BlueStar 6

Yesterday, I visited Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst in the New Forest in an attempt to get some photos of BlueStar's takeover on route 56/56A - now BlueStar route 6 - from Southampton to Lymington. It was day 2 of the Monday-Saturday operation, and not everything appears to have settled down just yet...

Dart MPDs now appear to be the most common bus on the 6. BlueStar operate 6 of their original 2003 delivery of 12 MPDs, all from Totton, and these are usually the main bus used on routes 10/11, so it is natural they move onto the 6 due to the interworking. Here is 571 (SN03EBP) heading for Lymington, pictured in Lyndhurst.

Solos and Dart MPDs are expected to form the bulk of the allocation on route 6, which has seen two Solos move over freshly from Wilts & Dorset and 2668 (V668DFX) move down from Eastleigh depot. 2668 is pictured in Lyndhurst, still with Baby BlueStar branding on the offside.

I observed 7 of the 10 buses allocated to the route 6/10/11 network. I didn't see a one double decker unfortunately - this is expected to change in the future with Spectra 3162 in BlueStar livery and 3163 expected to follow. This is MPD 574 (SN03EBX) at Brockenhurst.

As far as I am aware, 3 Totton Solos in Blue and 2 Lymington Solos in blue are to operate route 6 along with the Darts and Spectras. Here is 2634 (T634AJT), which I first photographed in the colours of W&D at Lymington bus station. She is pictured here heading from Lymington, for Southampton.

Finally, some red Wilts & Dorset buses are still slipping back onto BlueStar 6, and therefore the 10 and 11 to Cadnam. Route 6 is a mixture of Marchwood Motorways registered journeys and Wilts & Dorset registered journeys, operated under the BlueStar brand. Therefore, if Lymington are short of blue buses, they could send red ones - such as Solo 2675 (V675FEL) - on to the route to cover. I'm sure as allocations settle down this will become a rarity reserved for emergencies or maybe the odd Sunday mistake (where it is expected the driver will interwork with the X1/2 to Bournemouth and 6 to Southampton, but swap red and blue buses), but for the past 2 days some red buses have operated BlueStar route 6. Not bad for the customer providing buses turn up - which they do - although there has already been a small amount of confusion on the BlueStar facebook site with Wilts & Dorset buses operating to Cadnam again on the 10/11...

February Report

I like to keep you updated with how this blog is doing - here are the February statistics:

TOTAL VIEWS - despite February being the shortest month of the year, I had a good and regular post count which resulted in visitors rising again to 3792 in total for the month - up by 222 from the previous January. The vast majority were from the UK, although the USA totalled 155 views, with Germany and Latvia third with 23 views each. Once again, thank you for your consistent support. I'm hoping to keep this one-every-two days posting system - it is working for me at the moment.

MOST POPULAR POSTS - I've updated the blog recently to have the month's most popular posts down the right hand side. This is fairer system as it reflects the last thirty days - i.e. on the 15th March it will reflect back to 15th February - however the following are just taken at the start of the month, and therefore posts earlier in the month will always be more popular according to the statistics. None the less, the most popular posts in February were:
* Three Weeks to Go which saw me visit Lyndhurst to get some final photos of the now withdrawn route 56/56A.
* The Mayflower Sails Again - a report from Devon, where route 93 is receiving its Mayflower Link branding again
* Yeovil Changes - my post documenting early information received about the forthcoming FHD changes in Yeovil. Click here to see the confirmed news - scroll to the bottom of the post.

TOP TRAFFIC SOURCES - Graham Richardson's Plymothian Transit has always been my top referring site, and this month is no exception (actually the figure has increased on last month). Thanks again to Graham for his support - and all of those who visit my blog from Graham's - the support is greatly appreciated.

WHAT WILL MARCH BRING?
Posts in March will be frequent initially, although due to other commitments there is a chance they could tail off/become slightly scarcer in the second half of March. I should be out and about on a photographing trip each Saturday, and this Friday I will have photos from either Salisbury, Lymington or Poole - I haven't decided where I'm going yet though!

Thank you for your support.

Happy 1st Birthday

A year ago today, the Scania N230UD/Enviro400s which operate Coastliner 700 were introduced to active front line service. These impressive double deckers replaced Dennis Tridents example on the 700, which of course operates from Southsea, Clarence Pier, all the way to Brighton.  The new Scanias also introduced a new brand to the route, including bus stops, timetables and a new website for the Coastliner 700 launched on 1st March.

It was a time where I had more free time during my undergrad course at Uni, so I could pop here and there as I wanted really (I greatly miss the freedom now!). I had a lovely morning in the early spring (or is it late winter?) sunshine on 1st March last year - here is one of my all time favourite shots from my collection showing 15589 (GX10HAE) with Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower in the rear.

Unfortunately, the sun along Southsea seafront doesn't lend it to excellent shots out to see until late on a summer's evening, but the inland shots are quite good. Here is 15596 (GX10HBE) heading past Portsmouth's War Memorial column on Clarence Esplanade. In hindsight I would have taken a long shot to get the memorial in, but I was very worried I would miss it due to passing traffic and pedestrians. Maybe one for this summer.

Three of the Scanias were unbranded and '59' registered - used for driver familiarisation in February 2010 by Portsmouth, Chichester and Worthing depots. Here is 15587 (GX59JYU), pictured along Duisburg Road, Southsea, just inland from Clarence Pier and the hovercraft terminal.

The 700 has had an interesting year in 2010. New buses, then new Enviro300 single decks for the short routes, then increased to at least every 15 minutes from Portsmouth all the way to Brighton, then cut back to every 15 minutes from Chichester due to the withdrawal of funding, and updated branding on the front of all of the buses. Here is 15593 (GX10HBB) pictured directly opposite the hovercraft terminal - it now carries branding in the white area at the front where the Stagecoach logo is located - red on blue - which looks a little like the bus has crab claws... (well, in my opinion!).

Thanks for viewing - and I hope the 700 has an interesting 2011 just as it did in 2010. I intend to get to Worthing at some point this year to finish off my photos of the Enviro300s - I'm now only needing 15585, 15588 and 15599 of the Scania/E400s. Visit my photos of the Scanias here, or revisit last March by viewing all of the photos of my trip here.

Today's the Day...

Today, three of the south's key Go South Coast services are changing. I hope to photograph all of these changes in the next two weeks.

Firstly, BlueStar's route 18, which connects Millbrook to Thornhill is increasing to every 7 or 8 minutes - that is 8 buses an hour. The 18 is BlueStar's key Southampton City route, and competes against 6 an hour buses to Millbrook on First's 17/17A, and 9 buses to Thornhill an hour, against First's 9/9A/10/10A. They've also bought in four new DAF single deckers to operate the service, much like 563 (YG52CMF) illustrated to the left, in the new darker blue livery.

Route 56/56A connecting Lymington to Southampton also passes from Wilts & Dorset to BlueStar today, in the form of BlueStar 6. Initial sightings seem to suggest the route will feature Dart MPDs, Solos and DAF/Optare Spectras - 2 Dart MPDs along with 2 blue Solos and Blue Spectra 3162 are at Lymington for the service.

Finally, routes 5/6/95/96, connecting Salisbury to Swindon, will be route X5 from today. The route will operate half hourly from Salisbury to Durrington, extending hourly to Swindon, continuing to see Scania Omnicity double deckers as the primary type of bus allocated to the route. Interesting times ahead, and lots of new photo opportunities aroung the Go South Coast network.

Present day Yeovil

With the majority of First Somerset & Avon services in Yeovil passing over to First Hants & Dorset in April, I decided to visit Yeovil on Tuesday. I've already posted the non-First photos, so here are the First photos, and the state of affairs in Yeovil as we stand.

5 Optare Solos operate from Yeovil depot and are usually allocated to town route 1. One of 4 such examples that originated with First PMT is 40006 (T159BBF), pictured in Yeovil bus station. These are expected to be passed over to FHD in April.

Route 57 has been registered by First Hants & Dorset and will continue to operate after the changes. What will operate the route is open to debate - 46226 (N226KAE) is illustrative of the usual allocation on route 57 today.

Route 4 is to be withdrawn in April - at present just a stop-gap for the bus allocated to route 52 or short route 58s. Former London Buslines 46729 (P629CGM) is pictured in Yeovil bus station on Tuesday.

Yeovil depot operate on Dart SLF with Marshall bodywork - fleetnumber 41129 (P129NLW), pictured here on town route 2. Route 2 and 3 interwork and operate at a frequency of every half hour each.

Long after Weymouth got rid of their last Mercedes-Benz 811D, the FHD may soon acquire another - 51212 (L652CJT). The 33 seat minibus is heading back to Yeovil depot having arrived on a 54B from Taunton earlier that morning. The 54B will be withdrawn after the April changes.

Two Mercedes-Benz 711Ds operate from Yeovil depot at the moment, usually on town services 2 and 3. 51745 (P445KYC) is pictured at Yeovil Borough, in the town centre.

Wells operate into Yeovil on route 377. Route 377 connects with route 376, which operates half hourly from Wells to Bristol. it is usually operated by very new Volvo B7RLEs with Wright Eclipse Urban mark 2 bodywork, as illustrated to 69435 (WX59BYM), pictured arriving into Yeovil along Central Road. However, sometimes Wells operate Volvo B10BLEs or Dennis Darts on route 377, illustrated in the second photo by B10BLE 66107 (R907BOU) heading back to Wells. After the April changes, it is expected FHD will outstation one FSA bus for the early morning route 377 departures.

Route 54, connecting Taunton to Yeovil, will pass fully to Taunton depot after April. Four Volvo B7RLEs will be allocated to the route, with 2 possibly outstationed in Yeovil. However, to the travelling public, there will be few changes that will be obvious, although a more varied allocation on route 54 is expected. Illustrating that more varied route allocation is Volvo B7L 60913 (YG02DLY), which visited Yeovil from Taunton on Tuesday.

The changes have now been confirmed by various sources within First.

* Route 1, 2, 3, 52, 57 and 58 will pass from First Somerset & Avon to First Hants & Dorset.

* Route 4 and some journeys on the other routes, along with Sunday services, will be withdrawn. Sunday services may be reregistered under other routes - this hasn't been confirmed yet.

* Route 54 will pass to Taunton but with two Volvo B7RLEs outstationed at Yeovil

* Route 377 will continue as before, with one bus outstationed in Yeovil.

Yeovil trip - non-First bits!

Yesterday, I visited Yeovil in Somerset in an attempt to get the First Somerset & Avon fleet in service from Yeovil before the changes in April. I'll post the First bits and bobs tomorrow, but for now I thought I'd focus on the other bus companies.

First up at Stagecoach's operations - the remnants of the former Cooks Coaches bus network. Stagecoach South West now only operate into Yeovil on route 99/99A from Chard and Taunton, using a fleet of these 2009 registered Optare Veras. Carrying Connect branding, here is 25251 (WA09KWH).

Go South Coast also operate into Yeovil on a couple of Damory routes. The 368 connects Yeovil to Blandford, and in turn Wilts & Dorset service X8 which continues to Poole. 2636 (T636AJT) was new to Wilts & Dorset, and is pictured carrying the latest version of the Damory livery.

South West Coaches are the largest independent operator in service in Yeovil, and their fleet is a mix of smart silver buses and slightly worn white coaches. Here is one of the former - MAN/MCV Stirling CU04AMK, arriving in Yeovil on route 81.

I'm not really sure if route 1 (Yeovil - Shepton Mallet) has a regular bus allocation, because during my visit the departures were a Solo, a Versa, a Volvo B10M coach and this, a Volvo B10M/Alexander Strider, registered N506HWY.

Last year, South West Coaches reintroduced the weekday bus link between Yeovil Junction and Yeovil Pen Mill stations in the form of route 68. It is operated by two Solo - YJ10MGY has been acquired specifically for the route. It is £3.30 from Yeovil Junction to the town centre return, or £2 single, which I think is decent value considering the only other alternative is private transport or taxi. The Solos also cope well in terms of passenger loads and hills - whether something bigger is needed with the peak time train arrivals I do not know. YJ10MGY is pictured in Yeovil Junction train station car park.

Finally, here's one South West Coaches' Optare Versas in use on route 81. The cloudy conditions on offer yesterday don't really do justice to the brightness of the livery on YJ08PGZ, or the route branding. It is pictured in Yeovil town centre (Yeovil Borough).

I shall be posting First photos and a report tomorrow, including what services FHD will operate in the town from 17th April. FSA have confirmed the cuts on their website. Thanks for viewing.

Bognor Regis Today

One of my aims for this year was to return to Bognor Regis, a place I haven't visited since 2005 and has undergone major changes to its bus services. Today I returned, and managed to get some good photos.

Back in 2005, route 700 was operated using Volvo Olympians and Volvo B10M single deckers. Today, Scania N230UD with ADL Enviro400 bodywork operate the main route between Southsea and Brighton. Here is 15597 (GX10HBF) today, one of a number I managed to photograph.

The most recent change to Bognor bus services and the 700 is the introduction of these Enviro300 single deckers, which operate the shorter Chichester to Brighton and Arundel to Brighton journeys. They carry single deck versions of the larger Coastliner 700 branding, still focusing on a particular place the route serves. These also carry (Arundel) along the top of the bus to advertise those variations of the route. Pictured first is 27652 (GX10KZE) heading for Brighton, with a photo of 27658 (GX10KZL) heading the other way, towards Chichester, underneath.

Route 60 operates between Bognor Regis and Midhurst/Summersdale, using primarily a mix of second hand Dennis Tridents - this one is former Stagecoach Manchester 18193 (MX54LRA) - or second hand Dennis Darts. As illustrated, they carry a 60s-inspired Hippie livery for the route.

Route 60 operates every 15minutes between Bognor and Chichester, interworking with route 700 to provide a bus to Chichester every 7 or 8 minutes. The 60s split at Chichester, with a half-hour frequency to Midhurst, usually operated by double deckers, and a half-hour frequency to Summersdale, usually operated by former Sunderland and Oxford Dennis Dart SLFs. To the right are two of the slightly rarer allocation on route 60 - a single deck working on the 60 to Midhurst in the form of Dennis Dart SLF 33040 (P466AYJ), and secondly former Manchester Volvo Olympian 16752 (R752DRJ).

Here is the regular allocation on the Summersdale workings - 33815 (R815YUD), one of 5 Dart SLFs that operate the route sporting a single deck version of the route 60 branding.

One of Chichester's shorter Dart SLFs tends to operate route 66/66A - this is former Stagecoach London 34107 (V107MVX) seen pausing between journeys. The 66/66A is an hourly-ish route that has a PVR of one - there is a bus every hour, but not the same minute of every hour!

I've been waiting a while to get some photos of the Bognor Stars Solos. The Solos formed part of the regeneration and rebranding of Bognor's town services. The 63 became Star 1 and the 61 became Star 2, upgraded from Mercedes-Benz 709D operation. Firstly, we see 47539 (GX57DKF) pausing in Bognor Regis town centre on a Star 1 to Bersted, with the second photo illustrating two Solos on the Bognor Stars routes - in the foreground 47536 (GX57DKA), on the Star 1 heading for Elmer, with 47541 in the background. The Star 1, Star 2 and 67 are all Bognor Regis town services which pass through the town between destinations. It seems to work really well in the town, and the Solos certainly suit the customer base.

Finally, back in 2006 I took a shot of three Mercedes-Benz 709Ds lined up on town services 61 and 63 in Bognor Regis town centre. This was mainly because I was unfamiliar with the Stagecoach Merc- Stagecoach in Portsmouth (my local company) didn't have any, and my closest examples where in Winchester. However, it has allowed me to visably illustrate how much the town services have changed since 2004 - the 3 Mercs are long gone, and the three Solos in the second photo have directly replaced them. I wonder how different Bognor will be in another 7 years time...

Related Posts:

Southern England Bus Scene - Bognor Regis in 2004

Transport Illustrated - Hants & Sussex Part 2