Sole Passenger on a National Express Coach Service

[Butts]

Has anyone else experienced this ?

Booked on the A7 Service from Stansted Airport to London Victoria departing at 0750 due into the latter at 0955. From Victoria my Megabus M7 to Cymru scheduled for 1030 departure so the connection time to small for comfort.

Arriving at Stansted from the Premier Inn on the £3 Bus (cost more than the service to London at £1.99 or Cymru at £1 !!!) I noticed the 0725 to Victoria had not departed. As I booked my ticket on the NX through Easybus it gives the option to travel up to an hour earlier or later than the specified time on the ticket if space is available - good perk.

Much to my amazement ushered onto the 0725 to find no one else onboard. Hopefully the arrival time for this coach at 0930 into Victoria meant my connection time extended to an hour should be safe.

No such luck heavy traffic meant 10am had nearly arrived and the service had only made it to the T'er of London. Fearing my connection the driver let me off there and I got the tube from T/Hill to Victoria on the District Line - arrived at Coach Station in time to catch 1030 Megabus.

This of course highlights the danger of booking 2 tickets from different providers to get home. Looks good at £2.99 total from Stansted to N'port until something like this happens. Hate to think the price of buying another ticket from Victoria to N'port on the day of travel.

 

[extendedpaul]

On the day Megabus fares generally not too extortionate. London to Newport at 20.30 which is 70 minutes time as I type this costs just over £10. Rail fare from Paddington is £41.90.

 

[Butts]

On the day Megabus fares generally not too extortionate. London to Newport at 20.30 which is 70 minutes time as I type this costs just over £10. Rail fare from Paddington is £41.90.

Unfortunately I have not got a smart phone so I guess it means National Express at the station could be the only choice.

I really hate the Coach from London to N'port and back ....all the time it takes to get to and from Victoria once you hit the outskirts. But at a £1 each leg it is hard to resist. That exit seat on NE is better than any seat on Megabus if you can blag it. having said that todays Megabus had seats d/stairs that didn't look too bad.

From Stansted I am going to get the Train next time as 2 hours scheduled to travel 30 odd miles into London is ridiculous on the coach.

 

[extendedpaul]

Stansted Airport to Newport advances start at £26 if you're ever making the journey after 10am. A lot dearer than the cheapest coaches but not a bad fare.

You can book Megabus without a smartphone.at Victoria Coach Station. Did it myself when I missed my booked coach through an oversight.

 

[Mwanesh]

At Victoria Coach station you can buy Megabus tickets from the machine or Megabus desk..You dont even need a phone.

 

[Butts]

Thanks lads, did not realise the above information in relation to Megabus Tickets.

To repeat my original question, has anyone else ever been the sole passenger on a National Express Coach Service ?

 

[IanD]

Back in the days of the Cheltenham Interchange maybe 1977/8, I had a 53 seat coach to myself from Cheltenham to Bradford. I'd started off at Liskeard with only about a dozen passengers by the time we all got off at Cheltenham. I was being met by my parents at Bradford and the driver (understandably) decided to skip the scheduled stop in Leeds so he could finish earlier. No coach trackers or mobile phones in those days so I had to ring home from Trowell services (driver rest stop) and hope my parents who had left Cornwall after dropping me at the coach stop had made it home by that time so could pick me up earlier.

 

[extendedpaul]

Thanks lads, did not realise the above information in relation to Megabus Tickets.

To repeat my original question, has anyone else ever been the sole passenger on a National Express Coach Service ?

No but over the years I've seen a few definitely in service leave Victoria Coach Station with no passengers on board. Only specific one I recall was a midday departure to Northampton

 

[davehsug]

Many years ago, I was the only passenger on the Friday evening 20.00 fro Stoke to Blackpool. I often caught it & paid the driver. On this night it was late & I presume it was a relief service. It turned up empty & proceeded non-stop to Blackpool, not even making the usual Preston stop. It was before limiters & the trip was achieved in about 1 hour 10 minutes!

 

[Martin1988]

It did happen to me once at the tail end of a journey on the 324 from Bristol to Huddersfield. I was the only passenger left on board over the section between Halifax and Huddersfield.

Also happened to me a couple of years ago on a Falcon journey back from Plymouth. All the other passengers got off at Bristol Airport and I was the only passenger left going into Central Bristol- on a side note seemed to recall getting the X49 back home on arriving back in Bristol that day and being the only passenger left on board after Pucklechurch. Also recall when I went down to Plymouth that morning there was only one other l passenger on board all the way from Bristol to Plymouth.

 

[Wirewiper]

I was once the only passenger past Poole on the one 035 journey that extends to Weymouth. Mind you it was a quiet trip as there were only 14 pax on board leaving London.

 

[Martin1988]

Back in June 2013, not long before the 318 from Birmingham to Bristol was discontinued on Friday evenings I saw it arrive into Bristol Bus Station on one occasion with only one passenger on board.

Also around the same time NX launched a summer only 317 from Bristol to Lymington via Bath, Warminster, Shaftesbury, Poole and Bournemouth.

I was in Bristol Bus Station on its first day waiting to catch the service to Edinburgh and it left with either only one passenger or none at all. Incidentally the time I went on it there only one other passenger boarded with me in Bristol but then a handful got on in Bath.

 

[WideRanger]

I was once the only passenger on an overnight Ulsterbus from Nottingham to Stranraar. It was great - sleeping across the back seats and chatting with the driver during rest stops.

 

[Deerfold]

Thanks lads, did not realise the above information in relation to Megabus Tickets.

To repeat my original question, has anyone else ever been the sole passenger on a National Express Coach Service ?

For a while I was travelling Cambridge to London overnight a couple of times a month - this involves a change at Stansted. Although I had a ticket for fixed coaches, most drivers were happy to let me travel on an earlier than booked one. Overnight there's a surprisingly frequent service from Stansted to London.

It was not unusual for me to be the only passenger on board.

On one occasion I travelled with someone else - I made the mistake of telling them that we may well have the second coach to ourselves.
There was a flight from Spain late and we had an almost entirely full coach with a rowdy school party - it was the busiest I'd ever seen it by far.

 

[Mwanesh]

I remember a few years ago on the 777 .The early one that goes from Stansted to Birmingham via Coventry only i was the only passenger from there.It broke down some miles from the Airport and they called a taxi to take me to Birmingham

 

[Deerfold]

I got a Megabusp

I remember a few years ago on the 777 .The early one that goes from Stansted to Birmingham via Coventry only i was the only passenger from there.It broke down some miles from the Airport and they called a taxi to take me to Birmingham

I've had that one on the Coach between Cambridge and Stansted - we fit in a large taxi (including everyone else having luggage). We were rather early at the Airport. Annoyingly that time I had a driver who insisted I waited for the Airport - London coach I was booked on and he left empty.

 

[bussnapperwm]

I've been the only passenger Birmingham to Wolverhampton a number of times.

Did Canterbury to Dover once and was the only passenger too

 

[alex397]

Did Canterbury to Dover once and was the only passenger too

That part of the route is little-used, with usually only a handful of people on board. It probably doesn't help that P&O appear to be discouraging foot passengers from Dover Ferry Port (which is where the 007 terminates). And Dover town itself doesn't seem to be a place where a huge amount of people travel to/from London, unlike Canterbury.

 

[dcs34]

Couple of times I've been the only passenger on the 403 from Bath -> Heathrow or even in the other direction London -> Heathrow. Usually midweek , off peak journeys but still!

 

[Typhoon]

That part of the route is little-used, with usually only a handful of people on board. It probably doesn't help that P&O appear to be discouraging foot passengers from Dover Ferry Port (which is where the 007 terminates). And Dover town itself doesn't seem to be a place where a huge amount of people travel to/from London, unlike Canterbury.

Until they diverted the 022 to serve Canterbury and cut back the 007, it was very frequent (for the size of towns) - hourly at times, I think - so not surprising it would be pretty empty from/to Dover. Also, 2 (well, sort of 3) Universities in Canterbury, none in Dover!

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

I was the only passenger on an 060 between Liverpool and Manchester, but then it got packed with Man U fans between Manchester and Leeds (none of them should've been allowed to leave the coach in Leeds)! Strange, as the 060 is usually packed, but spent the journey having a good chat with the driver about buses and Meatloaf?!

 

[skifans]

Never in the UK, but I booked a coach back from Aosta to Milan Malpensa airport in Italy. I was the only person booked on the enter route so they sent a taxi instead - driver said it was common in low season. Did though cause quite some confusion at the bus station in Aosta due to my lack of speaking Italian.

 

[gordonthemoron]

about 2006 I was the only passenger on a Wolverhampton-Heathrow service which departed about 11pm on a Sunday. I got woke up by the driver in Brum to tell me to put my seatbelt on

 

[trentside]

Some years ago I was the only passenger left on a 450 at Nottingham, going through to Retford - the last stop. When I’d boarded at MK the driver had been a bit funny with me, as clearly normal operating procedure was to get an early finish. When we got to Nottingham a car was waiting at Broadmarsh and I was asked, politely, by another driver if I’d mind a private car back to Retford. I didn’t, as it mean’t the journey took far less time. Turns out there was a crew change at Nottingham anyway, so goodness knows what the first drivers issue was!

 

[Deerfold]

Some years ago I was the only passenger left on a 450 at Nottingham, going through to Retford - the last stop. When I’d boarded at MK the driver had been a bit funny with me, as clearly normal operating procedure was to get an early finish. When we got to Nottingham a car was waiting at Broadmarsh and I was asked, politely, by another driver if I’d mind a private car back to Retford. I didn’t, as it mean’t the journey took far less time. Turns out there was a crew change at Nottingham anyway, so goodness knows what the first drivers issue was!

I had a similar experience on an Express service bus. The M62 ran between Halifax, Brighouse then on the M62 to Leeds. Briefly, the local authority supported an hourly evening service between Brighouse and Leeds. The last journey then ran all the way back to Halifax. I caught it at 2320 after a gig. I was the only person on all the way from Leeds to Halifax. Shortly before we passed the bus garage, the driver asked if I was going all the way and was disappointed when I sad yes (though not unpleasant). As I got off, the driver said it was the first time he'd ever taken it past the depot on that trip. A bit naughty, as it was a registered service (though only 4 or 5 stops from town).

 

[neilmc]

Not National Express but I was once the only passenger on the long-distance Lincolnshire service from Sheffield to Grimsby - I was travelling Doncaster to Scunthorpe, which became very much an express service when the female driver made a wrong turn on to the M18 and was forced to make a detour of 20+ miles! We were very late into Scunthorpe, but she pleaded heavy traffic in Sheffield and I didn't drop her in it.

 

[Antman]

Thanks lads, did not realise the above information in relation to Megabus Tickets.

To repeat my original question, has anyone else ever been the sole passenger on a National Express Coach Service ?

No but I've seen a few near empty coaches between London and Stansted.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Most National Express coaches serving Aberdeen normally only have a few people on them, quite a contrast to the Megabus/Citylink services which are often fully booked!

 

[cf111]

I have been the only passenger on board what was the 919 (Inverness-Fort William) in both directions for the full length of the trip in the depths of winter and once the only passenger on the 917 (Portree-Inverness) from Broadford, so the majority of the journey.