Early observations of Route 26

First Hants & Dorset's route 26 has just been upgraded and lengthened. It is now operated by Optare Solos, recently acquired from Devon & Cornwall, a fellow First South Coast company, and has been extended to Hamble replacing the previous 16A extension from Hamble and Southampton.

Route 26 was cut to Hedge End by First back in Autumn 2005, with the introduction of BlueStar 3. The previous 26 route ran in conjunction with Solent Blue Line's 27, operated between First Hants & Dorset and Solent Blue Line from Southampton, Bitterne, Thornhill, Hedge End, Botley, Park Gate and Fareham. BlueStar Trident 743 (T743JPO) is pictured in Fareham bus station back in February 2004. BlueStar no longer operate this far east - terminating at Swanmore and Botley. [There are still some old Solent Blue Line stickers up along the 26 route, though!]. The 26 and 27 from Southampton to Hedge End were combined into the 3, with First keeping the old tendered end of the route from Fareham to Botley and Hedge End as the 26, at a lower frequency. The 3 has since been extended to Botley.

The new route 26 operates the old Fareham-Highlands-Park Gate-Botley-Hedge End route, but now extends to Lowford, Netley and Hamble. This extension to route 26 is the third option from First in two and a half years in attempting to replace BlueStar's old Red Rocket A service to Hamble from Hedge End - with firstly route 15 and then 16A from Southampton now replaced.

My observations from today show that some passengers still use the service in the form of two services - both arrivals from Hamble and Fareham saw the bus nearly empty, and then refill with new passengers for the next leg. The majority of passengers were eligable for free bus passes also, suggesting one reason for why the frequency was reduced. Pictured to the top left is 53001 (V801KAF), and 53013 (W813PAF) bottom left, both pictured at Hedge End superstores where the service was previously split.