Totton diversions / First 3 to change

First 3 gets a new timetable from 24th November. I can't add it to the panel on the right due to an error with Google Blogger. Hopefully they'll have it sorted out soon otherwise I'll have to remove the panel.

There are diversions to routes through Totton after 2000 each night until 12th October. Bluestar 8 and 12 will be affected. Bluestar mention the 11 too but it doesn't run after 2000 so will not be affected.

Velvet changes / Central Station diversions / Special ticket offers

Velvet have announced minor changes to just about all of their routes in our region from Monday 14th October:

Click here for the new timetables on Velvet's website. The biggest change is that Hiltingbury will be cut off from public transport on Sundays.

For three weeks from next Monday, West Park Road and Blechynden Terrace will be partially closed, so all westbound buses serving the north side of Central Station will have to divert. Bluestar have advised that they will divert via the Mayflower Theatre-bit of Commercial Road. First haven't said what they'll be doing.

Bluestar 16 is now more or less head-to-head with First 7 to Townhill Park. First are fighting back with a special £10 FirstWeek ticket valid only on the 7. The standard FirstWeek Southampton is £17. A Bluestar Southampton weekly ticket is £13 and you're not limited to just the 16, plus it's also valid on Unilink.

Bluestar have introduced a special £5 off-peak day ticket valid only on route 1 to Winchester to celebrate some brand new buses on that route. The offer is on until Christmas Eve.

If you have any comments about Bluestar 2 and don't want the convenience of phoning or e-mailing them, then you can go and chat to a real human from Bluestar on 4th October between 1000 and 1500 "outside Sainsbury's", or at Eastleigh Bus Station as bus people used to refer to that location.

Phil from Xelabus has revealed in a comment to a previous post on this blog that the new Xelabus website will have full information on fares for any journey with Xelabus. A big step forward! When that happens, it will leave First, Stagecoach and Brijan Tours as the only local operators to think you don't have a right to know how much any single and return fares cost. Bluestar, More and Salisbury Reds needn't look so smug either - they give some sample fares for key routes, but not every possible fare. The shining beacons for letting you know how much you need to pay before you travel are Unilink, Velvet and Wheelers.

Are they still running?

Changes were due to Xelabus's Eastleigh routes today. So which timetables are valid? A look on Xela's website give you this:

...meanwhile a look on Traveline's timetable search, filtering for Eastleigh, gives you this:

So, the X7 definitely has a new timetable, which is only available from Traveline. The X1 should have a new timetable, but Traveline still shows the old one as being current. The X2 seems to have disappeared altogther. The X4 should have been renumbered the X3, but instead that has disappeared too.

Xelabus are clearly passionate about what they do, but I do wish they would put a similar amount of passion into telling potential passengers where and when their buses run!

Bluestar and Unilink have now released the full timetables for all of their routes affected by the changes on 22nd September. See two posts ago for details.

S1 to be cut completely?

First have registered that the S1 will cease running from 13th October. Not sure of the reasons why, but as it's a tendered route, Southampton City Council might have something to do with it. It's also unclear whether it will continue with another operator, be replaced by another route or will leave people in Lordswood, Regents Park and Bedford Place stranded. We'll let you know as soon as we do.

Look out for diversions in Swaythling this Wednesday and Thursday affecting Bluestar 2, Unilink U1 and U6 and First 5 (yet no mention of this from First). Plus diversions to Bluestar E2 in Otterbourne from Wednesday until next Monday.

Changes on the way / War in Townhill Park escalates / Bluestar 3 withers further

We have a few changes coming up over the next few weeks. Here's a quick summary:

From 1st September, there are some minor changes to Stagecoach 32, 33, 66 and 69. It looks like these are mainly to journeys serving schools and colleges. Click the route numbers above for the new timetables. Also, the summer season ends and with it Velvet M. More 112 reverts back to its usual almost useless timetable.

On 2nd September, Wheelers W1 gets its first amendment, but it's for the better.

• New additional short journeys are added between Romsey and Woodley
• The 0700 weekday journey from Romsey is retimed to depart at 0650
• The 1740 Mon-Sat journey from Romsey to Halterworth is extended all the way to Southampton
• There's a new 0738 weekday journey from Southampton to Romsey
• Most journeys from Southampton will now leave at 40 past the hour (previously xx38)
• The 1740 from Southampton, which currently only runs as far as North Baddesley, is extended all the way to Romsey

See the full new timetable here. Plus, Wheelers are happy for potential customers to know how much their fares are before they travel! This really should not be a rare thing in the bus industry, but sadly it is, so well done to Wheelers, Velvet and Unilink for setting the standard. See the W1's fares here.

On the same day, there are minor changes to Bluestar 1 and 5 (details here) and Salisbury Reds 34. Click the route numbers to see the new timetables.

9th September sees changes to all of Xelabus's routes in Eastleigh, including the X7, which is the only one for which the new timetable is currently available.

15th September is the last day of the New Forest Tour for this year. Plus there are changes to More X1.

22nd September sees several changes to some of Bluestar and Unilink's routes. Details here. Here's a summary. Click on the route numbers for the new timetables and route info, where available:

• 1: Minor changes
• 3: All journeys will run via Turnpike Way. Evening journeys withdrawn and Sunday service cut to just 4 journeys.
• E1/E2: Minor changes. Some journeys will run through to Romsey as the 5.
• 5: Minor changes. Some journeys will run through to Winchester as the E1/E2.
• 16: Frequency increased and route changed to more directly take on First 7. Bevois Valley will be served instead of Stag Gates and buses will run round the Midanbury/Townhill Park loop used by First. Retaliation for First 2's attacks on Bluestar 18 in Millbrook?
• 18: Minor changes.
• U1: Some journeys will terminate at the Wide Lane/Mansbridge Road roundabout during university term times, enabling a higher frequency between there and the city centre.
• U2: Minor route changes in Bassett Green and the city centre.
• U6: Minor changes.

Xelabus X7 changes from today

Xelabus X7 has a couple of timetable changes from today.

• The 0745 from Eastleigh to Chandlers Ford will now also run on Saturdays.
• The 0915 and 1615 services from Eastleigh to Chandlers Ford are withdrawn.
• The 0940 M-S,1540 weekday and 1640 M-S services from Chandlers Ford to Eastleigh are withdrawn.
• The 1810 service from Chandlers Ford to Eastleigh will now also run on Saturdays.

Here's the full new X7 timetable:

See the full timetables for all of Xelabus's Eastleigh routes here.

Please watch out for diversions to Bluestar 8 in Totton and Bluestar 3 in Botley. Also diversions coming up soon in Totton (again), Bishopstoke and Hounsdown.

Beach Bus / First family offer

More areas of our region are easier to get to as of this Saturday, when More 112 rebrands as the Beach Bus and runs daily until 1st September. The route is revised to serve Lepe Beach, Exbury Gardens and Beaulieu National Motor Museum, as well as providing a more frequent than usual link between Hythe and Lymington. Day tickets for the 112 only are available for £5. Or for £8, you can use a Bluestar Network Dayrider on the 112 and connect from/to routes 8 or 9 at Hythe and/or the 6 at Lymington. Full details here and here.

Beaulieu National Motor Museum - served by More 112, the Beach Bus

First have a special offer over the summer. Their FirstDay Hampshire Family ticket is cut in price to £10 until 7th September. It's valid for a whole day on all their buses in Hampshire for up to 5 people (maximum 2 adults). Ideal for a day out in Portsmouth on the X4.

A cycling event (whose sponsor hasn't paid me so won't get a mention here) will close several roads in the city centre on Sunday. Bluestar have given vague details about their diversions - good luck to you if you can make head or tail of them. Give them credit though as no other bus operator has even mentioned the event on their website.

I was in Stratford-upon-Avon the other day, which is apt as Shakespeare Road in Boyatt Wood is closing for 4 weeks from today, meaning diversions for Bluestar E1/E2 via Woodside Avenue, Leigh Road and Romsey Road. Xelabus X2 and X4 will also need to divert, but not necessarily the same way.

Marwell daily & Ringwood returns!

Don't forget that from Monday, you can get to and from Ringwood by bus again with the launch of Velvet 300. Timetable here.

Plus with the school holidays starting, Velvet M between Eastleigh and Marwell Zoo is now running every day until 1st September! Use Solent Travelcard if you need to use another company's buses, such as Bluestar 2 from Southampton, to get to Eastleigh.