National Express Coaches Discussion

[Eyersey468]

Some stop there, some stop at Finchley Road (or did - the last couple i've taken have stopped at Marble Arch as the first stop). Whilst that does save a fair bit of time you really have to get on at Victoria for the return journey.

The other thing with people getting off early especially if they have luggage, as drivers we need to be told when people get on if they are doing that. Finchley Road and Marble Arch are limited waiting so we can't be sat there sorting luggage out at the roadside

 

[Statto]

The other thing with people getting off early especially if they have luggage, as drivers we need to be told when people get on if they are doing that. Finchley Road and Marble Arch are limited waiting so we can't be sat there sorting luggage out at the roadside

Isn't that stated in the timetable, i know it used to be, that passengers with heavy luggage (those that have to be stored in the luggage compartment) cannot use those stops because of those restrictions.

 

[Eyersey468]

Isn't that stated in the timetable, i know it used to be, that passengers with heavy luggage (those that have to be stored in the luggage compartment) cannot use those stops because of those restrictions.

They used to be hand luggage only but aren't any more, I'm unsure why not

 

[YorkRailFan]

National Express will improve Stansted-London services by speeding up journey times and increasing capacity by almost 25%.

National Express ramps up capacity between Stansted Airport and London by nearly 25%

45-minute journey to Tottenham Hale will be feature of enhanced A8 service with new stops also at Farringdon and Barbican and Kings Cross St Pancras.

www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk

National Express is introducing faster services between Stansted Airport and London as it ramps up capacity by nearly 25% to 200 round trips a day.

A 45-minute journey to Tottenham Hale will be a feature of its enhanced A8 service with new stops at the north London transport interchange, Farringdon and Barbican, and Kings Cross St Pancras.

John Boughton, National Express’ commercial director, said: “In anticipation of a busy summer period, we are thrilled to be providing even faster, better connectivity between London and Stansted Airport, with our coaches now as frequent and virtually as fast as rail services – but at a much lower price.“National Express plays a significant role in supporting London Stansted’s phenomenal growth and their aim of being the leading airport with the highest public transport mode share, providing Stansted flyers with quick, reliable and frequent coach services to and from the capital.

“More and more people are choosing to travel with National Express as a reliable, affordable and sustainable way to get around, and we're responding by investing in new and improved services while delivering a brilliant customer experience to give savvy customers a relaxing, comfortable journey for their summer getaways.”Steve Mills, Stansted Airport’s head of landside operations, said: “This increase will improve the choice of cost-effective and sustainable travel options for passengers and airport staff alike, especially with the introduction of stops at Tottenham Hale, which is an important interchange to the Victoria Line, and also one of our key recruitment areas in north London.“Nearly 50% of our passengers already choose sustainable modes of transport when travelling to and from the airport, and this very welcome boost in coach frequency by National Express will further help cement London Stansted’s leading position as the UK’s best-performing airport for public transport use by passengers.”

From Friday July 12, the following enhanced National Express services will be available:

A6 increased from 26 to 45 journeys a day between Marble Arch, Paddington, Baker Street, St John’s Wood, Finchley Road, Golders Green and Stansted Airport.
A7 increased from 20 to 49 journeys a day between London Victoria coach station, Victoria rail station, Waterloo, Southwark, Whitechapel, Mile End, Bow and Stansted Airport.
A8 sees Kings Cross St Pancras, Farringdon and Barbican, and Tottenham Hale stops added to the journey, also serving Liverpool Street and Shoreditch
A9 increased from 40 to 50 journeys a day – dedicated service direct between London Stratford and Stansted Airport.

 

[route101]

National Express will improve Stansted-London services by speeding up journey times and increasing capacity by almost 25%.

National Express ramps up capacity between Stansted Airport and London by nearly 25%

45-minute journey to Tottenham Hale will be feature of enhanced A8 service with new stops also at Farringdon and Barbican and Kings Cross St Pancras.

www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk

Is the A8 not a service resumption?

Was looking at the 590 timetable and the fast London to Glasgow service that omits Birmingham has been dropped.

 

[Smethwickian]

Is the A8 not a service resumption?

It's a resumption from King's Cross, yes, as the A8 has been running since services resumed after the pandemic combining parts of previous routes serving bits of East London on a one- way loop. The revised pattern is more like the pre-pandemic network. Bethnal Green is the only loser from the changes from 12 July, no longer on the revised route.

 

[Teds]

The service pattern is going back to pretty much the pre-covid format with a Kings Cross A8. It's not clear which way the service runs. Possibly a loop from Tottenham Hale back to Tottenham Hale thence to Stansted? The current A8 does a smaller loop from Whitechapel via Liverpool Street and Shoreditch. The changes will remove the stops between Stratford and Liverpool Street (exclusive). The pre- covid A8 had a stop in Hackney and, I think, Shoreditch before Liverpool Street then Barbican, Farringdon and Kings Cross. The return was the reverse of that route with result that it took 2 hours to get to King's Cross.

There was interest in taking the route to Russell Square for the hotels but it increased the PVR for the route so could not be justified.

The changes overall are a massive uplift in the service. A pre-emptive strike against any competitors who might wish to enter the market? From memory, the new contracts with the airport to provide the London coach services start in 2025. The current contract started in 2020. At that time, Arriva were going to run a service 720 to London - sorry, I cannot remember the stops. They had started recruiting drivers and sourced vehicles to start in April 2020 but events intervened. Maybe they will bid again - or possibly Flix although the payments to the airport might put them off.

 

[dan5324]

It will be a disaster. Drivers have been route learning from Start Hill. Some mornings it’s taken 5 hours one way! Drivers are taking bets on how long it lasts.

 

[Smethwickian]

767 Nottingham - Leicester - Peterborough - Stansted Airport runs for last time on 30 June.
788 Peterborough - Cambridge - Luton Airport - Heathrow Airport runs for last time on 11 July.
This will result in Peterborough disappearing from the network once again.

 

[route101]

767 Nottingham - Leicester - Peterborough - Stansted Airport runs for last time on 30 June.
788 Peterborough - Cambridge - Luton Airport - Heathrow Airport runs for last time on 11 July.
This will result in Peterborough disappearing from the network once again.

I wonder what the issue was? I thought airport services were getting busier.

 

[markymark2000]

I wonder what the issue was? I thought airport services were getting busier.

Staffing issues perhaps? 788 for example is ran by Start Hill who will be busier now with the enhanced Stansted-London services.

 

[158756]

The 175 between Manchester and Llandudno will also run for the last time on 30th June.

I think this will leave no scheduled coach services at all anywhere in North Wales?

 

[route101]

The 175 between Manchester and Llandudno will also run for the last time on 30th June.

I think this will leave no scheduled coach services at all anywhere in North Wales?

Only coach service I can think of along there is the London to Dublin Eurolines. I dont think that stops anywhere though.

 

[markymark2000]

The 175 between Manchester and Llandudno will also run for the last time on 30th June.

I think this will leave no scheduled coach services at all anywhere in North Wales?

Snippy snippy snip to the network it seems. I guess this means Llew Jones will be off the network.

You'd be correct kind of in there being no more services anywhere in North Wales, that is because....

Only coach service I can think of along there is the London to Dublin Eurolines. I dont think that stops anywhere though.

The Eurolines service picks up in Holyhead if you want to go to Dublin and drops off if you board in Dublin (no UK domestic journeys on this service)

 

[Smethwickian]

Staffing issues perhaps? 788 for example is ran by Start Hill who will be busier now with the enhanced Stansted-London services.

No, 788 is NX London from Wandsworth, is it not?
(At least when it's not cancelled, partially cancelled or running horrendously late, that is)

 

[markymark2000]

No, 788 is NX London from Wandsworth, is it not?
(At least when it's not cancelled, partially cancelled or running horrendously late, that is)

When I've tracked a bus it's shown it as running dead between Peterborough and Start Hill. Perhaps just a 'one off' when I've seen it.

 

[dan5324]

788 is run from Wandsworth with drivers travelling either light to Heathrow or via van to Heathrow to pick up the coach. Logistically it wasn’t great, so if the returns don’t add up it makes sense to scrap it.

 

[markymark2000]

788 is run from Wandsworth with drivers travelling either light to Heathrow or via van to Heathrow to pick up the coach. Logistically it wasn’t great, so if the returns don’t add up it makes sense to scrap it.

Interesting.

Are Wandsworth to move these coaches onto the expanded Stansted services?

 

[dan5324]

Interesting.

Are Wandsworth to move these coaches onto the expanded Stansted services?

No, the expanded services will be run exclusively by Start Hill. London Victoria and London Wandsworth will run only some A7 and A9 services only.

 

[Titfield]

It will be a disaster. Drivers have been route learning from Start Hill. Some mornings it’s taken 5 hours one way! Drivers are taking bets on how long it lasts.

As anyone who is a regular user of the M11 knows there is often a huge tailback back up the M11 on the southbound carriageway at Junction 6 (M11 M25 interchange) which impacts traffic proceeding further south down the M11. Then there is often in the morning peak a tailback at the bottom of the M11 (Junction 4) where traffic either goes west on the A406 North Circular or east on the A406 North Circular (South).

Not sure how much of a route there is to learn given how straight forward it is from the foot of the M11 to Tottenham Hale via the A406 and then the A503 or Watermead Way. The real skill is learning the alternative routes if the M11 is blocked or severely congested. Ar least now that junction 7a Harlow North is open there are more alternatives available.

 

[dan5324]

It isn’t the M11 or north circular part that needs route learning. All other services use this route anyway. It’s after the A406 that’s gonna need learning. Then the regular diversion when Spurs are at home.

 

[Mikw]

767 Nottingham - Leicester - Peterborough - Stansted Airport runs for last time on 30 June.
788 Peterborough - Cambridge - Luton Airport - Heathrow Airport runs for last time on 11 July.
This will result in Peterborough disappearing from the network once again.

Does this mean no Leicester to Stansted service at all?

 

[158756]

Does this mean no Leicester to Stansted service at all?

Most journeys on the 777 (Birmingham -Stansted) call at Leicester. It looks like the 01:00 departure from Birmingham will also now make an additional stop to replace the early morning 767 from Leicester.

 

[route101]

How does the public know and indeed myself that a service is being stopped? Only by looking at the timetable section or seeing a direct option is no longer there.

 

[riceuten]

I guess it’s more akin to the cancellation of flights or recasting of long distance train timetables

 

[Deerfold]

With the demise of the 788 it does mean Hitchin drops off the National Express network again. When I lived there 20 years ago, there were several daily direct coaches to Cambridge, Stansted, Luton and Heathrow Airports and Birmingham.

 

[riceuten]

Stevenage has been gone a few years now - I was told to pick up the coach at Hertford or Hatfield if I wanted to connect into the network. I suspect that, despite assurances to the contrary, NatEx want to use the vehicles on the expanded airport shuttles noted elsewhere on this site.

 

[Mikw]

Most journeys on the 777 (Birmingham -Stansted) call at Leicester. It looks like the 01:00 departure from Birmingham will also now make an additional stop to replace the early morning 767 from Leicester.

Thanks, that's a relief. I've used the Stanstead service a few times, it's been a life saver for the early morning flights.

 

[omnicity4659]

The 0830 170 from Leeds, operated by Selwyns, appears to have been dropped, with a 172 diverting into Leeds to pick up displaced passengers every day at 0825.

 

[howittpie]

So today I am using National Express for the first time in years and has so far been a disaster. They cancelled the 0745 450 from Nottingham but didn't inform us passengers. So now on the way to Leicester where they are supposed to be holding a coach for us but am sceptical that will actually happen. The only saving grace were the staff at Nottingham who offered a full refund with no arguments. My impression of National Express is not favourable.