You you hate it when you get the same sources, but have different outcomes? That’s how I felt on Friday when someone popped up on Facebook and went “There’s a new First service to Southsea coming soon!” I can see their timetable, I can see the service details, was it in my data download…. don’t be silly!
The thing is, certainly as I type this at 3am on Saturday, have only just done a new round-up, it would probably be a week before this got published. It also helps me test whether a picture of a First Solent bus will be included in new format Facebook and Bluesky posts! it will also help to try and limit those posts to between 6am and 11pm…..
First Solent have announced a new X3 service for (what might only be) the school summer holidays starting Monday 27th July. This is a half-hourly service which appear to be run from Hoeford depot based on the timetable and will run Monday to Saturday. Looking at the timetable on BusTimes (damn them) it is timed to offer an almost clockface four buses an hour between Fareham Bus Station and Gunwharf Quays via the M275.
The X3 – if you have not already beaten me to the timetable link above – will basically mirror the X4 and X5 along the route, then extend to Southsea via Palmerston Road Shops to South Parade Pier. It is not timetabled to run via Clarence Pier. As the service is due to start on the first day of the school summer holidays, I can only assume it will only run for 6 or 7 weeks.