Worst rail replacement bus you've been on.

[Chapeltom]

Only my second time on rail replacement was last Thursday morning between Kilmarnock and Dumfries, then Dumfries and Carlisle with a few hours on Dumfries overnight. Same bus and driver for both

The bus must have been about 30 years old, it was very uncomfortable, my mate refered to it as a shed on wheels. The driver was not the most friendly bloke either but I won't complain about it. When I checked where it was going at Dumfries, as 2 buses were due to leave in the space of a half hour I was told check my ticket and then asked if he could see it, then said "Oh it doesn't matter, get on".

I remember being on a coach between Liverpool Lime St and West Allerton back in January, a Lime St to Manchester late rail replacement, was so much nicer. Luxury in comparison!

 

[notadriver]

Only my second time on rail replacement was last Thursday morning between Kilmarnock and Dumfries, then Dumfries and Carlisle with a few hours on Dumfries overnight. Same bus and driver for both

The bus must have been about 30 years old, it was very uncomfortable, my mate refered to it as a shed on wheels. The driver was not the most friendly bloke either but I won't complain about it. When I checked where it was going at Dumfries, as 2 buses were due to leave in the space of a half hour I was told check my ticket and then asked if he could see it, then said "Oh it doesn't matter, get on".

I remember being on a coach between Liverpool Lime St and West Allerton back in January, a Lime St to Manchester late rail replacement, was so much nicer. Luxury in comparison!

A C reg Metrobus. It stank and it was slow uphills. In fact I'm sure I drove the vehicle in slightly better days when it was a training vehicle with London General. I was stuck with it for 15 hours as I was doing rail replacement work in it for £150 cash in hand back in 2010.

Best rail replacement vehicle - again I was at the helm, was a Scania Irizar Coach 2007 - then only a few years old with less than 10000 km on the clock.

As for my customer service skills, even driving the metro bus as a professional coach/train driver I consider myself a cut above the rest of the standard bus driver

 

[YorkshireBear]

The bus wasn't bad but they were running 2 hours late on a line with an hurly service so i waited 3 horus for a bus. Need to say a few people missed connections.

 

[fairysdad]

A few months back when the Heathrow end of the Piccadilly Line was closed.

If us got on at Heathrow itself, it wouldn't really have been a problem as the RRBs from there were 'express' ones, but getting on at an intermediate station...

Obviously, this is more down to the roads in that area rather than the RRB itself, but the short distances between Boston Manor, Northfields and South Ealing. The bus then also went to Ealing Broadway (presumably as it was on its route between South Ealing and Ealing Common), and let passengers depart. Except that for some reason, it left before everybody who wanted to get off did (as us was ultimately going to end up on the Central Line, Broadway would've been best for us too). The TfL member of staff on board then told people off for standing in the stairwell while the bus was moving. On alighting at Ealing Common, I said to both the driver and the TfL staff member that 'a good tip for running a bus service is to wait for people to get off before driving away'. No idea what their reaction was at the time.

The way back wasn't much better with an EXCEPTIONALLY slow driver. My guess is that it wasn't a driver used to driving in London. To be fair, neither am I, and I did have a car accident in that area a couple of years back, and I do know that buses have different speed limits to cars, but doing what seemed like 20 in a 50?

(And if us had realised that there were Rail Replacement Buses on this stretch of line, we'd have parked up at a different station...)

 

[pitdiver]

A few years ago when they were renewing the WCML there was no service between MKC and Euston on Sunday mornings. On one occasion what turned was an ordinary Optare town bus. normally used by Arriva The Shires in MK.
This was for the journey to London. This was my worst experience of Rail Replacement Buses.

 

[Nym]

If anyone remembers the bus test on Top Gear, the single decker that won it (GB Coaches), I'd say that's the cheapest I've ever been on, and yes it was the same bus, running direct Bolton - Manchester Airport services before it got sold off to the BBC.

 

[user15681]

Are we talking about the bus itself or the journey as a whole?

 

[fgwrich]

The best - Bristol RE, second best - probably some of the Reading Buses fleet when First GW and SWT hired them out to do rail replacement duties - I was lucky to have two of their 'Goldine' Scania Omnicitys, complete with leather seats and normally used on the TVP shuttles, both from Woking - Fast and Reading - Fast to Basingstoke.

The worst - So called, 'Heathrows Premier Coach Operater', the once former rather good, Tellings Golden Miller (now owned by arriva). Can't remember which type of Scania the coach was, but it was supposed to work a fast service from Woking to Basingstoke. First thing that was odd was that the driver got completly lost and ended up in the St Johns area of woking. Next thing that happend was well, it broke down. It had apparently been leaking water all day but Arriva still found it fit to chuck into service. Fast foward an hour later, and finnaly another RR coach turns up. Now, to finally get us to Basingstoke, the driver then drove down Blackhorse Road - Not the best idea in a coach when you've got a tunnel (or tunnel within a tunnel) like this one under the mainline - '11' - '3', before taking us on the Magical Mystical tour down to the edge of Guildford and onto the A 31 - Blackwater valley and M3 back to Basingstoke. And to add insult, just as we came off the M3, the All Stations Stagecoach transbus dart - which left 15 minutes after us - was pulling up to the black dam roundabout, on it's way up to Hook / Woking. Grrrrrrrrr.

- Sorry, this is a picture of the bridge / tunnel in St Johns, Woking.

 

[Chapeltom]

Are we talking about the bus itself or the journey as a whole?

Both, either, not bothered.

 

[jopsuk]

Nice enough coach but had to give the driver directions between Cambridge and Audley End.

 

[Aictos]

Worse one I was on was when the driver got lost in Huntingdon, tried to go the wrong way up a clearly sign posted one way street in Hitchin then realising he took the wrong exit on the roundabout in Stevenage decided to reverse onto the traffic coming from behind!

God knows how he passed his PSV exam, must have been a candidate for daftest PSV driver of the year!

 

[philjo]

Had one double decker bus that was too tall to go under the railway bridge at Hitchin so we had to go the long way round.

other occasions we had to give the driver directions how to get to welwyn north! (some of us were tempted to direct him onto the A1M for a quick trip to Stevenage) other drivers have left WGC in the wrong direction. Also the WAGN replacement the coach from Stevenage to Potters Bar that called at Hertford North & Cuffley on the way taking ages in the rush hour traffic!

 

[jopsuk]

From Cambridge one Sunday, there were two coaches lined up to go to Audley End. One was XC, and was supposed to be going Cambridge-Audley End-Stansted. The other was NXEA, calling all stations. I got on the NXEA one as I wasn't in a hurry, had an "NXEA only" ticket anyway and the XC was was almost full.

As we trundled through south Cambridgshire, I last saw the XC coach head along the A505 towards the motorway

When we arrived at Audley End, the bus coordinator there was confused, as the XC one hadn't turned up. Suspicion was it had gone on the motorway at Duxford- next junction south is Stansted...

 

[marks87]

I've only had two rail-replacement experiences. One was from Glasgow Central to Paisley Gilmour Street, which wasn't too bad.

But the other was Aberdeen to Dundee after my incoming service from Inverness was delayed so much that the last train south had already gone. We were promised buses on the train; instead, it was taxis. I ended up having to share with three rather merry gentlemen, who added to their merriness as the journey progressed.

I was the last to be dropped off and ended up helping the driver get rid of the empty bottles that were rattling about in the back. The floor and a couple of the seats were in a right state though - there was no way he could pick up fares when he got back to Aberdeen. I bet a hefty cleaning bill landed on someone's desk the following week.

And to make matters worse for FSR, no-one at Aberdeen negotiated fares, so the meter was running - £120 in all. And there was another taxi bound for Edinburgh. Add on Delay Repay and you can imagine the cursing of single lines that went on (we were delayed because a northbound service was also delayed, blocking the line).

 

[user15681]

Both, either, not bothered.

Okay, well the worst rail replacement I've been on happened a few months ago. I had planned to get the 2313 from Faversham to London Victoria. It's the last train to Victoria of the night. Those plans were cut short when a person was hit by a train and so no trains could enter Faversham. Fortunately, a replacement bus was arranged from Travelmasters not far away, on Sheppey.

The bus turned up about 2330 and we all piled on. It was a nice, clean coach, no problems there. I was the last person on board, after helping the driver lift luggage into the storage area. The whole bus was literally full, apart from one seat next to an old lady half way up the coach. Only problem was, there was an obstacle in the way. A homeless lady was sitting in an aisle seat, with her trolley completely blocking the way. I tried to squeeze around the trolley, but as I did so she moved it towards me, causing me to fall onto the laps of two very attractive girls who were shocked to say the least *blush*. They laughed, I apologised and all was fine in the end, as I had also got past the trolley.

So, I sat in the only spare seat. After 10 minutes of travelling, I looked at the old lady next to me and it was only... Ann Widdecombe. I was surprised and looked again just to make sure it was her and not me imagining things. She huffed and puffed though when trying to do her belt up, I'm sure she wasn't happy to be sitting next to me. To make things worse, the homeless lady stank and was shouting at the top of her voice.

Finally, to top it all off, the coach would be stopping at all stations to London Victoria. Teynham, Sittingbourne, Newington, Rainham, Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester, Sole Street, Meopham, Longfield, Farningham Road, Swanley, St Mary Cray, Bromely South and then Victoria. By train, that takes about 1h20. By coach, it took us about 3h. It was hell.

Sorry if that's a bit long, but it truly was hell. Hopefully my story makes some of you laugh, looking back it was pretty funny, but definitely the worst.

 

[maniacmartin]

At least your Rail replacement bus turned up, unlike the ghost bus that Northern organised for me...

 

[PHILIPE]

About 6 years ago, I was travelling to Largs when we had to terminate at Kilwinning due to the failure of Hunstanton Coal train ahead. We had to join a very ancient double decker bus which struggled up the hill approaching West Kilbride but stalled before the summiit. We were asked to walk the rest and rejoin the bus. Very often any old bus has to be used especially a short notice situation.

 

[howittpie]

Worst experience was about 3 years ago from Derby to Stoke. The departure board advertised a train departure as well as coach departure. Everyone as assured by the staff the train was running of ourse this was cancelled at the last minnute and the bus had departed ithout any passengers. They managed to get the bus back it turned out to be a Johnsons school bus ith 3 and 2 seating I am thin and couldn't fit in the seats.

The best as the Accrington Stanley teamcoach from Bolton to Man Airport

 

[Rich McLean]

Worst for me was on a Sunday. There were signalling issues between New Street and Wolves, so they put on Buses to replace the stoppers. I needed to get to Cosford, so normally I would get a fast train to Wolves, and change there for the 2 hourly all shacks service to Shrewsbury.

When I went to the the barrier, I explained that I needed to get to wolves to change trains, they told me, that I couldn't get on a fast train, and had to get on a bus. So off to the bus I went. Got to the bus, boarded and it full and standing for the whole journey. What they didn't tell us is that this stopped at every station and took an age.

I then missed my connection, and had a lengthy wait for the next train. Was not happy at all

 

[bronzeonion]

Wembley Park - Northwood (cut short at Harrow)

Was a lovely Arriva the Shires 58reg Enviro 400 with leather seats and free WiFi. Thought this will be nice, but then when the driver took a wrong turn I knew it wasn't going to go well. After the driver realised he must have taken a wrong turn once a passenger decided to help out he tried to do a 3 point turn on the entrance to a road leading off the main road. After doing the reversing bit of a 3 point turn he tried to swing around to face the main road again but hit one of those small yellow parking signs on a pole with his offside mirror. This guy did not like the offside mirror as after that carelessly speeding along the main road again trying to make up time so it looked like he did nothing wrong, he drove too close to the kerb and hit the offside mirror on a lamp post causing if to swing violently round into the front doors of the bus resulting in a smashed front door and some pavement aqquiring some new street furniture in the form of a big yellow bus mirror. What really took the biscuit was at Harrow on the Hill where we got chucked off we were told a 'kid' threw a cricket ball at his door when most people saw the incident first hand!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A few horror stories..

We booked the cheapest bus quote to cover Watford - St Albans one Sunday , ill prepared driver (company nameless) - took the southbound M1 and ended up in Cricklewood. Replaced PDQ by London buses who know how to operate.

Neath - Bridgend bus , driver took the route to the Heads of the Valley and had to be guided by passengers having nearly got to Aberdare!

 

[DarloRich]

i had a very strange experience on my line (company namesless ) who employed a bus driver who:

a) didn't know the route - i had to direct him
b) Had so little English so that the Sat Nav was incomprehensible to him
c) Thought stopping in the middle of level crossings was a safe way to disgorge passengers.
d) Got uppity when i pointed out that an engineering train or tamper could come along any minute and take out said parked bus


Mind the bus was canny smart!

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Worst ever: An emergency replacement minibus for a cancelled Lincoln-Cleethorpes service a few years ago. When we eventually left Lincoln, the bus meandered along Fen back lanes for hours, to serve wayside stations where no one got on or off. After over two hours of this, the passengers rebelled and virtually forced the driver to take the main road direct to Grimsby.

Second worst: A scheduled replacement for a Preston-Blackpool service in a bus that normally did duty as a school bus. Crammed full, with tiny little five-abreast seats designed for small children, all stations in both directions. And the Blackpool Tower and the trams were shut when I got there...

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

Out of school times my school bus works rail replacements. I console anyone who rides it, the carpet is all ripped, all the seats messed up, very bumpy especially at speed.

 

[stut]

Ive been on a RRB from Letchworth headed for Peterborough that had moss growing on it. On the inside...

 

[Trog]

I have heard of a track gang who saved themselves a bit of effort moving a rail down the line. By backing their gang bus up against a bridge wing wall, and putting 20'-0" of replacement rail on the fiberglass roof. They then climbed into the bus, and drove round to the next bridge where the rail was unloaded ready for use. How's that for a dodgy rail replacement bus service?

 

[12CSVT]

During the WCML upgrade (around 2003 or 2004) I was on a rail replacement bus from Northampton to Euston one Saturday evening. The driver had a radio blaring out full blast and refused point blank to turn it down and most of the other passengers were drunken football yobs.

 

[MK Tom]

Milton Keynes Central - Northampton via every back street in Wolverton that the coach barely fitted down taking about 45 minutes to get there, then back down to the A509 (basically MKC) again and over to the M1 to go up to Northy. Got there after about an hour and 50 minutes. Driver literally stopped in Wolverton to ask directions at one point.

On the way back on the same day the driver polled us to see if anyone wanted Wolverton and seeing as nobody did missed it out altogether. I didn't have the guts to point out people might have wanted to get on there. It was Jeffs on the way back but I can't remember who on the way out sadly! It was on a random Sunday in May...

 

[scotsman]

A Rennies minicoach from Perth to Kirkcaldy in December 09 or 10. Now, I'm by no means a tall person, but I struggled with the legroom on the bus (which, coincidentally, was used on school services to my school at the time - sadly not driven by it's famous no nonsense driver)

I did have a very good EM Horsburgh coach from Dalgety Bay to Edinburgh, but it happened to have mould/fungus along the wall carpets.

On another occasion the station staff and the coach driver had differing ideas of where the coach was going. The driver offered to take me to my destination on condition I gave directions. More arrived, the same offer - I knew all the way anyway - so I sat up front in the crew seat and was essentially his Conductor for the night (I even co-ordinated where we were stopping - namely shouting the stops down the coach and seeing if anyone popped their hand up!)

 

[NathanPrior]

And I thought going from Finchley Road to Wembley Park on one of these was bad:

Literally about 200 or so people on it, never been soo squished into a corner in my life. On the way back I decided it would be easier to walk to Wembley Central and get the Bakerloo Line, and how I was right.