Bluestar launches new Bluestar 19a at special event

We were joined today by MPs, councillors and other stakeholders at a special launch event for our NEW Bluestar 19a bus service. 

We recently introduced the Bluestar 19a route - providing much-anticipated links between Winchester Road, Hill Lane, Southampton General Hospital and Southampton City Centre - and early indications show it has been well-received by those travelling along the route. 

“We are delighted to be celebrating the launch of Bluestar 19a,” said Bluestar managing director, Andrew Wickham. “Its introduction has been made possible thanks to our close working relationship with Southampton City Council - and investment from the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). 

“We listened to our customers, who told us they wanted direct access to the city centre via these two major roads, and we’re pleased to have been able to deliver that in the form of this new service. 

“I’m very encouraged by the reaction we are already seeing from our customers who are travelling with us along Winchester Road and Hill Lane - it’s been a very successful start.”

The new service runs seven days a week - offering early morning and late evening journeys. It also provides new cross-city bus links to King Edward School, and Richard Taunton Sixth Form College - as well as Southampton General Hospital. Its route, also taking in Winchester Road, will now link the city centre with Shirley Retail Park - and provide our customers in Sholing, Thornhill and Woolston with easy access to Southampton Common and the Outdoor Sports Centre. 

Among the guests at the official launch, were Satvir Kaur MP, Darren Paffey MP and Cllr Eamonn Keogh - Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport at Southampton City Council.

Councillor Eamonn Keogh, said: “I am very pleased to join Bluestar in launching the 19a service and proud that our partnership working has been able to deliver this much requested service for local people. Southampton is one of the leading places in the UK in the number of bus journeys made per capita, with consistent, year on year growth and almost 22m journeys made in 2024. We are committed to working with Bluestar and the city’s other bus operators to achieve the objectives of our Bus Service Improvement Plan, making bus travel more affordable, more reliable and with quicker journey times to help more people get onboard.”

Satvir Kaur MP for Southampton Test, said: "From speaking to individuals and families on the doorstep, I know that a bus service that's not accessible or close to where you live can be challenging, especially for older people and young families. 

“This has been an acute issue in Shirley and the Hill Lane area and something I campaigned on when I was a ward councillor along with my council colleagues for a number of years. It's fantastic to see this service now up and running. Not only will it help those using Southampton General Hospital, local residents wanting to get to and from the city centre, but also students at the local college. I'll be personally using it, and I'll be encouraging residents to hop on the bus so that this service can remain and add value to the community.”

Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, said: “This new service will be welcomed by my constituents along Hill Lane and nearby roads that have been underserved by local bus services. 

“I pledged to support improvements to local bus services when I stood for election. While there is some way to go to address gaps in service provision in other parts of Southampton, the introduction of this route is an important step in the right direction and I’d like to thank Bluestar, Southampton City Council, and everyone else who has worked hard to bring this to fruition.” 

Andy Grant, executive principal of Richard Taunton Sixth Form College said “We are delighted that this bus service is operational, having a Hill Lane service is fantastic for our students and of course anyone thinking of joining us in September. We want our students to get the very best learning experience possible and transport to and from Richard Taunton is a big part of that”.