National Express Coaches Discussion

[Martin2012]

It will have been a duplicate, we sometimes have them on our services, what we try and do is get all passengers for one stop on the dupe so it can run direct,though its not always possible

Am pretty sure that on this particular occasion the Stotts Coach was operating a scheduled working. If memory serves me correctly it was a journey on Service 310 which only ran on Fridays and Sundays and was the return leg of a Bradford-Leicester-Bradford diagram. Am guessing it must have reached Sheffield at the same time as a 240 was also6 in heading to Bradford so the drivers decided to have one coach going to Leeds and the other Bradford.

Been on plenty of NX dupes over the years mainly on Bristol-London and Bristol-Birmingham corridors.

Whenever I travelled on a dupe on the former 532 Edinburgh to Plymouth (and later Blackpool to Plymouth) service in Birmingham the dupe almost always got filled up with passengers for Bristol and then sent away once filled with any remaining passengers then put on the service car along with passengers going South of Bristol.

Normally the drivers called for passengers for Bristol first (with the aim of filling the dupe) but on at least one occasion there was a delay in loading the dupe so the drivers loaded the service car first, calling for "everyone except Bristol". Of course at least one passenger going to Bristol came forward. Also found that every time I boarded the 532 in Birmingham, when they called for passengers who had already been on the coach to reboard, someone traveling from Birmingham would try to push in the queue and board then.

 

[gray1404]

Is there a fault with the National Express booking system? Whenever I book Liverpool to Brighton it only gives itineries changing in London. This is despite the fact the Liverpool to London sector goes via Birmingham.

For a Birmingham to Brighton search it will give an itinerary changing at Heathrow Airport and this saves a lot of time compared to going via London.

So customers going from Liverpool are faced with additional milage having to go onto London and back out to Heathrow, when a simple change at Birmingham (where their existing coach takes a rest break) would cut a lot of the journey time.

This situation applies in both directions of travel.

 

[Parebunks]

Is there a fault with the National Express booking system? Whenever I book Liverpool to Brighton it only gives itineries changing in London. This is despite the fact the Liverpool to London sector goes via Birmingham.

For a Birmingham to Brighton search it will give an itinerary changing at Heathrow Airport and this saves a lot of time compared to going via London.

So customers going from Liverpool are faced with additional milage having to go onto London and back out to Heathrow, when a simple change at Birmingham (where their existing coach takes a rest break) would cut a lot of the journey time.

This situation applies in both directions of travel.

The booking system will never suggest more than one change, which Liverpool-Birmingham-Heathrow-Brighton would be. I assume it's set up that way as selling a single ticket for a journey implies guaranteed connections, and more than two legs creates too many points of failure?

 

[Titfield]

The booking system will never suggest more than one change, which Liverpool-Birmingham-Heathrow-Brighton would be. I assume it's set up that way as selling a single ticket for a journey implies guaranteed connections, and more than two legs creates too many points of failure?

Thats pretty much the standard logic built into many transportation booking systems: direct (no change), then one change, then two changes.

 

[gray1404]

I can think of a couple of journeys I make with National Express for which there are two changes. That said there is no alternative on those journeys.

 

[Eyersey468]

We do sometimes see tickets with 2 changes but I can't think of any that have more than that

 

[cambsy]

When will 24 plates enter service with National Express, including the Van Hools? I am hoping to ride the van Hools, as soon as they enter service on 040 and 540.

 

[gray1404]

Has anyone any experience of using a free journey code voucher? Previously I've had one of these valid for 6 months from date of issue. However one I've received recently says valid for 12 months from date of issue. I just wanted to check this wasn't an error in the terms and conditions I've been given?

 

[Smethwickian]

Has anyone any experience of using a free journey code voucher? Previously I've had one of these valid for 6 months from date of issue. However one I've received recently says valid for 12 months from date of issue. I just wanted to check this wasn't an error in the terms and conditions I've been given?

Validity of vouchers given for delays and other 'Sorry you had a problem here's a voucher now go away' customer relations responses was changed from 6 to 12 months last year. Other codes for promotional offers will have specific validity dates and conditions.

 

[SeanM1997]

With the new Crewe Bus Station due to open on 7th May - could National Express return for the first time since COVID?

It previously served Crewe daily between Chester and Norwich I believe, with the calling point between Nantwich and Hanley. Nantwich and Hanley are now on route 551 so diverting to Crewe would add approximately 15 minutes onto the journey but serves a town of 80,000 so has scope for passengers.

 

[Simon75]

With the new Crewe Bus Station due to open on 7th May - could National Express return for the first time since COVID?

It previously served Crewe daily between Chester and Norwich I believe, with the calling point between Nantwich and Hanley. Nantwich and Hanley are now on route 551 so diverting to Crewe would add approximately 15 minutes onto the journey but serves a town of 80,000 so has scope for passengers.

Macclesfield hasn't had a National Express service for years, or Buxton
Not sure if say a Chester, Crewe Macclesfield Buxton to Sheffield services would be viable?

 

[M60lad]

Wasn't the Buxton service a 440 London-Manchester service that ran via Derby then virtually followed TP route all the way to Buxton and Manchester?

 

[317 forever]

Wasn't the Buxton service a 440 London-Manchester service that ran via Derby then virtually followed TP route all the way to Buxton and Manchester?

Yes. I used it from Stockport to Bakewell in 2015.

 

[MCR247]

Macclesfield hasn't had a National Express service for years, or Buxton
Not sure if say a Chester, Crewe Macclesfield Buxton to Sheffield services would be viable?

If NatEx were wanting to reintroduce these destinations, I’d imagine it’s more likely they’d be diversions/extensions of existing routes, rather than trying to make a route out of stops they’ve deemed unviable in the past.

 

[route101]

I think the National Express network has stabilised after Covid and I will be surprised if there is big changes ahead. I still think there is gaps, for example Birmingham to Norwich.

 

[markymark2000]

I think the National Express network has stabilised after Covid and I will be surprised if there is big changes ahead. I still think there is gaps, for example Birmingham to Norwich.

Sadly, I think I agree. It's a shame though as National Express was a place to go because of how many places it links. Now for all too many people, there are no coaches with NatEx as they have focussed more and more resource on fewer core routes rather than lots of infrequent routes

 

[WibbleWobble]

Sadly, I think I agree. It's a shame though as National Express was a place to go because of how many places it links. Now for all too many people, there are no coaches with NatEx as they have focussed more and more resource on fewer core routes rather than lots of infrequent routes

It just opens the door for Flixbus as part of their masterplan of having the country's largest network.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I move which I think might backfire in several ways as whilst a lot of people do use flixbus, there are a lot of others who either won't do it again or like me won't touch it at all because of the appalling customer service and problems like short notice cancellations and various other things where a traveler with a disability like myself would be left vulnerable. I have had a National Express cancellation and because I notify them in advance that I was a passenger with a disability they were really quick to sort me out for stop there is no real mechanism for doing likewise with flakes and they don't care clearly,