Has National Express scaled back its services?

[Deerfold]

Just looking for some times from Northampton, northwards to Leicester or Nottingham and I see that in almost every case you have to travel south to Milton Keynes Coachway and change before heading north. The resultant journey times are three and a half hours or more which makes them not at all attractive.

It's a bit ironic that Northampton had far better express services in the old days of United Counties and the MX1 / MX5 services from Nottingham to London!

I suspect on Northampton to Leicester, NX don't think they can compete with a half hourly express bus taking 80 minutes.

https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/Midlands/Northampton Timetables/31st Dec 17 & 2nd Jan 18 Changes/X7 NORTH WEB 021118.pdf

 

[Statto]

I suspect on Northampton to Leicester, NX don't think they can compete with a half hourly express bus taking 80 minutes.

https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/Midlands/Northampton Timetables/31st Dec 17 & 2nd Jan 18 Changes/X7 NORTH WEB 021118.pdf

Also most journeys on the X7 that start/finish in Northampton, connect with the Stagecoach X4 to/from Milton Keynes

 

[Robertj21a]

Also most journeys on the X7 that start/finish in Northampton, connect with the Stagecoach X4 to/from Milton Keynes

All the X7s will work through to MK shortly - but the X4 is truncated to just Northampton.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

All the X7s will work through to MK shortly - but the X4 is truncated to just Northampton.

Is that to increase the X4 to a full 30 min frequency over Northampton to Pboro with the same fleet?

 

[Robertj21a]

Is that to increase the X4 to a full 30 min frequency over Northampton to Pboro with the same fleet?

I believe so. Probably to cover that other Pboro route (24 ?)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I believe so. Probably to cover that other Pboro route (24 ?)

Makes sense and all connected with the downgrade of Corby depot. How will the good folk of Grafton Regis and Rode feel about losing their Golds.... that said, I’d not be surprised if the X7 wasn’t “Golded” at some point!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Makes sense and all connected with the downgrade of Corby depot. How will the good folk of Grafton Regis and Rode feel about losing their Golds.... that said, I’d not be surprised if the X7 wasn’t “Golded” at some point!

I suspect the long-term view is that "Gold" becomes the new standard for everything, it just wouldn't be affordable to do it all at once - certainly elements of it like high back seats[1] are becoming more universal on Stagecoach new vehicle orders. Certainly I've noticed that there is little difference between standard new Arriva vehicles and Sapphire, though Sapphire notably is a vastly inferior product to Stagecoach Gold (though it started out as a superior one with 2+1 seating, which quickly died off presumably from being uneconomic).

I do think it's a shame to lose the long distance X4 from MK, though. Not that I've had chance to do it throughout yet - should do before it goes! Best not drink much tea beforehand though

[1] Though I wish they'd pack in the orange and blue leather, it looks straight out of about 1985. Dark blue leather with thin orange piping would look much better while still maintaining the strong brand.

 

[Statto]

The new batch of Stagecoach standard vehicles are almost Gold standard, main difference don't they have USB ports.

Can see why Stagecoach are making the X4-X7 changes simplifies them, rather than the present arrangement of some only going to Northampton, i do think the X7 could do with upgrading though, was on it last Autumn feels too long a route for a standard Enviro 300s.

 

[Robertj21a]

The new batch of Stagecoach standard vehicles are almost Gold standard, main difference don't they have USB ports.

Can see why Stagecoach are making the X4-X7 changes simplifies them, rather than the present arrangement of some only going to Northampton, i do think the X7 could do with upgrading though, was on it last Autumn feels too long a route for a standard Enviro 300s.

Of course, X7 has steadily increased - from an hourly Leicester - Northampton to a 30 mins Leicester - Northampton/hourly to MK, and now 30 mins throughout. So they've certainly grown the business over the years. It would be good to have Gold on it, particularly since the other Stagecoach route to Leicester (48 to Nuneaton-Coventry) now has 25 new Gold E20D MMCs.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Of course, X7 has steadily increased - from an hourly Leicester - Northampton to a 30 mins Leicester - Northampton/hourly to MK, and now 30 mins throughout. So they've certainly grown the business over the years. It would be good to have Gold on it, particularly since the other Stagecoach route to Leicester (48 to Nuneaton-Coventry) now has 25 new Gold E20D MMCs.

Or perhaps rather than Gold an X5 style quality coach operation? I bet more people would use that than even a posh bus - though maybe not enough to cover the increased cost of coaches?

The X4 seems particularly long for not being a coach.

 

[exile]

Speaking for my local area - Warrington now has just 2 direct services to London (it used to be 4), and one other service (323 to Cardiff - which incidentally allows you to get to London in the afternoon by changing at Birmingham) when there were 3 or 4 cross country services to Leeds/Newcastle/Southend etc. Widnes and Runcorn once had daily services to London/Birmingham but now have nothing at all. The fact it takes 5 to 6 hours to get to London and the fares are little cheaper than an advance ticket on the train may explain this. Airport services still seem to be thriving, as it's the easiest way to get to Heathrow from Birmingham, Bristol etc.

 

[goldisgood]

The new batch of Stagecoach standard vehicles are almost Gold standard, main difference don't they have USB ports.

What new vehicles don't have USB ports? The 2016-17 and 2017-18 batch all had USB ports, and the new 700 vehicles will have them.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Or perhaps rather than Gold an X5 style quality coach operation? I bet more people would use that than even a posh bus - though maybe not enough to cover the increased cost of coaches?

The X4 seems particularly long for not being a coach.

I suspect it is to do with average journey duration rather than the end to end journey.

The X5 will have passengers making journeys of well over an hour and only a short element of local service provision whilst the X4 between Kettering and MK is much more aimed at local traffic.

The new batch of Stagecoach standard vehicles are almost Gold standard, main difference don't they have USB ports.

Can see why Stagecoach are making the X4-X7 changes simplifies them, rather than the present arrangement of some only going to Northampton, i do think the X7 could do with upgrading though, was on it last Autumn feels too long a route for a standard Enviro 300s.

The X7 is usually operated with e300 with high backed seats; standard ones are a rarity.

 

[Martin1988]

Speaking for my local area - Warrington now has just 2 direct services to London (it used to be 4), and one other service (323 to Cardiff - which incidentally allows you to get to London in the afternoon by changing at Birmingham) when there were 3 or 4 cross country services to Leeds/Newcastle/Southend etc. Widnes and Runcorn once had daily services to London/Birmingham but now have nothing at all. The fact it takes 5 to 6 hours to get to London and the fares are little cheaper than an advance ticket on the train may explain this. Airport services still seem to be thriving, as it's the easiest way to get to Heathrow from Birmingham, Bristol etc.

Would I be right in thinking Crewe and Nantwich are also no longer served by NX?

Seem to recall they were previously served by a cross country service (I think Birkenhead to Great Yarmouth). Got a feeling they might have been moved to a Liverpool-London service after that but not 100% sure.

 

[Statto]

Think the via Nantwich & Crewe NEX service was Liverpool either South Coast or East Anglia via Birmingham, the Southern terminal might have been Weymouth, i certainly remember it calling in Birmingham as i caught it Liverpool-Birmingham one time in the mid 90s, i remember that used to interwork the 380 Liverpool-Newcastle, coaches used to park overnight at Norton Street coach station & were operated by Go North East.

 

[Martin1988]

I seem to remember up until about 2011/2012 it was served by either a 303 or 304 service between Southport and Birkenhead with Selwyns being the operator then from 2012 the section from Birmingham to Birkenhead got added to the Great Yarmouth to Birmingham service worked by Ambassador. I think it subsequently got moved to the 550 and the Great Yarmouth service got truncated in Birmingham.

 

[TrainfanBen]

EDIT: I replied on wrong thread..

 

[embers25]

What new vehicles don't have USB ports? The 2016-17 and 2017-18 batch all had USB ports, and the new 700 vehicles will have them.

Not all the new buses in Exeter have USB ports and its really annoying as, on the 1 for example, it's pot luck. From the outside and inside the E400MMC's look the same except that some have no usb for some reason.

 

[goldisgood]

Not all the new buses in Exeter have USB ports and its really annoying as, on the 1 for example, it's pot luck. From the outside and inside the E400MMC's look the same except that some have no usb for some reason.

That's because you have different batches. USB ports became standard from 2016, but Exeter has a mix of 6 2015 buses in standard livery and 10 2016 buses, the latter of which have USB ports.

 

[embers25]

That's because you have different batches. USB ports became standard from 2016, but Exeter has a mix of 6 2015 buses in standard livery and 10 2016 buses, the latter of which have USB ports.

That makes sense..thanks.

 

[carlberry]

Not all the new buses in Exeter have USB ports and its really annoying as, on the 1 for example, it's pot luck. From the outside and inside the E400MMC's look the same except that some have no usb for some reason.

National Express really has scaled back if it's using E400s on services now!