73 Whitchurch–Aztec West
| 73 | |
|---|---|
.JPG) First West of England 39463 operating the 73 at Bristol Temple Meads Station | |
| Overview | |
| Operator | First West of England |
| Garage | Hengrove |
| Route | |
| Start | Whitchurch |
| Via | Knowle Bristol Temple Meads Station City Centre Gloucester Road Filton Avenue Bristol Parkway Station Bradley Stoke |
| End | Aztec West |
| Length | 14.9 miles |
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The 73 is a bus route that operates between Whitchurch and Aztec West.
History[edit]
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the Ministry of Defence Abbey Wood facility, Filton High School, and a peak-hours only loop around Aztec West were all withdrawn in order to reduce journey times.[1] In 2010, the frequency during off-peak times was reduced from every 12 minutes to every 15 minutes.[2]
Route number 74 was introduced in 2012 as a replacement for several withdrawn routes.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 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In January 2021, Monday-Friday services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway railway station were withdrawn, resulting in a reduced frequency of 30 minutes in this section.[13]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Wood Road.[14][15][16][17] From 22 January 2023, the northern section between Bradley Stoke and Cribbs Causeway was withdrawn following the introduction of the MetroBus route m4.[18][19] In July 2023, it was announced that the route would be extended to Aztec West during non-peak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, the extended route 73 began operating, covering the former route 92 between Whitchurch and Temple Gate.[21]
Service[edit]
The service is operated by First West of England.[11] The route formerly had a peak-times express numbered X73.[6][22]
References[edit]
- ^ "Improvements to 73 bus service leave Aztec West without public transport link". Bradley Stoke Journal. 19 January 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ "More bus cuts for Bradley Stoke". Bradley Stoke Journal. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ "Winners and losers in Bradley Stoke bus shake-up". Bradley Stoke Journal. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ "Bus service shake-up comes into effect this Sunday (1st September)". Bradley Stoke Journal. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Another round of bus service alterations effective from Sunday". Bradley Stoke Journal. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Reliability of 73 and X73 bus services hits another low after timetable change". Bradley Stoke Journal. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Another round of bus service alterations effective from Sunday". Bradley Stoke Journal. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ "Reprieve for X73 route but 73 frequency to drop to 'every 20 mins'". Bradley Stoke Journal. 17 November 2018. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "First Bus boss to face questions on future of 73 and X73 services". Bradley Stoke Journal. 20 August 2018. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ Davis, Krishan (6 January 2019). "Bristol's bus service overhaul starts today: What you need to know". BristolLive. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ a b Taylor, Jonathan (29 July 2020). "First West of England unveils three more gas buses as zero-emission target is set". CBW. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Gas-powered buses for route 73". Bishopston Voice. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Big changes for Bristol's buses". Bristol 24/7. 19 January 2021. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Webbs Wood Road & Baileys Court Road to be cut from 73 bus route". Bradley Stoke Journal. 12 January 2022. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Old timetables still displayed on axed section of 73 bus route". Bradley Stoke Journal. 6 February 2022. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ Cruse, Beth (11 January 2022). "New bus routes planned for Bristol this month". BristolLive. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "First boss grilled over 73 bus route change". Bradley Stoke Journal. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ Stone, Mary (8 December 2022). "New metrobus service to launch next month". BristolLive. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
- ^ "First Bus service 73 to terminate in north Bradley Stoke from 22nd January". Bradley Stoke Journal. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ "First Bus 73 service to follow cross-city route from September". Bradley Stoke Journal. 24 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Four Bristol bus services cancelled as three new ones launch". BBC News. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ "Getting around Filton area" (PDF). South Gloucestershire Council. September 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.