Bus Rapid Transit

Eclipse - Bringing Bus Rapid Transit to South Hampshire

An opportunity was identified to use an abandoned rail line as a dedicated bus way between Fareham and Gosport with the aim of significantly speeding up journey times and providing a new link to Fareham Rail Station.

The project was completed in partnership with Hampshire County Council. It enables high specification “Eclipse” branded buses to bypass the heavily congested A32. Handpicked drivers ensure customers have the best possible experience. 

The success of the scheme has been phenomenal.

• Since the launch of the service, in April 2012, First Bus has seen patronage growth year after year.
• In the first two years of operation the overall passenger growth on the Fareham to Gosport corridor (including other non-direct services) has increased by 12%.
• The service has been increased in frequency (now a combined frequency of every 6 minutes) to cater for the increased demand.
• At the same time journey times were reduced by virtue of using a dedicated bus way. 
• Customer research has shown that 20% of Eclipse customers previously used a car for their journey.

This project has only been possible thanks to the excellent partnership between First Bus and Hampshire County Council.