In line with other operators, Stagecoach South have announced that they are increasing bus services across the Solent and North Hampshire from Sunday 30th August.
Looking at random timetables across each part of the Stagecoach area, many non-contracted services are not quite to pre-COVID levels in September, but then with very few still travelling, maybe that is the better plan right now.
What is a shame, is that Stagecoach appear to be their usual wooly style of ‘service increases’ publishing and just listing the timetables. You can see the new timetables on their dedicated coronavirus service page. I would be specifically showing the routes back to pre-COVID so people can have confidence to travel again…. but that is just my view.
Schools
Please remember. School services operated by Stagecoach South will now be operated on a closed-door basis. Services such as the 630 (for Mill Rythe School or Oaklands), 656 (for Bishop Challenor School) and 737 for Souths Downs College will no longer be available for general public use.
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.
Basingstoke
Most notable from Basingstoke is that the Friday and Saturday late buses, with departures after midnight, are coming back.
Not all frequencies are back to their pre-pandemic levels. Examples include:
- Centre Shuttle park and ride remaining half hourly
- 76 out to Oakley, Overton and Whitchurch being every 30 minutes rather than every 20 minutes
- LINK continuing to cancel all of it’s Basingstoke – Kingsclere “short” services (the hourly service through to Newbury continues.
Notably, for those commuting too and from North Hants Hospital, the shuttle providing a 6 per hour service from town ceases. Service 2 is increasing from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes. It still means less buses per hour for staff and patients.
It should be noted that the Council supported services, such as the 12, 14, 15, 17; are running to a normal timetable again.
Havant, Portsmouth & Waterlooville
Services are largely back to pre-COVID timetables, but:
- Service 21 ‘short’ journeys between Gunwharf & Anchorage Park run 2 times per hour instead of 4 – combined with the normal Havant service. This means it is every 15 minutes, instead of every 10 within Portsea Island.
A pre-pandemic Sunday service runs - Haying Island continues to have a reduced timetable before 0900 and after 1600 on 30/31
- Service 39 runs every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday instead of every 12 minutes.
A pre-pandemic Sunday service runs - Service 700 runs every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday instead of every 20 minutes.
A pre-pandemic Sunday service runs
Winchester & Alton
The most important service – certainly for Hampshire County Council – is the Park & Ride service is back to normal service.
Many other timetables are still running a reduced service Monday to Saturday.
Stagecoach in The King’s City have also confirmed that the 6A to Abbotts Barton is now withdrawn and the twice weekly 95 will divert into the area instead.
Further afield
North Hampshire and Surrey will also have a number of service uplifts across the counties.
One thing that I specifically wanted to highlight though, as it may affect people from the Solent and South Hampshire areas. Stagecoach Gold 1 from Camberley to Aldershot will be losing it’s all day diversion via Frimley Park Hospital. If you are getting the train to Farnborough and getting the Gold bus to the hospital, this will revert back to normal route.
This means you will have to join / alight the bus by Waitrose & the White Hart pub in Frimley Centre and walk down Portsmouth Road. I have done this many times and I can tell you it takes a good 10 to 15 minutes sometimes if you take account of trying to cross the road as well.
We are still awaiting First & GoAhead !
While I continue to commute across the south, I keep an eye on the bus operators and keep you up to date. I look forward to taking more trips out on the bus networks so you can find new place to go, new sights to see…. and I really hope to get a shot in the New Forest before the tour is over this year!
For now though, check out the new Stagecoach timetables on their website.
Peter Symonds college is a closed doors as well
I think most of Peter Symonds pupils use the dedicated PS network of services don’t they?
There are of course a few oddities like the ones from Hatch Warren and Newbury, but it appears that the 85 and 86 might still be general user.