You better watch out
You better not cry
If it runs you over
I’m telling you why
Santa’s Bus is coming to town
I know… a pretty poor Christmas rhyme and I should hold my head in shame. I am not feeling particularly festive at the moment and the big green tree is still in it’s box awaiting some decorating love.
Stagecoach South have announced their Christmas service levels and guess what… a new Christmas service announcement! While I consider drowning a reindeer in a large barrel of festive eggnog though, let’s get real and realise that Santa is indeed coming to visit all the kids at some point. He will give them Camel Flu (yes, MERS really is a thing) and we will realise he is at the World Cup in Qatar while some of us spend every day setting up blasted Elf on a Shelf.
We will also return from fantasy land and tell you all about the Stagecoach Christmas Schedule – which then gives me a few days grace to do all the FirstGroup ones.
Monday 19th to Friday 23rd December
So, in this part oft he country the schools are mostly on a school holiday the week before Christmas. I know that other parts of the country are open as normal and having the second week in January.
This means that all Stagecoach South depots are running the weekday school holiday service in the run up to Christmas.
Christmas Eve (Saturday)
As usual, the Stagecoach South teams are closing depots on an early finish this year. This means that all Stagecoach South depots are running a full Saturday service until the early evening, with a close down largely completed by 10pm.
Close Down times and exceptions:
ANDOVER
Active8 21:05 from Andover WILL NOT RUN (but Salisbury Reds will run their full evening timetable)
Last route 1 @2035 – Last P20 @2110 – Last 76 @1950 (ex Andover) and 2050 (ex Basingstoke)
BASINGSTOKE
Last buses will leave the Bus Station or Rail Station between 2030 and 2100 (and a 20 to Vyne Park only at 2115)
PORTSMOUTH & HAVANT
Last Buses from Havant are 21@2000, 23@1955 (from Leigh Park) 30/31@2000 (number 31) 39@2035
Last Buses from Portsmouth 21@2037 and Southsea 23@2030
Last Hoverbus will be 1926 to City Centre only
Last 39 from Wecock Farm is 2050
WINCHESTER
Last City services will leave Winchester City Centre between 2010 and 2040
Last 64 will be 1920 from Winchester and 2015 from Alton
Last 66 will be 2010 from Winchester and 2053 from Romsey
Last 69 will be 1825 from Winchester (to Bishops Waltham Only) and 1845 from Fareham
Christmas Day (Sunday)
We have a Christmas Day service!
There is going to be a special service for the first time that I can remember in the Portsmouth area on Christmas Day. Stagecoach South will be running on routes 21 and 23, presumably on the normal full routes.
It appears that both services will be running hourly across their normal routes until approximately 0900 to 1800; however I need a few minutes to drag the timetable from the Stagecoach website – I also spy a timetable change coming up in January!
Boxing Day (Monday)
There is no service across Stagecoach South on Boxing Day – with the following exceptions in our area:
ANDOVER
Not technically Stagecoach, but these Salisbury Reds trips on Activ8 will run on a special timetable.
PORTSMOUTH
The Barfoots Works Service 25 (and outside our patch the 69) will run.
Special Timetable on Service 21 and Service 23 – every half hour from approx 0730 to 2000
Tuesday 27th December
A Sunday timetable will operate across all Stagecoach South depots.
Wednesday 28th to Friday 30th December
We have a bit of variety depending on which depot you are using your swoopy and white buses from (or … Green for Winchester Park and Ride):
ANDOVER will run the relevant weekday school holiday timetable
BASINGSTOKE will run a Saturday service with the following exceptions:
* Weekday service on route 76 (run by Andover), 16 (on Wednesday and Friday), 22 (on Thursday)
* The usual SPECIAL service on service 13 between Whitehill and Haslemere
PORTSMOUTH will run a Saturday service with the following exceptions:
* Weekday service on the Hoverbus
* School Holiday service on the 38
WINCHESTER will run a Saturday service with the following exceptions:
* Weekday service on 46 and 461, and 95 on Thursday
New Years Eve (Saturday)
As with Christmas Eve, the Stagecoach South teams run an early run-in to depots so drivers can celebrate the end of an horrific year. All depots are running a full Saturday service until the early evening, with a close down largely completed by 10pm.
Close Down times and exceptions: Yes – I just copied and pasted
ANDOVER
Active8 21:05 from Andover WILL NOT RUN (but Salisbury Reds will run their full evening timetable)
Last route 1 @2035 – Last P20 @2110 – Last 76 @1950 (ex Andover) and 2050 (ex Basingstoke)
BASINGSTOKE
Last buses will leave the Bus Station or Rail Station between 2030 and 2100 (and a 20 to Vyne Park only at 2115)
PORTSMOUTH & HAVANT
Last Buses from Havant are 21@2000, 23@1955 (from Leigh Park) 30/31@2000 (number 31) 39@2035
Last Buses from Portsmouth 21@2037 and Southsea 23@2030
Last Hoverbus will be 1926 to City Centre only
Last 39 from Wecock Farm is 2050
WINCHESTER
Last City services will leave Winchester City Centre between 2010 and 2040
Last 64 will be 1920 from Winchester and 2015 from Alton
Last 66 will be 2010 from Winchester and 2053 from Romsey
Last 69 will be 1825 from Winchester (to Bishops Waltham Only) and 1845 from Fareham
New Years Day (Sunday)
There is No Service even on the 21 or 23. There are a very small number of exceptions though:
PORTSMOUTH will see the Barfoots Farm Service 25 run for it’s staff and the Hoverbus will run 0900 to 2030
Monday 2nd January
A Sunday service is operating across all Stagecoach South depots.
Tuesday 3rd January
Normal timetables (or normal NEW timetables in some areas) (TBC) (I might be imagining it) (it’s the fumes from the eggnog I drowned the reindeer in…. promise) resume.