73 Hengrove–UWE Frenchay Campus explained

Number:73
Bgcolor:green
Titlecolor:white
Operator:First West of England
Garage:Hengrove
Start:Hengrove
Via:Whitchurch
Knowle
Bristol Temple Meads Station
City Centre
Gloucester Road
Lockleaze
End:UWE Frenchay

The 73 is a bus route that operates between Hengrove Depot and UWE Frenchay in Bristol. It is operated by First West of England.

History

On 1 February 2009, parts of the route that served the Ministry of Defence Abbey Wood facility, Filton High School, and a peak-hours only loop around Aztec West were all withdrawn in order to reduce journey times.[1] In 2010, the frequency during off-peak times was reduced from every 12 minutes to every 15 minutes.[2]

Route number 74 was introduced in 2012 as a replacement for several withdrawn routes. Like route 73, it ran between Cribbs Causeway and the city centre, however route 74 took a different route through Bradley Stoke.[3]

The former 74 bus route was merged with the 73 from 1 September 2013. The frequency of the combined route was a bus every 10 minutes during weekdays, every 15 minutes on Saturdays, and every 30 minutes on evenings and Sundays.[4]

From 31 August 2014, the service frequency was reduced from 10 minutes to 12 minutes.[5] From 4 September 2016, the peak service frequency was reduced from 12 minutes to 15 minutes and the route was extended to Temple Meads railway station.[6] [7]

In anticipation of a predicted drop in passenger numbers due to the introduction of MetroBus route m1 in January 2019, the route saw its frequency reduced to every 20 minutes.[8] [9] [10]

In July 2020, biomethane powered Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City CBG buses were introduced on the route.[11] [12]

In January 2021, Monday-Friday services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway railway station were withdrawn, resulting in a reduced frequency of 30 minutes in this section.[13]

From 30 January 2022, the route was shortened within Bradley Stoke by avoiding Baileys Court Road and Webbs Wood Road.[14] [15] [16] [17] From 22 January 2023, the northern section between Bradley Stoke and Cribbs Causeway was withdrawn following the introduction of the MetroBus route m4.[18] [19] In July 2023, it was announced that the route would be extended to Aztec West during non-peak times and would be combined with route 92, which ran between the city centre and Hengrove Park.[20]

In September 2022, the extended route 73 began operating, covering the former route 92 between Whitchurch and Temple Gate.[21] As a result, it no longer used biogas fuelled vehicles, as the responsibility for the route was transferred to Hengrove Depot, which did not have access to natural gas refuelling like the former depot, Lawrence Hill. It has since used primarily Wright Eclipse Geminis.

In September 2024, the route was again significantly altered, now being extended in the south to reach Hengrove Depot, and in the north it has been diverted to UWE Frenchay, having swapped the north end of its route with the 74 as part of major service changes enacted by First.[22]

Service

The service is operated by First West of England. The route formerly had a peak-times express numbered X73.[23]

References

  1. Web site: 2009-01-19 . Improvements to 73 bus service leave Aztec West without public transport link . 2023-01-16 . Bradley Stoke Journal.
  2. Web site: 2010-01-01 . More bus cuts for Bradley Stoke . 2023-01-16 . Bradley Stoke Journal.
  3. Web site: 2012-08-30 . Winners and losers in Bradley Stoke bus shake-up . 2023-01-16 . Bradley Stoke Journal.
  4. Web site: 2013-08-30. Bus service shake-up comes into effect this Sunday (1st September). 2022-02-08. Bradley Stoke Journal. en-US. 2021-04-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418230848/http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2013/08/30/bus-service-shake-up-effect-sunday/. live.
  5. Web site: 2014-08-28. Another round of bus service alterations effective from Sunday. 2022-02-08. Bradley Stoke Journal. en-US.
  6. Web site: 2016-09-21. Reliability of 73 and X73 bus services hits another low after timetable change. 2022-02-08. Bradley Stoke Journal. en-US. 2021-04-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20210422145908/http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2016/09/21/reliability-73-x73-bus-services-hits-low-timetable-change/. live.
  7. Web site: 2014-08-28 . Another round of bus service alterations effective from Sunday . 2022-12-09 . Bradley Stoke Journal.
  8. Web site: 2018-11-17. Reprieve for X73 route but 73 frequency to drop to 'every 20 mins'. 2022-02-08. Bradley Stoke Journal. en-US. 2021-04-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20210422140130/http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2018/11/17/reprieve-x73-route-73-frequency-drop-20-mins/. live.
  9. Web site: 2018-08-20. First Bus boss to face questions on future of 73 and X73 services. 2022-02-08. Bradley Stoke Journal. en-US. 2021-04-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20210417234816/http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2018/08/20/bus-boss-face-questions-future-73-x73-service/. live.
  10. Web site: Davis. Krishan. 2019-01-06. Bristol's bus service overhaul starts today: What you need to know. 2022-02-08. BristolLive. en.
  11. Web site: Taylor. Jonathan. 2020-07-29. First West of England unveils three more gas buses as zero-emission target is set. 2022-02-08. CBW. en-GB.
  12. Web site: 2020-07-30. Gas-powered buses for route 73. 2022-02-08. Bishopston Voice. en-GB.
  13. Web site: 2021-01-19. Big changes for Bristol's buses. 2022-02-08. Bristol 24/7. en. 2021-01-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20210123111633/https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/big-changes-for-bristols-buses/. live.
  14. Web site: 2022-01-12. Webbs Wood Road & Baileys Court Road to be cut from 73 bus route. 2022-02-08. Bradley Stoke Journal. en-US. 2022-01-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20220112224428/http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2022/01/12/webbs-wood-baileys-court-cut-73-bus-route/. live.
  15. Web site: 2022-02-06. Old timetables still displayed on axed section of 73 bus route. 2022-02-08. Bradley Stoke Journal. en-US. 2022-02-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20220207080223/http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2022/02/06/old-timetables-still-displayed-axed-section-73-bus-route/. live.
  16. Web site: Cruse. Beth. 2022-01-11. New bus routes planned for Bristol this month. 2022-02-08. BristolLive. en. 2022-01-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20220130074605/https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/first-bus-reinstate-old-bristol-6475157. live.
  17. Web site: 2022-04-22 . First boss grilled over 73 bus route change . 2022-04-23 . Bradley Stoke Journal . en-US.
  18. Web site: Stone . Mary . 2022-12-08 . New metrobus service to launch next month . 2022-12-08 . BristolLive . en.
  19. Web site: 2023-01-11 . First Bus service 73 to terminate in north Bradley Stoke from 22nd January . 2023-01-16 . Bradley Stoke Journal.
  20. Web site: 2023-07-24 . First Bus 73 service to follow cross-city route from September . 2023-07-26 . Bradley Stoke Journal.
  21. News: 2023-08-29 . Four Bristol bus services cancelled as three new ones launch . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-09-10.
  22. Web site: September 2024 First Bristol, Bath & the West Service Changes. 2024-09-18.
  23. Web site: September 2010. Getting around Filton area. 2022-02-08. South Gloucestershire Council. 2022-02-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20220208114949/https://www.southglos.gov.uk/Documents/Leaflets/PTE100209.pdf. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "73 Hengrove–UWE Frenchay Campus".

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