First and Stagecoach

[DunsBus]

AT weekends, Livingston, as the Stagecoach 51 only runs at weekends. Also add Carlisle Railway Station, with the 95 from Hawick run by First entering a city where you can also see Stagecoach and the odd Arriva bus.

In Fife, First route 651 (Livingston - Dunfermline) runs every hour. From Ferrytoll to Dunfermline, you can capture it amongst numerous Stagecoach Fife vehicles.

The First X95 to and from Edinburgh, Gala and Hawick can be seen in the company of Stagecoach vehicles from the bus stops at the Courts in Carlisle, which are 2 mins walk from the station (the X95 stopped using the station forecourt a few years back) and from there along Lonsdale Street, West Tower Street, Castle Way and the A7 Kingstown Road/Scotland Road. The joint Arriva/Stagecoach 685 runs along Lonsdale Street for approximately 300 yards giving that short stretch the distinction of being served by three of the major groups.

First also had the contract for the Saturday 710 service between Kelso, Coldstream, Newcastle and the Metrocentre some years back IIRC meaning that you could see a First bus in Newcastle city centre on Saturdays, albeit only one journey each way.

 

[MK Tom]

That'll be the X7 and 48, just a shame that Leicester isn't an option on the select your location drop down on the stagecoach website.

Just pop them an email and they'll probably change that. They made a services map for MK just because I asked them to. That's one of the reasons I hold them in such high regard, they have excellent customer service.

 

[madannie77]

The First X95 to and from Edinburgh, Gala and Hawick can be seen in the company of Stagecoach vehicles from the bus stops at the Courts in Carlisle, which are 2 mins walk from the station (the X95 stopped using the station forecourt a few years back) and from there along Lonsdale Street, West Tower Street, Castle Way and the A7 Kingstown Road/Scotland Road. The joint Arriva/Stagecoach 685 runs along Lonsdale Street for approximately 300 yards giving that short stretch the distinction of being served by three of the major groups.

First also had the contract for the Saturday 710 service between Kelso, Coldstream, Newcastle and the Metrocentre some years back IIRC meaning that you could see a First bus in Newcastle city centre on Saturdays, albeit only one journey each way.

'tis Lowther Street where all three can be seen. Lonsdale Street is the road which leads to the Bus Station.

 

[RELL6L]

I think most places have been identified. I can think of the following:

Places where there is genuine competition: Portsmouth, Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen

Places where both are present but not realistically competing: Plymouth, Taunton, Hereford, Kings Lynn (Stagecoach Norfolk Green), Bridgend, Leicester, Rotherham, Doncaster, Edinburgh, also places such as Romford where Stagecoach East London meets First Essex

Same but just one or two routes of one or the other:
Dartmouth, Exeter, Tiverton, Axminster, Yeovil, Chippenham, Camberley, Reading, Cardiff, Evesham, Stirling

Probably missed somewhere!

 

[DunsBus]

'tis Lowther Street where all three can be seen. Lonsdale Street is the road which leads to the Bus Station.

Indeed it is Lowther Street which is where all three can seen - my mistake. (hangs head in shame - I've been a regular visitor to Carlisle for long enough now to know which street the X95 serves on its way to and from The Courts!) I think the 685 only runs along Lowther Street northbound if memory is correct.

For completeness regarding Carlisle, for the benefit of those not familiar with the city I should mention the other streets which the X95 serves on its clockwise circuit of the city centre - The Crescent (southbound, full length), English Street (northbound, part) and Devonshire Street (eastbound, part).
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I think most places have been identified. I can think of the following:

Places where there is genuine competition: Portsmouth, Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen

Places where both are present but not realistically competing: Plymouth, Taunton, Hereford, Kings Lynn (Stagecoach Norfolk Green), Bridgend, Leicester, Rotherham, Doncaster, Edinburgh, also places such as Romford where Stagecoach East London meets First Essex

Same but just one or two routes of one or the other:
Dartmouth, Exeter, Tiverton, Axminster, Yeovil, Chippenham, Camberley, Reading, Cardiff, Evesham, Stirling

Probably missed somewhere!

In the case of Edinburgh, there was competition briefly on the South Queensferry corridor between First and Stagecoach between the beginning of March, when Stagecoach started the 40/40A, until mid-April when First threw in the towel and withdrew the 43.

 

[Volvodart]

I think most places have been identified. I can think of the following:

Places where there is genuine competition: Portsmouth, Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen

The "competition" in Aberdeen is only one route, as Stagecoach have withdrawn the other city route it had and on other journeys that Aberdeen passengers could use, a lot have had frequency reductions or route changes making them less attractive for city passengers or have been changed from all stops to limited stops.

 

[Robertj21a]

Stagecoach have two routes in Leicester, so that's somewhere they both operate.[/QUOTE]

They actually have 3 routes into Leicester.

Robert

 

[MK Tom]

Are you referring to the X17, the Kettering route?

 

[BestWestern]

Barnsley is another option. I was out today grabbing some more train haulage and one of my stopping points was Barnsley station ( a new station for me) and the bus station is right next to the station and it was just constantly First and Stagecoach with the odd local operator thrown in.

Lol! I thought you were going to suggest a trip to the Barnsley scrapyards to see some of First's smarter motors!

 

[CC 72100]

Surprised no one has mentioned Hereford? Stagecoach run into there from Brecon, Abergavenny, Ross and Monmouth!

Interesting that you mention Ross - I've seen a First Optare Solo recently in Ross when walking down to the supermarket on lunch break at work... I take it that it has been purchased by one of the local operators (H&H etc.) as opposed to being on an actual First service? If it was the latter, First operating in Ross would be a new one on me!

 

[KendalKing]

Interesting that you mention Ross - I've seen a First Optare Solo recently in Ross when walking down to the supermarket on lunch break at work... I take it that it has been purchased by one of the local operators (H&H etc.) as opposed to being on an actual First service? If it was the latter, First operating in Ross would be a new one on me!

That be on service 44 which departs Ross-on-Wye at 0710 (SD), 0720 (NSD), 0940, 1200, & 1510 for Hereford.
Also service 44A departs at 1810 for Hereford.

SD = School Days, NSD = Non School days

 

[gage75]

That is true actually.

I'd say Cardiff then, as First Cymru and Stagecoach South Wales operate there.

They both do still run in east of London, lots of Stagecoach esp as lot of new buses, still a fair size of First that cross over into Essex

 

[Robertj21a]

Are you referring to the X17, the Kettering route?

Yes - though there's also the 10 from Nuneaton that now gets as far as Fosse Park.

Robert

 

[CC 72100]

That be on service 44 which departs Ross-on-Wye at 0710 (SD), 0720 (NSD), 0940, 1200, & 1510 for Hereford.
Also service 44A departs at 1810 for Hereford.

SD = School Days, NSD = Non School days

Must admit to not knowing that, Thanks.

Guess you can add Ross to the list of First and Stagecoach then!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Must admit to not knowing that, Thanks.

Guess you can add Ross to the list of First and Stagecoach then!

In fact, you can add Monmouth. The 34 Monmouth to Ross is a Stagecoach service but First have just won the Summer Sunday service, operated from Hereford

 

[Deerfold]

They both do still run in east of London, lots of Stagecoach esp as lot of new buses, still a fair size of First that cross over into Essex

Really? Where would you find First in London?

 

[Surreyman]

Really? Where would you find First in London?

Greenlines in Victoria running in from Windsor!

 

[OwlMan]

Greenlines in Victoria running in from Windsor!

You could also add any place with First Buses that has a Megabus service

 

[Robertj21a]

You could also add any place with First Buses that has a Megabus service

???? - what has First got to do with Megabus ??

Robert

 

[Deerfold]

Greenlines in Victoria running in from Windsor!

I'd already mentioned those in this thread (and the local services to/from Berkshire) - I was questioning the claim that they were running in the East of London and into Essex.

???? - what has First got to do with Megabus ??

Robert

I think they're saying that if a town has First services, don't forget that any Megabus that calls is a Stagecoach service so the town qualifies as having both even if the Stagecoach service does not use that name.

 

[KendalKing]

I think most places have been identified. I can think of the following:

Places where there is genuine competition: Portsmouth, Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen

Places where both are present but not realistically competing: Plymouth, Taunton, Hereford, Kings Lynn (Stagecoach Norfolk Green), Bridgend, Leicester, Rotherham, Doncaster, Edinburgh, also places such as Romford where Stagecoach East London meets First Essex

Same but just one or two routes of one or the other:
Dartmouth, Exeter, Tiverton, Axminster, Yeovil, Chippenham, Camberley, Reading, Cardiff, Evesham, Stirling

Probably missed somewhere!

Bolton, somehow we all forgot about Bolton.

First has a depot in Bolton.

Stagecoach runs into Bolton, from Stockport on service 22 (Stockport depot), which is jointly operated with First.

Stagecoach also operates the following services into Bolton:-
125 from Preston (Chorley depot)
512/513 from Bury (Middleton depot)
540 from Wigan (Bryn depot)

Mustn't forget that First Bury depot also operate into Bolton on the 471 from Rochdale.

 

[317 forever]

I think most places have been identified. I can think of the following:

Places where there is genuine competition: Portsmouth, Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen

Places where both are present but not realistically competing: Plymouth, Taunton, Hereford, Kings Lynn (Stagecoach Norfolk Green), Bridgend, Leicester, Rotherham, Doncaster, Edinburgh, also places such as Romford where Stagecoach East London meets First Essex

Same but just one or two routes of one or the other:
Dartmouth, Exeter, Tiverton, Axminster, Yeovil, Chippenham, Camberley, Reading, Cardiff, Evesham, Stirling

Probably missed somewhere!

Stagecoach East London meets First Essex at nearby Lakeside (London route 372 and First route 100) but not in Romford. Everything at Romford is TfL red, even routes 370 and 375 (Arriva) and 498 (Go-Ahead) that head out into Essex.

 

[dave4jackie]

If anyone requires details of spotting locations in Sheffield, please feel free to contact me as I am local to the city and have spent many happy hours in recent years spotting and photographing.

Can you let me know some details please