National Express halts services to and from Winchester

National Express will no longer be using the stop at the King Alfred Statue, in Winchester after determining that the area was too busy and unsuitable as coaches have to do a u-turn on The Broadway to resume their journey.

This has left residents having to make alternative travel arrangements, with the nearest stop currently at the University of Southampton.

National Express are often used as transport to airports such as London Heathrow.

One Winchester resident, who asked not to be named, told the Chronicle that he was only informed of the change one day before a planned trip.

A spokesperson from National Express said: “A recently revised risk assessment criteria has determined that the stop at the King Alfred Statue in Winchester is no longer suitable as a National Express stop because of local traffic and the vehicle manoeuvre required.

“We have been working closely with Winchester council to identify an alternative location that meets our criteria but also ensures the overall journey time of the service is not impacted negatively.

“We can not confirm a new stop at this time.

“We appreciate this is a disappointment for Winchester residents and apologise for the inconvenience. ”

Steve Brine MP said: “This is deeply regrettable and comes out of the blue for many who will be hugely inconvenienced. Clearly it was not a surprise for Winchester City Council who have clearly known about this failed to make any persuasive case for our city or involve others to help in that regard. I have contact National Express but fear the decision has been made.”

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