Tuesday 6 March 2012

The 4

Last week, First Hants & Dorset announced on VOSA and the unofficial First Hants & Dorset forum that Eclipse wouldn't be the only massive route change taking place from Monday 23rd April. This is a date from which First services across the south coast will change hugely.

The 57 (Warsash - Portsmouth), 72 (Gosport - Southampton) and 80 (Fareham - Southampton) have been cut and will be replaced by the new  route 4. 

Route 4 will operate hourly from Southampton to Gosport, as route 72 does today. 

Route 4A will operate hourly from Southampton to Fareham. It will travel along a similar route as the old 77, travelling via Woolston, Sarisbury Green, Warsash, and then following the 57's present route to Fareham. 

The X4 will operate from Southampton to Portsmouth, and is the biggest change. From Southampton to Fareham, it will operate along the present route 80 route. From Fareham to Portsmouth, it will travel along the present X57 route, via the A27, Portchester, Northharbour (although the main road, not Tesco), before heading along the M275 to Portsmouth City Centre. It will also extend to The Hard. The route will operate half hourly throughout Monday - Saturday.

This means that combined frequencies:
* Southampton to Locks Heath sees an improvement to 15 minute intervals and 4 buses an hour. 2 via Warsash (4/4A) and 2 via Park Gate (X4). 
* Locks Heath to Fareham sees an improvement to 3 buses an hour (2 X4s and a 4A)
* Fareham to Portsmouth routes are upgraded - now 6 buses an hour (1A, X4 and 5), with the X4 adding 2 express services per hour.
* Stubbington to Gosport sees half hourly buses, as the 4 is interworked with the 34 to operate in tandem with the 34.

Dart SLFs will be the main allocation. It has been confirmed that the entire route will be operated from Hoeford depot.

Interesting times for FHD - and this is before we get into the nitty gritty of the timetables, or we talk about the Southampton city changes!

7 comments:

  1. Looks good, but then, North Portchester will only have a 63 & no bus along Linden Lee then I assume?
    Will the 80A alternative route through Titchfield Common (Hunts pond rd) be discontinued?
    Any Sunday commercial operation?

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  2. Latest news from FHD - they haven't quite finalised their decision for north Portchester although the 63 will cover it in some form.

    The 4A will cover the new 80A route in Titchfield Common along Hunts Pond Road - the half hourly X4 will restore a half hourly frequency to Abshot Road.

    Not certain on Sundays - nothing has been released by FHD but they are coming out very soon. I reckon the 4 and X4 will be hourly- meaning an hourly frequency between Locks Heath and Southampton and bi-hourly for the other parts. I may be proved wrong though.

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  3. is there going to be any other changes in Portsmouth

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  4. Will it only be Dart SLF's? Will the chance of seeing a Plaxton bodied regular dart, on the X4 route, not be ruled out?

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  5. At the moment it is only expected to be Dart SLFs. However the odd Volvo B10BLE or Scania can't be ruled out, and I'm sure some of the school / college time trips (such as the 78C's replacement) will be a Volvo Olympian.

    After the introduction of the Eclipse buses, there will only be 3 step Darts left - of course these could appear on the 4, and they probably will at some point...!

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