TD and WG Resident Association Councillors and residents attended a meeting at Surrey County Council on 25th November where our Save Our Buses petition with over 2,100 signatures was formally acknowledged. We were also given the opportunity to speak and reiterate the importance of Thames Ditton and Weston Green maintaining a fit for purpose bus service now, and in the future.
At the meeting, the proposed changes to the 458, 514 and 515 bus services were revealed and these are detailed below for you. We are disappointed that the bus services are not continuing in their current form but pleased that Thames Ditton and Weston Green are retaining the following services from 31st December 2016.
One major concern, however, which we raised with Surrey County Council, is that under the new proposals there will be no service between Thames Ditton and Surbiton. We have asked the officers concerned to look into rectifying this and will keep you posted regarding the outcome. Going forward, we also have serious concerns about what will happen when all the bus contracts in Elmbridge come up for renewal/tender in August 2017.
There is no doubt we will need to keep vigilant in our campaign to Save Our Buses.
Cllr Tricia W. Bland
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NEW BUS SERVICE DETAILS
458 Staines-Laleham-Shepperton-Walton-Walton Station-Hersham Green-Esher-Portsmouth Road-Kingston (Half hourly, but hourly evenings and Sundays).
CHANGE: Will be run by Hallmark Connections over the current route, on Mondays to Saturdays, once per hour from Staines to Kingston, but with additional buses between Staines and Walton town centre, so a bus runs every half hour between those two towns. Last buses from Kingston and Staines may be earlier than now. On Sundays, will run hourly Staines to Kingston.
513 Downside-Cobham-Stoke D’Abernon-Oxshott-Esher-Weston Green-Hampton Court-Kingston (Mondays to Fridays, two journeys each way).
CHANGE: Will be operated by Cardinal Buses, with a revised timetable but still with two journeys each way on Mondays to Fridays. Diverted between Weston Green and Kingston via Thames Ditton village, Winters Bridge and Portsmouth Road, to supplement revised services 514/515 (see below).
514 Addlestone-Byfleet & New Haw Station-Brooklands-Byfleet-Weybridge-Queens Road-Walton Station-Hersham-Field Common Estate-West Molesey-High Street-Beauchamp Road-Molesey Park Road-East Molesey-Imber Court-Thames Ditton-Winters Bridge-Surbiton-Kingston (Mondays to Saturdays, generally every 75 minutes).
CHANGE: This service will be withdrawn, except for the following journeys which will be operated by Falcon Coaches: 0720 Kingston to Hersham Library (Monday to Friday and extended to Esher High School on school days): 0915 Hersham Library to Kingston, 1225 Kingston to Hersham Library (both Mondays to Saturdays) and 1510 Esher High School to Hersham and Kingston (school days only). These journeys will operate between Winters Bridge and Kingston via Portsmouth Road direct and not via Surbiton.
Field Common Estate and the Molesey Road from Field Common to Hersham Library will retain a link to Kingston by revised service 515 (below). The part of 514 between Walton Station, Queens Road and Weybridge will be served by 459 and the 436 runs between Weybridge, Brooklands and Byfleet. London Buses service 411 and Abellio service 461 offer alternatives from West and/or East Molesey into Kingston. Thames Ditton village will be served by the 514 journeys listed above and by the 513 and 515 (or 715 on Sundays).
515 Guildford-Burpham-Burnt Common-Ripley-Wisley-Cobham-Esher-Lower Green-Douglas Road-Ember Lane-Imber Court-Thames Ditton-Winters Bridge-Surbiton-Kingston (Mondays to Saturdays, generally every 75 minutes, Sundays hourly).
CHANGE: Will be operated by Falcon Coaches and revised to run from Field Common Estate to Kingston via Molesey Road, Hersham Library, Esher, Lower Green, Douglas Road, Ember Lane, Imber Court, Thames Ditton, Winters Bridge and Portsmouth Road (not via Surbiton). To operate Mondays to Saturdays, generally hourly, but with some exceptions such as when the 514 journeys listed above are running. The section of route between Esher and Guildford and the Sunday service via Lower Green and Thames Ditton will be transferred to new service 715 (below).
Two early morning journeys will also serve Addlestone, Weybridge, Queens Road and Walton Station, joining the main route to Kingston at Hersham Library, with one early evening journey from Kingston leaving the route at Hersham Library to run through to Weybridge, all of these on Mondays to Fridays.
715 NEW SERVICE to be operated by Stagecoach between Guildford and Kingston via Burpham, Burnt Common, Ripley, Wisley, Cobham, Esher and Portsmouth Road, to replace service 515. On Mondays to Saturdays, will run hourly until early evening, with last bus from Guildford at 1900 and from Kingston at 1925. On Sundays, 715 will run every 90 minutes Guildford-Kingston and will divert between Esher and Winters Bridge via Lower Green, Douglas Road, Ember Lane, Imber Court and Thames Ditton, to give those areas a service on that day.
On Mondays to Saturdays an improved travel opportunity is offered between Guildford and Kingston, with a more direct route and with frequency restored to hourly.