Southampton Mini Link to Ringwood

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It’s not been that long since we introduced you to the new operator Southampton Mini Link. Simon Gard has been a busy man though, and while scouting for new buses, he has announced a second new service that takes him back to the old haunt of Ringwood.

This time around, rather than heading out east of Southampton City with a Sunday variation of City Red 13 and 9, this is going to be a new weekday link to an old haunt in the New Forest.

Been there – Failed that: Southampton – Ringwood

Before we talk about the new service that Southampton Mini Link is proposing, let’s look at the history of what should be a really popular way to get into the New Forest in the Summer.

There has always been a reasonable bus presence in the market town. A Salisbury – Ringwood – Bournemouth service has been the mainstay of the Wilts & Dorset (now morebus) network for decades. Sometimes it has been extended to Poole, for a very long time run in the majority from a bus outstation near to the centre of Ringwood.

Back around 20 years ago, you also had the hourly X1 and X2 (later X34 and X35) bus services under the W&D and SBL Joint operation. this was also complimented by an express service which was largely run solely by Wilts & Dorset. Stagecoach South and (I think) Southampton City Bus also experimented with an X27; Bournemouth to Brighton via Ringwood, Southampton and then most major towns along the coast.

Thats not to say that there are not other services that ran over the route, and not services that have tried and failed. One such attempt back a 2014 and 2015 was a Sunday service numbered 139 which ran from Ringwood to Paultons Park and onwards to Southampton.

GardBus did not make a huge success of its move into into mid-rural south west Hampshire market. In 2015 GardBus closed. Simon Gard was to return a few years later with the Southbourne Buses brand, two circular services around Ringwood and an associated school bus service.

https://www.facebook.com/Southamptonminilink/posts/121958523494909

Enter Gardb, Southbo, Southampton Mini Link!

Along with a Sunday service in Southampton, Simon Gard returns to Ringwood a third time with his latest venture.

Service 5 is a weekday service which will run between Southampton, Totton, Cadnam and Ringwood. The 4 round trips have an interjection of a schools service for Ringwood School, so the first service leaves Ringwood at 0735 and the last one returns from Southampton at 1715. There is a sensible logic to the timetable as it should encompass most of the 9-to-5 office workers, but may not prove a late enough service for the city centre retail staff.

In order not to infuriate either First City Red or Bluestar, Southampton Mini Link has also chosen to operate only as a limited stop service within the Southampton City Centre boundary. Unusually, it will be a service not picking up at Millbrook or Redbridge Roundabouts, so not something that local Southampton residents can make much use of, but does run virtually non-stop from Southampton Central Station to Totton.

Three Buses – One PVR

What is interesting though, is that while Southampton Mini Link has one weekday (or two if you separate the Ringwood School service from the gaps in the number 5) and one Sunday service; Southampton Mini Link has acquired three buses.

https://www.facebook.com/Southamptonminilink/posts/122313873459374

Although, at the moment, Simon Gard (who is licenced as a sole proprietor rather than as Southampton Mini Link) only has one vehicle on his operators licence according to VOSA so this will allow for two spare vehicles to cover the service. Of course, one would suspect that what he is actually doing is preparing to get a second operators disc and launch another new service. What is interesting is that Southampton Mini Link is also replacing Dekkabus on running the Ringwood School service, which Simon also does some driving stints for.

I am hoping for success

Although flitting between being a bus service operator and an employed bus driver over the years; I hope Southampton Mini Link is a success. Mr Gard clearly has a passion for the industry and may over the course of his time as a City Red driver gained the inspiration and commitment of locals to make these new services work.

This may prompt movement in services from City Red and Bluestar, or it may simply never begin.