WATAG

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  • Have your say at our public meeting

    The next public meeting of the West Dorset (Western Area) Transport Action Group (WATAG) will be held on Thursday 2 July 2026 at 18.30

    Bridport Town Council Offices, Mountfield, Bridport DT6 3JP

    The meeting will include a general update of our activities so far this year, including the current passenger survey to assess the support for improvements to the X51 bus timetable between Bridport and Dorchester. You can read more about it on our website and there’s still time to complete our survey. Survey forms will also be available at the meeting. We’ve had an excellent response so far since we launched it at the Bridport Charter Fair on 16 May.

    Local bus and rail operators have been invited along with Dorset Travel (the public transport arm of Dorset Council) – and will provide updates where applicable.

    As always, we will leave time for individuals to speak or raise questions about any transport issues for which they would like answers. We’ll aim to finish by 20.00 latest.

    Anyone interested in public transport issues is encouraged to attend. We are also very keen to increase the numbers on WATAG’s committee – So if you are a regular bus/rail user or simply have an interest in improving Public Transport, let us know!

    We hope to see you on 2nd July.

    This will be a ‘hybrid’ meeting, and a link will be provided to enable those unable to attend in person to join us on Zoom. If you are not already a subscriber to our email list please consider joining to be sent the link, or you are welcome to contact us at watag@hotmail.co.uk

  • The Bridport News reports on our X51 survey

    The Bridport News has a report on our ongoing X51 Bus users survey.

    Views sought over future of ‘lifeline’ bus service as improvements called for

    “The West Dorset Western Area Transport Action Group (WATAG) has launched a public survey asking what people want from First’s X51 bus service and how it can be improved.”

    “Bob Driscoll, committee member for WATAG, said the service is a vital link for Dorset, which people rely on for schools, work and hospital appointments, and helps businesses throughout the county. Doubling the service so it runs hourly, is the group’s main aspiration.”

    Read on here… and please help us with our campaign by completing the survey here!

    Credit to Bridport News reporter Chloe Boden

  • Some of the comments left on our X51 survey

    Have your say and help our campaign to improve the bus service here

    • I am a frequent visitor to the area, and Bridport is really poorly served by the bus service, especially as most other towns have train alternatives

    • It is difficult to plan a bus journey for appointments as they don’t run often enough

    • Improve bus services all year not just in Summer!

    • Buses are our lifeline – please sort out a decent service

    • (We need) decent buses – not clapped out ones – a frequent user

    • Minimum hourly service + later return times from Dorchester and Weymouth

    • Need greater frequency of buses

    • Infrequent service. Poorly timetabled for concessionary passes

    • The service used to run hourly from 6am till 11pm. The main thing is an hourly 7 day schedule from 6am from Bridport to connect to the 7am Dorchester South train again, and the last return to connect with the 21.00(ish) from Dorchester back (ideally later).

    • I currently have to use my car more than I would like, because the bus services are so infrequent. Ideally, the 51 would tie in with the London trains at Dorchester and Axminster.

    • Improved scheduling linked to train arrivals and departures would help. I have been stranded in Dorchester with no bus service to take me safely home.

    • I would love a later bus, since I have to leave work early in Bridport to be able to catch the last bus home, and also I’d love to be able to attend evening events like live music in Bridport.

    • If there were a more frequent and reliable service between Bridport and Dorchester, more people would opt to use it. Hourly/half-hourly services are essential, and the fact that ridership may currently be low is not evidence that it would remain low if there were an improved service.

    • Hourly buses would make it possible for me to go to hospital independently.

    • Run the X51 on Sundays all year round. Hospital and two railway stations should merit a 7 day bus.

    • I would very much like to see Dorset council facilitating and promoting bus use across the county. This would be entirely positive, cutting the carbon emissions of so much car use, enabling families to get out and about and, I believe, building a sense of community by us all using the same transport together.

    • A half-hourly service is needed for hospitals and trains. Current last bus times are cruelly early.

    • Later bus services should be considered for Hospital Appointments.. with an ageing population, asking for an early hospital appointment to coincide with an inadequate bus timetable is unacceptable and adds pressure on our already struggling hospital system. I don’t venture out in the evenings, as there are no buses that run at a reasonable return time.. it’s like being under a curfew all the time.

    • WATAG is a marvellous facilitator and servant for those of us in the Bridport community who are dependent on buses. Thank you

    Thank you for all your comments

  • X51 bus users survey

    WATAG has launched a survey of users and potential passengers of the X51 bus service.

    WATAG campaigns for better public transport in West Dorset – our main priority is to seek an hourly service on the X51 bus running between Bridport and our county town Dorchester – seven days a week, all year round, together with journeys later in the evening.

    Please help our campaign by completing our X51 survey – either online here – or on paper at the Bridport TIC. We will use your response to provide evidence for the level of public support.

  • Have your say on the future SWR timetable

    https://www.southwesterntimetable.com

    South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex are embarking on the first full refresh of the timetable across the south and west of England since 2004.

    Ahead of the formal consultation taking place in Autumn 2026, your views will help shape the timetable planning. SWR want to know about your experience, insights and aspirations for the future timetable.

    ​SWR say the aim is to maintain reliability of the service, improve connectivity and, as a publicly owned service, use public money responsibly. Some technical decisions will need to be balanced, for example between faster journeys from one station and more stops at another.

    Have your say here

  • New bus service LB1 Bridport-Lyme Regis

    A new summer evening bus service LB1 between Bridport and Lyme Regis calling at Chideock, Morecombelake and Charmouth will start on Friday 1 May.

    The LB1 will run every Friday and Saturday night until Saturday 26 September.

    The first LB1 will run from Bridport bus station at 18:15 with the last bus leaving Lyme Regis at 23:30.

    There will also be the opportunity to link with the X53 service from Weymouth for the first two buses from Bridport, while the 23:30 return bus from Lyme Regis will travel back to Weymouth following the X53 route, offering passengers the possibility of a late evening out in Bridport or Lyme by public transport.

    The service will be operated by First Bus, using double deckers, capable of transporting more than 90 people at a time.

    The LB1 timetable is available here

    The project for a late-night bus service was spearheaded by West Dorset Commons, which worked in partnership with Lyme Regis Town Council to secure a £20,000 grant from Western Gateway, the Sub-National Transport Body for the West of England. West Dorset Commons was also responsible for the Bridport to West Bay shuttle, the WB1, which was launched last summer.

  • Easter bus services 2026

    Up to Thursday 2 April – Regular service

    Friday 3 April (Good Friday) – Sunday service (No service CR6 or X51)

    Saturday 4 April – Saturday service

    Sunday 5 April (Easter Sunday) – Sunday service (No service CR6 or X51)

    Monday 6 April (Easter Monday) – Sunday service  (No service CR6 or X51)

    From Tuesday 7 April – Regular service resumes

  • Rail refunds change

    From 1st April 2026, new rail regulations will come into effect which mean that flexible walk-up tickets (such as Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak) will only be refundable prior to the first day of validity.

    • Refunds are not available on the day of travel if you choose not to use your ticket
    • For Open Return tickets, once the outward journey is valid, both parts become non-refundable

    If you want a refund, you should apply for it before 23:59 the evening before the day of travel.

    Additionally, the same-day, post-purchase fee-free refund period is shortened from 1 hour to 15 minutes.
    These changes will apply to all retailers, train operators and points-of-sale.
    Tickets purchased on or before 31st March 2026 will not be affected by these policy changes, even if they were booked for travel after 1st April.

    Your right to a fee-free refund when you abandon a journey due to disruption (delays, cancellations) is unaffected.

    Refund requests from customers who experience significant personal events that stop them from travelling on the day (known as “exceptional circumstances”) will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

    —

    In a nutshell, DON’T BUY A WALK-UP TICKET IN ADVANCE! If you have any doubt whatsoever about whether you will make your planned journey – buying your walk-up ticket in advance will risk you losing the option of claiming a refund or making changes.

    Tickets affected are:

    Anytime tickets

    Off-Peak tickets

    Day Travelcards

    Rover tickets

    Ranger tickets

    —

    Advance tickets are already non-refundable, however the day or time of travel can be changed right up to the time your journey is due to begin (An admin fee may be payable).

  • No Bus Pass changes – bogus videos and social media posts

    There are several social media and YouTube videos circulating claiming that wide-ranging changes have been or are about to be made to the English National Concessionary bus pass. Some of these posts are quite convincing and sophisticated, making use of AI technology and even appearing to be presented by well-known media figures. The motivation of those behind these videos can only be guessed at, however they are clearly immune to the fact that they will be causing distress or confusion to some who rely on their bus passes for mobility.

    Please be assured that these messages are false – there are NO plans to change the validity of passes; whether to routes, times of use or geographical availability. You may continue to use your pass as normal.

    You can continue to get a bus pass for free travel across England when you reach the State Pension age or qualify for a disabled person’s pass.

  • A vision for the future

    WATAG’s public meeting held on 29 January 2026 included a presentation of our initial ‘Vision for the Future’ for public transport in our area. We believe that the frequency of bus services MUST improve but we need to demonstrate to both Dorset Council and the bus operators that investment will work for everyone.

    You may view the presentation here and read the speaker notes here

    We welcome your input – this is very much ‘work in progress’ – please email us with your feedback at watag@hotmail.co.uk

    UPDATE:

    The minutes for this general meeting (GM129) and the preceding AGM may be viewed or downloaded here