gray1404
Established Member
Will X5 (Stagecoach) Bedford to Oxford service ever return to 2 services per hour?
Will X5 (Stagecoach) Bedford to Oxford service ever return to 2 services per hour?
With the upheaval every bus and coach business has experienced over the past year I'm hardly surprised they're being cautious about increasing service levels - especially as ridership has yet to return to anything approaching normal on most services. It's a commercially operated service, and as much as I'd rather see an increase in service frequency too, Stagecoach are under no obligation to do so unless it pays its way and can be staffed effectively.I hope so. They appear to be dragging their heals and wanting to do the bare minimum.
I hope so. They appear to be dragging their heals and wanting to do the bare minimum.
Aren't the Elites heading for the Falcon to remove the older spares?About 3 or 4 X5 Elites are being swapped for South West E400MMCs. A lot more MMCs have appeared on the route recently
About 3 or 4 X5 Elites are being swapped for South West E400MMCs. A lot more MMCs have appeared on the route recently.
Wow, that is a downgrade. Bus seated? Gold standard would be OK I suppose but the loss of the toilet is bad.
Yes I believe.Aren't the Elites heading for the Falcon to remove the older spares?
No, just regular Stagecoach MMCs from South West and Bedford's existing allocation.Wow, that is a downgrade. Bus seated? Gold standard would be OK I suppose but the loss of the toilet is bad.
The toilet is less of an issue now the route is only Bedford-Oxford (so ~2 hours for anybody doing end to end).
Yes I believe.
No, just regular Stagecoach MMCs from South West and Bedford's existing allocation.
Interesting as the Elites are now coming up to 7 years old - older than the vehicles they replaced. Be interesting to see what they do with East-West rail allegedly on the scene in a couple of years.It's a shame they're downgrading from coaches to bus seated E400 MMCs. The ex-Peterborough MMC's at least had high back seating to the newer standard Stagecoach spec in use at the time, along with the pair of new to Bedford 69 platers.
Bedford depot have struggled with availability of the Elites ever since they took delivery. I imagine they found what is effectively a long distance touring coach an absolute nightmare to operate on a service which is half local bus route half regional express! Volvo's i-shift gearbox can be temperamental if drivers abuse it, and certainly some drivers at Bedford never seemed to master the technique of driving them properly. Add to that the "legendary" Plaxton build quality* and you have a recipe for disaster.
*East took delivery of some E400 Scanias around the same time to Gold spec that were built at Scarborough. They started rattling and falling apart within weeks!
Nice to see this service has finally returned to 2 services per hour/every 30 minutes.
The ex-Peterborough 67 plate E400MMCs on the 905 don't seem to have any trouble keeping to time between Cambridge and Bedford which includes two long stretches of dual carriageway running at 62mph.Are the South West E400MMCs still able maintain the speed and timetable of the X5 coaches?
A shame however that some plusher 'deckers couldn't have been sourced!
Yes it’s been abandoned completely. They also said they’d retain the X5 livery but that must be scratched with the MMCs replacing the ElitesIt would be fine as Gold spec, or has Stagecoach now completely abandoned that?
Standard Stagecoach spec is now similar to Gold, with high back leather seats and so on.It would be fine as Gold spec, or has Stagecoach now completely abandoned that?