Romsey Update

Here is a quick update from Romsey - my local Wilts & Dorset outstation, with frequent BlueStar and Stagecoach services also...

First up, here is BlueStar's regular offering on route 4. Any 6 of the 10 "06" registered Citaros (441-50) can usually be found on route 4, which interworks with route 12 in Southampton. Sometimes you get the odd ex-Southern Vectis Citaro on the route and occasionally even a DAF SB120/Optare Spectra that has escaped from the Southampton - Lymington route for today. Alas, yesterday was normal operation - here is 443 (HX06EZC).

The most significant change since my last visit is that the Optare Deltas are more or less gone! Romsey was the final operational centre for the last 3 Deltas, which were usually found on the Salisbury - Romsey - Eastleigh routes. Replaced by Volvo B10Bs of the same age, here is former Solent Blue Line 526 (L526YDL).

Salisbury's northern Solos are increasingly escaping south into Hampshire - 2707 (YJ06FYD) is one of a number of Solos acquired by Wilts & Dorset from the Meteor P&R contracts at Southampton Airport, that are usually found on the routes north of Salisbury.

I don't think any buses remaining in service carry the Wilts & Dorset deregulation (stripes) livery. It has been reported that the final step entry Spectra - 3127 - has received the livery, and the final Delta - 3503 - has been placed into reserve/withdrawn at Salisbury. All of the remaining low floor Spectras have now received the livery - here is 3182 (HJ52VFY) looking fantastic as it gleams in the September sunshine. Following the changes in Salisbury earlier this year to create the X5 (Salisbury - Swindon), low floor Spectra sightings in Romsey have been rarer so I was quite lucky to capture 3182 yesterday.

One of Wilts & Dorset's native Solos tends to escape to Romsey per day - yesterday was the turn of 2653 (V652DFX). It tends to operate morning circular routes before heading back to Salisbury on an afternoon route 34, which it is doing when pictured.

Moving onto Stagecoach, and here is recently acquired Dennis Dart SPD 33306 (AE51VFV). 4 Darts of different sizes have been acquired from Cavalier, and Winchester's three will move to Swindon shortly according to sources on GSC forum.

Finally, Winchester's only unbranded Enviro200 - 36027 (GX07HUU) - seems to be the regular bus on the Romsey town circulars, or at least whenever I visit the town it does. As far as I understand, a route 66 from Winchester arrives, does 2 hours worth of circuits on the Romsey town route 32s and 33s, before heading back to Winchester on the 66. This was the case a few years ago - I'm not sure if this still applies.


Romsey also still is one of the mainland homes of the former Southern Vectis Wilts & Dorset Olympians - I saw 725 and 749 yesterday but unfortunately they were camera shy, and both photos came out poorly. Ah well...


Finally, click here to read my report from Romsey of 11 months ago. 


Thanks again.