Solent’s new X3 gives a 40 minute saving

Tuesday 4th August 2026

Another route added to Britain’s expanding bus scene is First Solent’s brand new X3 providing a quicker journey between Fareham, Portsmouth Harbour and Southsea than the all stops route 3 which the company runs between the same towns.

First Bus introduced the new route last Monday with buses completing the end to end journey from Fareham’s bus station to Southsea’s South Parade Pier via Portsmouth The Hard Interchange in around 48-50 minutes offering a significant time saving for passengers compared to route 3’s equivalent 88-90 minutes. It’s a bit like TfL’s Superloop upgrade compared to parallel slower routes.

The time saving here has been achieved by routing buses on the X3 via the M275, as happens on longer standing routes X4 and X5 (Southampton-Fareham-Portsmouth), instead of via the Queen Alexandra Hospital and through Cosham, Hilsea and North End – the route taken by buses on service 3.

Route X3’s frequency is every 30 minutes with an extensive operational day from 07:25 to around midnight on Mondays to Saturdays although there’s no service on Sundays, whereas the more intensive route 3 operates every 12 minutes. That’s a reduction from the previous 10 minute frequency but passengers travelling on significant common sections at both ends of the route will also enjoy the extra two buses an hour on the new X3 meaning an overall gain of one bus per hour. Another local route between Portsmouth The Hard and Southsea South Parade Pier, route 1 which operationally interworks with the 3 at Southsea, has also had a frequency reduction from every 10 to 12 minutes.

Another benefit is the X3’s half hourly frequency has been coordinated with the X4 and X5 to provide a 15 minute frequency express link between Fareham and Portsmouth. Well, I need to qualify that as obviously while the X3 is a new clean exact 30 minute frequency (ie departing at 00 and 30 from Fareham) the X4 and X5 have the “benefit” of First’s investment in its data based software scheduling offering departures from Fareham at (for example between 10:00 and 17:00) 07, 38, 08, 40, 11, 43, 14, 45, 15, 43, 12, 43, 10, 41 minutes past the hour.

Here’s the Portsmouth City Council network map on which I’ve highlighted the route taken by the 3 (through the City area) in purple, and the new X3 following the same route as the X4 and X5 via the M275 in blue. Both the 3 and X3 follow the same route along the bottom of the map as well as the section, not shown on the map, to and from Fareham to the north west of this map.

This all looked like an excellent initiative so I headed over to Fareham last Tuesday, the second day of the new timetable, to take a look at how it was doing.

First impressions as you arrive at Fareham’s bus station are of a very smart and modern fleet of buses and a consistency to the Solent branding with a local appeal, something unusual for First Bus these days which generally has an obsession with its national corporate image.

It particularly brightened up an otherwise rather basic bus station in the town.

Neighbouring Portsmouth City Council has done an excellent job working in partnership with both First Bus and Stagecoach to improve the infrastructure and support for buses in that authority’s area whereas it would be true to say Hampshire County Council, in which Fareham sits (for now – it will move over to a new South East Hampshire along with Portsmouth and Gosport in 2028), has had financial challenges to deal with alongside a lower level of BSIP (and now LABG) than its city neighbour.

Nevertheless there are helpful bus priority measures along the route towards the Portsmouth boundary and many more on sections of route within Portsea island.

I aimed to catch the 11:30 departure from the bus station and was impressed to see new timetables on display together with updated route numbers on the stand – you see, it can be done in a timely fashion. It just needs the will and a commitment.

As you can see it was a double deck (Wright Streetdeck) rather than one of the large fleet of 62 battery/electric Wrightbus GB Kite Electroliners First Bus has invested in for its Solent network.

Personally I didn’t mind at all as I always prefer the better view available from an upper deck, especially the coveted front nearside seat.

An Electoliner on route 3 was standing alongside the X3 and it was interesting to see passengers boarding both buses perhaps some not yet aware of the new X3 or thinking the 3 would leave first or maybe travelling to that part of the route bypassed by the X3.

We set off just three minutes late at 11:33 having got eight passengers on board and picked up seven more at four bus stops along the A27 towards Portchester.

Again all the bus stops had an X3 on display proving these things can be achieved in a timely manner.

In Portchester we circled a roundabout to pick up at a the stop in the south west corner used by buses in both directions which is handy for local facilities but passengers need to be careful which bus they board – we arrived behind a Fareham bound route 3. Three of our 15 passengers alighted (the first to do so) and two more boarded with another joining us at the next stop giving 15 on board again. Continuing along the A27, one alighted and one boarded, and then it was foot down and on to the M275.

It didn’t take us long – just under four minutes to take advantage of this fast flowing non stop section of route which I’m sure the 15 passengers on board appreciated.

Some great views too.

Then it was back to the standard route taken by buses on route 3 and by the time we reached the Hard Interchange, 12 passengers had alighted with no pick ups as we were in the shadow of a bus on route 3 ahead.

It had taken 20 minutes to travel between Fareham and the top of the M275, with four minutes on the motorway and another 12 minutes to the Hard Interchange.

The final 14 minutes of the journey saw us continue through the commercial and retail centre of Southsea, where we picked up seven passengers (having overtaken the bus on route 3) who travelled the short distance to the remaining stops before the seafront as well as South Parade Pier itself with its extensive works taking place on the adjacent seafront to its east.

Interestingly four wanted to stay on board when we arrived at the Pier and I reckon they’re used to continuing their journey home as the 3 used to turn’ ‘seamlessly’ into a 1 here as previously mentioned by interworking between the two routes. I’m sure they’ll soon get used to needing to look out for a 3 rather than an X3 though.

After a nice break to enjoy Southsea’s seafront I caught another X3 – this time an Electroliner – back to the Hard Interchange.

They’re nice buses to travel in with comfortable seats and a smooth ride. One frustrating feature is after every bus stop as the doors closed comes an auto announcement “if you are standing please hold on tight as we pull away”.

Obviously some risk averse director has insisted this play out (and I bet never travels by bus). But if I was a regular passenger it would drive me mad, especially as I would guess 95% of the time (or even more) no one is standing. I was pleased to be alighting at the Hard Interchange risking all as I walked down the moving bus towards the door as we approached.

That minor critique aside, this is another excellent initiative from First Bus and follows last week’s experience of the new B1 in Basildon and it’s also good to see Portsmouth City Council has supported it financially with some of its LABG funding. I’m sure it will prove worthwhile and make for a successful addition to the Solent bus network.

Well done to all involved and also for getting the publicity and information out and displayed in time.

There’s just that lovely Portsmouth network map to update.

Roger French

PS: I’ve just thought. Basildon passengers weren’t advised “if you are standing please hold on tight as we pull away”. I wonder what it is with electric buses in Portsmouth.

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