Arriving at Canterbury bus station, the now closed Stagecoach enquiry office looked forlorn - if not manned, surely there's a better way of utilising it? I'd have loved to have explored the city but my time was short so I took the 1X to Ashford. This was the old 400 and feels like a bit of a Cinderella service but a 15 yr old ALX Trident was older than I expected. As regards a hidden, scenic gem, the 1X is a beauty. Aside from some woman wittering on to a long suffering husband incessantly (and I was pleased when they got off at Chilham), it's a lovely trip through the Stour Valley as the scenery changes markedly from the open lands near Thanet to more Weald like country.
I believe the travel office at Canterbury has yet to be repurposed for the new use. In 'normal times' timetables are available at the library/TIC in the High Street. The Ashford-Canterbury services struggle against the quicker, more frequent train service (which may also be why the Ramsgate service 9 is much less frequent than the Margate service 8), especially given how many times the bus crosses 9and previously had to cross) the railway at level crossings. I agree on the view though! It used to be even slower and more scenic until a few years ago when the through service was streamlined (not least removing a few level crossings).
Also, there's a notice with the fleet number urging you to contact them if the vehicle isn't clean - pretty impressive. I'd factored in a small break at Tenterden, which was always more M&D (rather than East Kent) territory. In fact, I headed into Waitrose which is built on the site of the former M&D garage in the town centre, whilst the half timbered cafe by the bus stop is the former M&D travel office.
#Tweetthefleet seems to be working quite well. If you'd walked down to the Kent & East Sussex railway, the café there is the 1922 Maidstone bus station building. (First bus station in the country!)
Rather than the Chequers bus station (currently closed), I had to search my way around the streets to find my next bus, as I went to experience the Sittingbourne bus war first hand.
Now rather overdue resulting from unspecified "construction difficulties". I think this was a good move on Stagecoach's part, as turning the bus at the Chequers would increase the layover, but Earl Street brings people closer to the shops (especially Fremlin Walk), and the 'facilities' there for the driver.
Wandering down Lower Stone St (was that where the bus station once was), I went to locate Arriva's 334 for Sheerness. It was waiting for me; they had mobilised a 2009 e200 for the journey. To be honest, the condition was scandalous, and especially so for a service under attack from Stagecoach. Loads of passive aggressive instructional notices (as is Arriva's want) but with added Covid related ones; ones that have now been superseded but have only been half peeled away as if someone tried but lost interest. We made our way out following a Stagecoach X3 (late running) e400mmc which soon left us behind. Our e200 was asthmatic and slowed to a crawl up Detling Hill so I was surprised that we arrived in Sittingbourne on time. The town is one I've only ever visited once before and it seems to have benefited from some major redevelopment opposite the commuter thronged train station where I exited. Just nearby is the "bus hub" which is just a couple of bus stops where Maidstone bound and local town routes stop instead.
Arriva's response to the X3/X4 so far seems to be to reduce their (expensive) fares. Detling Hill has always been interesting... one of my first visits to the South East Bus festival saw us with a "three-bell load" being overtaken by juggernauts that we never saw again. Thankfully the driver had a sense of humour! (!If I put my foot down any more it will be through the floor)
There used to be a Arriva (Kent & Sussex as it was then) and Stagecoach day ticket, it may even have been called an Explorer, which I think finished before the Discovery ticket was available in Kent (it was also quite a bit cheaper). I think I heard that Arriva knocked it on the head (??), when I wouldn't have thought they would benefit, trips to the seaside and the like. Arriva land has very little to offer locally besides Sheppey (and now only part of that).
If I remember correctly, the explorer ticket lost the western validity and became the Arriva/Stagecoach/Kent tendered services ticket for a while (but you could only buy it on Arriva/Stagecoach). Eventually the Discovery ticket (which had taken over the western explorer bit) was extended back eastwards, can be bought on most services, and the explorer faded into the individual company products. Noteworthy that an Arriva Kent day ticket is £8, Stagecoach £7.30, Discovery £9.
Yes, I meant physically demanding, which I'd argue is the case. Otherwise, yes you are right that the Medway towns should be good bus territory, although the decline of Chatham as a retail/service centre has altered the dynamic (not a challenge limited to just Medway of course).
Medway's hills are brutal for buses (and cyclists). However, despite what the local council try and tell us otherwise, Medway is an awkward conurbation of five towns and multiple suburbs, each with their own pull. Residents of Frindsbury are more likely to see Strood as their nearest centre than pass through that and Rochester to get to Chatham now. The issue is that where buses can logically go, and passengers want to go, are increasingly two different things, connecting the two with anything more than the unloved Sprinters would be difficult, yet travel is discouraged by the need to go 'out of your way'.
This is a big draw, and brings people in from a large catchment area. But it isn’t Medway, and the only route from Medway to go there is the 700. A very useful route, but I can imagine it’s a nightmare for reliability as it goes down the M2.
Strictly speaking, the A2 - Arriva's 700 joins at Junction 1, which is where the M2 turns into the A2. It either works well or badly.
No, but it [Bluewater] has to some extent replaced Chatham as the retail outlet for Medway (Hempstead Valley pales by comparison). Whenever I have been on the 700 (pre Covid), it is pretty full, it must be earning.
Erm... not so much. I don't know many people who go to Bluewater for Marks and Spenders when they can go to Hempstead Valley or Maidstone. Family members prefer Rainham (or at least did until the latest bank branch closure). As another post said that I trimmed, Bluewater is where you go for "posh shops" or "experiences".
Presumably, the M2 Stagecoach service never called at Bluewater, because some NEx journeys from Canterbury did because they might have been up for deals as shown by their Big Bus Guides. (Desperate attempt to keep the post relevant to the thread!)
bean Interchange is a massive time suck at the best of times. You can easily be queueing for 5 minutes to come off and 10 minutes to get back on coastbound (source: 10 years of travelling on commuter services), worse at Christmas, and there is also a major rebuilding going on at that junction now. It may not be that much of a draw from the east with Westwood Cross/McArthurGlen at Ashford pulling the "posh shop crowd".
