
6 - Southampton - Lymington (no changes to freq)
7 - Lordshill - Sholing (no changes to freq)
8 - Southampton - Hythe - Calshot (no changes to freq)
9 - Southampton - Langley/Fawley (no changes to freq)
10 - Thornhill - Lordshill (replacing CR3) every 15 minutes
11/12 - Southampton - Totton/Canmore (no changes to replace CR1)
13 - Southampton - Woolston - West End - Hedge End Centre - Hedge End Station (replacing CR8 and CR9 in Peartree Avenue) every hour interworked with 3.
14 - Southampton - Hamble (replace CR6) every hour
15 - Southampton - Portswood - Townhill (replacing CR7, every 20 mins) (interworked with 16)
16 - Southampton - Bitterne - Townhill (every 20 mins, interworked with 15)
17 - Weston - Adanac Park (no changes to replace CR2 Weston - Shirley)
18 - Thornhill - Millbrook (no changes to replace CR2 Shirley - Millbrook)
19 - Central Station - Merryoak - Bitterne - Harefield - Sholing (replacing CR9 and CR13) every hour
Bluestar previously used the number 19 for its City - Woolston - Thornhill route when that operated in competition with City Red 3 prior to COVID, so could use that number again for its replacement. I would then give the number 10 to Southampton - Hamble and 14 to Southampton - Merryoak - Harefield, the latter fitting in quite nicely with the 13 via Peartree Avenue.
DeleteI would hold off on Fantasy Bus Manager booking for now. Look at Bournemouth and how very little has been changed from the bits of the Yellow Buses network that GoAhead incorporated into morebus.
DeleteThere has been a few months bedding in, but still quite a bit of duplication; yet the only major change back in September was the X6.
Bluestar also has less say when it comes to contracted and supported work. Xelabus suddenly wanted the contracted work in Bournemouth; maybe service work will be made more financially viable to them with the CR9 and CR13 replacements. It would ultimately be down to the council based on the bids.
I would like to see (and this is a bit of a whimsical fantasy) that GoAhead used some of the consolidation to provide something more for Eastleigh. I won't hold my breathe though.
I think this will happen.
DeleteFirst 1 and 2 already have a Bluestar replacement. No additional services.
First 3 will be replaced by Bluestar 19 between Thornhill and City. 20 minute frequency.
The X4 and X5 are run by Solent so will stay as they are, but may be Curtailed to Tesco/Lawford
First 6 replaced by Bluestar 26 Hourly.
First 7 replaced by Bluestar 14, after Townhill will go to Chartwell Green. Every 15 minutes.
First 8 replaced by Bluestar 28 but diverted via Woolston and Merryoak, and West End Road instead of Chartwell Green. Then on to Hedge End Station maybe not serving the Superstores. Hourly.
First 9 no replacement.
First 13 replaced by Bluestar 3 diverted via West End Road and Harefield.
The 26 and 28 will likely be renumbered with a lower number once passengers get used to the change, likely to be 10 and 15. I believe Bluestar doesn't want to use the number 13.
Unlucky for some? Morebus has been using the number 13 for its Bournemouth - Wimborne route since the beginning of time.
DeleteX4/X5 will stay as they are. They carry a lot from Warsash, Locks Heath, Lowford to Southampton.
DeleteThis is very sad for the drivers but the management deserve no less. For years they’ve used their resources duplicating existing Bluestar routes to try and point score and take custom from them rather than strengthen their own offering. They’ve treated the public terribly. Bluestar have done some similar tricks in the past in fairness but never really neglected other parts of their network to do so. Good riddance
ReplyDelete