Southern Vectis route 3
Encyclopedia
Southern Vectis route 3 is a bus service operated on the Isle of Wight
by Southern Vectis
between Newport
, Ventnor
and Ryde
. It also runs via Rookley
, Godshill
and Brading
. The general daytime frequency of the route is every half-hour each direction, although in the evenings and on Sundays fewer buses run. Double-decker bus
es are normally used to operate the route.
The full Route Rouge service 3 ran from Cowes
Co-op to Newport bus station
via Cowes Roundhouse, then to Rookley
, Godshill
and Whiteley Bank
along the A3020 road. From there it continued to Ventnor
via Wroxall
. Buses ran every hour during weekdays, but in the evenings and on Sundays this service was reduced.
Service 3A ran instead of certain journeys on the 3, initially running all Sunday journeys, some early morning and evening journeys. The Sunday service was transferred to service 3 after a subsidy grant ran out. Apart from a few special journeys which ran through from Cowes, the 3A ran south of Newport only. The route was broadly the same as the 3, but instead of following the A3020 to Godshill, the bus ran from Newport to north Merstone on the A3056, then running through Merstone to reach the A3020. From Bohemia Corner the route was the same as that for the 3.
Service 3B ran in addition to the main route on weekdays. It ran from Newport to Robin Hill, Arreton
, Winford
and Apse Heath
, partly along the A3056 road. It then continued to Sandown
. This route did not operate during the same part of the day as route 2B, which was an evenings and Sundays-only service. Services 2, and 2B
also operated under the Route Rouge branding.
From 2003 certain journeys on routes 3 and 3A were extended from Ventnor to Ryde
, running as service 7B
along the A3055. This was a precursor to the current route 3, as described below.
was in the process of being redeveloped, and so along with most of Southern Vectis' other routes, it operated from Newport's temporary Litten Park bus stands. However, as noted above, certain journeys on the previous route 3 had followed a similar pattern of service prior to the network change.
. The core service from Newport to Ventnor continued with some differences, those being that all buses initially ran via Merstone, service frequency was increased to half-hourly and the Route Rouge branding was no longer used. The route was also extended from Ventnor to Ryde following the previous route of service 7B
, with some re-routing within Ryde.
Service 3B was abandoned and replaced by the new route 8
.
Night buses were trialled on the route from the outset, numbered N3, initially running only on Friday and Saturday nights from Ryde to Shanklin. From Shanklin they continued to Newport as service N2
. However, from 1 January 2007 the night buses were extended to cover the entire route to Newport as service N3, running via Ventnor but serving Rookley rather than Merstone.
From 30 September 2007 to 15 March 2008, service N3 was trialled as one of 3 night bus routes to run every night. The other services concerned were N1
and N9
. However, with a drop in subsidy, these services returned to running on Friday and Saturday nights only from 16 March 2008.
On 17 March 2008, most evening services on route 2 were withdrawn due to a cut in local government subsidy. Because of this, the route of service 3 was revised to include a variation via Rookley, which is served instead of Merstone before 07:15 and after 20:00 daily. When evening services on route 2 were re-introduced on 31 August 2008, early morning and evening services on route 3 still continued to serve Rookley instead of Merstone. However, as from 5 April 2009 all route 3 buses (except night bus services) served Merstone again. From 5 September 2010 as part of further cost-cutting measures due to cuts in support for unprofitable routes by the Isle of Wight Council, all journeys on route 3 ran once again via Rookley, with route 2 switched to serve Merstone, which had its evening service withdrawn.
In 2008, route 3 was one of three routes, the others being route 1
and route 9 to receive an hourly service on Christmas Day. 2008 is the first year buses have run on Christmas Day.
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
by Southern Vectis
Southern Vectis
The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group in 2005 and is a part of the company's Go South Coast division. The firm employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and coaches...
between Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
, Ventnor
Ventnor
Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...
and Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
. It also runs via Rookley
Rookley
Rookley is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. It is located five kilometres south of Newport near the centre of the Island.It has a country park on the site of the last working Isle of Wight brickworks. There is a pub at the country park and another pub, the "Chequers" a short...
, Godshill
Godshill
Godshill is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight with a population of 1,465 according to the 2001 census. It is located between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the Island.-History:...
and Brading
Brading
The ancient 'Kynges Towne' of Brading is the main town of the civil parish of the same name. The ecclesiastical parish of Brading used to cover about a tenth of the Isle of Wight. The current civil parish now includes the town itself and Adgestone, Morton, Nunwell and other outlying areas between...
. The general daytime frequency of the route is every half-hour each direction, although in the evenings and on Sundays fewer buses run. Double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
es are normally used to operate the route.
Route Rouge
Until April 2006, the route number 3, and its associated 3A and 3B numbers, was used to flag buses providing services on the Route Rouge, a network of bus routes that crossed the Island, broadly from north to south. The network was started in January 2001, although route 2B was not added until November 2003.Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
Co-op to Newport bus station
Newport (Isle of Wight) bus station
Newport bus station, on the Isle of Wight is located at Orchard Street in Newport town centre. Recent redevelopment has seen the former 1960s-built South Street bus station demolished, to make way for a new row of shops, and the current facility built behind that site...
via Cowes Roundhouse, then to Rookley
Rookley
Rookley is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. It is located five kilometres south of Newport near the centre of the Island.It has a country park on the site of the last working Isle of Wight brickworks. There is a pub at the country park and another pub, the "Chequers" a short...
, Godshill
Godshill
Godshill is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight with a population of 1,465 according to the 2001 census. It is located between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the Island.-History:...
and Whiteley Bank
Whiteley Bank
Whiteley Bank, also spelled "Whitely Bank", is a small village or hamlet on the Isle of Wight, England. It is mainly known by the crossroads, now styled as a mini-roundabout, between the A3020, B3327 and Canteen Road to Apse Heath. Whiteley Bank is in Newchurch Parish.Whiteley Bank is the home of...
along the A3020 road. From there it continued to Ventnor
Ventnor
Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...
via Wroxall
Wroxall
Wroxall may refer to:*Wroxall, Isle of Wight, England*Wroxall, Warwickshire, England...
. Buses ran every hour during weekdays, but in the evenings and on Sundays this service was reduced.
Service 3A ran instead of certain journeys on the 3, initially running all Sunday journeys, some early morning and evening journeys. The Sunday service was transferred to service 3 after a subsidy grant ran out. Apart from a few special journeys which ran through from Cowes, the 3A ran south of Newport only. The route was broadly the same as the 3, but instead of following the A3020 to Godshill, the bus ran from Newport to north Merstone on the A3056, then running through Merstone to reach the A3020. From Bohemia Corner the route was the same as that for the 3.
Service 3B ran in addition to the main route on weekdays. It ran from Newport to Robin Hill, Arreton
Arreton
Arreton is a village and civil parish in the central eastern part of the Isle of Wight, England. It is about 3 miles south east of Newport.-Name:The settlement has had different names and different spellings over the years...
, Winford
Winford, Isle of Wight
Winford is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight, that since the 1950s and in particular in the late 1970s has seen considerable housing development. The local shop in Forest Road closed some time ago, but tourist attractions with gift shops are situated nearby....
and Apse Heath
Apse Heath
Apse Heath is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight, UK. Apse Heath is centered around the intersection of Newport Road and Alverstone Road. It is northeast of Whiteley Bank and south of Winford....
, partly along the A3056 road. It then continued to Sandown
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...
. This route did not operate during the same part of the day as route 2B, which was an evenings and Sundays-only service. Services 2, and 2B
Southern Vectis route 2
Southern Vectis route 2 is a bus service operated on the Isle of Wight by Southern Vectis between Newport and Ryde via Merstone, Godshill, Shanklin, Sandown and Brading. The general daytime frequency of the route is every half-hour each direction, although in the evenings and on Sundays fewer buses...
also operated under the Route Rouge branding.
From 2003 certain journeys on routes 3 and 3A were extended from Ventnor to Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
, running as service 7B
Southern Vectis route 7
Southern Vectis route 7 is a bus service operated by Southern Vectis between Newport and Alum Bay via Yarmouth, Freshwater and Totland. The general daytime frequency of the route is every hour each direction. There has been significant local concern over the withdrawal of route 7 from some villages...
along the A3055. This was a precursor to the current route 3, as described below.
Current Route
Officially, the current route 3 began operation on 1 April 2006 at the start of Southern Vectis' new network change. As such, when it first began operation Newport bus stationNewport (Isle of Wight) bus station
Newport bus station, on the Isle of Wight is located at Orchard Street in Newport town centre. Recent redevelopment has seen the former 1960s-built South Street bus station demolished, to make way for a new row of shops, and the current facility built behind that site...
was in the process of being redeveloped, and so along with most of Southern Vectis' other routes, it operated from Newport's temporary Litten Park bus stands. However, as noted above, certain journeys on the previous route 3 had followed a similar pattern of service prior to the network change.
Route
The main route as it stands today retains most of the pre-2006 route. The section from Cowes to Newport was cut, and all services on this corridor are now run by route 1Southern Vectis route 1
Southern Vectis route 1 is a bus service operated by Southern Vectis between Cowes and Newport on the Isle of Wight. The daytime frequency of the route is every 7-8 minutes. There are two route variants between Northwood and Cowes Pontoon, running either via Cowes Round House or Cowes Park and Ride...
. The core service from Newport to Ventnor continued with some differences, those being that all buses initially ran via Merstone, service frequency was increased to half-hourly and the Route Rouge branding was no longer used. The route was also extended from Ventnor to Ryde following the previous route of service 7B
Southern Vectis route 7
Southern Vectis route 7 is a bus service operated by Southern Vectis between Newport and Alum Bay via Yarmouth, Freshwater and Totland. The general daytime frequency of the route is every hour each direction. There has been significant local concern over the withdrawal of route 7 from some villages...
, with some re-routing within Ryde.
Service 3B was abandoned and replaced by the new route 8
Southern Vectis route 8
Southern Vectis route 8 is a bus service operated on the Isle of Wight by Southern Vectis between Newport and Ryde. The route travels via Pan Estate, Robin Hill, Arreton, Winford, Lake, Sandown, Yaverland, Bembridge, St Helens, Nettlestone, Seaview and Pondwell. The general daytime frequency of the...
.
Night buses were trialled on the route from the outset, numbered N3, initially running only on Friday and Saturday nights from Ryde to Shanklin. From Shanklin they continued to Newport as service N2
Southern Vectis route 2
Southern Vectis route 2 is a bus service operated on the Isle of Wight by Southern Vectis between Newport and Ryde via Merstone, Godshill, Shanklin, Sandown and Brading. The general daytime frequency of the route is every half-hour each direction, although in the evenings and on Sundays fewer buses...
. However, from 1 January 2007 the night buses were extended to cover the entire route to Newport as service N3, running via Ventnor but serving Rookley rather than Merstone.
From 30 September 2007 to 15 March 2008, service N3 was trialled as one of 3 night bus routes to run every night. The other services concerned were N1
Southern Vectis route 1
Southern Vectis route 1 is a bus service operated by Southern Vectis between Cowes and Newport on the Isle of Wight. The daytime frequency of the route is every 7-8 minutes. There are two route variants between Northwood and Cowes Pontoon, running either via Cowes Round House or Cowes Park and Ride...
and N9
Southern Vectis route 9
Southern Vectis route 9 is a bus route operated on the Isle of Wight by Southern Vectis between Newport and Ryde via Fairlee/Staplers, Wootton and Binstead. The general daytime frequency of the route is every 10 minutes in each direction, every 15 minutes on Sundays and every 15 minutes in the...
. However, with a drop in subsidy, these services returned to running on Friday and Saturday nights only from 16 March 2008.
On 17 March 2008, most evening services on route 2 were withdrawn due to a cut in local government subsidy. Because of this, the route of service 3 was revised to include a variation via Rookley, which is served instead of Merstone before 07:15 and after 20:00 daily. When evening services on route 2 were re-introduced on 31 August 2008, early morning and evening services on route 3 still continued to serve Rookley instead of Merstone. However, as from 5 April 2009 all route 3 buses (except night bus services) served Merstone again. From 5 September 2010 as part of further cost-cutting measures due to cuts in support for unprofitable routes by the Isle of Wight Council, all journeys on route 3 ran once again via Rookley, with route 2 switched to serve Merstone, which had its evening service withdrawn.
Services
A half-hourly service is operated in each direction during Monday-Sunday daytimes. Evening services run once per hour.| Bus leaves Departure point ↓ | First buses | Last buses | Journey Times (daytime) to: | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to Ryde | to Newport | to Ryde | to Newport | Newport | Merstone | Godshill | Ventnor | Shanklin | Sandown | Brading | Ryde | |
| Newport | 05:30 | 23:35 | 0h11 | 0h17 | 0h43 | 1h00 | 1h18 | 1h24 | 1h47 | |||
| Merstone | 07:18, 07:41 | 07:46, 08:24 | 19:50 | 19:24 | 0h16 | 0h06 | 0h32 | 0h49 | 1h07 | 1h13 | 1h36 | |
| Godshill | 05:40, 06:40 | 06:26, 07:26 | 23:45 | 00:19 | 0h21 | 0h05 | 0h26 | 0h49 | 1h01 | 1h07 | 1h30 | |
| Ventnor | 05:55, 06:58 | 06:15, 07:15 | 00:00 | 00:04 | 0h40 | 0h25 | 0h20 | 0h17 | 0h33 | 0h39 | 1h02 | |
| Shanklin | 06:05, 07:15 | 06:03, 07:03 | 00:10 | 23:51 | 1h00 | 0h44 | 0h39 | 0h19 | 0h18 | 0h24 | 0h47 | |
| Sandown | 05:55, 06:55 | 06:17, 07:27 | 23:40 | 00:22 | 1h17 | 1h01 | 0h56 | 0h36 | 0h17 | 0h06 | 0h29 | |
| Brading | 05:47, 06:47 | 06:23, 07:33 | 23:32 | 00:28 | 1h25 | 1h09 | 1h04 | 0h44 | 0h25 | 0h08 | 0h23 | |
| Ryde | 05:35, 06:35 | 23:15 | 1h42 | 1h26 | 1h21 | 1h01 | 0h42 | 0h25 | 0h17 | |||
In 2008, route 3 was one of three routes, the others being route 1
Southern Vectis route 1
Southern Vectis route 1 is a bus service operated by Southern Vectis between Cowes and Newport on the Isle of Wight. The daytime frequency of the route is every 7-8 minutes. There are two route variants between Northwood and Cowes Pontoon, running either via Cowes Round House or Cowes Park and Ride...
and route 9 to receive an hourly service on Christmas Day. 2008 is the first year buses have run on Christmas Day.
External links
- Southern Vectis website - islandbuses.info
- Southern Vectis route list
- Southern Vectis route 3
- Full Timetable