Use buses to help save our rail link

11:33am Friday 21st March 2008

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SUPPORT is growing to help save a popular rail link bus service between Romsey and Winchester.

South West Trains (SWT) bosses axed the service but, following a public outcry, agreed to fund extra journeys on the existing 66 and X66 Stagecoach bus services between Romsey bus station and Winchester railway station.

Now the Test Valley Hampshire Action Team is urging people to use the additional morning and evening routes which are due to continue until July when transport chiefs will see if a permanent option would be commercially viable.

HAT chairman county councillor Roy Perry is calling on residents to use the replacement services as much as possible and said he would be buying a bus ticket for the journey which stops in Ampfield, Hursley and Woodley, to attend Full Council meetings in Winchester.

"The County Council is part of a working group comprising SWT, Stagecoach, and Test Valley and Winchester councils, with the common aim of increasing the number of passengers using the service," he said.

"This is vital to its future, as passenger numbers will determine whether or not SWT reprieves it this summer.

"The service is especially helpful to those living in the rural areas between Romsey and Winchester. Without it I fear that most will drive to Winchester to pick up the train service to Waterloo."

Hundreds of residents including commuters and college students signed petitions against the bus cut last December. It was axed after 11 years because it was costing too much to run.

Nadine Taylor of campaign group Save Our Bus welcomed the support from Cllr Perry but said the marketing of the extra services was not enough to get people using the service.

"At the moment they are advertising shopping trips and days out to Winchester on the service," she said.

"This is fine but misses the point of the earlier and later services which was to cater for people who need to get to work or college."

"Sadly these buses too are not very reliable and many of us have had no choice but to start using our cars," she added.

Hampshire County Council are monitoring passenger numbers on the services which are due to continue until the end of the summer school term in July.