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Using ordinary buses over Rail Replacements

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Howardh

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Never again!

I usually use local buses for short trips, never more than 10-15 mins. Tried the No 8 Bolton - Manchester instead of the rail replacements (supposed to be 50 minutes in the evening whereas RRB's are about 30) and it's horrible. Bumpy buses, uncomfortable seats, stop-start-stop-stop-sta-stop....endless. You do get to see more out of the windows, not that there's anything much to see on that route.

Anyone else here done something similar and regretted it??

Should have learned my lesson when I once took the 125 Bolton - Preston instead of the RRB as I thought it may be more convenient. 1hr20 - that was horrendous.

But is there anywhere where it's a nicer journey between two stations by ordinary bus, a route which would be preferable than rail?
 
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ASharpe

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Penrith to Windemere is better by bus than train in my opinion. I think its a bit longer but has great views compared to the train.

I've never done the complete journey by as I've always done it to go camping in Glenridding.
 

Howardh

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Penrith to Windemere is better by bus than train in my opinion. I think its a bit longer but has great views compared to the train.

I've never done the complete journey by as I've always done it to go camping in Glenridding.

Sounds a great shout, but as that would require a change at Oxenholme a bus may be quicker anyway! Stunning views as you mention. Off-topic my fave bus ride has to be the 516 Ambleside/Dungeon Ghyll. But in the old days I bet the rail to Coniston was something special!
 

plod

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Brighton - Eastbourne on the 13X is a spectacular ride, especially over Beachy Head, and compares well with the inland route the railway follows. But it takes about three times longer.
 

Hyphen

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Derby-Matlock is a much more scenic ride by bus than by train in my opinion, although it takes an absolute age on the slower Sixes route via Wirksworth. Train is quicker, but I always preferred the bus.

When I lived in Chesterfield (worked in Sheffield, and regularly went to see the family in Nottingham) I usually opted to make most trips in that area by bus, though that was primarily due to the tickets I already held.

For commuting into (and then the other way out of) Sheffield, I held a Sheffield+ MegaRider which gave me unlimited travel throughout Sheffield and Chesterfield. I also held (still do) a MANGO for TrentBarton's network up to Chesterfield, so it usually worked out cheaper to go back to the parents on Red Arrow, especially if I was going to the pub that evening with my sister - I'd very easily hit the ZigZag day cap, and additional journeys were just free.

The only time I'd usually opt for the train over buses was if I was heading straight back to Nottingham after work in Sheffield - the money saving simply wasn't worth the time spent moving slowly down the peak district. In today's prices (was a bit cheaper 2 years ago):
£4.85 (on MANGO) and 3hrs travelling, or £8.90 (with Y-P) and an hour and a half (factoring in bus back to parents').
 

A0wen

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I'd suggest St Albans - Watford.

Going from (City) town centre - town centre. At least with the bus you get on in St Peter's Street and off in the centre of Watford.

Pick the 724 and it's coach-seated Citaros.

Otherwise it means getting down the hill to Abbey station and either a change or a longish walk at Watford Jnc.

And the train's timetable is pretty erratic, whereas with the buses they are at least hourly.
 

Liam

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Slightly different scenario, but ever since the Stena terminal was moved from Stranraer to Cairnryan I have switched from the train to the Citylink/Ulsterbus coach from Glasgow instead of the Stena bus from Ayr. A few others I have spoken to on the coach have done the same.
 

mbonwick

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The 125 is due for an upgrade to Stagecoach Gold standard this year. Once that happens, although it'll take longer, it will be more luxurious than the train with leather seats, Wifi and air con.
 

MK Tom

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If the line between MKC and Northampton is ever closed... err I mean all the times that the line between MKC and Northampton is closed, I'll always use the X4/X7 rather than the replacement coach, which invariably gets lost in Wolverton.
 

notadriver

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I plan to use the coastliner 700 route soon. Great views from the top deck of this coastliner route. No match in terms of speed. In fact can anyone think of a road service that rivals rail for speed from London to the country ?
 

Robertj21a

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I plan to use the coastliner 700 route soon. Great views from the top deck of this coastliner route. No match in terms of speed. In fact can anyone think of a road service that rivals rail for speed from London to the country ?

Oxford Tube ?

The time taken all depends on where you are starting from !
 

Mutant Lemming

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As the OP was extolling the virtues of a rail replacement bus service over a regular bus route for the same journey the RRB is usually quicker but it isn't always the case. I've found the S5 from Oxford to Bicester can sometimes be quicker than the RRB but the RRB is a slightly pleasanter journey.
 
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transportphoto

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When Norwich to Sheringham services were substituted, I found it quicker to use standard service buses compared to the Rail Replacement. As it is, the bus is timetabled to take approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes where as the train is 1 hour typically. The replacement buses serve the train route, which isn't the main road corridor. I actually tend to get a bus to Sheringham now'a'days.

TP
 

Kite159

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West of Andover
Never again!

I usually use local buses for short trips, never more than 10-15 mins. Tried the No 8 Bolton - Manchester instead of the rail replacements (supposed to be 50 minutes in the evening whereas RRB's are about 30) and it's horrible. Bumpy buses, uncomfortable seats, stop-start-stop-stop-sta-stop....endless. You do get to see more out of the windows, not that there's anything much to see on that route.

Anyone else here done something similar and regretted it??

Should have learned my lesson when I once took the 125 Bolton - Preston instead of the RRB as I thought it may be more convenient. 1hr20 - that was horrendous.

But is there anywhere where it's a nicer journey between two stations by ordinary bus, a route which would be preferable than rail?

Brighton to Eastbourne springs to mind for some good sea views when I used the regular passenger service bus as Southern hadn't gotten around to sorting out RRBs when Lewes went belly up
 

Antman

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Maidstone to Strood, the Arriva 101 bus to Chatham and another bus from there to Strood would normally be quicker than the replacement bus service
 

David Goddard

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Cambridge to Bury St Edmunds is probably better taken on the No 11 bus as a rail replacement will have to divert through Dullingham (way off of the direct road) and Kennett.

Of course for our Senior friends they can then use their bus pass as opposed to buying a rail ticket to travel on a bus!
 

Jonny

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The last couple of times I attempted to do more than a short hop on buses I ended up with motion sickness after less than 20 minutes. That was on an equivalent spec./config. to a normal UK bus, on (dare I say) better than UK roads.
 

thealexweb

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Has anyone used the 715 over the weekend railway replacement buses between Bolton and the Wigan stations.
 

gswindale

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I seem to recall taking the rail replacement bus from Birmingham New Street to Walsall a few years ago was an absolute nightmare and took a lot longer than the 30 minutes or so the train takes or the 40 minutes that the 51 bus is scheduled to take.

From memory I would have been much better catching the 995 (as it was then) direct to home as the rail replacement to Walsall took longer than the entire journey by bus would have done going further!
 

LBSCR Times

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Usually if there is an incident on the west coastway, then Southern will arrange ticket acceptance on B&H 2 or Stagecoach 700, as it is easier than RRB's.
However, if it was anything like last Thursday, on the day of the derailment at Brighton, even an hour in to the incident, many 700 drivers were refusing to take rail passengers.
 

Robertj21a

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Usually if there is an incident on the west coastway, then Southern will arrange ticket acceptance on B&H 2 or Stagecoach 700, as it is easier than RRB's.
However, if it was anything like last Thursday, on the day of the derailment at Brighton, even an hour in to the incident, many 700 drivers were refusing to take rail passengers.

The B & H 2 is part of the same overall group whereas the 700 isn't - no doubt a bit more communication needed.
 
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