Could the railways cope with a coach strike?

[notadriver]

When London buses went on strike a year or two ago, the railways both tube and main line struggled to cope. How would our main line and intercity trains cope if national express and megabus went on strike ?

 

[carlberry]

When London buses went on strike a year or two ago, the railways both tube and main line struggled to cope. How would our main line and intercity trains cope if national express and megabus went on strike ?

I suspect they wouldnt even notice!


National Express carries 19,000,000 passengers a year, or 52000 per day.
http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/media/business-facts-and-figures/

Trains carried 412,000,000 million a year http://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/statistical-releases

So a 4 1/2% increase in travel if everybody transfered. For most train services (as a lot of coach passengers wouldnt want to pay the more expensive train fares, especially at short notice) it would just add a few seats per train.



One London bus route carries more than the whole National Express network. (Service 25 carries 64,000 people per day)
https://www.london.gov.uk/media/ass...ercrowding-due-to-167-million-more-london-bus

 

[WestCoast]

I'm guessing that firstly with National Express a national strike would be theoretical as most drivers are employed by the outside contractors with little relation to NX such as Travel de Courcey of Coventry? Or is there a mechanism that would allow a national strike?

I can't imagine that it would have a major impact on the majority of rail flows, but it would seem there are a select number of corridors (perhaps in Scotland?) where coaches do carry a high(er) percentage of travellers making that journey.

I could perhaps see the greatest impact on flows towards the big airports. NX is often the only direct service if you want to go from say Birmingham to Heathrow and coaches for example provide a lot of uplift from Central London to Stansted and Luton.

 

[northwichcat]

I'm guessing that firstly with National Express a national strike would be theoretical as most drivers are employed by the outside contractors with little relation to NX such as Travel de Courcey of Coventry? Or is there a mechanism that would allow a national strike?

Yes National Express services are operated by local coach companies who act as franchisees of National Express.

Megabus services are all employed by Stagecoach but are employed by different companies. For instance, a Megabus driver on one coach could be employed by Stagecoach Ribble, while one on another coach could be employed by Stagecoach Manchester.

 

[WestCoast]

Yes National Express services are operated by local coach companies who act as franchisees of National Express.

I'm assuming that National Express does however assume all revenue responsibilities across the network? The franchisee/partner operator is contracted to provide the service complete with vehicles, drivers and insurance for a set tender price like the German model of regional rail franchising rather than the British one?

 

[northwichcat]

I'm assuming that National Express does however assume all revenue responsibilities across the network? The franchisee/partner operator is contracted to provide the service complete with vehicles, drivers and insurance for a set tender price like the German model of regional rail franchising rather than the British one?

I imagine National Express ticket counter staff could potentially all go on strike. I also imagine where staffed coach stations are owned by National Express (like Manchester Chorlton Street) that could cause issues if a strike occurred.

 

[Robertj21a]

I imagine National Express ticket counter staff could potentially all go on strike. I also imagine where staffed coach stations are owned by National Express (like Manchester Chorlton Street) that could cause issues if a strike occurred.

Many book through the internet anyway, and there's some self-service ticket machines too.

 

[northwichcat]

Many book through the internet anyway, and there's some self-service ticket machines too.

Question is perhaps if no staff book on would that leave some coach stations locked up?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

National Express operate only a token number of vehicles in order to have an operators' license. Obviously, there are group companies like Speedlink and Kings Ferry but they are not bound by such strike action.

The businesses who work for National Express are contractors NOT franchisees. They provide the vehicles and staff to an agreed spec and operate according to an agreed contract.

NatEx counter staff could strike but with the amount of online ticket sales and other agents, it wouldn't be a show stopper. Same goes with the staff at coach stations and arguably, they could be manned by managers for a day

 

[Bletchleyite]

Question is perhaps if no staff book on would that leave some coach stations locked up?

If it did, the advantage of a coach is that it could stop in a nearby bus stop instead (provided no legal restriction to local buses exists).

 

[Temple Meads]

Megabus services are all employed by Stagecoach but are employed by different companies.

Freestones of Dereham run route M16 from London to Norwich, and Hamilton-Gray of Exeter did have extensive Megabus duties until earlier in the year.