News round-up

Yellow 21 launched last weekend between Christchurch and Bransgore via Somerford and Burton.

From today, First Discover D1 has a new timetable between Salisbury and Bath.

Xelabus have revealed their Christmas service levels. As usual, we'll compile Christmad and New Year service changes across all operators as and when they release details.

And from 17th November, Go South Coast (trading as Bluestar, More, Salisbury Reds, Southern Vectis and Damory) have a round of fare rises.



See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.

C1 ends: What are Burton & Somerford left with?

Southbourne C1 runs for the last time this Saturday 26th October. It only started on 4th March, so didn't even make it to a year. It was a circular route serving Christchurch, Burton and Somerford.

It ran at a useful half-hourly frequency between 9 and about 2, with a couple of evening rush-hour journeys.

Burton reverts to having to rely on:

• Yellow 1/1a with only school time journeys extending to Burton.
• Yellow 21, a new weekday only service between Christchurch and Bransgore from 4th November, generally with between 2 and 4 journeys a day.
• More 24 with 4/5 weekday only journeys to Christchurch and Fairmile.
• More 125, the Christchurch-Ringwood shoppers' service, 2 journeys each way on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only.

Somerford is well served on the main roads, but Hunt Road is left with:

• Yellow 1b with peak hour journeys only now running this side of Christchurch.
• Yellow 21, a new weekday only service between Christchurch and Bransgore from 4th November, generally with between 2 and 4 journeys a day.

Here's a look at the route that Yellow 21, which is not yet mentioned on Yellow's website, will take when it launches on 4th November:

See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.

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New routes launch this Sunday

This Sunday sees the launch of two new routes in Southampton:

First City Red 1 Southampton-Calmore, in direct competition with Bluestar 12.

Bluestar 19 Central Station-Thornhill, in direct competition with the eastern half of First three.


We also have timetable and route changes on the following routes:

First Weymouth 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, X51, X53, X54, More 3, 4, 5/6, 8/9, 13, 16, 17, 38, 40, 50, 60, Unilink U1, U2, U6, Unibus U1, U3

First Weymouth have a new timetable booklet detailing their changes. Details of changes on More here, Unibus here and Unilink here.

Unilink U2 reverts to its old route on the terminus loop, turning left at the top of Lobelia Road instead of right, no longer serving Swaythling.

Being withdrawn at the end of the summer season are First Weymouth 55 and More 30 and 70.

Yellow Buses have some fare changes. It looks like they now charge a penalty if you want to save time by paying your fare via their app. Has this always been the case? Most other operators give a discount for using their apps.


See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.

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Summary of changes this weekend

Here's a whizz around the region with details of all bus services changing timetables this weekend...

In Southampton & Eastleigh, we have new timetables on the following routes, mainly with Bluestar:

Bluestar 4 - Southampton-Romsey - Complete timetable recast with more Sunday services
Bluestar 5 - Romsey-Eastleigh-Boyatt Wood - Minor changes
Bluestar 8 - Southampton-Calshot - Minor changes
Bluestar 9 - Southampton-Waterside - Minor changes with more evening services via Marchwood
Bluestar 11/12 - Southampton-Calmore/West Totton - Minor changes
Bluestar 16 - City Centre-Townhill Park - Minor changes
Bluestar 17 - Weston-City Centre-Adanac Park - Minor changes
Bluestar 18 - Millbrook-City Centre-Thornhill - Minor changes
Salisbury Reds X7/X7R - Salisbury-Southampton - Minor changes
Xelabus X10 - Southampton-Bishops Waltham - Minor changes
Stagecoach 46/461 - Winchester-North Baddesley - Minor changes
Stagecoach 66 - Winchester-Romsey - Revised times
Stagecoach 69 - Winchester-Fareham - Evening service introduced three nights a week between Winchester and Waltham Chase

In Bournemouth & Poole, we have changes on More and Yellow Buses...

More X3 - Bournemouth-Salisbury - Minor changes
Yellow 1/1b - Poole-Somerford - Fewer evening services to Poole. Somerford Estate cut off
Yellow 1a - Bournemouth-New Milton - Extra buses to New Milton
Yellow 2 - Bournemouth-Castlepoint - Minor changes
Yellow 3 - Westbourne-Bournemouth-RBH - Evening changes
Yellow 4/4a - Bournemouth-Bearwood/Castlepoint - Minor changes
Yellow 5/5a - Bournemouth-Kinson - Revised times
Yellow 6/6b - Bournemouth-Wimborne - 6a withdrawn. Revised times.
More Purbeck Breezer 50 - Bournemouth-Swanage - Reverts to mid-season timetable with ferry closure amendments
More Purbeck Breezer 60 - Rockley Park-Poole-Sandbanks - Seasonal change
More Purbeck Breezer 70 - Poole-Bournemouth - Now runs weekends only until 22nd September

In Portsmouth, Havant and Fareham, we have several changes on First, who have issued a new timetable book, plus on Stagecoach...

First D1 - Waterlooville-Hambledon - Route change
First D2 - Waterlooville-Denmead - Minor changes
First Eclipse E1/E2 - Fareham-Gosport - Minor changes
First F2 - Fareham-Highlands - Minor changes
First 1 - Southsea-The Hard - Minor changes
First 3 - Southsea-Fareham - Minor changes
First 13/14 City Centre-Baffins - Minor changes
First 20 - Fareham-Wickham - Minor changes
Stagecoach 20 - The Hard-Havant - Route change around QA Hospital
First 21 - Fareham-Hill Head - Minor changes
Stagecoach 21 - The Hard-Havant - Minor changes
Stagecoach 23 - Southsea-Leigh Park - Saturday daytime frequency cut to 12 mins, Sunday daytimes increased to 15 mins
Stagecoach 30/31 - Havant-Hayling Island - Minor changes
Stagecoach 39 - Havant-Wecock Farm - Minor changes
Stagecoach 69 - Winchester-Fareham - Evening service introduced three nights a week between Winchester and Waltham Chase

In Winchester, Stagecoach have some changes...

Stagecoach King's City Spring - City Centre-Springvale - Minor changes
Stagecoach King's City 1 - Stanmore-City Centre-Winnall - Fewer evening services to Winnall
Stagecoach King's City 3 - City Centre-Harestock - Minor changes
Stagecoach King's City 4 - Highcliffe-City Centre-Teg Down - The 0829 from Teg Down is cut
Stagecoach King's City 5 - City Centre-Badger Farm - Minor changes
Stagecoach King's City 7 - City Centre-Sparsholt - Minor changes
Stagecoach 46/461 - Winchester-North Baddesley - Minor changes
Stagecoach 64 - Winchester-Alton - Minor changes
Stagecoach 66 - Winchester-Romsey - Revised times
Stagecoach 67 - Winchester-Petersfield - Minor changes
Stagecoach 69 - Winchester-Fareham - Evening service introduced three nights a week between Winchester and Waltham Chase
Stagecoach 85 - Winchester-Andover - Minor changes
Stagecoach 86 - Winchester-Whitchurch - Minor changes

Changes on Salisbury Reds...

Salisbury Reds R1 - District Hospital-City Centre-Bemerton Heath - Minor changes
Salisbury Reds/Stagecoach Activ8 - Salisbury-Andover - Minor changes
Salibury Reds X4/X5 - Salisbury-Larkhill/Swindon - Revised times
Salisbury Reds X7/X7R - Salisbury-Southampton - Minor changes
Salisbury Reds 44 - Salisbury-Woodfalls - Revised times
First Discover D1 - Salisbury-Bath - Minor changes

On the Isle of Wight, Southern Vectis has these changes...

Southern Vectis 2 - Newport-Ryde - Additional schoolday morning service to Newport
Southern Vectis 38 - Newport circular - Minor changes



We don't cover changes to routes run specially for schools and colleges, so check with the relevant operator or educational establishment for details on those.


See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.

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The clash of Calmore

First have retaliated to the planned launch of Bluestar 19, which duplicates their Three, with the announcement that on the same date, 22nd September, First will launch City Red 1 to Calmore, designed to take custom away from Bluestar 12.

This brings First back to Totton for the first time since 2014. Our verdict: It won't last, but Bluestar 19 probably will. First haven't successfully taken a route over from Bluestar in the past, but Bluestar have made a success of routes that First have given up on.

Over in Portsmouth, First have some minor changes from 1st September.





See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.

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Bluestar 19 to take on First Three

Bluestar have announced a new route, the 19, which will start on 22nd September competing directly with the eastern half of First's Three.

This is significant for several reasons.

1. The first is that this half of the Three is First's last high frequency route in Southampton that does not face direct competition from Bluestar. This further weakens the economic viability of First Southampton.
2. The second is that in September 2015, First launched their then route 10 directly duplicating this side of Bluestar 18 to Thornhill via Bitterne. They wanted to kick Bluestar out of Thornhill and run both routes themselves. They stopped serving the Thornhill via Bitterne route in January 2018, seemingly content with just the Three running the Fairfax Court via Woolston route. Now the shoe is on the other foot and Bluestar is coming for the Three.
3. The third is that First at a corporate level is in disarray. It wants to separate its UK bus division from the rest of the business, but nobody seems clear how this is going to happen. They've recently sold a depot up in Manchester to Go Ahead and one in Bolton to Rotala (to jubiliation from locals I should add - the First brand is tainted in many areas), so nothing can be ruled out. This is the time for Bluestar to make a grab for territory before another company with possibly more ambition (even if it's still First Bus, just legally separated from the rest of First Group) takes over.

So what happens now? It really depends on what happens at a corporate level with First.

• If the bus business is merely spun off into a separate entity, they could decide to close unviable operations, which Southampton may by then have become. 
• If it's sold in one big job lot, then it depends who buys and how much they think they can make a go of what First couldn't - National Express might be in a position to revitalise the operation and would face few regulatory concerns as their existing bus operations tend not to overlap with First elsewhere in the country. Or another company from outside the UK or outside of the transport sector could fancy their chances.
• If it's broken up bit by bit, then anything could happen. On its own, Southampton is probably unattractive to potential buyers in its current state, but if it's bundled up with Portsmouth and/or Weymouth, then there's hope of it surviving. 

For now I'd say it's 50/50 whether Bluestar will still face a serious competitor in Southampton in 2 years time.

Stagecoach 700 has a new timetable for the section between Portsmouth and Flansham from tomorrow. Details here. The main changes are to early morning journeys.

In Bournemouth, Yellow Buses have new timetables on many routes from 1st September. The full timetables are yet to be published but some details can be found here. The 1a's extension to New Milton is doubled in frequency and the 6's extension to Wimborne also stays.

There will be changes at the start of September on many routes of Bluestar, First Portsmouth, Stagecoach Winchester and Southern Vectis too. More on them as we get it.



See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.

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RATP sells Yellow Buses / Summer days out

RATP, owned by the French taxpayer, has sold Yellow Buses of Bournemouth to its local management team. We wish them well as the become the biggest locally-owned bus company in the region. We do so with concern for their future, as Go Ahead, the company behind More, has deep pockets and can afford some fierce competition in order to gain territory. The French taxpayer also had deep pockets, which probably put More off from trying to wrestle too many routes from them. Now that Yellows are local again and no longer part of a multi-national, they could be vulnerable to attack. We'll be watching closely.

The New Forest Tour starts this Saturday, making much of the national park accessible to those of us without a car. It's operated by Go Ahead, so there is integrated ticketing on connecting routes by Bluestar, More and Salisbury Reds, plus the historical Hythe Ferry from Southampton.

Bluestar's South Downs Rambler starts on Sunday, running every Sunday and Bank Holiday until 8th September, providing a link between Winchester and Petersfield via attractions like Winchester Science Centre and Hinton Ampner. See the PDF guide here.

From 21st July, Bluestar 9 is extended to Lepe Beach opening up more day out ideas. There's a great value Lepe Group Dayrider ticket valid for 5 people between Applemore Tesco and Lepe Beach for just £7! PDF leaflet here.

Stagecoach are making a bit of a fuss about the attractions served by the 69 between Winchester and Fareham. The star of the show is Marwell Zoo, but that is only served on Sundays and only from the Winchester end, not from Fareham.

Over on the Isle of Wight, Southern Vectis 27 resumes on 20th July, making it possible to visit Tapnell Farm without a car.

What are your favourite days out by bus in our region? Leave a comment and let us know.



See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.

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First restructure & Bluestar strike

We start with the news of a major restructure at First. First Bus is to be separated from the rest of First Group. At the moment it's unclear whether that means it'll be sold, either in parts or in one transaction, or whether it'll just be spun off from the group and floated on the stock market as a separate entity. We'll let you know as soon as First's fate becomes clearer.

Over at Bluestar, there could be some disruption to services this Tuesday 18th June, due to industrial action by members of the RMT. Keep an eye on their website and Twitter feed (which also appears on the right hand side of the desktop version of this page) for the latest details.


See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.

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