National Express service codes.

[Mugby]

Looking at National Express departures from Liverpool for a journey I may be making soon, I'm puzzled by the service codes.

The 0630 and 0730 departures bear the codes NX580 and NX350 which are self explanatory.

The 0700 departure bears the code SH060. Does anyone know what this means?

 

[winston270twm]

Looking at National Express departures from Liverpool for a journey I may be making soon, I'm puzzled by the service codes.

The 0630 and 0730 departures bear the codes NX580 and NX350 which are self explanatory.

The 0700 departure bears the code SH060. Does anyone know what this means?

SH060 = Shuttle Route 060

 

[radamfi]

To elaborate, in the 90s a number of shorter distance routes were rebranded as "Express Shuttle", with the intention of attracting passengers who didn't want to book in advance, and ticket machines were installed so that the drivers could sell tickets. That "Shuttle" branding was removed after a few years but the SH prefixes remain.

 

[Mugby]

Thanks for the information. Are tickets still sold on the coaches?

 

[Deerfold]

To elaborate, in the 90s a number of shorter distance routes were rebranded as "Express Shuttle", with the intention of attracting passengers who didn't want to book in advance, and ticket machines were installed so that the drivers could sell tickets. That "Shuttle" branding was removed after a few years but the SH prefixes remain.

Don't all National Express coaches have ticket machines (subject to no guarantee of travel if all seats have gone) or have just generally used routes that have (I have largely used routes that parallelled shuttle routes or that were airport routes)?

I was familiar with the 070 Sheffield route. This was added as a short frequency route between Leeds and Sheffield to cover gaps between the various 31X and 32X services which also covered the route - I forget whether they made it at least hourly or half hourly for most of the day. There are now more trips on many of the longer distance routes.

 

[transportphoto]

You may turn up to any National Express coach and buy a ticket in cash, just like you could a train, however it does depend on the availability of seats for the duration of your journey. You'd be travelling on a standby basis.

Typically, only NX owned and operated fleet have Wayfarers, partner operators use a paper ticket pad and a printed fares chart.

TP

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Two observations:

On the shuttle between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds (SH060 referred to), 2 types of boarding passengers can be observed - those with fixed departure times and those with 'carnet' tickets. Two queues formed at the former Liverpool Coach Station - the fixed time passengers are boarded first, then the flexible ticket holders, presumably regular commuters, subject to space being available. A passenger once wished to purchase a new 'carnet' ticket but the driver didn't have a stock of tickets and the Liverpool ticket office had closed. She was carried to Manchester and was able to buy there.

Secondly, despite NX policy and publicity (and licensing regulations) promising that walk up tickets can be purchased, on a number of occasions I have seen passengers turned away, the driver resolutely refusing to entertain any notion of buying at the door - despite the coach be lightly loaded (and remaining so throughout its journey). I would never rely on being able to buy on departure!

 

[radamfi]

Don't all National Express coaches have ticket machines (subject to no guarantee of travel if all seats have gone) or have just generally used routes that have (I have largely used routes that parallelled shuttle routes or that were airport routes)?

On most routes the driver writes the ticket by hand. In the old days the drivers used to carry a fare manual but when I've seen drivers issuing tickets recently they phone someone up to ask what the fare is.

 

[Bookd]

I have an old National Express Guide (from 2006, so things may have changed since then). At that time quite a few services from East Anglia and the South Coast included detailed fares within London; for example on the 010 from King's Lynn fares of £1 single, £2.20 return are quoted for Bank, Blackfriars, Embankment and Westminster to Victoria (or between, such as Blackfriars to Embankment). This would have been cheaper than the number 11 bus at the time; I have no idea if anyone ever tried to make such a journey, or how they would have been welcomed by the driver.

 

[Deerfold]

I have an old National Express Guide (from 2006, so things may have changed since then). At that time quite a few services from East Anglia and the South Coast included detailed fares within London; for example on the 010 from King's Lynn fares of £1 single, £2.20 return are quoted for Bank, Blackfriars, Embankment and Westminster to Victoria (or between, such as Blackfriars to Embankment). This would have been cheaper than the number 11 bus at the time; I have no idea if anyone ever tried to make such a journey, or how they would have been welcomed by the driver.

Back in 2006 I used the 010/011 once or twice a month from London to Cambridge. It wasn't uncommon for my funfair to be £1.

 

[Bungle965]

I have an old National Express Guide (from 2006, so things may have changed since then). At that time quite a few services from East Anglia and the South Coast included detailed fares within London; for example on the 010 from King's Lynn fares of £1 single, £2.20 return are quoted for Bank, Blackfriars, Embankment and Westminster to Victoria (or between, such as Blackfriars to Embankment). This would have been cheaper than the number 11 bus at the time; I have no idea if anyone ever tried to make such a journey, or how they would have been welcomed by the driver.

I have used the coach from Rochdale to Manchester after school regularly for the past couple of months it's cheaper than both tram train and bus at on £1.
Plus I get to scratch off another coach!
Sam

 

[bb21]

Secondly, despite NX policy and publicity (and licensing regulations) promising that walk up tickets can be purchased, on a number of occasions I have seen passengers turned away, the driver resolutely refusing to entertain any notion of buying at the door - despite the coach be lightly loaded (and remaining so throughout its journey). I would never rely on being able to buy on departure!

I must say that I have never encountered such drivers. On the occasions where I was short of change, or the driver was unable to issue tickets, I was always conveyed for free, or told to pay a lower fare due to the driver not having change.

I wonder what response these passengers would receive should they complain of being stranded.

 

[pitdiver]

I worked for NX for 5 years as a coach station manager. Very rarely would drivers sell tickets as they wouldn't know what tickets have been sold until they obtained their next chart. Therefore the possibility existed that the person who they sold the ticket to wouldn't have a seat after the next stop. This might be okay on a service like the SH060 but on a far more irregular service eg 545 they could be in trouble.
There is also another type of customer. the season ticket holder. These only existed on certain routes but was another factor.

 

[radamfi]

I think a lot depends on whether you board at a coach station with a ticket office open at the time.

 

[howittpie]

A lot of places now have self service ticket machines that are available when the ticket office is closed. I know this is certainly the case at NX stations but noticed them early on Sunday morning at Nottingham and Leicester. Not sure if they are card only or accept cash.
My observations are the driver usually seems to ring control to ask if he has space to take the passengers from A to B.

 

[extendedpaul]

I see that National Express are still offering the Hobo pass for £79 for seven days unlimited travel. It's amazing value and I'm sure there'd be a good take up if they marketed it.