First vs Mini Link ?

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Although Southampton Mini Link have only just cancelled their weekday service between Southampton and Ringwood, they have announced an expansion to services within the City.

The ‘temporary’ suspension of service 5 through the New Forest, due to staff isolating, has not stopped the announcement that the 13a to Merry Oak and Bitterne will run on Saturdays from February.

Dual Door Red Bus Action

I would expect that the ex-Go Ahead London E200s, already in a lovely shade of London Transport red, will be touting for trade through to Harefield, competing with First Southampton’s established service 9 and 13 trips in a lovely shade of red.

A very quick reply from Simon Gard on the Hampshire Bus Blog Facebook page suggests that – currently in white – FF56 BLU is the new arrival for the expanded service. This was formerly of Xelabus.

The ALX 400 won’t be making any more appearances on it; the ex-First Bristol UniBus decker being sold. The Dennis Dart, received from Xelabus in exchange for one of the DAFs, also has reportedly been bought by Sussex Coaches (thanks H&S Bus Blog for the heads up on that one!

Same frequency, different timetable….

Although both the Saturday and Sunday timetables are both going to be hourly, the times of each day are different.

The Saturday service is a consistent hourly frequency all day. The 13a will leave Southampton City Centre at

• 0850 – hourly – 1150 (No 1250 for a lunch break) and then
• 1350 – hourly – 1650 (returning to Southampton City Centre)

Just right for when all those big shops start closing and all the staff want to go home.

The Sunday service, so there is some consistency leaves Southampton City Centre at:

• An 0856 from Harefield to the City Centre
• 0920 – hourly – 1220 (lunch break)
• 1350 – hourly – 1650 (looping around Harefield and then terminating in Bitterne)

I am merely an armchair non-expert though – I know nothing. To me though, this does everything that it is not meant to be doing. It does not seem to help those that are working 9 to 5 in retail, the consistency of where the first and last buses start or terminate; it just seems a little under-thought. It’s not even as though the bus is needed for a schools service on either day.

…. and a new service incoming?

Southampton Mini Link are also teasing something else.

Simon took a trial run with BU55 EVM during the week. It’s a Merc, it’s an Sprinter EVM Cityline, and comments indicate that it is for a new service coming later this year. What this is, and which colour of bus it will compete against…. Who knows!