ReeceD1993
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This could just be as a result of Hampshire County Council cuts.
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Xelabus Discussion (including Yellow Coaches and Eastleigh/Hampshire operations)
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M803UYA
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Possibly, but with vehicles sat at Barton Park out of service and others running around Bournemouth without ticket machines fitted plus issues refuelling vehicles and late/non payment of driving staff there are a number of warning flags of a business having cash flow difficulties.
ReeceD1993
Member
The Cancellation notices are also listed on Xelabus Bus times under the licensing details.
bustimes.org
PH1098723/85 – bustimes.org
From Xelabus news, https://xelabus.info/updates/1035
So Xelabus may reapply for any new contract and they may win the tender. It doesn't yet imply the state of Xelagroup; time will tell.
M803UYA
Member
Why advise the contract is coming to an end if they're not bidding again for the contract? It's an irrelevant update. Only when they know the contract won't be staying with them would you update the customer? So - the announcement presumably implies they're not going to be one of the bidders.
Given that the operator can't advise customers of basic service delivery issues it appears illogical to post a website update ahead of a contract tendering process.
The X10 is not being withdrawn, but the current contract is expiring.
A new contract or commercial response is expected, but the result of course may be different to the existing service.
Flange Squeal
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Back in November, the Hampshire Bus Update blog made mention of an apparent proposal that would see the Stagecoach E1/E2 (Winchester to Eastleigh) combined with the Xelabus X9/X10 (Eastleigh - Bishops Waltham - Southampton). Be interesting to see if this becomes reality under any new contract from March.
Source: https://hantsbus.blog/2022/11/supported-bus-services-face-uncertain-future/
The Hampshire Bus Update says they understand the 18 (Bournemouth to Broadstone) is going to Go-Ahead’s Morebus, but no mention of the 33/36 (Bournemouth to Christchurch and Talbot View to Kinson respectively). This post reads “morebus have confirmed to me that the Yellow Coaches service 18 reverts back to them from 18th February with an announcement due imminently. It was not specifically the question I was asking them, but it was an answer that is useful. I would imagine that the 33 and 36 are likely to go back to morebus around the same time... but we will await that announcement.”
This makes me wonder if someone else may have the 33/36, unless they are just not confirmed yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if Transpora possibly made an appearance, as they have been popping up in various places of late such as Bristol, London and next month a weekly route out of Gloucester. Their website suggests they already have some sort of operation on the south coast around Southampton (a resurrection of the Altonian Coaches name?) and I also note a ‘Transpora Bus Bournemouth’ Facebook page has been set up.
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BenS123
Member
Interesting and I reckon they could be ready to head into Bournemouth as the account has recently got a new cover photo - but I note that the account was created back in 2020 https://www.facebook.com/TransporaBusBournemouth
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M803UYA
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Given the current issues the present operator has with staffing (it cannot recruit and retain drivers) and the costs of setting up a base, it'd be a very expensive expansion. The London operation is still going and will be costing significant sums in fuel and crew wages, whether or not passengers travel. It's not quite the spring when the tourists will return.
aliceh
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According to the Facebook page name history, it was the Hackney Community Transport page until a week ago
BenS123
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I think that confirms that Transpora do indeed have an interest in Bournemouth then!
Flange Squeal
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As if by magic, the aforementioned Facebook page has posted the following. No mention of the 33/36, but…
Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...Le52HhWzS6HpPREkyS5dJmyTKl&id=100064208731792
Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...Le52HhWzS6HpPREkyS5dJmyTKl&id=100064208731792
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BenS123
Member
I'm quite sure they'll provide a better service to their passengers than Xelabus have, as right now the route is run rather reluctantly by Yellow Coaches, and is always quite late.
GusB
Established Member
There is a separate thread for Transpora's operations. Anything not concerning Xelabus is off-topic.
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The Southampton-Bishops Waltham service completely gone? (there is now a source, see above).
To think that there was, not so long ago (certainly this side of the millennium), a two-hourly service 6 days a week all the way to Petersfield.
I hope that this is down to Xelabus' financial problems and not Hampshire County Council (HCC). If the former, then someone else could step in.
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For the sake of political balance, it should be pointed out that the Government is investing £7bn in Bus Service Improvement Plans, but if I recall, Hampshire and Southampton missed out. The DfT said areas not showing ‘sufficient ambition’, including for improvements to bus priority, would not be funded.
Cheaper and better buses in £7 billion package to level up transport outside London
Funding for major local transport schemes across the UK will speed up journeys and make services more reliable and greener.
I think the X9 and X10 will be replaced with a single route, although unlikely to cover the entirety of both existing routes.
My guess is that improvements to train services caused the decline of the Southampton - Petersfield bus service. Even with a change at Havant the train is still quicker than the direct bus was, leaving that to serve mainly intermediate demand which wasn’t really there (the only sizeable settlements en route are West End and Bishop’s Waltham). No wonder the bus service is on the verge of extinction.
One idea would be to extend the new Bluestar 14 every hour or two up to Bishops Waltham via Durley and then on to Eastleigh. That would cover much of the traditional service, with the exception of Horton Heath (but that is on the 3 now anyway).
This would also have the advantages of Eastleigh as a termination point, where there is a Bluestar depot, which would ease planning as you wouldn't have to worry so much about the turnaround time at Eastleigh. The only constraint then would be that outbound and inbound journeys would have to "cross" at Hedge End Station.
If they wanted to be really clever they could even extend some 2 journeys from Fair Oak to Bishops Waltham, then run them back to Southampton as the 14 forming a grand circle.
Possibly yes. I will say that on many occasions (particularly in the mid-90s) I used the 52 as a means to travel from Southampton to Petersfield and v.v. as it was often quicker than the train.
For the sake of political balance, it should be pointed out that the Government is investing £7bn in Bus Service Improvement Plans, but if I recall, Hampshire and Southampton missed out. The DfT said areas not showing ‘sufficient ambition’, including for improvements to bus priority, would not be funded.
Cheaper and better buses in £7 billion package to level up transport outside London
Funding for major local transport schemes across the UK will speed up journeys and make services more reliable and greener.www.gov.uk
Yeah sorry for the political rant (which I then deleted).. just thoroughly fed up to the back teeth with Tory cuts right now. But I'll stop there.
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Personally I think the new 14 should be extended to Hedge End village at the very least, to give a direct link from the station to the precinct and southern housing estates. From there there might be merit in extending every other journey to Bishop’s Waltham via Botley and Curdridge, continuing on to Eastleigh via Durley and Colden Common (mostly similar to the existing X9). It would be a very long winded route however.
... and the others - not going to Bishops Waltham - could then head back to Southampton on the 3, increasing the headway on that to half-hourly. But this is the wrong thread for that so I'd best stop there
BenS123
Member
So today is the last day of Yellow Coaches operation in Bournemouth and presumably the last day of a yellow coloured bus in Bournemouth, officially ending 120 years of history?
Just going into Bournemouth now to say farewell, incidentally on a morebus
Just going into Bournemouth now to say farewell, incidentally on a morebus
So today is the last day of Yellow Coaches operation in Bournemouth and presumably the last day of a yellow coloured bus in Bournemouth, officially ending 120 years of history?
Just going into Bournemouth now to say farewell, incidentally on a morebus
I would swear there was a yellow bus at the Morebus Garage in Swanage this morning.
BenS123
Member
There are 1812/1813 which are both in Yellow Buses livery but I think they're only used in the summer months on route 12
The treelopper is yellow and is kept at Swanage
I know Swanage is listed as a depot by Go South Coast and has an operators licence for 15 plus strangely a second one for 5?
I haven't been to Swanage for a few years but as far as I can see on Google maps, it is just a yard next to the (steam) Railway Stn, unless I am missing something, there is no sign of any Maintenance facility or offices?
Womar
Member
Last time I was there they had a small depot just up the road.
Swanage has full maintenance facilities and a full time engineer. The actual garage is only used for maintenance and occasionally storing buses, as is the case currently with 1812 being in there. There is no space at Poole or Bournemouth. The buses are kept, fuelled and washed in the open yard behind next to the railway line. The current allocation is 12 Volvo Evoseti, made up of 3 closed tops, 3 half tops and 6 convertibles. Swanage work the 40 and the 50 all year round and the 30 in the summer.
Thanks for the info, I eventually found the maintenance building on Google maps at no 53 Kings Road West (just round the corner from the Station parking area), that explains why there are 2 separate operators licences.
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