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Coaches using motorway service areas as interchange points

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PTR 444

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I’ve been wondering whether this might be a good idea to speed up certain long-distance coach routes. Rather than serve a city centre which adds significant time to a journey, have it stop at an online MSA with a feeder bus/coach route running from there to the city centre.

For example, you could have a Southampton - Birmingham coach route which only calls at MSAs and TRSAs en-route (Sutton Scotney, Chieveley, Cherwell Valley, Warwick), then have another route which calls at intermediate towns in addition to all of the above (Winchester, Newbury, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa). Passengers wanting a quicker journey can use the faster coach then change onto the stopper at the MSA before their preferred destination.

The added bonus with a stop at Chieveley is that it would provide a useful interchange between N-S and E-W coach routes since London - South Wales services could also call there. I’d be interested to find out if such an idea has already been considered on the UK’s coach network, or whether it is just pie in the sky.
 
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GrimsbyPacer

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Point to point is more attractive to passengers, just like on trains, no one wants to wait at a junction for a potentially delayed connection. Passengers often don't know the full timetables (now few are printed) and how to best plan how to get somewhere fast, they just pick the direct one to avoid the hassle
 

Tom Gallacher

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I don't know what the average loading is on long distance coaches but I hardly think that there would be enough passengers getting off at a MSA to justify either a dedicated service or even one that was rerouted.
 

507020

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Several coach holiday companies e.g. Shearings do this, operating a system of feeder coaches to all towns in a given area and then the main service to a full range of destinations, where it would be impossible to fill a coach with enough passengers all going from the same origin to the same destination. Pre-covid they had their own dedicated interchange at Stretton near Warrington which is now used by the government for essential Brexit related purposes, but others used more rudimentary interchanges at motorway services. I don’t know what they do now.
 

Bletchleyite

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You're more talking about the Coachway concept than actual interchange between coaches (which the likes of Shearings do, as sort of do Megabus in places - Perth Broxden is, apart from being a right dump, basically a service area, albeit not a motorway one).

That of course exists - Milton Keynes and High Wycombe are probably the more notable ones. People reach the Coachway by local bus, taxi or car.

The "fast" and "stopper" coach idea won't really work because road journey times are not as precise as rail ones, so you'd need very long times between connections, which would make the concept fall over.
 

PeterC

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I must confess that I once had the crayon box out for a similar idea involving the M25 MSAs and intra-regional travel in the South East.

My first thought on reading the OP was to recall the big interchange at Cheltenham with coaches to most of England leaving at 14:00. When the Severn Bridge first opened there was an attempt to replicate the interchange at the Aust MSA (now called Severn View) but generally the trend since the 1970s has generally been away from published connections and a concentration on point to point.
 

Class800

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I was going to mention Perth Broxden. But the SW Falcon coach from Plymouth to Bristol airport does follow this concept with stops near the motorway rather than in town centres (e.g. Exeter Sowton P&R, Exeter Honiton Rd P&R, Collumpton Weary Traveller, Taunton Blackbrook Park Avenue, Bridgwater Huntworth Lane M5)
 

NorthOxonian

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I was going to mention Perth Broxden. But the SW Falcon coach from Plymouth to Bristol airport does follow this concept with stops near the motorway rather than in town centres (e.g. Exeter Sowton P&R, Exeter Honiton Rd P&R, Collumpton Weary Traveller, Taunton Blackbrook Park Avenue, Bridgwater Huntworth Lane M5)
Likewise, the various coaches heading down the M40 from Oxford tend to stop at Junction 6, just outside Lewknor.

In theory there's an interchange with Carousel's route 40, but I imagine it's more used by drivers (particularly as a "kiss and ride" - there isn't that much parking). The stop does get a fair amount of custom, especially in the early mornings - probably from the likes of Chinnor and Watlington.
 

PeterC

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Likewise, the various coaches heading down the M40 from Oxford tend to stop at Junction 6, just outside Lewknor.

In theory there's an interchange with Carousel's route 40, but I imagine it's more used by drivers (particularly as a "kiss and ride" - there isn't that much parking). The stop does get a fair amount of custom, especially in the early mornings - probably from the likes of Chinnor and Watlington.
Not much of a connection as only westbound buses stop there. Eastbound go up Aston Hill.

What most, if not all, these P&R examples lack is connections integrated into the coach schedule.
 

Bletchleyite

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Not much of a connection as only westbound buses stop there. Eastbound go up Aston Hill.

What most, if not all, these P&R examples lack is connections integrated into the coach schedule.

Lewknor is very much "kiss and ride". There's another example of the same on the 99 (MK-Luton) at the first stop just after it comes off the M1. I believe connecting buses have been tried in the former case but weren't very successful as it's very much "two Range Rovers and a Jag" country down that way.

Very notable indeed is that part of the reason for the existence of both is to reduce the distance between stops so the routes could be registered as local bus routes and so attract BSOG. It's quite notable how both have become quite popular unofficial "kiss-and-ride" stops essentially by accident. With the 99, the other "accidental" (BSOG motivated) stop (one of the random stops on the A421 near Kingston Industry) is the destination of a good many of those people joining by the M1 to commute to/from local warehouse work. The 99 was never intended to be used that way - it came about as a Virgin Trains RailLink service which Stagecoach continued to operate themselves after Virgin Trains lost interest.
 

Simon75

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Likewise, the various coaches heading down the M40 from Oxford tend to stop at Junction 6, just outside Lewknor.

In theory there's an interchange with Carousel's route 40, but I imagine it's more used by drivers (particularly as a "kiss and ride" - there isn't that much parking). The stop does get a fair amount of custom, especially in the early mornings - probably from the likes of Chinnor and Watlington.
The main reason for the Oxford Tube originally stopping at Lewknor, was that Stagecoach could claim BSOG (bus service operators grant), but in the end it became a popular stop
 

PeterC

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The main reason for the Oxford Tube originally stopping at Lewknor, was that Stagecoach could claim BSOG (bus service operators grant), but in the end it became a popular stop
A side effect us that ENCTS passes are valid into Oxford. Nice for pensioners in Lewknor village
 

Baxenden Bank

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A recent on-line search of National Express seemed to suggest that Worcester Warndon Bus Shelter, sorry Coachway, is now served by just a singe coach in each direction daily.

Stagecoach X61 (Manchester - Blackpool) used Rivington Services on the M61 as a park and ride stop, but you could probably walk in from Anderton Lane (it is a right of way which also links the two halves of the services).
 

paddy1

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As a matter of interest, do the coach companies have to pay a fee to the operator of motorways services areas for using them as a drop off/pick up point? I would have thought so.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Presumably a bit tricky to use a motorway service station as a coach journey start point or destination as otherwise how does an intending passenger legitimately get there? (Car or taxi drop off, possibly, but otherwise?)
 

Ploughman

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I went on a coach tour from York to the French Riviera, a number of years back.
We were picked up at home by minibuses and taken to Wetherby services here the Coach picked us up.
We then carried on to Dover and an overnight stop in France. 2nd day saw us reach Menton our destination.
We retraced our steps a few days later with a mini bus drop off.
When I asked about the Services pick up, I was told it was to comply with driving hours as our travel on board was pushing the limits.
What was really beneficial to keeping time was the use of the prepaid electronc pass in the windscreen which allowed us to bypass all the toll barriers on the motorways.
 

Class800

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Something similar with feeder coaches to Peterborough services once on a London to North of England/Scotland coach trip i recall
 

JRT

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I must confess that I once had the crayon box out for a similar idea involving the M25 MSAs and intra-regional travel in the South East.

My first thought on reading the OP was to recall the big interchange at Cheltenham with coaches to most of England leaving at 14:00. When the Severn Bridge first opened there was an attempt to replicate the interchange at the Aust MSA (now called Severn View) but generally the trend since the 1970s has generally been away from published connections and a concentration on point to point.
The early 1980s there were others, including Sheffield Interchange (not the one in town, the one at the bus garage outside town). I think Digbeth was also used more as an Interchange than now.
 

carlberry

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The early 1980s there were others, including Sheffield Interchange (not the one in town, the one at the bus garage outside town). I think Digbeth was also used more as an Interchange than now.
Once coach deregulation happened in 1980 Birmingham Digbeth very quickly replaced Cheltenham as an interchange point. However a lot of the cross country type routes that interchanged there have now disappeared.
 

61653 HTAFC

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Megabus used Woolley Edge services on the M1 near Wakefield as a calling point, or at least did pre-pandemic. Not sure how you'd get there to board unless you were dropped off by an expensive taxi or walked from West Bretton!

Didn't Leicester Forest East (M1 Southbound) services used to have a few Wallace Arnold branded bays for transfers back in the day? I may be mis-remembering which operator it was actually branded as.
 

robertclark125

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Actually citylink service 900 uses heart of Scotland services at Harthill, both ways. This is intended to give the village a direct bus link to either Edinburgh or Glasgow, and there is pedestrian access to the services from the village.
 

philthetube

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As a matter of interest, do the coach companies have to pay a fee to the operator of motorways services areas for using them as a drop off/pick up point? I would have thought so.
I would imagine the services are more than happy to see them, the certainly do plenty to encourage tour coaches to stop,
 

johncrossley

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I vaguely remember someone saying a few years ago that National Express stop at Norton Canes services so they don't have to pay the toll.
 

PTR 444

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I vaguely remember someone saying a few years ago that National Express stop at Norton Canes services so they don't have to pay the toll.
Strange. The M6 toll layout is definitely designed so you always pass through exactly one toll booth each time. Even making a U-turn at Norton Canes would not allow you to avoid paying the toll somewhere.
 

gingerheid

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Strange. The M6 toll layout is definitely designed so you always pass through exactly one toll booth each time. Even making a U-turn at Norton Canes would not allow you to avoid paying the toll somewhere.

Could be part of a deal with the operator.

One coach company that did use Abingdon Services as an Interchange for a short while was Silver Choice, which ran coaches from Scotland to London on a number of routes that changed frequently. At one brief point their (I think) East Kilbride and Hamilton & Perth and somewhere services fed into the Glasgow and Edinburgh - London services at Abingdon.
 
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MotCO

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Could be part of a deal with the operator.
I thought that any coach opertor using the toll motorway could escape without paying the toll by stopping at the services. I assume the coach driver received a voucher to pay at the toll booths.

Presumably a bit tricky to use a motorway service station as a coach journey start point or destination as otherwise how does an intending passenger legitimately get there? (Car or taxi drop off, possibly, but otherwise?)
Not all motorway services are only accessible from a motorway. For example, Wetherby Services on the A1 is at a motorway junction, so locals could also avail themselves of the facilities there, and could be used as a joining point for coach services.
 

PTR 444

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Speaking of access to service areas, I wonder if a scheduled coach service would be allowed to use a “rear exit” as part of its route?
 
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