Just stop. No. There is me saying everything changes again on Sunday 30th May across Hampshire and Dorset and Poole-based morebus just want to be different. The summer is fast upon us and morebus have announced their new summer services across Bournemouth, Poole and the wider Dorset area. This year, bus enthusiasts are in for a treat as we also find out that BUS WARS comes to the most unlikely place.
Firstly, a reminder. With the 12th May relaxation of the pandemic rules, most bus companies are starting to remove all of the advisory bus capacities, social distancing markings and are in many cases unblocking the two seats immediately behind the driver. You should see less “Bus Full!” signs approaching you, but obviously it’s also not a time to harass the drivers…
Changes to Local Services
Firstly a small number of changes to ‘local’ morebus services.
- Daytime services on morebus 15 will be up to 6 minutes later in a timetable change that should address some late running across the route.
- Morning services on Unibus U3 will run earlier to better align with lecture times at Bournemouth University.
Ready The Tanks – It’s Bus Wars (New Service)
A brand new service for the 2021 season appears in the shape of the Purbeck Breezer 31. This is a new service that monkeys around a loop of a number of areas serving some of Dorset’s lessor off-track attractions and take a dive off the high-board. This appears to also compliment the resuming Breezer 30 service between Swanage, Lulworth and Weymouth.
Sorry – I got carried away there.
The new service is one of those where you will definitely need to pay attention to the timetable. The service takes in Durdle Door, Bovington Tank Museum and Monkey World, and connects them to both Wool and Wareham Railway Stations. The service also connects to a number of caravan sites and tourist parks around the Wareham area; names Hunter’s Moon, Wareham Forest and Birchwood.
First Tankex vs monkeybus ?
[I know… sorry, I tried to find something better]
This is the first time for a while, certainly that I can remember, that First and GoAhead have competed over these common sections in any committed way. I do remember that First have previously run a few trips a day on a Littlesea – Weymouth – Monkey World service (X55 if I remember), but there is a committed service from both operators this year.
As a result the Lulworth Cove – Wool – Tank Museum and Monkey World section of the route will increase to 8 buses a day in each direction, albeit not times to follow each other up and down. Both the X52 and the Breezer 31 are planned to operate with open top double deckers.
Other Breezer Change
The summer uplift for morebus also means that more open top buses will breeze around Dorset:
- Breezer 30 returns for the season between Swanage – Wareham – Lulworth – Weymouth. It does look like there is some co-ordination between this and the Breezer 31, so do check if you are thinking of doing a trip towards the monkeys.
- Breezer 40 will introduce later evening journeys, running until last departures at 2300 from both Poole and Swanage.
- Breezer 60 will run half-hourly between Sandbanks and Poole (and hourly on to Rockley Park) on all days of the week. Some additional late night journeys will also run between Poole and Rockley Park.
- Breezer 70 will reintroduce it’s full daily, hourly service and extend to run Poole – Compton Acres – Branksome & Alum Chines – Bournemouth – East Cliff.
- Durlston Explorer 5 will also return, running half-hourly every day between Swanage and Durlston Country Park.
Not Just About Beaches!
Although every year is the exodus to the sandy shores of Bournemouth Beach (my kids enjoy doing the same too!) there is so much more to enjoy about going to Bournemouth, Poole or wider Dorset. If you are traveling to Bournemouth or Poole by train, you also have the Bournemouth PlusBus ticket available to help you get around. That is valid on most morebus (including the Breezers), Yellow Buses and First Wessex services that operate across the towns.
Enjoy Your Summer!
Come find me at one of the Bournemouth beachfront bars while the children build a large sandcastle that looks strangely like Queen Elsa’s…..
The Breezer 70 route change is quite interesting.
Compared with previous years, it will no longer serve Lansdowne or Bournemouth Interchange but with it now serving East Cliff, it will now compete with Yellow Buses Route 12 (common section between East Cliff and Alum Chine excluding the Pier, Triangle & West Hill Road).
I believe this is the first time ever that Morebus (and I shall include W&D in this statement) will have operated a service along East Cliff.