After a few days break we are back to the Christmas schedules and thanks to the heads up from Tony, and the prompt email from First Bus, the seasonal schedule changes are upon us. It is not a change that I had noticed over the year, or maybe I was just completely blind to it, but First now include a PDF of their timetables on the services page.
So if you want to jump straight to them (as I think I left the news article from each of the Go South Coast Pages out) then head to the First Solent website here.
Monday 22nd & Tuesday 23rd December
First Solent will be running a Saturday service for large parts of their network throughout the Christmas schedules. This is the normal affair from First so I am not that surprised. They have a generic “with some exceptions, see the timetables” get out clause so if you use a few different buses you will probably need to go check them all individually.
The less-subtle variations on the not very well laid out timetables (note to any First Bus admin staff – your whole standard service 1 PDF has the whole service duplicated) suggest that the following services are running a Monday to Friday timetable:
- Hoverbus H1
- Tipner Park & Ride (PR1)
- QA1 for NHS staff
- Service 11 between Gosport – Elson – Fareham
- Service 21 for Hill Head
- Service 28 & 28A for Segensworth & Whiteley
There may be other variations within the commercial services, I regret I only really checked the more obvious candidates!
Christmas Eve
First Solent will be running the Saturday service on Wednesday 24th December, however drivers will be running in early for a glass of eggnog. Admittedly, I am also working a 5am start Christmas Eve, so I plan for the family to be down the local club for their Christmas Eve party! (If they don’t want to go, are too excited or can’t bothered I will just go by my humbug)
So – the exceptions to the Saturday timetable are:
| Service | Last Bus One Way (or variation to service) | Last Bus t’Other Way |
| 1 Gunwharf – Southsea | 1945 The Hard to Southsea | 2014 Southsea to Gunwharf |
| 2 Gunwharf – Paulsgrove | 2000 The Hard to Allaway Avenue | 1958 Allaway Avenue to Gunwharf |
| 3 Fareham – Southsea | 1950 Fareham to South Parade Pier | 2012 South Parade Pier to Fareham |
| Solent Rangers (as was) X4 & X5 Southampton – Fareham – Portsmouth | The “short” trips between Fareham and Gunwharf do not run at 2035/2135/2235 | The “short” trips between Gunwharf and Fareham do not run at 2115/2215/2315 |
| 7 Portsmouth – Wecock Farm | 2010 Portsmouth Civic Offices to Wecock Farm | 2009 Wecock Farm to Civic Offices |
| 8 Gunwharf – Clanfield | 2010 the Hard to Clanfield | 2000 Clanfield to Gunwharf |
| Hoverbus H1 | Weekday Timetable Last Round Trip: 1756 Additional Southsea to City Centre: 1841 | |
| NHS Staff QA1 | Full Weekday Timetable | |
| Eclipse E1 & E2 | E1 – 1940 Fareham to Gosport E2 – 2000 Fareham to Gosport | E1 – 1955 Gosport to Fareham E2 – 2020 Gosport to Fareham |
| 9 & 9A Gosport – Rowner – Fareham | 9 – 1945 Fareham to Gosport 9A – 1845 Fareham to Gosport | 9 – 2000 Gosport to Fareham 9A – 1802 Gosport to Fareham |
| 11 Gosport – Elson – Fareham | Normal Weekday Service | |
| 21 Fareham – Hill Head | Normal Weekday Service | |
| 28 & 28A Fareham – Whiteley | Normal Weekday Service |
If there is nothing mentioned for a service then I have not noticed anything beyond a normal Saturday timetable, but please do make sure to check! I do note that as an aside from last years timetable, there appear to be less “short-run” services between Gunwharf and Hilsea / Cosham this year? Or is it just a figment of my imagination?
Christmas Day
The following sleighs will be running on the day that all the children scream and shout that they did not get the special Christmas version of that toy, and grandfathers will be complaining that it is not the same now that the Queen has stopped giving her speech (and “why the hell has she let Charles do it AGAIN!!!”)
- Service 1 Gunwharf – Southsea
Service 3 Fareham – Southsea
There is a trip from Fareham Bus Station to Cosham at 0715 on service 3 (presumably for QA Hospital changeover times?) and 0803 from Cosham to Fareham (presumably for the QA night staff to get home.
Otherwise there is a full hourly service across the full figure of 6 route. If anyone wants a picture of two Christmas Day buses together then they are timed to pass each other at South Parade Pier at around ten minutes past the hour.
Additional trips on service 3 run from Fareham Bus Station at 1920 (to Cosham) and 1940 (to City Centre South) for the evening staff change at QA and 2005 from Cosham to Fareham. - Service 2 Paulsgrove – Gunwharf
An hourly service will run the usual service 2 route, although some early and late trips will not run between Gunwharf and Commercial Road South. - Service 7 Gunwharf – Wecock Farm
Service 7 will run an hourly service from Gunwharf (via Civic Offices) to Hilsea, Cosham and Wecock Farm. I am not convinced that there are additional trips for QA Staff though like with the 3 with the last trip to Wecock passing the hospital at 1729.
There are also some short trips in the early evening. - Service 8 Gunwharf – Clanfield
Service 8 will run it’s normal route to an hourly daytime service, with some short trips at the start and end of the day.
Boxing Day
There is a special service on a small number of routes on Boxing Day. Most services are a half-hourly daytime only timetable, unless noted below:
- Services 1 & 3 Fareham – Gunwharf – Southsea – Gunwharf
A few extra short 3 trips for QA Hospital will run - Service 2 Paulsgrove – Eastney – Gunwharf
- Service 7 Gunwharf – Waterlooville – Wecock Farm
- Service 8 Gunwharf – Cosham – Clanfield
- Tipner Park & Ride – Service PR1
Every 15 minutes from 0900 to 1800 - Eclipse – Services E1 and E2
Each route runs every 40 minutes (combined 20 minute headway on the BRT)
Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th December
Normal Saturday and Sunday timetable.
Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th December
Services will run to a Saturday timetable on the Monday and Tuesday with exceptions listed in the timetables. A quick glance suggests that these changes are the same as the two days of Christmas week:
- Hoverbus H1
- Tipner Park & Ride (PR1)
- QA1 for NHS staff
- Service 11 between Gosport – Elson – Fareham
- Service 21 for Hill Head
- Service 28 & 28A for Segensworth & Whiteley
New Years Eve
There is a Saturday level of service on most routes, again with similar exceptions to Christmas Eve:
| Service | Last Bus One Way (or variation to service) | Last Bus t’Other Way |
| 1 Gunwharf – Southsea | 1945 The Hard to Southsea | 2014 Southsea to Gunwharf |
| 2 Gunwharf – Paulsgrove | 2000 The Hard to Allaway Avenue | 1958 Allaway Avenue to Gunwharf |
| 3 Fareham – Southsea | 1950 Fareham to South Parade Pier | 2012 South Parade Pier to Fareham |
| Solent Rangers (as was) X4 & X5 Southampton – Fareham – Portsmouth | The “short” trips between Fareham and Gunwharf do not run at 2035/2135/2235 | The “short” trips between Gunwharf and Fareham do not run at 2115/2215/2315 |
| 7 Portsmouth – Wecock Farm | 2010 Portsmouth Civic Offices to Wecock Farm | 2009 Wecock Farm to Civic Offices |
| 8 Gunwharf – Clanfield | 2010 the Hard to Clanfield | 2000 Clanfield to Gunwharf |
| Hoverbus H1 | Weekday Timetable Last Round Trip: 1756 Additional Southsea to City Centre: 1841 | |
| NHS Staff QA1 | Full Weekday Timetable | |
| Eclipse E1 & E2 | E1 – 1940 Fareham to Gosport E2 – 2000 Fareham to Gosport | E1 – 1955 Gosport to Fareham E2 – 2020 Gosport to Fareham |
| 9 & 9A Gosport – Rowner – Fareham | 9 – 1945 Fareham to Gosport 9A – 1845 Fareham to Gosport | 9 – 2000 Gosport to Fareham 9A – 1802 Gosport to Fareham |
| 11 Gosport – Elson – Fareham | Normal Weekday Service | |
| 21 Fareham – Hill Head | Normal Weekday Service | |
| 28 & 28A Fareham – Whiteley | Normal Weekday Service |
Note that: there does not appear to be any night services on New Years Eve night.
New Years Day
**** BREAKING NEWS ****
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Provincial.Society/permalink/25202913219365270/
It was announced on Saturday 6th December
that the planned Ale & Ride event on New Years Day
has been postponed to April.
Ale & Ride services will not be operational on New Years Day.
One again on New Years Day there is a Christmas Day level of service across the First Solent area. There are no buses in the Gosport or West Fareham areas.
- Service 1 Gunwharf – Southsea
Service 3 Fareham – Southsea
There is a trip from Fareham Bus Station to Cosham at 0715 on service 3 (presumably for QA Hospital changeover times?) and 0803 from Cosham to Fareham (presumably for the QA night staff to get home.
Otherwise there is a full hourly service across the full figure of 6 route. If anyone wants a picture of two Christmas Day buses together then they are timed to pass each other at South Parade Pier at around ten minutes past the hour.
Additional trips on service 3 run from Fareham Bus Station at 1920 (to Cosham) and 1940 (to City Centre South) for the evening staff change at QA and 2005 from Cosham to Fareham. - Service 2 Paulsgrove – Gunwharf
An hourly service will run the usual service 2 route, although some early and late trips will not run between Gunwharf and Commercial Road South. - Service 7 Gunwharf – Wecock Farm
Service 7 will run an hourly service from Gunwharf (via Civic Offices) to Hilsea, Cosham and Wecock Farm. I am not convinced that there are additional trips for QA Staff though like with the 3 with the last trip to Wecock passing the hospital at 1729.
There are also some short trips in the early evening. - Service 8 Gunwharf – Clanfield
Service 8 will run it’s normal route to an hourly daytime service, with some short trips at the start and end of the day.
Friday 2nd January
Services will run to a Saturday timetable with exceptions listed in the timetables. A quick glance suggests that these changes are the same as the two days of Christmas week:
- Hoverbus H1
- Tipner Park & Ride (PR1)
- QA1 for NHS staff
- Service 11 between Gosport – Elson – Fareham
- Service 21 for Hill Head
- Service 28 & 28A for Segensworth & Whiteley
Saturday 3rd January
Normal service resumes.
If any of this is confusing then head to the First Solent website here.
Thanks for the explainer. No surprise with the 11, 21 and 28/28A keeping to a weekday service as I think this is part of their contract given that they continue to be supported by HCC? Managed to parse this last Christmas when there were all the strikes as well…
First are conspicuously hopeless at communicating with their customer base (and their staff, as we saw this time last year). Trying to initiate communication with them as a customer is also all but impossible. I’ve just looked at the Xmas/New Year page on their site, it’s very much “Here, sort it out for yourselves”, isn’t it?
Ale & ride is going to be EASTER Sun 5th April not August.
28 & 28A is a strange one as it is actually paid for under a Section 106 agreement & HCC just effectively administer it for the developers
I swear I typed April…. it was the ghost of Christmas 4am drafting.
Thanks for letting me know!