National Express Coaches Discussion

[Robertj21a]

The whole efficiency argument is true - given I would imagine that the merger with Stagecoach is all about rescuing duplicate mileage and creating central interchange hubs.
Sadly just not enough passengers for both

Very much doubt that the merger with Stagecoach is 'all about rescuing duplicate mileage' - there will be far bigger fish involved.

 

[route101]

Megabus from Southampton has always been a limited service, often cross country as opposed to London services. When Stagecoach ran South West Trains there were Megatrain tickets sold on the Megabus website.

First Bus tried to compete with National Express with their Greyhound services from Southampton and Portsmouth but again, these never took off and didn't last long. I remember the pick up for Greyhound was down near Town Quay/Platform Road in Southampton, not the most convenient of places for most people with the only buses down there being Unilink at the time.

I forgot about the Greyhound. I have used Megabus once from Southampton to Oxford. The national express coaches I have used to and from London from Southampton have had good loadings, daytrippers to London. Train fare is quite expensive but an hour quicker.

 

[dan5324]

I dont disagree but the network has become so skeletal that one wonders at what point it will no longer be viable at all.

There will always be passengers but yes whether it will be viable long term or not is unclear. It hasn’t been the year they thought it would be. Now we head into 2022 with restrictions returning. The future isn’t rosy

 

[pitdiver]

Talking about closed NX Booking Offices, is Milton Keynes Coachway ticket office still open, or is the place still staffed at all? I'm interested to know as I used to manage it and before that the awful place in the lay-by called MK Coachway.

 

[Eyersey468]

Talking about closed NX Booking Offices, is Milton Keynes Coachway ticket office still open, or is the place still staffed at all? I'm interested to know as I used to manage it and before that the awful place in the lay-by called MK Coachway.

MK Coachway still has staff there whenever I call in there with a coach, though whether the ticket office is still manned I am unsure

 

[Bletchleyite]

MK Coachway still has staff there whenever I call in there with a coach, though whether the ticket office is still manned I am unsure

Due to being indoors and quite isolated (and thus likely to become a drug-taking and rough-sleeping den otherwise) it is always going to need some staff, even if only contracted security guards. It isn't set up for the building to be able to be left locked, you would have to make some major changes.

 

[dan5324]

Due to being indoors and quite isolated (and thus likely to become a drug-taking and rough-sleeping den otherwise) it is always going to need some staff, even if only contracted security guards. It isn't set up for the building to be able to be left locked, you would have to make some major changes.

It was left locked and unattended for months during the first lockdown.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It was left locked and unattended for months during the first lockdown.

During which time National Express were not operating any coach services! What I meant was that the layout is not such that it is really practical to operate coach services with the building locked, which is a bit of an oversight.

 

[dan5324]

During which time National Express were not operating any coach services! What I meant was that the layout is not such that it is really practical to operate coach services with the building locked, which is a bit of an oversight.

Eh? Services were operating during the end of the first lockdown. Through the second Lockdown and partially through the third. Coaches were still serving there with no issues. The building was locked and secured at all times. Unless we are talking about a different building here?

 

[londonbridge]

Did a trip on National Express last Friday. Was going all the way to the terminus of the route. Around half an hour after disembarking I realised I’d left an item of clothing on the coach. Immediately filled out the lost property form on the website. It says allow five days for a response, not heard anything back as yet.

Does anyone know if, when you submit the form, they send out an email acknowledgement that they received it, as I didn’t get one. If they don’t, that’s fine, but getting one would give me piece of mind that they’d received it and were looking into trying to locate my item, even if they didn’t find it. It says don’t submit the form more than once as it may slow the investigation down. if I don’t get a response by Wednesday/ Thursday is it worth submitting another form or is my item likely to be gone for good by that point?

 

[route101]

What is the oldest bus in use by NX or in NX livery? I had a 65 plate on the 007 to Dover.

 

[matt_splat]

Did a trip on National Express last Friday. Was going all the way to the terminus of the route. Around half an hour after disembarking I realised I’d left an item of clothing on the coach. Immediately filled out the lost property form on the website. It says allow five days for a response, not heard anything back as yet.

Does anyone know if, when you submit the form, they send out an email acknowledgement that they received it, as I didn’t get one. If they don’t, that’s fine, but getting one would give me piece of mind that they’d received it and were looking into trying to locate my item, even if they didn’t find it. It says don’t submit the form more than once as it may slow the investigation down. if I don’t get a response by Wednesday/ Thursday is it worth submitting another form or is my item likely to be gone for good by that point?

From expirence I'd try and investigate yourself normally faster dm me I might be able to help from my previous expirence working at nx

 

[JonathanH]

What is the oldest bus in use by NX or in NX livery? I had a 65 plate on the 007 to Dover.

https://bustimes.org/operators/national-express/vehicles suggests that 65 plate Levantes are the oldest vehicles in normal service. (There are a few older vehicles listed but they don't seem to be in use.)

 

[Bwsbro]

https://bustimes.org/operators/national-express/vehicles suggests that 65 plate Levantes are the oldest vehicles in normal service. (There are a few older vehicles listed but they don't seem to be in use.)

It does seem that the 65 plates were given a bit of an extension thanks to the fact that a large number of them were tri axle for the Airpprt runs. Llew Jones received 3 65 plate examples for their operations to replace the 66 & 67 plate twin axle Levante a they had

 

[dan5324]

Most airports don’t allow vehicles over 4 years old. Stansted being one of them, hence no more levante II no longer there.

 

[dan5324]

New national express base at battersea garage (abellio) confirmed for the spring.

 

[GusB]

New battersea garage (abellio) confirmed for the spring.

Could you expand on this, or at least explain what relevance it has to National Express?

 

[Eyersey468]

Could you expand on this, or at least explain what relevance it has to National Express?

National Express use the Abellio depot to lay over between runs for some journeys

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Feb 2022 ==

It does seem that the 65 plates were given a bit of an extension thanks to the fact that a large number of them were tri axle for the Airpprt runs. Llew Jones received 3 65 plate examples for their operations to replace the 66 & 67 plate twin axle Levante a they had

All existing coaches on the network were given a years extension due to the shutdown

 

[GusB]

National Express use the Abellio depot to lay over between runs for some journeys

Thanks. The post I responded to didn't make this clear to begin with, but it has since been edited.

 

[Eyersey468]

Thanks. The post I responded to didn't make this clear to begin with, but it has since been edited.

No problem. I was there today with a coach as it happens.

 

[M803UYA]

National Express use the Abellio depot to lay over between runs for some journeys

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Feb 2022 ==


All existing coaches on the network were given a years extension due to the shutdown

I think the cut off is 7 years normally, NX won't permit a coach older than 7 years on their network. Which ties in with 65 reg examples.

South Gloucestershire were fond of ignoring this rule and even more fond of concealing the age of their Levantes - took NX a while to 'remove' them from the network but it was achieved....

 

[Eyersey468]

I think the cut off is 7 years normally, NX won't permit a coach older than 7 years on their network. Which ties in with 65 reg examples.

South Gloucestershire were fond of ignoring this rule and even more fond of concealing the age of their Levantes - took NX a while to 'remove' them from the network but it was achieved....

Yes it is normally 7 years although according to my supervisor at work NX are wanting to reduce it to 5 years

 

[dan5324]

National Express use the Abellio depot to lay over between runs for some journeys

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Feb 2022 ==


All existing coaches on the network were given a years extension due to the shutdown

That is correct except now it’s becoming a full blown owned ops depot instead of just a place to layover. Routes will be run out of there. Controllers and engineering will be based there.

 

[route101]

Are there any National Express routes that are going come back this year or is the network staying as it is?

 

[Eyersey468]

Are there any National Express routes that are going come back this year or is the network staying as it is?

We are getting more runs from the beginning of April which are additional journeys, i presume other operators are as well

 

[Eyersey468]

Are there any National Express routes that are going come back this year or is the network staying as it is?

The routes we are getting from the beginning of April are the 565 Hull to London via Doncaster and the 173 Hull to Blackpool.

 

[Mugby]

I've noticed recently that Derby has been all but abandoned by Nat Ex, just the London service operating now.

There used to be several useful journeys on the North East/South West corridor giving links from Derby to Birmingham and Derby to Sheffield and Leeds.
These now run non-stop between Sheffield and Birmingham or they are now routed via Nottingham.

It's a matter of great regret if those services have been permanently diverted away from Derby.

 

[route101]

I've noticed recently that Derby has been all but abandoned by Nat Ex, just the London service operating now.

There used to be several useful journeys on the North East/South West corridor giving links from Derby to Birmingham and Derby to Sheffield and Leeds.
These now run non-stop between Sheffield and Birmingham or they are now routed via Nottingham.

It's a matter of great regret if those services have been permanently diverted away from Derby.

Most of the cross country services have stopped, wonder how much will come back.

Had anyone got an old timetable for the Edinburgh/Glasgow to Bournemouth service 539?

 

[cambsy]

I have not got an old 539 timetable, but i have used this service a few times a number of years ago and it was good service to use for me. I do hope that services are re instated or increased soon, like the 106 and the 03.00-ish 501 Plymoiuth-London and 9pm 501 London-Plymouth. The service from Exeter isn’t that good any more, with only the 2 overnights 404 and 406, and none of the daytime services to London are any use for a decent day out to London.

 

[saffy_]

Does anyone know what the rules are for unaccompanied minors travelling on National Express are? Asking for a friend, as they're travelling tomorrow