Welcome to your quick check round-up of services on Christmas Eve 2024. this year, I am publishing in the evening before because for a change I have managed to draft the pages in advance…. well this one anyway.
Did you know: I have probably already been at work for hours!
So – let’s make a start – by reminding you that First Solent are undertaking industrial action today. Please take that into consideration and service may be subject to short notice cancellation and alteration.
South Dorset
First Wessex are running a Saturday service with an early finish. Unfortunately, as I have previously reported, First Wessex have not actually published on their website news page what the early run-in actually is. If you are reading this line, then I have not found the time (or forgotten) to scour the Bus Times website to work out what they could be.
Damory will run a weekday service on routes 1, 2, 5, 6, 20, 49, CR7, CR8, CR9
Bournemouth & Poole
morebus will be running a full Saturday service with the exception of the night bus services and the 00:10 departure on service 1a.
(Just a thought, I make a presumption that the 00:10 1a is run by a bus on a nightbus duty card?)
There will be a weekday service on the following routes:
- FE1 “sort of workers service” for Ferndown
- Bournemouth services 18, 24, 33, 737
- Unibus U1 and U3 (the vacation weekday service)
- Rural services 38
- New Forest services 112, 119, 120, 191, Ringo
- X-brand services X1, X2, X3, X6, X8
Southampton
Bluestar are running a Saturday service on the majority of it’s network. For those services that either do not run, or run a reduced service on a Saturday, these are running a normal Tuesday service:
- Bluestar 6 through the New Forest to Lymington ( or from Lymington…. as it is managed by morebus’ Lymington depot)
- recently acquired Bluestar 21 and 22 services through Shirly
- Service 35 in Romsey
- Services T3 and T4 in Totton
- Romsey and Salisbury routes X7 and X7R
- Quayconnect
Christmas Eve evening, there is a reduced service on many routes, although Bluestar have stated that the last departures will run to the normal Saturday timings. Nightbus N1 will not run.
First Solent at the time of writing will still be running a strike timetable. This means that the X4 and X5 services are not running.
Isle of Wight
A full Tuesday timetable operates on the Isle of Wight from Southern Vectis.
Fareham & Gosport
First Solent services are subject to strike action and the overall timetables can be found here. The direct link for amended timetables on all days is also available on the First Solent website as an editable Excel spreadsheet.
Reduced Service (and only between 7am and 7pm) on:
- Service 3 running every 20 minutes Fareham to Cosham only
- Service 5 running hourly
- Service E1 & E2 running every 30 minutes (each variation)
No other services are planned to run.
The Stagecoach South service 69 trips that come into Fareham are all planned to run a Saturday service, however the later Winchester trips to Waltham Chase & Bishops Waltham finish earlier than normal.
Portsmouth
The First Solent strike action will have an affect on it’s services although the Hilsea based drivers are not included in the industrial dispute. This means that there is a bit of a mixture of city service alterations:
- Service 1 will not run
- Service 3 runs Fareham to Cosham only every 20 minutes between 7am and 7pm
A normal Saturday service will run with early finishes. These are the last full trips of the services, although some additional short trips run (as listed on my First Solent roundup):
- Service 2 – from Paulsgrove @ 1959 and Gunwharf @ 2101
- additional: Paulsgrove to Commercial Road at 2019
- Star 7 – from Gunwharf @ 2015 and Wecock @ 1909
- additional: Wecock to Hilsea at 1939, 2009, 2039, 2109
- Star 8 – from Gunwharf @ 1920 and Clanfield @ 1920
- additional: Clanfield to Cosham at 1940, 2000, 2018, 2038
- additional: Gunwharf to Waterlooville at 2008, Hilsea at 2038
- Hoverbus H1 – from Clarance Pier 1756
- additional: Clarance Pier to Civic Offices at 1826
- Tipner Park and Ride PR1 – full normal service (presumably a Tuesday timetable?)
it appears the Christmas service levels page has been removed from the First Solent website – It was at this URL – so I am not sure if the 22 is running a weekday timetable or no service as a Saturday timetable.
Stagecoach South are running:
- A full weekday service on service 27
- It’s special weekday service on service 38
- A Saturday service on all other routes
The last trips running on Farlington depot based services will be:
- Service 13 (and 14 from Portsmouth College) from Gunwharf @ 2050
- Service 14 (and 13 from Portsmouth College) from Gunwharf @ 1950
- Service 18 – from Paulsgrove @ 2105 and Southsea @ 2046
- Service 21 – from Havant @ 2030 and Gunwharf @ 2037
- Service 23 – from Leigh park @ 2035 and Southsea @ 2025
- Service 30 – from Havant @ 2000
- Service 31 – from Havant @ 2030
- Service 39 – from Havant @ 2045 and Wecock @ 2055
- Service 700 – from Chichester @ 2010 and Gunwharf @ 2025
- Additional Trip 2110 Chichester to Havant
Winchester
Stagecoach South will be running a weekday service in Hamble and Bishops Waltham on service 49/49h and on the Winchester Park & Ride
Otherwise a Saturday service is in operation with the following last trips:
- Service 2 – leaving the City Centre at 2040
- Service 3 – leaving the City Centre at 2110
- Service 5 – leaving the City Centre at 2105
- Service 6 – leaving the City Centre at 2035
- Service 64 – leaving Winchester @ 2020 and Alton @ 2115
- Service 66 – leaving Winchester @ 2010 and Romsey @ 2053
- Service 69 – leaving Winchester to Waltham Chase @ 2025 and Waltham Chase @ 2106
Andover
A largely Saturday Stagecoach South service will run. A weekday service will run on the following routes:
- Services 7 & 7a to Newbury
- Service 9 to Berry Way and Floral Way
- Circular Service 12
- Service 13 to Vigo Road
- Service 15 to the Anna Valley and Chilbolton
- Service 17 to Middle Wallop and Over Wallop
- Services 66 & 67 in Tidworth & Salisbury
- Service 87 to Salisbury
- Service 5 to Monxton will only operate at 0945 and 1245
The last buses for the evening services are:
- Service 1 – leaving Andover @ 2037
- Service 2 – leaving Andover @ 2105
- Service 3 – leaving Andover @ 2110
- Activ8 – leaving Salisbury @ 1940 and Andover (to Tidworth) @ 2010
- Salisbury Reds are running their full evening timetable
- Service 76 – leaving Andover @ 1950 and Basingstoke @ 2050
Basingstoke
A Saturday service will run on Stagecoach South. The following evening last trips will run:
- Service 1 – leaving @ 2100
- Service 2 – leaving Basingstoke @ 2100 and Baughurst @ 2128
- Service 3 – leaving @ 2117
- Service 5 – leaving @ 2115
- Service 6 – from Winklebury @ 2120 and Popley @ 2046
- Additional: 2116 Popley to Basingstoke
- Service 7 – leaving Basingstoke @ 2110 and Chineham @ 2128
- Service 8 – Full round trip leaving @ 2046
- Basingstoke to Hatch Warren & Beggarwood at 2116
- Service 20 – leaving @ 2107
- Service 32 – leaving Basingstoke @ 1940 and Newbury @ 2040
- Additional: 2040 Basingstoke to Kingsclere
- Service 76 – leaving Andover @ 1950 and Basingstoke @ 2050
The Flightline 731 operated by Newbury & District will be operating a full and normal Tuesday timetable.
