Getting to Rushden, Northants

[dvboy]

Hi all

Not sure if this is in the right forum but I hope someone can help. I need to get to Rushden, Northants from Birmingham (centre) on Friday evening (as late as possible), returning Saturday preferably by 10:30am.

Having checked Traveline East Midlands (West Midlands version couldn't find Rushden), it suggests the following options...

1650 VT to Coventry 1710
1721 LM to Northampton 1754
1809 First 30 to Northampton Bus Stn 1815
1825 Stagecoach X47 to Rushden 1940

1722 XC to Leicester 1815
1833 EMT to Kettering 1856
1906 Stagecoach X1 to Barton Seagrave 1915
1928 Stagecoach 50 to Rushden 1958

return:

0713 Stagecoach X47 to Northampton Bus Stn 0829
0840 Stagecoach 22 to Northampton 0844
0855 LM to Coventry 0929
0942 VT to Birmingham 1008

Can anyone advise which is the easiest route outward whereby I'm unlikely to get lost and/or stranded due to a missed bus connection, and is the short bus from Northampton stn to the bus station necessary or is it an easy well signed walk?

I assume if I go via Kettering and come back via Northampton I will need seperate tickets...

 

[causton]

I would say NMP station - Greyfriars Bus Station is about a 15 minute walk, not too bad however can't comment on signage - might want to look at Google Maps/StreetView to familiarise yourself!

I would say go via Northampton both ways, and if (on the way towards Rushden) if the train is late, catch the bus, and if the X47 is late on the way back from Rushden get the bus from the bus station - train station, otherwise walking it should do alright

Also, there is an X46 half an hour later from Northampton - Greyfriars bus station isn't the best but I'm sure you can manage 30 minutes in it that appears to be the last bus of the evening though, so make sure you end up on that one!

 

[bb21]

I was just going to say exactly the same thing. Looking at the Stagecoach map for the area, you're not really spoilt for choice there, but the departure 30 minutes later on the X46 is a good insurance.

 

[Keele13]

If you've never been to Northampton before I would recommend you get the bus to the bus station - the walk is fairly short, but it will take you through the market square and a shopping centre or a dingy alley, and I don't think that Google Streetview or Google Earth will be much help.

There are loads of buses from outside the station (you need to get to the main road - essentially follow the gaggle of people walking diagonally across the car park outside the main entrance to the station) which go to the bus station. Don't be fooled by everyone who gets off when the bus gets into town (outside Debenhams/McDonald's), you will know when you enter the bus station, believe me!!

 

[IanD]

Don't be fooled by everyone who gets off when the bus gets into town (outside Debenhams/McDonald's), you will know when you enter the bus station, believe me!!

If you can get off the bus outside Debenhams/Mcdonalds (in The Drapery)then it's easy to walk to the station from there and the route doesn't involve any dingy alleyways. Simply turn left when alighting from the bus and then right at the next road junction onto Gold Street. At the next crossroads this changes it's name to Marefair which then changes it's name to Black Lion Hill which is the road the station is located on. 10 minutes maximum.

Unless you desperately want to experience the bus station whose demise has this week been announced and was once dubbed 'the ugliest building in Britain'. I'd hate to see what wrested the title from it's grasp.

 

[bILLOO]

you will know when you enter the bus station, believe me!!

Hah! Quoted for truth. Luckily I don't live in the town now but I certainly won't miss that lump of...

 

[geogjen]

Three other options if you're getting EMT from Leicester (and avoiding potentially getting stuck in Barton Seagrave) is to either (1) wait until 1918 and get the 50 direct from Kettering to Rushden (2) go to Wellingborough, walk into town (around 15 minutes down a well lit Midland Road) and get the X46 to Rushden from there or (3) go to Bedford and get the 50 direct to Rushden from there.

Having said that when I've gone to Birmingham from Higham Ferrers/Rushden I've gone via Northampton (but never done it all by public transport), as an aside the Rushden Historical Transport Society do have dreams of connecting the old branch line back to the mainline.

 

[bengolding]

Greyfriars may be dark and dingy but I thought the worst building in England was Brunel bus station, next to Slough Rail station? It's being demolished apparently, and some may consider Slough should reach the same fate .

 

[dvboy]

walked through Northampton
£4.55 single from Northampton to Rushden!
Got a lift back to Northampton in the end this morning.
Trains in both directions were very busy for the Clothes Show Live at the NEC and Christmas shoppers this morning.
Accidently leant against the emergency door release on the 350 this morning and pulled the plastic cover off. Oops.