The 73 is a bus route that operates between Whitchurch and Aztec West.
| 73 | |
|---|---|
.JPG) 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 |
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History
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the Ministry of Defence Abbey Wood facility, Filton High School, and a peak-hours only loop around Aztec West were all withdrawn in order to reduce journey times.[1] In 2010, the frequency during off-peak times was reduced from every 12 minutes to every 15 minutes.[2]
Route number 74 was introduced in 2012 as a replacement for several withdrawn routes.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In January 2021, Monday-Friday services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway railway station were withdrawn, resulting in a reduced frequency of 30 minutes in this section.[13]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Wood Road.[14][15][16][17] From 22 January 2023, the northern section between Bradley Stoke and Cribbs Causeway was withdrawn following the introduction of the MetroBus route m4.[18][19] In July 2023, it was announced that the route would be extended to Aztec West during non-peak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]
Service
The service is operated by First West of England.[11] The route formerly had a peak-times express numbered X73.[6][22]