Updated 05 November to add timetable information.
Updated 08 November as First Solent now have PDF timetables live. Also to note: Additional X5 0740 Warsash to Gosport (for Bay House School) from 04 December.
I seem to remember that there were changes lodged with the TC for service changes next weekend. While it appears that the changes are either not happening, or were otherwise just to keep the TC happy, or to formalise a previous timetable change; there are timetable and route changes lodged for later in the year as well.
So while we wait to see if the 9 and 9a are in fact changing next week…. (This did not happen, and word reaches me that there never was any planned changes this month – I find it odd that the services slated for a change were the services planned to get the new electric buses next(-ish) year)
Changes on December 4th
Gosport & Fareham
None Yet
Portsmouth
Update: What I do like about the timetable that First Solent have put out is that buses will run to a regular timetable on the very early and very late extensions to the service. In many previous cases I have seen frequencies tied to the number of buses that are out and we soon find “Every 50 Minutes” or “Irregular”. First Solent have largely put in half-hourly timetables for these extensions though – easier for an inebriated reveller to remember!
Service 1 between Gunwharf, Fratton Park, Eastney and Southsea.
| First Buses | Weekdays | Saturdays |
| Southsea, South Parade | 0430 | 0436 |
| Gunwharf | 0443 | 0412 |
Friday & Saturday late night services will run half-hourly until 0106 from Southsea and 0112 from Gunwharf.
Service 2 between Paulsgrove Shops, Cosham, Copner and Gunwharf Quays.
| First Buses | Weekdays | Saturdays |
| Paulsgrove, Allaway Avenue | 0420 | 0420 |
| Gunwharf | 0420 | 0420 |
The Weekend late night service will run half-hourly until 0105 from Gunwharf and 0100 from Paulsgrove.
Service 3 between Fareham, Paulsgrove, Cosham, Gunwharf and Southsea. The first number 3 that started in Paulsgrove has been extended to start in Fareham as well as extra half-hourly services.
| First Buses | Weekdays | Saturdays |
| Fareham Bus Station | 0416 | 0422 |
| Southsea, South Parade | 0438 | (additional bus 0422 Gunwharf to Fareham) 0438 |
Late night services run until about 0130. If you are travelling out of Portsmouth and Southsea after midnight though, buses will terminate at Portchester Precinct, presumably as Fareham-based party animals will all be in bed with a mug of salted caramel hot chocolate by then…. or is that just me?
The Star 7 will have early morning trips that run City Centre to/from Waterlooville only and additional late night trips Friday and Saturday between Gunwharf Quays, City Centre, North End, Crookhorn and Wecock Farm.
| First Buses | Weekdays | Saturdays |
| Wecock Farm | 0415 & 0455 (from Waterlooville) | 0415 & 0455 (from Waterlooville) |
| City Centre South (Civic Offices) | 0410 (to Waterlooville) 0501 (to Wecock) | 0410 & 0501 (to Waterlooville) 0540 & 0610 (to Wecock) |
The Friday and Saturday services will run from Gunwharf at 2342 and 0042 and from Wecock Farm up to 0039.
The Star 8 have extra early buses, although some will only start service at Horndean rather than Clanfield.
| First Buses | Weekdays | Saturdays |
| Clanfield, Drift Road | 0430 & 0457 (from Horndean Precinct) 0521 | 0439 & 0509 (from Horndean Precinct) 0533 |
| Gunwharf | 0423 | 0434 |
Weekend late buses will run hourly from Gunwharf at 2310 and 0010, with an 0110 running to Horndean only. From Clanfield they will run hourly until 0108 (the last bus terminates at City Centre South.
Finally, service 18 between Paulsgrove, Fratton and Southsea will gain additional early morning trips from Allaway Avenue shops. It is interesting to note that although the registration still contains a reference to the former service 17 to Ocean Park; this does not appear to be re-surfacing post-COVID.
| First Buses | Weekdays | Saturdays |
| Paulsgrove, Almondsbury Road | 0407 & 0500 (from Allaway Avenue shops) | 0412 & 0507 (from Allaway Avenue shops) |
| Southsea, South Parade | 0413 (to Allaway only) 0456 | 0423 (to Allaway only) 0505 |
Changes on 8th January 2023
Now, councils across the country and pull subsidies from across the board when it comes to buses. Just look at the effect that subsidy changes have had in Eastleigh with Xelabus pulling out, Southampton Mini Link stepping in, not getting their crowdfunding up and running, (and the owner falling ill), and pulling out too.
First Solent are actually extending a subsidised service in the New Year though and I am going to theorise that this might in part be developer contributions as there are a number of new housing developments in the area (from memory).
So First Solent service 28 will have have a route and timetable change.
Firstly there will a route change in Park Gate
Secondly there will be an extension to North Whitely and Botley (I presume – as the registration says Batley)
Previously, there was a joint service run by Peoples Provincial / First Provincial and Solent Blue Line / Bluestar as route 26. This ran on to Hedge End and (again, from memory) Southampton. There was also a 48a and 48c run by Peoples Provincial / First Provincial that served parts of the area and then on to Eastleigh. One can only hope that this is a sign of rural services to come!
You are right about the SBL route 26 running from Fareham to Southampton. I took a late afternoon journey from Fareham once when timetables were disrupted by traffic congestion and it was the first bus available: the vehicle had an ECW body and was probably a VR, and I was in the nearside front seat upstairs when the bus hit a low branch, the front window shattered, and the glass landed all over me!
Ouch!
I vaguely remembered seeing VR or Olympian vintage on there in Fareham; albeit I had an inkling it might have just run to Hedge End.
The 26 was, in the final years of its service, Fareham to Hedge End only by First usually with whatever was around at the time vehicle wise
The route to Whiteley aeons ago was the extended service 63 from Emsworth/Havant/Fareham to Whiteley. Then there were just Whiteley to Fareham trips on the 63. Then we had 76 which ran via Locks Heath too. Then the 28 which was Fareham to Whiteley & strange extensions via (as was then) a bus only road Yew Tree Drive exit in Whiteley at the Botley Road end (about 14 years ago it was built) down to Locks Heath & Fareham Community Hospital which is in Park Gate. Also serving Swanwick train stn. Then the 28 became 28 or 28A either running via Highlands Fareham or not (28) & slowly the frequency got less to every 2 hours. Fareham to Whiteley only. Meanwhile there was the 26 Fareham to Highlands to Segensworth to Botley Road (Burridge) then Botley & Hedge End running hourly a one stage with People’s Provincial & Solent Blue Line sharing it. (If we are talking after bus De-regulation). HCC was supporting this even when it became 2 hourly run by First so alternate journeys on the 26 & 28 would give Segensworth an hourly bus. The 26 never ran through Whiteley. A few years ago the 26 was cut (in my opinion it was used a lot on school days but I had a sneak feeling HCC did a survey in the off-season). Anyhow there was a Taxi-share but you know what happens to them?! There was some when before that an aborted timetable of 26/28 running through Whiteley as HCC sent me a copy but it never happened.
The delay in the 28 going to North Whiteley (ie past Tesco Whiteley) was 1. roads not built, 2. Parish councils arguing over bus shelters. 3. Funding from HCC. 4. Developers money coming on stream North Whiteley will have around 3000 new homes which come under Winchester City Council & 5. Covid
I remember back in the days before deregulation we had the 75 running hourly from fareham to Solon via wickham, curdridge and botley; 76 hourly fareham to soton via caisfield, segensworth and botley; 77 hourly fareham to soton via titchfield, warsash, locks heath and bitterne; X71 hourly fareham to soton via the A27 then bitterne; and the 80 hourly fareham to soton via titchfield, locks heath and woolston. So many routes, which now is down to just one?
Thanks – I remember many of the incarnations you speak of and a shame some of the more rural routes to Southampton / Eastleigh did not remain.
As for the extension to the 28, it’s probably come at the right time, rather than fighting the lower passenger numbers immediately post-COVID
These Changes to the services serving Portsmouth are the first stage in adopting the City Council’s ‘Bus Service Improvement Plan’ for which they were awarded government funding. You can be sure that once the funding runs out, these improvements, welcome as they are, will disappear as you can’t ever see them being sustainable commercially.
https://democracy.portsmouth.gov.uk/documents/s34902/Appendix%202%20-%20Bus%20Service%20Improvement%20Plan.pdf
And a serious question is… where are the drivers going to be found for such unearthly hours of service when there is a shortage now. Also Fareham closes after midnight so no buses allowed! LOL! (Those in other wards of Fareham don’t even get a service after about 5pm!)