About Bluestar

Bluestar started life under the Solent Blue Line name, as a subsidiary of Southern Vectis, in 1987. With its striking yellow and blue colour scheme, at the time, it offered the people of Southampton a fresh and new alternative in bus travel. We’ve changed a lot since then as we keep on evolving, but our current network of bus services in Southampton, Winchester, the Waterside and many places in between makes Bluestar one of the main inter-urban bus operator in Southern Hampshire. 

In February 2023, we stepped in to provide six additional services after First Bus decided to withdraw from Southampton, making us the sole provider of bus travel within the city. On the lead up to this, we recruited more than 140 new drivers in order to expand the operation and ensure that our local community in all corners of the city is able to keep moving.

We continually invest in our buses and technology. From the latest modern fleet offering Euro 6 engines and start-stop technology in our commitment to clean air, and offering our customers enhancements like USB chargers so they can make the most of their journey time with us. Our buses, now with their striking star design, are easy to spot - and they certainly stand out amongst the crowd.

We continue to invest in technology and now all of our buses accept contactless payments offering more convenience to those wishing to travel. The contactless readers now support our "tap on tap off" service, allowing customers board our buses easier and faster and eliminates the need for a paper ticket. It also includes weekly capping that calculates the best value fare for you - great for those that travel frequently. Our investment in off-bus ticketing technology makes bus travel available to buy online from the comfort of an armchair - tickets can also be bought instantly through our mobile app.

It is a goal to remain the leading friendly operator throughout Southampton.

We also operate Unilink, created in 2001, to transport University staff and students between teaching sites and halls of residence, whilst also providing a service that is open for everyone to use. In 2017 we celebrated carrying 40 million customers, which is a fantastic milestone.

Our strong relationship with the University of Southampton means we can offer joint-ticketing across our Unilink and Bluestar networks - giving our customers a much wider choice.

We pride ourselves on our customer service, punctuality and ease of use. All buses are low floor and easy access - and we have spaces available for wheelchair users.