Getting off a National Express coach early

[NorwichRailFan]

Hi all, a hypothetical question just popped into my head when I was looking at national express services through Norfolk.

Technically you can't book the segment between Acle and Norwich on National express, presumably because it's too short, but what would happen if someone were to book between Acle and Thetford for example and get off at Norwich?

Could you be fined or penalised in some way by national express? Would National Express get in trouble for allowing a 'local' journey on a coach service?

Obviously I presume it would be something difficult to enforce. I know they have a policy of not allowing people off early at airports, because of different fares.

Many thanks

 

[JJM22]

Personally as a driver, if someone got off early and had no luggage, it’s unlikely I’d notice or be bothered about.

However, as I load all luggage by stop order then it would be noticeable and become a problem. If there is a large amount of luggage underneath I have refused to unload their bags because they wanted off at an earlier stop.

 

[Seagull2006]

I doubt the driver would care unless you are travelling with luggage.

 

[Statto]

I've always been fine getting off early, (often Golders Green instead of Victoria, as it's easier interchange to the tube), although i normally have hand luggage that can be carried on board, however if the luggage needs to be put underneath the coach, i'd tell the driver when boarding that you want to get off early.

Also remember even though coaches are scheduled to stop at places on the route, the driver might not bother stopping if no one had booked to board or alight there, i've been on the coach that has stayed on the M40 instead of stopping in Oxford.

 

[MartinC]

Hi all, a hypothetical question just popped into my head when I was looking at national express services through Norfolk. Technically you can't book the segment between Acle and Norwich on National express, presumably because it's too short, but what would happen if someone were to book between Acle and Thetford for example and get off at Norwich? Could you be fined or penalised in some way by national express? Would National Express get in trouble for allowing a 'local' journey on a coach service? Obviously I presume it would be something difficult to enforce. I know they have a policy of not allowing people off early at airports because of different fares.
Many thanks

Not sure about the airport policy. Must be some leeway as I short exited at LHR with the encouragement of the driver when there was a significant road delay into central London (only to find a signal problem on the tube!)

 

[Starmill]

Not sure about the airport policy. Must be some leeway as I short exited at LHR with the encouragement of the driver when there was a significant road delay into central London (only to find a signal problem on the tube!)

Usually if a customer has been disrupted by a bus running severely late, missed a connection, or whatever, NX will allow whatever the customer wishes to do, subject to physical capacity. It would be a little churlish to refuse a customer's luggage out of the hold if you were three hours late.

Under general circumstances luggage is often loaded in the correct order by destination.

 

[markymark2000]

Hi all, a hypothetical question just popped into my head when I was looking at national express services through Norfolk. Technically you can't book the segment between Acle and Norwich on National express, presumably because it's too short, but what would happen if someone were to book between Acle and Thetford for example and get off at Norwich? Could you be fined or penalised in some way by national express? Would National Express get in trouble for allowing a 'local' journey on a coach service? Obviously I presume it would be something difficult to enforce. I know they have a policy of not allowing people off early at airports because of different fares.
Many thanks

In the instance that you talk about with Norfolk stops, while a one off is probably neither here nor there (perhaps locker luggage dependant given what others have said), if it were to become a regular thing and caught, then at the extreme end of the scale, it could be deemed a legal issue with the traffic commissioner for essentially running an unregistered local bus service. Though given the ineffective nature of this so called regulator, and given such issues are very irregular and unlikely to be reported on, I think the chances of it ever getting that serious would be almost nil. The furthest that it's likely to get is National Express banning the traveller as they aren't travelling in line with their ticket conditions.

 

[317 forever]

I've always been fine getting off early, (often Golders Green instead of Victoria, as it's easier interchange to the tube), although i normally have hand luggage that can be carried on board, however if the luggage needs to be put underneath the coach, i'd tell the driver when boarding that you want to get off early.

Also remember even though coaches are scheduled to stop at places on the route, the driver might not bother stopping if no one had booked to board or alight there, i've been on the coach that has stayed on the M40 instead of stopping in Oxford.

I have sometimes got off at Golders Green, when I was keeping to areas north of Victoria.

On 1 such coach in 2023, the driver even suggested people might want to get off there and travel to Victoria by Underground. He said it could take as little as 18 minutes, and be quicker than staying on the coach.

 

[Eyersey468]

Personally as a driver, if someone got off early and had no luggage, it’s unlikely I’d notice or be bothered about.

However, as I load all luggage by stop order then it would be noticeable and become a problem. If there is a large amount of luggage underneath I have refused to unload their bags because they wanted off at an earlier stop.

If someone doesn't have luggage or says when they get on it doesn't bother me either, where it does become an issue is where the lockers are full especially at a stop like Marble Arch where its limited waiting

 

[route101]

I actually did this the other day, I got off at Hamiton instead of Glasgow, I had hand luggage only.

 

[Simon75]

I actually did this the other day, I got off at Hamiton instead of Glasgow, I had hand luggage only.

Years ago a episode of Watchdog pointed out 2 example of paying less to travel further, Hamilton was one, where its dearer than Glasgow.
The other if I remember was Hammersmith which was dearer than Victoria.
Heathrow is dearer than Victoria

 

[Statto]

I have sometimes got off at Golders Green, when I was keeping to areas north of Victoria.

On 1 such coach in 2023, the driver even suggested people might want to get off there and travel to Victoria by Underground. He said it could take as little as 18 minutes, and be quicker than staying on the coach.

Yeah with the Tube being quite frequent, it can be quicker getting off at Golders Green & using Tube to Victoria (changing at Tottenham Court Road) than staying on the coach, then you have to factor in the walk from Victoria Coach Station to Victoria Station as well.

Just tell the driver you want to get off at Golders Green when you board, as some drivers might avoid Golders Green & stay in the A41 if no one is getting off there.

 

[scottishtrains]

I mean they can’t really stop you leaving early, aslong as you tell the driver if you have hold luggage

 

[Martin1988]

I'm pretty sure that the stop at Earls Court (now Hammersmith by Tesco) used to be served as standard on all journeys on the 040 Bristol to London route but remember a point where drivers started serving it only if passengers requested it in advance. Got caught out by that once when I wanted to get off an 040 there but the driver went straight past as nobody had requested to alight and I had no choice to stay on until VCS.

Have also definitely observed a few instances in recent years when a dupe has been used and passengers going direct to VCS have been instructed to board the dupe with only the Service Coach serving Earls Court/Hammersmith Tesco. Have alighted from several dupes there in the past however which suggests to me that this is a more recent thing?

Also remember once being on an NX journey which had to divert through North Bristol due to the M32 being shut and during the diversion a passenger went to the front and asked if they could get off (presumably they were near their home) but were told no!

 

[gembercannelle]

Some years ago I was travelling late at night from Cambridge to Coventry and missed the last train at Birmingham New Street due to delays. Instead of waiting for a taxi, I walked to the NX bus stop and took a bus to Coventry Pool Meadow. The driver had no objections, though I believe it was not possible to buy a proper ticket for this journey.

 

[Statto]

Some years ago I was travelling late at night from Cambridge to Coventry and missed the last train at Birmingham New Street due to delays. Instead of waiting for a taxi, I walked to the NX bus stop and took a bus to Coventry Pool Meadow. The driver had no objections, though I believe it was not possible to buy a proper ticket for this journey.

As there is an 24 hour National Express Coventry/West Midlands X1 Birmingham-Coventry bus service which is far cheaper & why National Express coaches don't sell tickets for this journey.

 

[londonbridge]

I’ve left the coach early once, when delays meant I would miss the start of the event I was travelling to by the time the coach reached my destination, so I left early and took a train for the remainder of the journey.

 

[317 forever]

Yeah with the Tube being quite frequent, it can be quicker getting off at Golders Green & using Tube to Victoria (changing at Tottenham Court Road) than staying on the coach, then you have to factor in the walk from Victoria Coach Station to Victoria Station as well.

Just tell the driver you want to get off at Golders Green when you board, as some drivers might avoid Golders Green & stay in the A41 if no one is getting off there.

Actually, getting the Bank branch and changing at Euston is quickest, for having cross-platform interchange there.

You are right to recommend we tell the driver when we'd like to get off early. If nobody has booked a specific stop the coach sometimes by-passes it without stopping.

 

[Sealink]

I have a similar question.

Route 035 Poole - Heathrow - Victoria. The passenger wants to get off at Heathrow.

NatEx say ticket must be cancelled and a new ticket purchased. I can see why - original return was £23.40, they want £32 for a new single to Heathrow!
Has anyone any experience of this?

 

[riceuten]

There was an issue around this a while back, people booking to Victoria but disembarking at Heathrow because Victoria was cheaper. And there were NatEx staff checking tickets and fining people for essentially "short faring".

 

[Bletchleyite]

There was an issue around this a while back, people booking to Victoria but disembarking at Heathrow because Victoria was cheaper. And there were NatEx staff checking tickets and fining people for essentially "short faring".

Heathrow is I think the only place they do that as it is charged at a premium (it's very much like the Preston/Lancaster thing on Avanti). Otherwise it's pretty much just down to luggage, as they will tend to put it in specific places for specific destinations and there are some stops where the hold won't be opened at all due to space constraints and possible theft issues e.g. Marble Arch.

 

[riceuten]

Heathrow is I think the only place they do that as it is charged at a premium (it's very much like the Preston/Lancaster thing on Avanti). Otherwise it's pretty much just down to luggage, as they will tend to put it in specific places for specific destinations and there are some stops where the hold won't be opened at all due to space constraints and possible theft issues e.g. Marble Arch.

I remember a few years ago when the coach from Saarbrucken to Luxembourg extended out to the Luxexpo development, and the driver would ask the people with luggage in the hold travelling beyond the bus station to drag it onto the coach because he only had a minute or so to drop people off at the terminus. Can't imagine that working on National Express !

 

[Eyersey468]

Heathrow is I think the only place they do that as it is charged at a premium (it's very much like the Preston/Lancaster thing on Avanti). Otherwise it's pretty much just down to luggage, as they will tend to put it in specific places for specific destinations and there are some stops where the hold won't be opened at all due to space constraints and possible theft issues e.g. Marble Arch.

The other issue at Marble Arch is its limited waiting, we have to drop and go and can't be sat there for several minutes sorting luggage out

 

[gray1404]

I think there is very little in reality National Express can do if a customer walks away. They are not the railway with legislation to back them up. Nor are you obliged by law to give them your name and address.

Once you have left the service I certainly would not be sharing my ticket to anyone. Let alone would I stay around if they attempt to try and get money from me.

 

[Simon75]

Remember seeing a Watchdog show years ago (c10).
It gave an example a few examples of say Manchester to Glasgow was cheaper than Manchester to Motherwell

 

[Simon75]

Heathrow is I think the only place they do that as it is charged at a premium (it's very much like the Preston/Lancaster thing on Avanti). Otherwise it's pretty much just down to luggage, as they will tend to put it in specific places for specific destinations and there are some stops where the hold won't be opened at all due to space constraints and possible theft issues e.g. Marble Arch.

Milton Keynes to Harlow £28.10
Milton Keynes to Stansted Airport £28.10 14 miles longer

 

[gingerheid]

In the days when some of the Cambridge - London coaches in the morning went through the villages south of Cambridge, Nat Exp was the majority of the Sunday morning service to most of them, and you could buy tickets for the local journeys.

Honestly; it was hard enough to get off the coaches at Sawston even when that was where your ticket was booked to!!! After the first couple of times I would make a huge point of reminding them I was going to Sawston when boarding, sit behind the driver and remind them not to go on the motorway, and then remind them again to stop in Sawston. However the coach was actually getting me there 75 mins before I needed to be there, so after getting grief from a driver who felt he didn't need reminded one time too many I would tell them after Duxford, and get taken to Stansted from where they'd organise a taxi back that would get me there at pretty much the right time!

 

[Sealink]

Heathrow is I think the only place they do that as it is charged at a premium (it's very much like the Preston/Lancaster thing on Avanti). Otherwise it's pretty much just down to luggage, as they will tend to put it in specific places for specific destinations and there are some stops where the hold won't be opened at all due to space constraints and possible theft issues e.g. Marble Arch.

I told the passenger this

It's really odd that the National Express system I use at work doesn't allow you to amend a ticket on the same service.

 

[gembercannelle]

I have a similar question.

Route 035 Poole - Heathrow - Victoria. The passenger wants to get off at Heathrow. NatEx say ticket must be cancelled and a new ticket purchased. I can see why - original return was £23.40, they want £32 for a new single to Heathrow!
Has anyone any experience of this?

A couple of yeas ago I was able to resolve this by contacting them on Facebook. They have kindly offered to refund original tickets after I bought the ones I need, that allowed me to avoid the cancellation fee.

Regarding price difference, I have seen Coventry - Heathrow £32 and Coventry - Victoria £7, on the same bus.

A decade or so ago, I used to buy advance tickets from Cambridge to Coventry via London (Kings Cross - Euston) that were actually a third of the price of Cambridge to London. Only London - Coventry part was fixed, so I could easily spent time in London before catching my train to Coventry.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Milton Keynes to Harlow £28.10
Milton Keynes to Stansted Airport £28.10 14 miles longer

That's just zonal pricing (ish). Plenty of railway examples.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Sunday at 09:38 ==

I told the passenger this

It's really odd that the National Express system I use at work doesn't allow you to amend a ticket on the same service.

The railway won't either. There is no legitimate way to extend (if the destination is set down only) or shorten an Advance ticket. It's mad.