Solent Electric

Unite the Union intend to take industrial action in in Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham on 19, 21, 24 and 26 December. Solent from First Bus services will be impacted. 

Service levels for 19,21,24 and 26 December: 

**Please note that all services may be subject to change at short notice and passengers should check before travelling.**

• First Bus expects routes 2, 7, 8, 22, Hoverbus (H1), the Portsmouth Park & Ride (PR1) and Portsmouth University U1 and U2 service to operate as normal.

• School and College services PC1, PC2, RED, SD4, SD5 and SD7 are expected to operate as normal.

• A reduced and limited service is planned to operate on routes 3, 5, 9, E1, and E2.

• Route 3 will operate between Fareham and Cosham Health Centre only every 20 minutes between approx. 7am and 6pm. Passengers travelling to/from Portsmouth, please use services 7 and 8 and change at Cosham.

• Route 5 will operate hourly between approx. 7am and 6pm with additional journeys at peak times. Please see special timetable for further details.

Route 9 will operate half hourly at most times between approx. 7am and 6pm.

Click here to see special timetable for routes 5, 9, 3 and E1/E2. 

• Routes E1 and E2 will each operate half hourly between approx. 7am and 6pm, with a combined 15-minute frequency between Fareham and Fort Brockhurst.

We anticipate operating the Boxing Day service as advertised, but routes 1, 3, E1 and E2 may be subject to short notice cancellations.

For the latest information, customers should go to: 

Website: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/portsmouth-fareham-gosport/news-and-service-updates

Social media: X.com @FirstPortsmouth

Phone: First Bus National Contact Centre 0345 646 0707 

Industrial Action Announcement: December 2024

Unite the Union have announced they intend to take industrial action on 19th, 21st, 24th, and 26th December 2024.

A spokesperson for First Solent said:
"We are disappointed at Unite’s decision to announce potential strike action. This will cause severe disruption to the daily lives of our customers in Portsmouth, Fareham, and Gosport who rely on the bus to get to work, education, and for appointments.

"The management team at First Bus Solent have been working hard to agree a pay settlement and have already made a substantial offer. Discussions with Unite the Union continue, and we are focused on trying to avoid any industrial action.

"We would like to apologise to our customers for the disruption the strike action may cause."

We will provide updates as the situation develops. Please check our website and social media channels closer to the dates for the latest information on services.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Festing Road is closed until further notice from the 11th of November until the 31st of December due to ongoing road works. The following diversions are in place:

Services 1 towards South Parade Pier​:

Diverting via Eastney Road, Cromwell Road, St Georges Road and Eastern Parade back onto the normal route. TEMPORARY STOP IN CROMWELL ROAD

Services 1 towards Milton Park​:

Diverting after serving Canoe Lake Bus Stop, via Eastern Parade, St Georges Road, Cromwell Road and Eastney Road back onto the normal route.​ TEMPORARY STOP IN CROMWELL ROAD

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused during these works which are out of our control and may change at short notice.
As soon as the junction at the Festing Hotel is open we will return to normal route.

Route Diversion, Routes X4 and X5
City Centre, Monday 4th November for up to 7 Weeks.

Due to the Christmas Fair and road closures in Southampton City Centre, routes X4 and X5 will not be able to serve the stops at:
Marlands Centre,  WestQuay, Castle Way, or Holyrood Church towards Woolston, Locks Heath, Fareham and Portsmouth.
Passengers are advised to use the alternative stops at either:

Houndwell Park, Queensway (old Debenhams Store) or the Oxford Street stop.
Services towards Southampton Central Station are unaffected and will remain on normal route.

Passengers area advised to check back regularly for updates on the diversion.

Please signal clearly to your driver.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
This closure may change at short notice, due to circumstances outside of our control.
 

Passenger information notice, routes E1, E2, 5, 9/9A, and 11.

North Cross Street all services.
E1, E2, 5, 9/9A, and 11.

From Monday 28th October,

Passengers will be able to board the bus at the new stop in North Cross Street.

Passengers for route 11 please be aware that;
both Alverstoke and Fareham services depart from this location, please check the destination screen on your approaching bus.

Please signal clearly to your driver.
 

New Gosport Bus Interchange will be opening on the 9th October 2024.

We are excited to announce that the brand-new Gosport Bus Interchange will officially open on the 9th of October 2024! This modern facility has been designed to enhance your travel experience, offering improved convenience and comfort.

To help you navigate the new station, here is a breakdown of where your favourite routes will depart:

• Route E1 will depart from Stand A
• Route E2 will depart from Stand B
• Route 9/9A will depart from Stand D
• Route 5 will depart from Stand E
• Route 11 will depart from Stand F

We encourage all passengers to familiarise themselves with these changes ahead of time and look forward to welcoming you to the new Gosport Bus Interchange!

UPDATE: THE HARD INTERCHANGE WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL AT LEAST 2nd JANUARY 2025. PLEASE CONTINUE TO USE THE TEMPORARY STOPS.

On Monday 22nd July The Hard bus station will be closed for major road works. These works are expected to last six months. All First Bus services will arrive and depart from Stand L out on the main road in front of the dockyard gates. The bus station building and our travel shop will remain open. You can still buy First Bus tickets and National Express from the travel shop. Staff will be on hand to direct you to your bus or coach.