August Bank Holiday is the start of the new normal. Offices are back to the office – well some of them – pubs and restaurants are finishing Eat Out to Help Out, and bus operators are starting their near normal autumnal timetables.
Some bus services are replaced by schools specials, some services are not even back to normal, but as a rule of thumb Council Support services are back to normal and commercial services are getting there.
Winchester
Since last complaining that the Stagecoach South COVID19 page was a bit rubbish and had no summary of service changes…. they now have. What is interesting is that some late night services are reintroduced whereas others are not. I think the difference is the fact that some are Hampshire County supported.
Services back to Normal January 2020 timetables ( some minor timing changes may apply):
- Park & Ride, 4 (Teg Down), 16 (Houghton & Stockbridge), 64 (Alton), 66 (Romsey), 67 (Petersfield), 68 (Salisbury to Peter Symonds), 69 (Fareham), E1/E2 (Eastleigh)
- Bluestar 1,
Services with reduced daytime frequency compared to January 2020:
- SPRING – Reduced Monday to Saturday from 3 buses to 2
- 1 – Reduced Monday to Saturday from 4 buses an hour to 3
- 3 – Reduced Monday to Saturday from 5 buses an hour to 4
- 5 – Reduced Saturdays Only from 5 buses an hour to 3
- 63 – Now runs Tuesdays and Fridays only
- 86 – The timetable is revised in the late afternoon every day
- 95 – Now runs Mondays & Thursdays only and is diverted via Abbotts Barton, replacing the 6A
Withdrawn: The 6A for Abbots Barton is withdrawn and replaced by a diversion on the 95
Some services have new restrictions for school journeys
- 7 – School day Journeys now restricted for staff and pupils only (numbered 607)
- 46/461 – The 461 trips for Peter Symonds College are now for Staff and pupils only.
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is pretty much a tale of two service groups. On one hand the Hampshire and Basingstoke & Deane supported services are running normally, whereas commercial ones are reduced service.
Notably, as most of the late night Friday and Saturday journeys are supported by one council or the other, they are largely back to normal running.
It should also be noted that because of the frequency changes, some buses will arrive at the Railway Station on “the wrong side of the road.”
Services back to Normal February 2020 timetables ( some minor timing changes may apply):
- 1 (Brighton Hill), 4 (South Ham, Buckskin, Popley and Chineham), 6 (Winklebury & Popley via Town), 12 (Brighton Hill & Hatch Warren), 13 (Odiham & Alton), 15 (South View), 17 (Black Dam), 59
Services with reduced daytime frequency compared to February 2020:
- CentreShuttle reduced from 4 buses an hour to 2
- 2 – Reduced Monday to Friday from 5 buses an hour to 4
- The shuttle service from Basingstoke to North Hants Hospital is withdrawn
- 3 – Reduced Monday to Saturday from 5 buses an hour to 4
- 5 – Reduced Monday to Friday to 4 buses per hour (3 after 1350)
- Increased from 3 buses an hour to 4 on Saturdays
- 7 – Reduced Evening service from 2 buses an hour to hourly
- 8 – Reduced Monday to Friday from 5 buses an hour to 4
- 10 – Reduced Saturdays from hourly to 4 trips
- 16 – Remains 1 round trip on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- 22 – will run 3 round trips on Tuesdays and Thursdays only
- Cresta Coaches 41 – running one round trip on Wednesdays and Fridays
- BCT Service 55 – running to a ‘special timetable’ between Eastrop, Old Basing and Chineham
- 76 – Reduced Monday to Saturday from 3 buses an hour to 2
- One bus per hour will terminate at Whitchurch, one will continue to Andover
Some services are suspended:
Basingstoke Community Transport Services 56, 57 and 58
Some services have new restrictions for school journeys:
- 11 – The 0726 Oakley to Basingstoke and 1454 Basingstoke to Oakley are now schools only. This leaves a two-hour gap in service for mere mortals.
- 14 – The 614 Schools journey for Bishop Challoner is restricted to students between Basingstoke and Bishop Challoner
Andover
Some services are running now at the normal pre-pandemic frequencies but some are running to slightly revised timetables. The exceptions to this are:
- Service 12 – 2-hourly service
- Service 13 – still has 13a variations via Vigo Road (replacing the 2?) and still does not appear to be serving the Tesco Extra.
Unfortunately, due to the way that the bus companies work now, I am relying on the November 2019 Hampshire Council version of the bus timetables, so there might be more.
Almost Back to Normal
Even if you want a crafty night out on the socially distanced town, timetables are almost back to their normal standing. There is no night bus service yet, which is a shame as even Brighton has a few of those running and the students are not even back yet.
If you spot something I haven’t, please leave a comment below. It would be good to know that this blog is useful to you in the interim of the SotonBus blog going quiet. I travel the same buses and trains you do and see the same drivers, so you know I want to do the best to keep you informed.