Are there any changes you would make to National Express routes

[Martin1988]

Does anyone have any suggestions/opinions on changes you would like to see made to the current National Express network and the services/routes currently offered?

I personally think the current 337 Paignton to Rugby route should be altered to serve Birmingham. This would enable passengers traveling from destinations south of Bristol to have a direct service to Birmingham without the need to change coaches and as this route also serves Gloucester and Cheltenham it could give passengers from there access to the early evening connectional opportunities from Birmingham.

I also personally think that the weekend 318 service between Birmingham and Bristol should be altered to depart Birmingham at 2130, therefore allowing connections to be made off services from Nottingham, Leicester and Liverpool which arrive into Birmingham around 2045.

Does anyone else have any ideas for alterations they would make to the NX network?

 

[gordonthemoron]

shift city centre departure points to ones closer to motorway network (like Milton Keynes & Meadowhall)?

 

[bb21]

shift city centre departure points to ones closer to motorway network (like Milton Keynes & Meadowhall)?

God, please no. Additional calls yes, but not as a replacement for city centre ones.

Are you trying to make coach travel less convenient?

 

[gordonthemoron]

I live near Milton Keynes Coachway so it wouldn't affect me. Whenever I go to London on coach I get off at Golders Green and use the tube

 

[Deerfold]

shift city centre departure points to ones closer to motorway network (like Milton Keynes & Meadowhall)?

Who would that help? I'd guess if most people have to get a car to catch the coach they're more likely to stay in it.


What I'm seeing with NX recently is what's been happening with many local bus networks - they're strengthening key routes and reducing or removing less frequent routes.

Halifax recently lost its direct coach to the South West; Skipton/Keighley - London has gone from 3 services a day to 2.

However it's not surprising that these services are less well used - until recently there seem to be no bargain fares on them.
My Father and Mother-in law used to catch the coach to Leicester from Halifax. It was more expensive but more convenient. Once they're expected to get to Bradford or Leeds to get a coach they might as well get the more frequent train service.

Similarly from Keighley - I've never caught NX to/from Keighley but have caught the Keighley service between London and Leeds where there are regularly bargain fares - however it was cheaper and faster to change to the train at Leeds. I have caught megabus from Keighley as they do reasonable fares.

Looking at NationalExpress.com I've just been pleasantly surprised to see cheap fares between Keighley and London. I hope it's not too late. I'm guessing this is due to the competition from Megabus as they don't do similar bargain fares on the Keighley - Glasgow bus.

Services such as Leeds - London seem to have gone from strength to strength despite lots of extra services from megabus.

 

[telstarbox]

Who would that help? I'd guess if most people have to get a car to catch the coach they're more likely to stay in it.

And a lot of people in Sheffield don't have the use of a car. From the Interchange or the nearby stops in town you can get to most of Sheffield on one bus or tram. From Meadowhall it's more likely to be two buses or trams if you live in the west of the city which is less convenient.

Having said that, Megabus have served Sheffield from Meadowhall for years and it doesn't seem to put people off!

 

[Martin1988]

There is still a service from Halifax to the South West. Service 324 which runs from Huddersfield to Brixham. I've used that service up to Huddersfield from Bristol a couple of times but the journey time is absolutely horrendous due to the number of stops served. I'm not sure how long the journey time took on the old 335 route.

In terms of Sheffield, I approve of the way that the cross country services serve both Meadowhall and Sheffield Interchange in the city centre as presumably this way it caters for people visiting Meadowhall and those traveling to/from the city centre area. I understand this doesn't happen on all the London services though.

 

[Deerfold]

There is still a service from Halifax to the South West. Service 324 which runs from Huddersfield to Brixham. I've used that service up to Huddersfield from Bristol a couple of times but the journey time is absolutely horrendous due to the number of stops served. I'm not sure how long the journey time took on the old 335 route.

In terms of Sheffield, I approve of the way that the cross country services serve both Meadowhall and Sheffield Interchange in the city centre as presumably this way it caters for people visiting Meadowhall and those traveling to/from the city centre area. I understand this doesn't happen on all the London services though.

Ah, I only saw the 335 had been removed. It's relatively hard to find National Express timetables and know what services exist (although compared to megabus they're great).

 

[Mugby]

Derby - Manchester Airport - Manchester.

For anyone travelling by train, two changes are required and the TransPeak bus service to Manchester is so pitifully slow, it's not a realistic option. There's a gap in the market there, waiting for someone, I'm surprised National Express havn't considered it.

 

[jopsuk]

I don't know how you'd do it, but coming up with a route between Cambridge and Luton airport (30 miles seperation) that doesn't take an hour and a half would be nice.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Not so much routes, but I'd wish the 509 (Cardiff to London) was fully operated by the newer coaches (think they're Volvos, with the FJ12xxx registrations), with the plugs, leather seats, wifi etc.

 

[Deerfold]

I don't know how you'd do it, but coming up with a route between Cambridge and Luton airport (30 miles seperation) that doesn't take an hour and a half would be nice.

I think you'd need a new motorway for that.

The only obvious ways to save a few minutes are to not go into Hitchin station and to serve the airport before Central Luton - but that would mean longer journeys for those transferring between Luton airport and Heathrow.

 

[freetoview33]

A stop at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol (By M4/M5 interchange) a load of services run very close by and it could be a major interchange and there is room.

 

[Titfield]

The time taken between Cambridge and Luton Airport is simply down to the lack of a "good road" between the two locations.

I travel from STN to Luton and the problems include the traffic lights at Much Hadham, the bottleneck which is Hertford and the dreadfully slow "Lower Luton Road" from Hatfield to Luton Airport.

In fact it could be argued that any surface transport from STN is poor simply due to the lack of good roads with the exception of the M11 South (which of course fails to penetrate London sufficiently) or the A120 East to Braintree.

 

[BurtonM]

I'd like to see some services like Manchester-Sheffield/Doncaster/Lincoln, places like that. The train is awkward for that.

 

[telstarbox]

It wouldn't be competitive between Manchester and Doncaster against the train journey time.

A service like this would need to be heavily promoted as well so passengers were made aware of its existence.

 

[Blindtraveler]

the 534 Glasgow to Hull is painfull due to its somewhat yigzag progress through the borders and regular stops south of Newcastle. Not only that but a retiming of this rervice to reach Hull in time for both P and O ship departures would be handy as well as a stop at the port. Newcastle from Scotland is a pain in itself with megabus being fastest but theres definately a gap in the market for a few more fast newcastles with one each way serving the DFDS Seaways terminal.↲

Maybe something like once a day Glasgow, Livingston, Edinburgh, Berwick newcastle, perhaps with a stop a metrocentre too? Also Aberdeen Dundee Dunfermline Edinburgh Newcastle? And Inverness, Aviemore, Perth, Edinburgh Newcastle? Glasgow bus serving DF DS Terminal.↲


Think theres also a need for a cross country overnighter, something like the 310 with an extention to Newcastle from sheffield instead of running to Bradford with its Southern terminus being Birmingham. Also from a personal POV, I wouldnt mind a speeding up of some of the Scotland to London overnighters but I understand why they are run the way they are. I've often also wondered if they could make it cheeper and easier for passengers wishing to avoid London than it currently is on journeys continuing to say the South Coast or the Welsh Border? . Oh, and would there be any patronage other than me for a route from the midlands to Kent avoiding a stop in central London? A service that stopped for example at Bluewater, Chattom, Gillingham and then points towards Dover port? Ok tare me to bits!

 

[Welshman]

I'd like to see some services like Manchester-Sheffield/Doncaster/Lincoln, places like that. The train is awkward for that.

There's an hourly TPE service from Manchester to Sheffield & Doncaster.

There used to be a service called "The Lincman" from Lincoln, Newark, Chesterfield, Stockport to Manchester, which was operated by Lincolnshire Road Car, East Midland and Henry Hulley, but I think that as a through service ceased sometime during the 1990s - presumably because of lack of custom.

http://www.focustransport.org.uk/xmanchhist.aspx

It would be interesting to see if there was now a market again for such a flow but I would imagine any service to be reintroduced would be slow as there is no direct motorway link between the two.

Perhaps Manchester-Lincoln passengers would still find it quicker to use the half-hourly EMT/TPE service to Sheffield, and then NT to Lincoln.

 

[starrymarkb]

Not so much routes, but I'd wish the 509 (Cardiff to London) was fully operated by the newer coaches (think they're Volvos, with the FJ12xxx registrations), with the plugs, leather seats, wifi etc.

Is that the one that has Chalfont's VanHools on it? Some of them are newer then the Levantes and all are probably far better built! Also there are still a lot of older Levantes out there without the new interior (which IIRC came in around 60 plate).

Mind you my local route is only just losing it's Panthers for extra long Elites. The Panthers didn't even have leather seats but were still pretty comfortable.

 

[Martin1988]

I'm pretty sure the FJ12 coaches on the 509 are the levantes from Edwards. They also have some 11 plate vehicles too.

My understanding is that Chalfont still use a mixture of NX and non NX liveried vehicles on the 509 and their other services.

In response to blind traveller, I personally think they should introduce cross country journeys running earlier in the morning and later in the evening and maybe introduce earlier services running to the South West/ Wales and later services running back. If Megabus can do it surely NX can.

 

[Blindtraveler]

totally - my thoughts reguards the crosscountry overnighter were to provide customers with some choice as Megabus's overnight runs down the East side are very much aimed at London bound passengers. i think if I were to do it, it would be a departure from Newcastle round midnight, run to Scotch Corner (connection afforded out of the 591 or whatever the Edinburgh London East side overnighter is these days) then Leeds, Sheffield and follow the route and stops of the daytime 310, ending up in Birmingham around 7 or 8am.↲

 

[Martin1988]

Thats a good suggestion. This new route could also be enhanced further by having it timed so it connects at Birmingham with the 336 service to/from the South West, therefore giving passengers from Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton and Bristol access to additional journey options.

I've always felt that NX should increase the capacity on the Bristol to Birmingham route in the afternoons. Mid morning and early afternon there are more journeys running to Birmingham within a shorter space of each other or at the same time but in the afternoon the only service is the 330 route from Penzance to Nottingham which seems to get a lot of duplicate coaches at busy periods and seems to quite easily become full.

I personally think that NX should timetable an additional journey from Bristol to Birmingham mid afternoon on a regular basis. For example one that ran from Exeter, Paginton and Torquay to Birmingham via Bristol. Does anyone else think that NX should run an extra service from Bristol to Birmingham at this time to enable a greater number of passengers to be able to travel when demand is high or is it more cost effective to just run a dupe on this service when there is a greater increase in demand for travel?

 

[Statto]

I'd speed up the overnight London-Blackpool 421 by running non stop London-Birmingham as there's a 210 Heathrow-Birmingham around the same time as the 421 that'd conect with the 421 at Birmingham, i would miss out Stafford

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'd serve Sheffield/Chesterfield and Wakefield/Dewsbury with a separate service to the Huddersfield/Halifax route- From Huddersfield they'll always lose out to Megabus/MegabusPlus for London travel thanks to spending the first 2 and a half hours pootling round Yorkshire and North Derbyshire on de-trunked A-roads! OK, so Megabus do that too, but only on the directs which run overnight anyway- so most passengers will sleep through it!

 

[Statto]

I'd serve Sheffield/Chesterfield and Wakefield/Dewsbury with a separate service to the Huddersfield/Halifax route- From Huddersfield they'll always lose out to Megabus/MegabusPlus for London travel thanks to spending the first 2 and a half hours pootling round Yorkshire and North Derbyshire on de-trunked A-roads! OK, so Megabus do that too, but only on the directs which run overnight anyway- so most passengers will sleep through it!

Not a bad idea it can be quicker to get the coach to Bradford & change for local buses to Huddersfield or Halifax. The 561 Bradford-London would be one that i'd extend to Halifax & or Huddersfield.

 

[orpine]

I quite like the idea of interchanges outside the big cities. I don't want to spend 2hrs driving into london Victoria and then 2hrs driving out of london because that's the only connection. Why not one outside the city that they can stop at en-route (ala Golders green, but more sensibly placed?).
Same with Birmingham.

The achilles heel of coaches against trains is that the trains just cruise straight into the city centre. If your destination is a city on the coach, well that's something you have to live with, but if I'm not trying to go to a city, why would I want to go through it?

 

[Shimbleshanks]

More direct fast services from London to Liverpool. There's only one decent direct service a day, whereas Manchester has a direct service every hour for much of the day.

Whoever designed the Liverpool service seems to have an unhealthy obsession with obscure Potteries towns or showing you the scenic delights of Warrington, Chester etc.

 

[sonic2009]

Do Chalfont run a 460 from London - Stratford Upon Avon?

I always see a Van Hool in Pool Meadow in Coventry in the mornings.

 

[Welshman]

I'd serve Sheffield/Chesterfield and Wakefield/Dewsbury with a separate service to the Huddersfield/Halifax route- From Huddersfield they'll always lose out to Megabus/MegabusPlus for London travel thanks to spending the first 2 and a half hours pootling round Yorkshire and North Derbyshire on de-trunked A-roads!

I first started using the Halifax-London service to get to/from university in 1967.

The through Halifax-London Kings Cross and Halifax-London St Pancras rail services had recently been taken-off, and Yorkshire Traction capitalised on that with their daily service, departing Halifax [Harrison Rd] at 0740 & Huddersfield [Lord St]at 0800. I think the service coach was also booked to call at Barnsley, but the dupes they often needed to provide to meet demand were non-stop from Huddersfield, accessing the M1 via Flockton [much to the chagrin of the local villagers], and often arrived at Victoria about 1230. I think they then returned about 1500, arriving Halifax around 1945.

Then, gradually the M1 became busier and the Leeds-Kings Cross rail services faster, so more stops were added to the Halifax-London service to ensure its continued viability. And the opening of the Dronfield by-pass meant that journeys from Sheffield to London were almost as fast via Chesterfield, especially as the link road from Sheffield to the M1 southbound was yet to be built.

The result now is, as you say, a mini-tour of West & South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. I suppose the question now is, would there be a market for a more direct Halifax/Huddersfield - London service when Kings Cross is only two hours 15 minutes or so from Leeds [and a half-hourly service to boot, with advance tickets available], and Leeds is only 35 minutes from Halifax and 20 minutes from Huddersfield?

The suggestion of extending a current 561 service from Leeds/Bradford to Halifax and Huddersfield is an interesting one. I think this already happens with the overnight services. Would it go from Bradford to Halifax and then Huddersfield, or vv? But again, given the faster rail services from Leeds to Halifax and Huddersfield, there would be a time penalty for passengers to Halifax or Huddersfield, depending which way the coach was routed. [A penalty, which, as has been said, does not matter too much with the overnight services].

 

[jamesontheroad]

I'm not sure if it's a recent change, but since I last used it many moons ago, the 727 Norwich > Stansted > Heathrow > Gatwick ( > Brighton) has been routed via Cambridge.

I thought Cambridge's airport services originated / terminated there - it must add an hour to the direct Norwich > Stansted route.