The X53 ran from Poole via Wareham, Wool, Weymouth, Abbotsbury, Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidford to Exeter. whereas the X31 ran from Weymouth via Dorchester, Martinstown, Bridport, Lyme Regis to Axminster
I think what happened when they carved up the X53 was:
- West of Lyme Regis went to the X52 which was reduced to two journeys/day
- East of Weymouth went to the X54
- The central bit was retained as the X53 but was rerouted to Axminster in place of half the X31s which instead terminated Dorchester to Bridport; might have been when it became the X51
It might have been the summer X31 and X53 were hourly for 2017 (so every 30 mins to Axminster) before being dropped down for the autumn and adopting the pattern as it is now.
Been a couple of years since I had a trip there. Beautiful spring day and there's nothing quite like going along on the top deck of an Omnidekka as you head across the uplands from Dorchester, and similarly on one from Bridport across to Weymouth.
Folks like
@CD and
@henairs will remember the pre-X53 world before government funding improved the services. IIRC, Bridport to Weymouth via Abbotsbury was a once a day shoppers route (210?) between schools, whilst the 31/X31 was hourly Axminster to Bridport but only about 4/5 journeys to Dorchester and Weymouth.