First changes: Focus on Bellemoor & General Hospital

There are new timetables and route changes to most of First's routes from 30th June. Today we look at Bellemoor and the General Hospital.

The 8A and 10 currently intertwine along Hill Lane and through Bellemoor on their way to the General.

From 30th June, the 8A is withdrawn from this side of the city. The 10 is being rerouted to partially replace it, but it will only run on weekdays.

First have released their new network map. Here's an extract showing how the 10 will run:

After Tauntons, the new 10 will run along Bellemoor Road, Luccombe Road, Winchester Road and Dale Road to the General Hospital, a more direct route than now.

Here's how the timetable is changing:

Bad news for anyone who needs to get to the General from town. The most useful route for that journey will become the 3 via Shirley. Don't forget that Velvet S2 is being redrawn too and that will offer another alternative for the General.

Find all of the new timetables on First here. New 10 here.

Next up: General Hospital to Totton

First changes: Focus on Hedge End, West End & Chartwell Green

First timetables are changing on most routes from 30th June. Today we look at the 8, 8A and 8B to Hedge End.

No change to the route on this side of the city, but the 8A will no longer run beyond town to the General Hospital.

The 8s face competition from Brijan 7 to West End and from Velvet A and Bluestar 3 to Hedge End. In the evenings, First 8B provides the link to Botley that is served by Bluestar 3 only in the daytimes.

Here's how the timetable is changing:

No major changes, just a few tweaks here and there.

See all the new timetables from 30th June here and that for the 8s here.

Next up: Bellemoor and the General Hospital

First changes: Focus on St Denys & Bitterne Park

First have new timetables on most routes from 30th June. Today we look at the 7 to Townhill Park.

The terminus loop around Townhill Park and Midanbury is shared with current route 2 (changing to the 12). The 7 provides the link to Portswood and then continues to town via Bevois Valley. It faces competition from Bluestar 16, which runs via Stag Gates.

The 7 is staying with the same route and has just some minor timetable changes. Here's the summary:

The Sunday daytime frequency is up to 4 buses per hour, making the 7 one of our city's most frequent routes on Sundays.

Full details of changes to all First routes from 30th June here and the 7 timetable here.

Next up: Hedge End, West End and Chartwell Green

First changes: Focus on Netley & Hamble

First have new timetables on most routes from 30th June. Today, we look at the 6 to Hamble.

The route is unchanged and the peak hour variations are ironed out so that all buses will run via Ocean Village. Here's how the timetable is changing:

Weekday daytimes drop to 2 buses an hour, but Sunday daytimes double to the same amount. Testimony to the fact that in terms of people wanting to travel, Sunday isn't that special any more. Evenings change: instead of having an earlier finish Mon-Wed and later journeys only running Thurs-Sat, we have a thinner and uneven evening frequency running six days a week. The last Sunday bus from town will be earlier than it is now, but at 1950 is still not too bad for a Sunday when you consider how bad the cuts are elsewhere.

Find details of all the changes on First here and the new timetable for the 6 here.

Next up: Bitterne Park & St Denys

First changes: Focus on Sholing (Butts and Botley Roads) / U6 rerouted from Sunday

Don't forget Unilink U6 has a new route and timetable from this Sunday.

In the run up to major changes to First's network on 30th June, we're looking at each area in turn to see how it will be affected. Today, the 5 between town and Sholing.

There's no change to the route on this side of the city. Here's how the times are changing:

No big changes here either. The part of Sholing that the 5 serves is also served by the 9 via Bitterne, which provides the evening and Sunday service.

Here's how the 9 is changing:

No change to the route, but evening services are cut completely, leaving a large area of Sholing with no buses from town after 7pm. Anyone who does need to get home in the evening will have three bus & walk options:
First 3 to Kathleen Road and then walk.
Bluestar 18 to Hightown and then walk.
First 4, X4 or 6 to Wrights Hill or Portsmouth Road and then walk.

First say that the evening service that currently runs is subsidised by the city council and that is being cut. First have decided that not enough people would use the service in the evenings to keep it running commercially.

Full details of changes to all of First's services can be found here. These are the links for the new timetables on the 5 and the 9.

Next up: Netley & Hamble.

First changes: Focus on Bassett Green & Swaythling

Many First routes are changing from 30th June. Each day we look at one in detail to see exactly what is changing. Today, the 5 between town and Bassett Green.

The 5 faces a lot of competition all along the route. Most people have a very good alternative provided by either Bluestar 2 or Unilink U2 or U6. On top of that, the 5 has been deteriorating in recent years to the point where it no longer has any service in the evenings. This has had an inevitable effect on the daytime patronage as anyone who needs to get back after 7pm knows that they will need to use Bluestar or Unilink to do so and that they're better off using them to get into town in the daytime.

Nevertheless, the 5 still soldiers on, currently round a big one-way loop around Bassett Green. That's changing from 30th June, back to how it was before:

On Sundays, buses will turn around at the junction of Daisy Road and Bluebell Road, not running around the Burgess Road loop.

Another change is to the current route between Stag Gates and town, where the 5 currently serves Banister Road and Bedford Place:

That's changing back to how it was before too, along The Avenue/Inner Avenue and London Road:

Bedford Place is also losing the 10, but gaining the new S1. The 5 will still run beyond town to Woolston and Sholing.

Here's how times are changing on the 5:

Not good on weekdays: a later first and earlier last bus. If you miss the 1831 from town and only have a First ticket, you'll need to pay to use Bluestar 2, Unilink U2 or U6 back home. Good-ish news on Sundays with a later last bus from town, but on Sundays too, you have a full hourly evening service until late on Bluestar and Unilink.

Let's see how Bedford Place fares with the changes:

All the new timetables from 30th June can be seen here or use these direct links for the 5 or the S1.

Next up: Deepest, darkest Sholing

First changes: Focus on Thornhill & Sholing (Kathleen Road)

Velvet S2 has been saved, but will be rerouted giving a new way to get to the General Hospital. Full details here.

Back now to our series on First's network changes from 30th June. Today we look at route 3 between town and Thornhill.

The route here is staying exactly the same, apart from on the City Centre side of Itchen Bridge, where the 3 will run via Ocean Village instead of Central Bridge, the blue box on this map:

The evening extensions to Harefield will no longer run however. Anyone needing to get to Harefield will need to use new route 13 (see previous posts).

Here's how the timetable is changing between town and Thornhill:

No change to frequencies. The first bus of the morning will be later Mon-Sat, but the last bus from town will be later than it currently is every day.

You can see the new timetables that start 30th June for all First routes here and that for the 3 here.

Next up: Bassett Green & Swaythling

First changes: Focus on Shirley Warren

Each day, we're looking at a route and area affected by First's changes that happen on 30th June. Today: route 3 between town and Lordshill.

Between Shirley and Lordshill, the 3 runs through Shirley Warren, where it is the only major route, past the General Hospital and round Lords Hill Way. That route on this side of the city is not changing and nor is the route number. Before getting to Woolston, it is being rerouted via Ocean Village, the blue box on this route map:

Here's the summary of how the timetable is changing:

No cuts here, just earlier first buses every day and later last buses Mon-Sats.

The 3 will gain in importance with the withdrawal of the 8A and the rerouting and cuts to the 10 - more on those in future posts. This will make the 3 the main bus route between the General Hospital and the City Centre.

Full details of the changes across First's network on 30th June here. New 3 timetable here.

Next up: Sholing (Kathleen Road)