Over recent years, the number ‘9’ has become associated locally with more limited Stagecoach South services set up to replace previously more frequent route withdrawals. Examples include: Alton’s town circular 9 (a very limited service running for just 2.5 hours per weekday replacing the 65’s hourly diversion through residential Alton and previously served by town routes 23/24); Farnborough’s western circular 9 (a handful of weekday ‘between schools’ journeys serving the Minley, Pyestock and Southwood estates previously served by half-hourly/hourly Fleet Buzz 30/42 and prior 73); and Guildford’s 9 running hourly weekdays between the University of Surrey and Stoughton via the Rydes Hill area.
The latter replaced a stretch of the previous Guildford route 1/2 circulars, which were separated into Guildford to Manor Park and Guildford to Stoughton circular routes respectively from 2nd April this year, with a gap at Rydes Hill between their respective new loops. The 9 retained buses through residential Rydes Hill (Rydes Hill Road and Shepherds Lane), as well maintaining the link between the University of Surrey’s main campus and the Hazel Farm Halls of Residence. It does mean there is no longer a direct link for Rydes Hill residents into central Guildford itself, or any weekend service with this new route being weekdays only.
Stagecoach have now announced that Guildford’s 9 will cease after the close of service on Friday 27th October, with no replacement, following “a significant financial loss, approaching £90,000 this year”.
Passengers in the Rydes Hill area travelling into Guildford will have to make their way to their nearest Stagecoach 2 or Falcon 28 stop on the Worplesdon Road, or the Stagecoach 20 on the A323. Although not having a direct link since April, those unable to walk that far could at least change onto the frequent route 1 at the University of Surrey for onward travel. Students travelling between the University of Surrey Stag Hill Campus and the Hazel Farm Halls of Residence will have to use routes 1 and 2, with a change of bus at Guildford Bus Station, or a roughly 45 minute walk. The N1 will continue to link the two locations during term time Monday to Saturday late nights.
There has been no word from Surrey County Council as to whether the newly launched West Guildford area ‘Surrey Connect’ demand responsive transport (DRT) service, operated on the council’s behalf by Bustler (Woking Community Transport), may be able to be extended slightly to cater for Rydes Hill residents. This was only recently set-up following Stagecoach’s decision to withdraw the final remnants of their 17 between Guildford and Fairlands via Wood Street Village from early September.
UPDATE 6TH OCTOBER: Surrey County Council have now posted on their ‘Service Changes’ page an entry for route 9’s withdrawal and have said “Some of the stops in the Rydes Hill area will be served by the West Guildford DDRT from 23 October 2023”. See the below map, with the 9’s route along Rydes Hill Road and Shepherds Lane highlighted green within the blue zone.
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Hants & Surrey Bus Blog 
Is this the first time the Rydes Hill area has been without a regular bus in modern times? I remember in the 80s there was the hourly 231, which became the G9 in 1985. Later it was served by the 12/13 Wood Street circular.
Talking of Wood Street, that’s another route which has gone from being a regular service (half hourly as recently as the mid-90s, perhaps more recent than that) to barely any service at all.
What’s caused such a dramatic drop in demand (I presume the reason for the cuts) in western Guildford?
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