Standards have dropped now they don’t really care as much as they used to. As long as the service runs.
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National Express Coaches Discussion
- Thread starter cnjb8
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I'm not really sure how your comment is relevant to the original point. Aston Manor Coaches are a reputable company have ran some NX operations for a while now. Although they might not be a regular and full-time operator they have regularly run dupes, extra weekend uplift services and been used for festival/events requirements. It is not as if they are a small time cowboy company that NX have just suddenly came across and using them just to make sure the "service runs".
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Not sure if this is the correct place to post - it's regarding an NX Senior Coachcard renewal - apologies if not.
Long story short: when I called into Digbeth recently to renew my Senior Coachcard, the NX staff member on the desk correctly processed the upgrade on their system and gave me a new card but wrote the wrong expiry date on it. Old card expired 17 Jan 26, new card expiry date is 17 Jan 27 but they wrote 18 Jan 26 !! I only realised a few days later and when I phoned Customer Services the agent confirmed that the expiry showing on the system is 17 Jan 27 but said there was nothing the call centre could do...
Is it worth trying to get a replacement card when I pass through Victoria next week ? Or should I just live with it, bearing in mind that last year I travelled quite a lot on NX services and I think I was asked by the driver maybe once to show my Coachcard (it probably helps that I'm visibly in my 60s
) ?
Long story short: when I called into Digbeth recently to renew my Senior Coachcard, the NX staff member on the desk correctly processed the upgrade on their system and gave me a new card but wrote the wrong expiry date on it. Old card expired 17 Jan 26, new card expiry date is 17 Jan 27 but they wrote 18 Jan 26 !! I only realised a few days later and when I phoned Customer Services the agent confirmed that the expiry showing on the system is 17 Jan 27 but said there was nothing the call centre could do...
Is it worth trying to get a replacement card when I pass through Victoria next week ? Or should I just live with it, bearing in mind that last year I travelled quite a lot on NX services and I think I was asked by the driver maybe once to show my Coachcard (it probably helps that I'm visibly in my 60s
) ?syorksdeano
Member
- Joined
- 7 Jan 2011
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- 780
My partner was on this one on her way to Sheffield.
I am assuming that they have either took over this route from another operator, or they have a problem with the coaches as you are currently unable to reserve seats .
Eyersey468
Established Member
- Joined
- 14 Sep 2018
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- 2,601
It might be worth asking when you are next passing through VictoriaNot sure if this is the correct place to post - it's regarding an NX Senior Coachcard renewal - apologies if not.
Long story short: when I called into Digbeth recently to renew my Senior Coachcard, the NX staff member on the desk correctly processed the upgrade on their system and gave me a new card but wrote the wrong expiry date on it. Old card expired 17 Jan 26, new card expiry date is 17 Jan 27 but they wrote 18 Jan 26 !! I only realised a few days later and when I phoned Customer Services the agent confirmed that the expiry showing on the system is 17 Jan 27 but said there was nothing the call centre could do...
Is it worth trying to get a replacement card when I pass through Victoria next week ? Or should I just live with it, bearing in mind that last year I travelled quite a lot on NX services and I think I was asked by the driver maybe once to show my Coachcard (it probably helps that I'm visibly in my 60s
A further update from National Express to their agents.
Commencing 23 January
Service 408: Stratford-upon-Avon - Coventry - Heathrow Airport - London
Service withdrawn.
Stratford-upon-Avon withdrawn from the core network.
Service 460: Rugby - Coventry - Warwick Parkway / Banbury - Heathrow Airport - London
Revised daily schedule incorporating former Service 408 journeys between Coventry & London on peak days of the week.
Commencing 23 January
Service 408: Stratford-upon-Avon - Coventry - Heathrow Airport - London
Service withdrawn.
Stratford-upon-Avon withdrawn from the core network.
Service 460: Rugby - Coventry - Warwick Parkway / Banbury - Heathrow Airport - London
Revised daily schedule incorporating former Service 408 journeys between Coventry & London on peak days of the week.
Parebunks
Member
It just wasn't a very sensible route unfortunately, going up to Coventry and back down never made much sense. In my mind a London-Oxford-Blenheim Palace-Stratford route (or via Bicester Village?) deliberately marketed for tourists would have substantially more success, but hard to see National Express or Flixbus having the commercial acumen for that right now.
JGurney
Member
I think the 'invisibility' issue is a big problem for tourist traffic. A glance at a map shows that Stratford-upon-Avon has a railway station and a connecting line to London. Finding whether a town has any coach services and where they go is, while possible, not as straightforward.
markymark2000
On Moderation
It's probably more possible now that we only have 2 coach operators. Put the destination into the coach operators websites and if the town isn't found, it isn't served.
There is a huge issue though with coach operators failing to promote or poorly promoting their specific stops and links.
Martin1988
Member
In terms of Aston Manor Coaches on the 131, their workings seem to be ones that were previously everyday workings by Woods but which are now concentrated on the weekend and the surrounding days.
I am interested to see if Aston Manor will remain the operator on a permanent basis and if so, whether they will source NX vehicles?
There was a working on the 101 (Birmingham to Plymouth) that operated in the latter part of last year that was worked by Amans Travel using non-NX vehicles. It now seems to have been replaced with an Edwards working that uses NX branded vehicles however.
I am interested to see if Aston Manor will remain the operator on a permanent basis and if so, whether they will source NX vehicles?
There was a working on the 101 (Birmingham to Plymouth) that operated in the latter part of last year that was worked by Amans Travel using non-NX vehicles. It now seems to have been replaced with an Edwards working that uses NX branded vehicles however.
Is the average tourist going to do that?
There's coach companies that travel from London to Stratford, but they advertise in hotels and tourist information.
markymark2000
On Moderation
Per the quote "There is a huge issue though with coach operators failing to promote or poorly promoting their specific stops and links."
This would include advertising in hotels or tourist information.
Oh indeed. I was agreeing with that.
Only the most determined wotha bit of knowledge will randomly go to their websites.
Rail operators have the advantage of all rail websites selling tickets for all operators.
I would think that the average passenger is more likely to just put it into Google Maps, and will get coach results, but no prices and I can imagine the time difference often puts people off even bothering to get a coach price.
markymark2000
On Moderation
Ahh, sorry. I read your message in a different way.
Well that was a big waste of time. Guy at the Victoria information desk said he was "not able" to re-issue the card with a correct date, he even tried wiping off the year digit (!!!). Thus defacing the card and making it invalidNot sure if this is the correct place to post - it's regarding an NX Senior Coachcard renewal - apologies if not.
Long story short: when I called into Digbeth recently to renew my Senior Coachcard, the NX staff member on the desk correctly processed the upgrade on their system and gave me a new card but wrote the wrong expiry date on it. Old card expired 17 Jan 26, new card expiry date is 17 Jan 27 but they wrote 18 Jan 26 !! I only realised a few days later and when I phoned Customer Services the agent confirmed that the expiry showing on the system is 17 Jan 27 but said there was nothing the call centre could do...
Is it worth trying to get a replacement card when I pass through Victoria next week ? Or should I just live with it, bearing in mind that last year I travelled quite a lot on NX services and I think I was asked by the driver maybe once to show my Coachcard (it probably helps that I'm visibly in my 60s
. Guess the next stop is Complaints...
F Great Eastern
Established Member
In a surprise move, the 717 is being outsourced to Airport Bus Express.
I thought they were just a brand that contracts out like NX though?
I thought they were just a brand that contracts out like NX though?
Maybe ABE will sub-contract it to National Express in-house coaches
F Great Eastern
Established Member
It's currently with Galloway, but who knows what happens with that next.Maybe ABE will sub-contract it to National Express in-house coaches
Smethwickian
Member
Timetable changes from 12 April appear to mean the end of Liverpool to London services 423, 550 and 551. Some journeys on Manchester to London service 540 will extend to and from Liverpool and there will be a few new journeys numbered 541 running Liverpool - Manchester - Birmingham - London. Means Chester and Birkenhead are no longer served at all, and passengers from Liverpool cannot go anywhere without going via Manchester, extending most journey times.
Elsewhere the number of journeys to and from Dudley and Wolverhampton on London service 400 are also significantly reduced, as is the number of direct journeys from Bradford to Manchester and Manchester Airport.
Elsewhere the number of journeys to and from Dudley and Wolverhampton on London service 400 are also significantly reduced, as is the number of direct journeys from Bradford to Manchester and Manchester Airport.
Oh wow, that's disappointing, although charging £7.50 for Liverpool-London couldn't have been particularly profitable. The direct Birmingham-Liverpool leg will be missed as it can be quite a bit quicker than the train, especially if you're getting off on Edge Lane.
Morgsie
Member
Any news on Stoke-On-Trent Hanley Bus Station and whether it will be served by National Express from April 12 as the 551 is the only coach to serve? I know Flix have announced some services from Hanley but the loss of the 551 would mean Hanley is off the National Express network if it is going.
Where can you you find the source please?
Smethwickian
Member
Schedules now in journey planner on NX website and in direct journeys searches on the timetables page if you input a date from 12 April.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Stoke (Hanley) still served by service 424 once per day at the super convenient time of 0120 southbound and 0455 northbound.
Parebunks
Member
From a glance over some extra points that jump out to me are:
- The new 541 is essentially a combination of most trips on the 400 and the 120, which are both reduced to a small number of trips at either end of the day.
- NX appear to be mimicking Flixbus by adding a stop in Manchester at Moss Lane - this often seems to account for around half the passengers on the Flix 023.
- Number of trips on the 540 is down noticeably, but with 541 MCR-LON is up slightly, although hard to see many opting for the Birmingham diversion.
- Birmingham-London is down somewhat I think, and with some relatively large gaps. Some of the few remaining standalone trips now go via Heathrow as 410.
- Birmingham-Manchester potentially up a bit given the 121 to Blackpool is mostly unchanged, but coaches starting in London will be less reliable and busier than the standalone 120.
- Journey times from Liverpool are now so high NX doesn't really look like a viable option for most journeys.
- Trans-Pennine route 171 via Bradford is axed entirely, a few trips on the 170 gain extra stops out of Manchester but overall Liverpool-Leeds trips down by a lot. Of note here is that Flix are starting a new 930 next week Liverpool-Manchester Airport-Huddersfield-Bradford-Leeds.
I'd normally welcome more cross-Birmingham trips, but Manchester-Birmingham-London is the exception - there are distinct and busy flows between all three with no real reason to combine them. This looks like it could be the start of a decline for NX on the M6 corridor as Flix now look like a better option for pretty much every combination of London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, especially given they're often cheaper. Hard to see why NX didn't instead combine the 120 with the 160 (one of the few corridors Flix isn't yet competing on), or even the Bristol/South Wales routes which at least opens up new routes on NX.
Below is my composite of trips on Tuesday heading north on the relevant routes to give a brief idea of the overall picture for those who don't want to fiddle with the NX website!
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markymark2000
On Moderation
The 551 has been a stupid route since it first came out. Ever extending journey times and zig zagging all over the place. It's no wonder that people are choosing other ways to get where they want/need to go.
The 423 has become a right state too since NatEx moved it to Selwyns. Previously it was the 421 operated by Parks Rochdale, it was double manned with a 30 min break at Digbeth and it ran pretty well. Under Selwyns the cleanliness dropped, the Wifi and VUER never used to work and it became all single manned so now you sit around Birmingham for an hour in the middle of the trip. NatEx has done nothing but dug their own grave on these routes in the past 5-10 years and so I am glad to see them fail and losing money. Very much deserved given their treatment of the area.
It's strange how well Moss Lane does really when you consider that it wasn't a stop until Flixbus came about and as you say, it can account for around half of the passengers there. For an out of town stop with nothing nearby and poorish onward links (bar the bus into Manchester City Centre), it's really surprising how well it does. Part of me wonders whether Southern Cemetery would be a good stop for coaches as then passengers can make more onward connections on local buses and it's closer for people in South Manchester if they are getting taxis or dropped off compared to Moss Lane.
Flixbus will be upto 7 coaches per day from 1st April on their 021/N21 Liverpool services. Journey times being around 6 hours compared to NatEx average of around 7 hours. Unless NatEx price these very cheap, you'd have be to pretty daft to make use of any of these routes for travel to Liverpool.
Something that I have noticed, the 541 timetable on the NatEx site for Fridays and Saturday/Sundays, includes times leaving London Victoria Coach Station at xx:15 and xx:45. I thought that except for the Airport stuff from the high frequency stand, everything had to run on the hour or half past? I've attached a screenshot below showing departures at 11:45 and 12:15, but there are a few others.
