Go South Coast

[Gloster]

The electrics are in use: apparently they started yesterday afternoon (16th). It seems that not all of the first delivery have arrived, so there were still diesels working a few of the 9s that I saw today. I don’t what the situation is with the 1 and 5.

 

[fgwrich]

The electrics are in use: apparently they started yesterday afternoon (16th). It seems that not all of the first delivery have arrived, so there were still diesels working a few of the 9s that I saw today. I don’t what the situation is with the 1 and 5.

Indeed, it seems yesterday there was a further swap over occurring with a few more electrics arriving and the first of the enviro’s departing. What did surprise me though was that it was a batch of the 67 plate MMCs that left the island - I thought it would have been the 62 & 63 plate Enviros which would have left first.

 

[Mark L]

Indeed, it seems yesterday there was a further swap over occurring with a few more electrics arriving and the first of the enviro’s departing. What did surprise me though was that it was a batch of the 67 plate MMCs that left the island - I thought it would have been the 62 & 63 plate Enviros which would have left first.

I think that the Cirencester College contract, that they are destined for, mandates vehicles under a certain age. Don’t forget, also, that there are still more new Electroliners on their way.

 

[davedorset]

Indeed, it seems yesterday there was a further swap over occurring with a few more electrics arriving and the first of the enviro’s departing. What did surprise me though was that it was a batch of the 67 plate MMCs that left the island - I thought it would have been the 62 & 63 plate Enviros which would have left first.

I believe they are heading to swindon.

 

[Chris125]

The electrics are in use: apparently they started yesterday afternoon (16th). It seems that not all of the first delivery have arrived, so there were still diesels working a few of the 9s that I saw today. I don’t what the situation is with the 1 and 5.

I've seen a suggestion they're too heavy for the weight restriction at towngate bridge so are not working 1s - presumably they think that can be addressed given the importance of the route. I've seen a good few working 2s and 3s so are not as dedicated to certain routes as expected, for now anyway.

 

[Gloster]

I've seen a suggestion they're too heavy for the weight restriction at towngate bridge so are not working 1s - presumably they think that can be addressed given the importance of the route. I've seen a good few working 2s and 3s so are not as dedicated to certain routes as expected, for now anyway.

It does look as though the fully loaded weight is in the range of 18,500 to 19,500 kg., while the bridge appears to have a 17 t. limit. If that is correct and my fading mathematical ability has got it (w)right, that is a real, “Oh, bugler,” moment.

 

[MotCO]

It does look as though the fully loaded weight is in the range of 18,500 to 19,500 kg., while the bridge appears to have a 17 t. limit. If that is correct and my fading mathematical ability has got it (w)right, that is a real, “Oh, bugler,” moment.

It will be alright providing they don't carry any passengers

 

[Chris125]

It does look as though the fully loaded weight is in the range of 18,500 to 19,500 kg., while the bridge appears to have a 17 t. limit. If that is correct and my fading mathematical ability has got it (w)right, that is a real, “Oh, bugler,” moment.

Should be short lived hopefully, Council consulting on removing various weight restrictions: https://publicnoticeportal.uk/notice/traffic-and-roads/69a0115f1514619d251a5bf3

 

[Mark L]

Should be short lived hopefully, Council consulting on removing various weight restrictions: https://publicnoticeportal.uk/notice/traffic-and-roads/69a0115f1514619d251a5bf3

I’m sceptical that any work to strengthen the bridge has taken place (as claimed in the notice!). If some of the proposals are taken at face value a bridge that is currently only capable of taking a load of 3 tonnes will soon be able to be used by a 44 tonner! That’s the sort of uplift that would normally require a full rebuild.

 

[Gloster]

I’m sceptical that any work to strengthen the bridge has taken place (as claimed in the notice!). If some of the proposals are taken at face value a bridge that is currently only capable of taking a load of 3 tonnes will soon be able to be used by a 44 tonner! That’s the sort of uplift that would normally require a full rebuild.

It is B155 Towngate Bridge, Newport that is the one affecting the bus route and that presumably only has to go up to 20 tonne.

B192 and B193 in Ryde are over the railway north of St John’s Road station. They were due for rebuilding and this may have been done.

 

[dgl]

Just get all the passengers to get off the bus and then back on again once over the bridge , back in the day they used to do it so the bus could get up the hill on Portland!

 

[Mark L]

It is B155 Towngate Bridge, Newport that is the one affecting the bus route and that presumably only has to go up to 20 tonne.

B192 and B193 in Ryde are over the railway north of St John’s Road station. They were due for rebuilding and this may have been done.

The wording of the notice seems to imply that the current limits are being removed but does not mention any new restrictions. In the absence of this the default limit of 44 tonnes would appear to be the only option.

 

[Dwarfer1979]

The wording of the notice seems to imply that the current limits are being removed but does not mention any new restrictions. In the absence of this the default limit of 44 tonnes would appear to be the only option.

It would make more sense to simply adjust the limit to one that only applies to HGVs or exclude PSVs or local service buses to allow the new buses to operate without putting negativing the reason for the limit in the first place but as you say the wording of the notice does seem to simply be removing the limit rather than adjust or increase.

 

[Andyh82]

Is there diesel buses on order for GSC as well as the electrics? I was uncertain whether the buses due for the New Forest Breezer are brand new or cascades from Salisbury or Southern Vectis

 

[aswilliamsuk]

Is there diesel buses on order for GSC as well as the electrics? I was uncertain whether the buses due for the New Forest Breezer are brand new or cascades from Salisbury or Southern Vectis

The PSV Circle reported 13 Enviro 400 MMC are due alongside the electrics this year. It's understood five of them are new for Lymington, alongside the five ex-Bluestar examples being repainted at the moment.

 

[davedorset]

The PSV Circle reported 13 Enviro 400 MMC are due alongside the electrics this year. It's understood five of them are new for Lymington, alongside the five ex-Bluestar examples being repainted at the moment.

The other 8 are for poole.

 

[Towers]

The other 8 are for poole.

Any thoughts on what they’re likely to replace? Seeing off some of the OmniCity fleet maybe?

 

[davedorset]

Any thoughts on what they’re likely to replace? Seeing off some of the OmniCity fleet maybe?

Thats the plan. They may also be used on the 40's over the summer. But I belive the plan is for them to be used on the 14,16 and 17

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Mar 2026 ==

2 e100 are due for poole in the summer for the route one.

 

[James H]

The 17 is one of my local routes and whilst it would be nice to see less battered vehicles, I thought it was a deliberate choice to run the oldest stock there due to antisocial behaviour in Rossmore

 

[Mark L]

It would make more sense to simply adjust the limit to one that only applies to HGVs or exclude PSVs or local service buses to allow the new buses to operate without putting negativing the reason for the limit in the first place but as you say the wording of the notice does seem to simply be removing the limit rather than adjust or increase.

The Electroliners seem to have started appearing on service 1 now.

 

[Andyh82]

Regarding the electric buses at Southern Vectis, I assume only the main depot in Newport has got electric chargers?

Currently some buses outstation overnight at Ryde and to a lesser extent at Needles attraction. I assume electric buses won’t be on these boards

 

[Mark L]

Thats the plan. They may also be used on the 40's over the summer. But I belive the plan is for them to be used on the 14,16 and 17

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Mar 2026 ==

2 e100 are due for poole in the summer for the route one.

I believe that the E100EVs are being procured by BCP (but will be operated by Go South Coast).

 

[Simon75]

Regarding the electric buses at Southern Vectis, I assume only the main depot in Newport has got electric chargers?

Currently some buses outstation overnight at Ryde and to a lesser extent at Needles attraction. I assume electric buses won’t be on these boards

Don't they have other outstation too ?

 

[Megafuss]

Don't they have other outstation too ?

Mountjoy

 

[davedorset]

I believe that the E100EVs are being procured by BCP (but will be operated by Go South Coast).

Correct

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Mar 2026 ==

The 17 is one of my local routes and whilst it would be nice to see less battered vehicles, I thought it was a deliberate choice to run the oldest stock there due to antisocial behaviour in Rossmore

Same was said about the 5. However new vehicles have survived on that route.

 

[nw1]

Some changes to Bluestar from last Sunday including more time allowed for the 11 and 12 round trip (1hr05 rather than 1hr) presumably for reliability reasons.

However the journeys I've observed (only 4, all between 1030 and 1100) still seem to do what they generally used to in many cases, i.e. form the next 11/12 out of Southampton following their arrival. This means only a 5-min turnaround time which seems like a reliability risk.

I think I was expecting the journeys to "step back" to have a 15 min turnaround at Southampton with 8 workings rather than 7, which would significantly improve reliability (with the caveat that the routes are not entirely self-contained and occasionally interwork with the 4, 8 and 9).

 

[James H]

Summer Morebus changes are now in bustimes.org if you manipulate the dates

Things I've found so far:

- 11 and 21 reduced to hourly each (did wonder how these would fare after the initial BSIP and developer funding ran out)
(edited to add: 21 is extended from Turbary Retail Park to Canford Paddock, maintaining the 4bph link with Bournemouth from Bearwood when the 11, 21 and 6 are combined)

- 25 and 26 reduced from every 20 minutes to half-hourly

- X1 and X2 become New Forest Breezer 81 and 82 - changes include improved Sunday service

- Bluestar 6 becomes New Forest Breezer 86

- As expected, the 20 has picked up the eastern half of the 33 and becomes a through Poole to Christchurch bus, leaving the 33 running between Alum Chine and Castlepoint

 

[Dunderhead]

Summer Morebus changes are now in bustimes.org if you manipulate the dates

Things I've found so far:

- 11 and 21 reduced to hourly each (did wonder how these would fare after the initial BSIP and developer funding ran out)
(edited to add: 21 is extended from Turbary Retail Park to Canford Paddock, maintaining the 4bph link with Bournemouth from Bearwood when the 11, 21 and 6 are combined)

- 25 and 26 reduced from every 20 minutes to half-hourly

- X1 and X2 become New Forest Breezer 81 and 82 - changes include improved Sunday service

- Bluestar 6 becomes New Forest Breezer 86

- As expected, the 20 has picked up the eastern half of the 33 and becomes a through Poole to Christchurch bus, leaving the 33 running between Alum Chine and Castlepoint

Thanks for this, this prompted me to try using AI to compare Monday 27th April with Monday 1st June on bustimes.org to see if it could find anything you've not already mentioned here, and the main additional point it uncovered is what seems to be a significant re-shuffle of bus termini in Bournemouth town centre.



(The 1B frequency increase that was mentioned in the original version of this post was unfortunately just a mistake made by the AI which I didn't initially fact-check, sorry!)

 

[James H]

The Bournemouth Square changes are due to the remodelling of Gervis Place which means it will be closed from 23 May till next February(!) hence all the shuffling of stops.

I'm not seeing any change to the 1B though when I compare timetables manually on bustimes.org

 

[Dunderhead]

I'm not seeing any change to the 1B though when I compare timetables manually on bustimes.org

Yeah the clanker has admitted now that it got confused by duplicate records coming out of the bustimes.org API (although it's my fault really for not fact-checking), sorry! I've updated my post accordingly.