| 73 | |
|---|---|
 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 |
The 73 is a bus route that operates between Whitchurch and Aztec West.
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the Ministry of Defence Abbey Wood facility, Filton High School, and a peak-hours only loop around Aztec West were all withdrawn in order to reduce journey times.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Route number 74 was introduced in 2012 as a replacement for several withdrawn routes.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In January 2021, Monday-Friday services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway railway station were withdrawn, resulting in a reduced frequency of 30 minutes in this section.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 [14] [15] [16] [17] From 22 January 2023, the northern section between Bradley Stoke and Cribbs Causeway was withdrawn following the introduction of the MetroBus route m4.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]
The service is operated by First West of England. [11] The route formerly had a peak-times express numbered X73. [6] [22]
South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke. The southern part of its area falls within the Greater Bristol urban area surrounding the city of Bristol.
Bradley Stoke is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated 6 miles northeast of Bristol, It is near the Severn Estuary of the Bristol Channel, which is an extension of the North Atlantic Ocean, separating South Wales from South West England. Bradley Stoke is bordered by three motorways; the M5 to the north, the M4 to the east and the M32 to the south.
Filton is a town and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England, 6 miles (10 km) north of Bristol. Along with nearby Patchway and Bradley Stoke, Filton forms part of the Bristol urban area and has become an overflow settlement for the city. Filton Church dates back to the 12th century and is designated a Grade II listed building.
Patchway is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated 6 mi (9.7 km) north-north west of central Bristol. The town has become an overflow settlement for Bristol and is contiguous with Bristol's urban area, along with the nearby towns of Filton and Bradley Stoke.
Bristol North West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Darren Jones of the Labour Party.
Filton Abbey Wood railway station serves the town of Filton in South Gloucestershire, England; it is located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. There are four platforms but minimal facilities. The station is managed by Great Western Railway that operates all services that call here. The general service level is eight trains per hour: two to South Wales, two to Bristol Parkway, two toward Weston-super-Mare and two toward Westbury.
Aztec West is a business park in South Gloucestershire, England, situated in the north of Bristol, near Bradley Stoke and Patchway. It is close to the M4 and M5 motorways and the Almondsbury Interchange. Adjacent is the A38 trunk road.
Filton and Bradley Stoke is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Jack Lopresti, a Conservative.
Bristol is a city in south west England, near the Bristol Channel coast, approximately 106 miles (170 km) west of London. Several factors have influenced the development of its transport network. It is a major centre of employment, retail, culture and higher education, has many historic areas, and has a history of maritime industry. The city has a population of 450,000, with a metropolitan area of 650,000, and lies at the centre of the former County of Avon, which includes many dormitory towns, and has a population of one million.
Hengrove is a suburb and council ward of Bristol, England, situated between Whitchurch, Knowle and Bishopsworth, running along both dual carriageways, Wells Road (A37) and Airport Road (A4174). The area of Knowle it adjoins is known as Knowle West.
South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach Company Ltd was a bus and coach operator operating school bus services under contract to Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council and coach services under contract to Megabus.
The North Fringe of Bristol, England is a mostly developed area between the northern edge of the administrative city of Bristol and the M4 and M5 motorways. Its eastern edge is usually defined as the M32 motorway. The area falls within South Gloucestershire Council, and is the northern part of Greater Bristol.
Buses are the main form of public transport in Bristol, England. Most bus services are operated by First West of England. Other companies offering services include Abus, Citistar, The Big Lemon, Transpora Bus, Stagecoach West and Newport Bus.
North Filton Platform was a railway station which served the northern part of Filton, Gloucestershire, England. It was on the railway line between Filton and Avonmouth, and was situated on the western side of Gloucester Road.
Henbury railway station served the Bristol suburb of Henbury, England, from 1910 to 1965. The station was situated on the Henbury Loop Line of the Great Western Railway and was opened on 9 May 1910 for passenger services. Under the Beeching cuts, it was closed to passengers on 23 November 1964, with goods services ceasing on 5 July 1965. There is a proposal to reopen the station as part of the Greater Bristol Metro scheme.
MetroBus is a bus rapid transit system in Bristol, England, created as a joint project between Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils. The first route, service m3, began operations on 29 May 2018, followed by m2 on 3 September 2018, m1 on 6 January 2019 and m4 on 22 January 2023.
The city of Bristol in the United Kingdom has included a light rail transport system in its plans from the 1980s onwards. There has been no light rail in the city since the closure of Bristol Tramways in 1941.
Stagecoach Gold route 1 is a bus route in southern England that links Camberley and Frimley in Surrey and Farnborough and Aldershot in Hampshire. The service is run by Stagecoach in Hants & Surrey.
Airport Flyer is a pair of bus routes that serve Bristol Airport. The routes are operated by First West of England.
T1 is a bus route operated by First West of England that runs between Bristol and Thornbury.