Using NX for a "Local" journey.

[Martin1988]

I'd be interested to find out, has anybody on here ever used a National Express coach to make a "local" journey?

On several occasions I've travelled on the 320 and 509 routes
between Newport and Cardiff only which have taken the drivers and NX staff in Cardiff bus station by complete surprise. These journeys were part of a day trip which involved traveling from Bristol to Newport by local bus.

I've also been on the 300 service between Bristol and Bath on a number of occasions. At one point I attended an evening class at the college in Bath and used this service every week to get there.

In addition I also once used an NX coach to travel between Sheffield Meadowhall and Sheffield Interchange only. The journey I was making from Meadowhall to Birmingham for some reason required me to change coaches at the interchange but rather than using it on the booked journey, I used it on an earlier service several hours beforehand as a means of spending some time in the Centre of Sheffield before returning home.

 

[quarella]

In the mid nineties I used to use National Express between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol to get to work on Sundays. Buses and trains starting too late. I usually bought a ticket in advance with my Young Person's coach card but sometimes paid the driver. I think it was £1.85 single. Not sure they were too impressed writing out a ticket for such a small amount but I always had the exact fare.

 

[bradford758]

In 1983, many routes served Nottingham Victoria and Leicester, so it was very convenient for me to have an evening out in Leicester.

Sent from my 4009X using Tapatalk
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Present day, I sometimes use the NX between Bradford and Leeds vv if outside of the normal local operating hours.
Not sure of the current fares, but at one time it was £3 single, £2 day return!


Sent from my 4009X using Tapatalk

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Never used them myself, but National Express offer journeys between Heathrow and London Victoria and vice versa. At one time there were dedicated LT Airbus services between the airport and central London. These passed to London Umited on privatisation who sold them to National Express. The Heathrow Express rail link led to the services dwindling to the current situation.

Not strictly National Express but in a similar vein local tickets are offered on the Oxford Tube and Oxford X90 between Hillingdon and central London. They apparently sell quite a few, especially during the night when Ruislip residents use it as a night bus to pick up cabs from Hillingdon to Ruislip. Ruislip is notable for having no night bus services

 

[johnnychips]

I often wonder about rural stops like Crowden in the Peak District where the NX is the only public transport (350 Sheffield to Manchester) and you don't book in advance and it's full - though I suppose these days it's no different from demand-responsive services that operate in many rural areas.

 

[Lrd]

We used to have quite a lot of people using National Express between Southampton and Winchester or Winchester and Basingstoke.

Southampton to Winchester has local buses every 10 mins and at least 4 trains an hour and National Express was every 2 hours.

 

[richw]

Stagecoach won't allow journeys of less than 30miles (poss km) to be booked on the megabus route I use frequently. Also don't allow similar short journeys on the Bristol Plymouth Falcon service.

 

[carlberry]

Stagecoach won't allow journeys of less than 30miles (poss km) to be booked on the megabus route I use frequently. Also don't allow similar short journeys on the Bristol Plymouth Falcon service.

They cant because they're not registered as bus services. Quite a few National Express services are so they can offer local fares.

 

[ag51ruk]

It's possible to book an NX ticket from Crewe to Nantwich for £2.90 - one service a day that takes 15 minutes. I may try it one day!

 

[howittpie]

When I have travelled on the overnight 465 plenty of people have boarded at Sheffield to Chesterfield after night out in Sheffield also seen people once was travelling on the 422 and people bought a ticket of the driver for Blackburn to Bolton.

 

[Ianno87]

I've travelled between Bolton and Manchester Chorlton Street a couple of times, to connect with an onward journey.

 

[PeterC]

Never tried but the TFL journey planner has offered me a route that included NX from Finchley Road to Golders Green. The NX website offers a fare of £1.30 plus £1 on-line booking fee.

I didn't make the journey in the end but if it counted as a "local" service for ENCTS purposes.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I've often been offered travel on National Express service(s) when I've used Traveline to look at routes.

I've never actually used them, as the need hasn't in the end been there. However, I've always been a bit wary of adopting the times given as part of a longer trip programme as I haven't known whether I could travel on the service(s) in question. Traveline always say that advance booking is necessary to travel on these services, though.

Quite a few years ago, I was in Newport Bus Station thinking of going to Cardiff. There weren't any local buses or trains running (it was a Bank Holiday) so this was the only option. I asked the driver whether he's be willing to sell me a ticket, and he said that he would. I asked about a return, and he said that he could only sell me a single.

He also said that I could do the same in reverse from Cardiff, but that it would be conditional on there being space in the coach on that service. I decided not to bother, not wanting to be stranded in Cardiff!

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I often wonder about rural stops like Crowden in the Peak District where the NX is the only public transport (350 Sheffield to Manchester) and you don't book in advance and it's full - though I suppose these days it's no different from demand-responsive services that operate in many rural areas.

Its also the only "local" service for Langsett too since Tates as well as the 23 went down the swanny what with the latter routed away from Langsett, thus leaving only the NX 350 to serve it.

 

[blue87]

I used one to get from Wolverhampton to Brum once when severe gales caused both trains and Midland Metro services to be suspended and after an hourof waiting for a local bus which never come.

 

[Deerfold]

I used to get a 787 coach at 0300 from Cambridge to Hitchin regularly on a Wednesday morning once or twice a month for 2 years 2004-6. I'd pay on the coach, except on one occasion when the ticket machine was broken and I id not have to pay. I never caught it in the other direction. Most people were heading for early flights at Luton and Heathrow.

More recently I've caught the 737 from Stokenchurch to High Wycombe a few times. Whilst the local bus service is ok with 1 or 2 buses an hour, the coach runs 8 times a day with early morning services in each direction. So far I've always caught it on a Sunday when there are only 5 stopping services a day. Again the main purpose of this service is serving airport passengers - this time at Luton and Stansted. On this service I've aways had a hand-written ticket from the driver.

 

[WelshBluebird]

A couple of years ago I did Bath to Shepton Mallet fairly regularly by NX as it gave a much later last bus than First did, and was a direct journey rather than having to change.

 

[fairysdad]

On one occasion I took the NX coach between Tiverton and South Molton; my car had broken down after work one night and, just on the off-chance, took a walk down to the bus station to see if I could catch the coach. Was pleasantly surprised that I could –*or at least, that they let me!

... Then there was just the matter of getting from South Molton to my home village... and getting back to Tiverton again in the morning to get my car! Probably should have just bedded down in the back seat!

 

[Bungle965]

I have on quite a few occasions taken the 540 from Rochdale to Manchester, especially when I was a child it only cost be £1 and so was cheaper that the Bus/Tram/Train!
Sam

 

[pitdiver]

When I worked at NX a number of our services were registered bus services. Because of this they would often be used by holders of ENCTS for relatively local services. This resulted in some services being full of passengers travelling free of charge which meant that full fare paying passengers being excluded. NX would only get a minimal amount of compensation from the Government for these passengers. Consequently they de-registered a large number of their services,

 

[radamfi]

I have on quite a few occasions taken the 540 from Rochdale to Manchester, especially when I was a child it only cost be £1 and so was cheaper that the Bus/Tram/Train!
Sam

I bought that ticket the other day and it was only 80p, for an adult.

 

[jkkne]

I've used it between Newcastle and Sunderland. Fares range from 50p to £3.00, it's as quick as the car and cheaper than slower local bus services. It's cheaper and quicker than the Metro too

 

[Martin nx]

We get a lot of local journeys on the 727 between Mildenhall - Newmarket and Cambridge. We sell 10 trip tickets for these journeys and carry at least 6 or 7 every morning!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The airport coaches always (I think) had a ticket machine, the others not - if the driver sold tickets it was a manual written out job.

 

[Lrd]

The airport coaches always (I think) had a ticket machine, the others not - if the driver sold tickets it was a manual written out job.

Not necessarily, it was down to the operator whether they installed them or not.

 

[Martin nx]

The airport coaches always (I think) had a ticket machine, the others not - if the driver sold tickets it was a manual written out job.

All Owned Ops generally have a Wayfarer 3 fitted but we are now converting over to the cradle/hand held OBT machines.

 

[Rapidash]

There's a NatEx service that goes to Brixham, via Exeter in the early
Evening. When the Wall collapsed a few years ago, I was able to buy a ticket on board. The driver said it was the first time in a decade he'd had anyone doing it! Cost me £8, but it was fine by me.