A NEW bus timetable, introduced last Saturday, has been dubbed “Alton’s best kept secret” by some passengers but Stagecoach (South) Ltd says “significant changes” should secure an improved and more viable service for the town.

The changes follow the review of the commercial 65 Alton/Bentley/Farnham/Guildford service which was due for withdrawal last year but which the travelling public successfully argued should be retained.

Following a passenger survey conducted by Alton Town Council and Bentley Parish Council, the decision has been made to retain the 65 bus for at least another 12 months. But since Stagecoach no longer receives Hampshire County Council subsidies for its regular services, in order to support the viability of the 65 it has been decided to withdraw the 23 service.

Although reluctant to make changes, Stagecoach commercial manager Adam Hawksworth pointed out that there had been public consultation over the future of the 65 service as well as notices on the buses and leaflets to alert passengers to the changes.

While this has been achieved, he says, by cutting out the 23 town service and reducing the frequency of buses through Alton’s housing estates, it has also allowed for improvements by using other services to cover the route, to facilitate extended coverage, with the introduction of earlier and later buses to the town’s estates, coupled with improved access further afield to Guildford and Basingstoke.

In a complex manoeuvre, the 23 service is to be withdrawn, to be replaced by changes to the 13, 38 and 65 services.

But according to Alton Line Users’ Association vice-president Chris Campbell, it will mean some of the town buses will no longer serve the railway station or the health centre – considered key destinations by those who rely on public transport.

While Mr Hawksworth accepts that the 65 bus will lose its connection with Alton railway station, he points out that it does not currently provide a sensible train connection. On balance it was felt more important to retain a local bus service for the town and Stagecoach is managing to do so, on a commercial basis, by using routes 13 and 13X, which serve Southview Rise, and 65, which will now cover the Manor and Wooteys estates. It is felt the speed of this route should make the journey from Alton estates to Farnham railway station a suitable alternative for onward trains to London.

The 23 service currently covers three main areas of the town – Manor/Wooteys, Nursery Road/Geales Crescent, and Southview Rise/Greenfields Avenue.

As from Saturday, services 13 and 13X (Liphook/Bordon/Alton/Odiham/Basingstoke) and 613 (Alton/Basingstoke) will now run along Greenfields Avenue and via Southview Rise to Old Odiham Road and back to rejoin the existing route at Church Street to the High Street. The majority of journeys on college days will no longer operate via the forecourt of Alton College but instead will drop off outside at new bus stops.

The 13 service will run from early in the day until late in the evening, offering an improved level of service for Southview Rise, including a direct link to Basingstoke, running up to every 30 minutes at peak times and hourly through the day.

The 38 service (Petersfield/Bordon/Alton) will operate a loop three times a day from Alton railway station via Geales Crescent, Nursery Road and Anstey Lane to provide a limited replacement for passengers in this area following the withdrawal of the 23 bus. There are no changes to times on the existing section of the route.

The 65 service (Alton/Bentley/Farnham/Guildford) will have a revised timetable to improve punctuality and, says Mr Hawksworth, Stagecoach is continuing to work hard at attracting new users to the service.

“A fast and direct service” that will continue to run hourly throughout most of the day Monday to Saturday, the revised route will now include Old Odiham Road (passing Amery Hill School and Alton College), Wooteys Way, Jenner Way, Manor Road and Anstey Lane, offering these areas a direct link to Farnham and Guildford as well as Alton town centre.

“Route 65 will provide a more comprehensive level of service for Wooteys Way and Manor Road, with buses starting much earlier in the day and running until much later in the evening,” said the Stagecoach boss, who explained: “We started running the 23 bus a year ago and, unfortunately, there were not enough people using the service.

“It couldn’t cover its running costs, so we had to rethink how best to serve the town.

“We think the new alternatives should help benefit the majority of our customers as we’re still going to be running buses to all parts of town.

“Our new routes in Alton help provide new direct links to Basingstoke, Farnham and Guildford from the estates, plus buses now start running earlier in the day and finish later in the evening. Connections can still be made in the town between routes when travelling further afield.”

For more details on the new timetable, a journey planner, and fares, visit stagecoachbus.com.

New leaflets are available to be picked up from travel centres and on the buses, and bus shelter timetables will be updated over the weekend.