Best Rail Replacement Service

[LM 170]

What is the best Coach/Bus Rail Replacement service you have ever been on ?
(i.e. Comfort/Seating)

 

[yorksrob]

The only one I didn‘t loathe intensely was the one that ran in the early nineties between Hastings and Bexhill when Bo-peep tunnel was shut. The ride along the seafront gave a pleasent view and one could enjoy a thumper at one end and a phase 1 CIG at the other.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

I envy anywhere that has a good Rail Replacement Service, in Glasgow if the trains on the Scotrail suburban network are disrupted they usually plant you on normal service buses due to First also running the buses here...

At times the capacity of buses has somewhat been stretched and tested to the limit...

 

[Polarbear]

Once I was on a rail replacement from Chinley in towards Manchester. The coach provided was a rather impressive Neoplan Jetliner, complete with 2+1 seating, face to face seats around tables in bays of 2/4 with table lamps.

I think it may have been a coach normally used for special charter/football teams. Very plush & way OTT for the journey I was on but no complaints!

 

[W-on-Sea]

Probably a Blue Triangle (or Ensignbus?) RT that was running on LU replacement services between Baker Street and Finchley Road (and possibly beyond) in the late 90s/early 00s.

After that, Ensignbus and Stephensons always turned out comfortable, modern, clean, buses for the c2c replacement services they operated for the 4 years I lived out that way...

 

[LM 170]

These are the best rail replacement I ever seen on Flickr are.

Enviro 400 Stagecoach Gold Cheltenham (VX09 NBG)
http://flic.kr/p/9yR1k1

East Lancs Olympus Stephensons of Essex (YN07 LHX)
http://flic.kr/p/dG9Y3K

Richmonds coaches (559ABX)
http://flic.kr/p/eJrXHp

 

[F Great Eastern]

Was lucky enough to get A Galloway Setra on a Greater Anglia service in the past
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kieransbusphotos/8563324056/sizes/l/in/photolist-e3HgUd-bHQyrc/

 

[34D]

Anything with me driving it?

 

[6Gman]

The recent Chester - Rhyl service featured a 1982 Leyland National !

 

[fowler9]

The one where I got 4 free Northern travel passes as compensation because it didn't turn up (Apologies, I'm not sure of the technical name for the passes. Valid for 24 hours across the whole Northern network). Nothing against Northern, it seemed massively over the top compensation since they also paid for taxis for my companions and I wasn't after compo.

 

[bb21]

This one.

 

[Martin1988]

I remember once riding a double decker coach from King's Ferry on a rail replacement service between Swanley and Rochester which served all the station stops between those locations. I also got a prime seat upstairs right at the front.

Here in Bristol I've ridden on some rather decent rail replacement vehicles including some van-hools from Eagle coaches and jonckheere mistrals from Turners of Bristol. However I've also had a couple of disappointing journeys with a company called South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach who have sent service buses out on rail replacement work.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I vote for the Tiger that York Pullman had out on RRBs a few years back.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thespian/4115594042/

 

[radamfi]

For me, rail replacement buses are interesting, not because of the vehicles used, but because they often go on roads that are not normally served by bus, and of course the routes are 'limited stop' as they only serve stations. For a more interesting route, I will sometimes choose the stopping bus in preference to the express.

 

[CatfordCat]

Have had variable experiences with FCC's rail replacement. As has been noted elsewhere, FCC tend to specify coaches rather than buses.

Have had some perfectly acceptable coaches, some very good spec touring coaches (Able Coaches of N London stand out) and one or two that must just about scrape through PSV standards - the latter tend to be fairly anonymous, and frankly I don't think I'd want my name too visible if I owned them...

 

[Hyphen]

Best rail replacement service I was on was a year or so ago between Nottingham and Chesterfield when the Norwich-Liverpool was diverted via Derby (not during the Blockade I don't think so). I could have taken the train between those two points, but it was running 35 mins late, and I fancied a change of scenery. It was being run by a Stagecoach Lincolnshire bio-methane fuelled Solo.

I was the only passenger on it, and got chatting to the driver who was an ordinary service driver for Stagecoach. He'd never driven Nottingham to Chesterfield via Langley Mill and Alfreton before, and hadn't been given a satnav or any directions. Boy was he glad I was on board!

 

[fowler9]

For me rail replacements are interesting because it is exciting wondering if they will turn up.