This is your last gasp summary of bus and other services across Hampshire and Dorset for Christmas Eve. Most of you have probably already seen the various posts earlier this month and already know what travel plans you need. This is of course…. as long as the Government do not announce more changes to tiers, on the day before Christmas Eve.
Before we look at that though, I am surprised that I am still in the position to posts these updates. Originally, I had only intended to fill a short gap left by the sudden disappearance of the SotonBus blog on Blogspot. For those that continue to visit, Thank You.
So most of the bus and train operators are running a reduced service, with an early finish this Christmas Eve:
First Hampshire & Dorset
FirstGroup are running to a Saturday timetable with an early finish.
- Route 27 between Havant and Rowlands Castle will not run
- Routes 28 and 28A between Fareham, Segensworth and Whiteley will not run
- Route F3 between Fareham and Portchester will not run
In terms of the last buses of the night, all last services leave their starting points before 2000.
In almost all cases, those services will run their full route, but there are some exceptions. You should check for the last bus times in your area covering:
Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham
Southampton
Weymouth & Dorchester
Bluestar, morebus, Salisbury & Damory
The GoAhead Group of companies are planning to run a normal and full weekday service, right up to the close of service late on Christmas Eve. There is no early run-in, no cancellation of late services and very few exceptions:
- Bus for BU: The only UNIBUS that will run is a special hourly service on the U3 to Boscombe and Southbourne.
- UniLink: Southampton’s vacation timetable will close down early on its late evening services. The last departures on the U1 are at 2105 from each end of the route and the U6 is 2033 from Aldmoor (U6C) and 2035 from NOCS (U6H)
- Salisbury: to Andover on joint service Activ8 will be running to a Saturday timetable – Also on Christmas Eve the 2105 departure from Andover (run by Stagecoach) will not run.
Stagecoach
Services are running to a Saturday timetable, with an early finish.
Most town services will have their last departures from towns between 8pm and 9pm, but longer distance services will be earlier. For example the last 76 from Andover to Basingstoke will be at 19:50 (7.50pm) and the last 64 out of Winchester is at 19:20 (7.20pm)
Stagecoach’s last departures can be found here.
Yellow Buses
Services will finish earlier than usual on Christmas Eve and Yellow Buses have reprinted a PDF of all affected services. You can find this PDF here on the Yellow Buses website.
Earlier than most of our local companies, last journeys out of Bournemouth between 18:00 and 18:30.
Beware: The last service from Poole to Christchurch on route 1 is 16:43.
Xelabus
Xelabus are continuing to run their reduced services into the new year. This is what is running on Christmas Eve:
Now…. Xelabus are still running a significantly reduced timetable for the month due to low patronage. This means that they are not even running a full Saturday timetable on a weekday:
Special Service
- Services X6 and X7 to Velmore, Chandlers Ford and Hiltingbury is still running it’s combined 2 hourly service.
Saturday Service
- Service X4 (Hedge End – West End – Colleges – Eastleigh)
- Service X9 (Bishops Waltham – Hedge End – Eastleigh)
- Service X10 (Southampton – Bishops Waltham – Waltham Chase)
- Service X11 (Southampton – Lords Hill)
Weekday Service
- Service X12 (Southampton – Freemantle – Shirley)
- Service X15 (Hamble – Hedge End – Fair Oak – Eastleigh)
- Service X21 for Southampton Science Park – Last Departure is earlier at 1500 from the Science Park
Trains
The trains are running on a revised service across all operators due to the pandemic. You are strongly advised to check on National Rail Enquiries to make sure your trains are running.
Ferries
- The Hayling Ferry is suspended
- The Gosport Ferry will continue to run Every 15 Minutes 0530 to 2300
- The Hamble Ferry is not operating
- Wightlink have an Early Finish
- Red Funnel have an Early Finish
You missed of Unilink in Southampton for the Go South Coast company’s, which do have an early run in, last buses are around 8:30-9pm from each end of the route with it all done and dusted by 10pm.