Flixbus Discussion

[Jordan Adam]

Perhaps not entirely relevant but for what it's pretty much all Nat Ex coaches north of Edinburgh/Glasgow run half empty or less. Compare that to Scottish Citylink who are normally sold out on the competing routes.

 

[Deerfold]

I wonder if Flixbus can find a niche in commuter travel. While NatEx schedule coaches to suit commuters, you do have to book the tickets constantly with no period passes valid which I think puts a lot of people off. I don't think there is many other opportunities for them without stepping on NatEx toes.

They're not very good at publicising the pricing, but National Express do do season tickets.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyQzzy87Fh4F2L3F-mkV8FoW5JYTrdAfgPCyGyqOvjAiQj1Q/viewform

In the past they have had more heavily advertised season tickets on various services (e.g. Leeds - Sheffield which they used to do half hourly before the train service was improved).

 

[philthetube]

Perhaps not entirely relevant but for what it's pretty much all Nat Ex coaches north of Edinburgh/Glasgow run half empty or less. Compare that to Scottish Citylink who are normally sold out on the competing routes.

Could have a lot to do with free travel for pensioners.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Could have a lot to do with free travel for pensioners.

Possibly, however from my experience the percentage of passengers that are pensioners are not as high as you'd think. Lots of commuters, family's and young people too. I suspect it's more due to the fact that Megabus/Citylink are a more known brand up here compared to National Express and (obviously) they offer far greater network coverage in Scotland. .

 

[NorthOxonian]

Since Flixbus often operate on international lines, and National Express just withdrew from the route, I wouldn't be surprised if they run a service from London to Cork.

 

[route101]

Perhaps not entirely relevant but for what it's pretty much all Nat Ex coaches north of Edinburgh/Glasgow run half empty or less. Compare that to Scottish Citylink who are normally sold out on the competing routes.

Nat ex fares are higher are they not plus little frequency and not many would go to Aberdeen or Inverness from London. Citylinks can be sold out at times , dont see cheap fares as often now , dont know if conncession card holders are a factor.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Nat ex fares are higher are they not plus little frequency and not many would go to Aberdeen or Inverness from London. Citylinks can be sold out at times , dont see cheap fares as often now , dont know if conncession card holders are a factor.

Concessions will be a factor, but i don't think it's as big of one as people think. Fares can be expensive, however often if it's at short notice the coach can still work out much cheaper than the train. Typically i find a single from Aberdeen to Edinburgh 3-4 days in advance on the coach is somewhere between £15 and £25, often with the train you could be talking double that.

 

[carlberry]

Since Flixbus often operate on international lines, and National Express just withdrew from the route, I wouldn't be surprised if they run a service from London to Cork.

If Natex cant make it pay I don't see it being a goldmine for Flixbus!

 

[JonathanH]

Perhaps not entirely relevant but for what it's pretty much all Nat Ex coaches north of Edinburgh/Glasgow run half empty or less. Compare that to Scottish Citylink who are normally sold out on the competing routes.

National Express no longer run to Inverness. The 588 now terminates in Glasgow. For the time being the 592 still goes to Aberdeen.

 

[Jordan Adam]

National Express no longer run to Inverness. The 588 now terminates in Glasgow. For the time being the 592 still goes to Aberdeen.

That's true, i live in Aberdeen, so most of what i see with Nat Ex Coaches is the 592 and it is normally half full or less.

 

[M803UYA]

Flixbus have announced their new routes, commencing July 2nd 2020.

Welcome UK!


We have connected the UK to the FlixBus network with new offers across the country and to many destinations in mainland Europe.
Discover our coach services and help us paint the world green starting at only £2.99.
Bringing an affordable, safe, and easy way of travel to the UK has been our mission for a long time and now we are finally here!

After a long wait, we have connected the UK to our network. We will be constantly growing our network over the upcoming weeks, but starting on 2 July Birmingham, Bristol, Portsmouth, and London will join and even more in the near future.

Furthermore, we are re-opening our lines between the UK and the European mainland. We will keep bringing you new travel opportunities, so make sure you stay updated.

• London-Birmingham
• London-Bristol
• London-Portsmouth
• Guildford-Portsmouth
• London-Brussels
• London-Paris

Discover our ever-expanding network!

Need some inspiration for your next travels? Stay updated with our new cities added.

London, Birmingham, Bristol, Portsmouth, Guildford, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris and many more.


The UK is now a part of the FlixBus network and you can now paint the world green when you travel with us. We have implemented extensive safety measures to make sure you have the best travel experience. We are committed to your safety and because of this, we are working together with local health and government authorities to ensure we provide you with the best safety measures available.


The safety and well-being of you, our drivers, partners, and employees is our top priority and while we are doing our part, you play a key role to ensure that you and all passengers on board travel safely. You can make an impact by doing the following:

• Before booking, make sure you can travel and follow your local health and government recommendations.
• Since 15 June 2020, the wearing of a face-covering or mask is required when travelling on public transportation. Our customers must wear a face-covering or mask before and during the journey.
• To comply with social distancing rules limited seating capacity is implemented (only window seats are available).
• Hand sanitiser will be available onboard for all customers. Our recommendation for the customers is to bring personal hand sanitiser for use before, during and after the journey.

To ensure your travels are as pleasant and safe as possible, here is an overview of the measures we are taking to provide you with the highest hygienic standards:

Coach cleaning:

• Disinfection of vehicles after each ride according to WHO guidelines and regulations.
• Additional disinfection of key touchpoints will be performed regularly with the antiviral disinfectant.
• Toilets will remain open and will be disinfected and cleaned regularly.
• The vehicle will be ventilated before and after each ride.

Boarding and Disembarking:

• Our drivers are equipped with health protection kits (masks and gloves).
• Seats in the first row behind the driver must remain unoccupied to protect the drivers.
• Customers must wear a face-covering or mask during boarding and for the entire journey.
• Instructions by bus drivers or station personnel to keep distance while boarding.
• Hand sanitiser is available for customers while boarding.
• We inform our customers that boarding may take longer than usual. Please, follow the driver's instructions and have your ticket readily available for contactless inspection.
• Entry and exit announcements by the driver will include up-to-date safety instructions.
• Disinfection for child seats available upon request.

For more information, please check our FAQ, here.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Absolutely astonished to see London-Manchester not featuring - isn't that the UK's largest InterCity passenger market? Birmingham must surely be weaker as there are already strong budget rail options, unlike Manchester where there isn't.

 

[JonathanH]

Megabus and First (trading as Greyhound) have both tried London to Portsmouth and not found it particularly lucrative, since their operations came to an end.

I'd imagine that London to Manchester isn't as easy to do out and back from London as Bristol and Birmingham are. Where is the operational base?

 

[darloscott]

BM Coaches (London) and Turners Coachways (Bristol) are operating this initial tranche of routes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

BM Coaches (London) and Turners Coachways (Bristol) are operating this initial tranche of routes.

What sort of vehicles are being used? The high spec ones they use in Germany with leather etc, or just whatever they've got spare quickly reliveried?

 

[markymark2000]

Absolutely astonished to see London-Manchester not featuring - isn't that the UK's largest InterCity passenger market? Birmingham must surely be weaker as there are already strong budget rail options, unlike Manchester where there isn't.

I think that might be one of the 'new destinations in the near future'. I think given Covid, they want to start with the routes which are used by not just tourists but also commuters to maximise the potential passengers with the fewest amount of coaches.

I am not sure if London to Manchester is the largest intercity market for coaches. It is a well travelled corridor but Bristol seems to be the biggest I would say. Birmingham is just a useful change point for the rest of the UK as/when they expand.

 

[markymark2000]

It isn't noted in the press release however Guildford is simply a stop on the Portsmouth run. London - Guildford - Portsmouth.

 

[ClydeCoaster]

Not my photo but a BM Coches Van Hool EX has been painted in Flixbus livery.

Flixbus Van Hool - BM Coaches

This was spotted resting in the compound of Pelican, the DAF dealer in Castleford. Unfortunately, it was right behind the palisade fence and this was the best shot I could get from the highway.

flic.kr

Also interesting that that vehicle is listed as C57Ft, suggesting its not PSVAR...

 

[awsnews]

What sort of vehicles are being used? The high spec ones they use in Germany with leather etc, or just whatever they've got spare quickly reliveried?

Turners acquired all of the Irizars operated by Truemans of Ash Vale after that operator closed recently, that certainly gives them a few i6s to utilise.

 

[notadriver]

With people being told to avoid using trains is this an opportunity for coaches to dominate the long distance market like they did in the 70s and 80s?

 

[JonathanP]

I very much doubt it. It's hard to imagine any sane person seeing a coach as a less risky environment than a train. Flixbus in Germany are as far as I know selling 100% capacity on their buses, which already have much more cramped seating than most trains. If you do get on and someone coughing their lungs out plonks themselves next to you there is no possibility to 'escape', you can't exactly stand in the vestibule.

Furthermore, as I understand it is not permitted to use the toilet on the bus, so any passengers will require a strong bladder.

 

[carlberry]

With people being told to avoid using trains is this an opportunity for coaches to dominate the long distance market like they did in the 70s and 80s?

People are being told to avoid public transport not just trains. Coaches never really dominated the market except during the ASLEF strikes. In the 1980s (after coach deregulation) they took a bit more of the market however even a half hourly coach service dosent compare to the kind of loads that trains had on the same routes.
Lots of people used coaches in the 1960s/1970s however it was because they didn't have cars.

 

[winston270twm]

BM Coaches (London) and Turners Coachways (Bristol) are operating this initial tranche of routes.

That will be interesting with BM Coaches also working with NX owned Kings Ferry to garage their BA Shuttle & contract bus fleet, conflict of interest & all that......

 

[route101]

That will be interesting with BM Coaches also working with NX owned Kings Ferry to garage their BA Shuttle & contract bus fleet, conflict of interest & all that......

I've seen that before with a First coach operating for Megabus and Parks of Hamilton operate Citylimk/NX services.

 

[winston270twm]

Seen that before with a First coach operating for Megabus and Parks of Hamilton operate Citylimk/NX services.

de Courcey, Coventry a big NX contractor started providing coaches for NX competitor SNAP, it obviously caused a big stink with NX, you don't bite the hand that feeds you.....

 

[carlberry]

Furthermore, as I understand it is not permitted to use the toilet on the bus, so any passengers will require a strong bladder.

National Express appear to say they're available (as they say they're being cleaned more often) and Megabus say they should only be used if essential (I assume to stop those people who preferred sitting in there instead of their allocated seat!).

 

[cnjb8]

de Courcey, Coventry a big NX contractor started providing coaches for NX competitor SNAP, it obviously caused a big stink with NX, you don't bite the hand that feeds you.....

Yet Stagecoach Yorkshire operate NX services while Stagecoach owns Megabus!!

 

[tramboy]

Yet Stagecoach Yorkshire operate NX services while Stagecoach owns Megabus!!

They're the last one however - the remaining Stagecoach NX contracts have vanished by the wayside as they were re-tendered.

Back on topic, it surprises me that Manchester hasn't been put into this first batch - Manchester-Birmingham-London would seem a sensible routing, using a local coach firm in the North West to start the southbound trips.

However, I suggest both NX & Megabus will complain if, as suggested, the Flix coaches used on scheduled coach services don't meet PSVAR.

 

[winston270twm]

Yet Stagecoach Yorkshire operate NX services while Stagecoach owns Megabus!!

Yet, Stagecoach East Kent did run all the NX Dover services until NX took them in house with Kings Ferry due to Megabus expansion in the area.

 

[Flange Squeal]

That will be interesting with BM Coaches also working with NX owned Kings Ferry to garage their BA Shuttle & contract bus fleet, conflict of interest & all that......

Whilst they have one director in common, the Flixbus services are actually being operated by ‘Your Partner In Journey Ltd’, rather than BM Coaches. YPIJ are a separate company in their own right, with their own Operating Licence.

That said, YPIJ do also operate scheduled cross-channel London to Paris/Brussels/Amsterdam services for French-based BlaBlaBus (formerly SNCF-owned Ouibus), who compete with Flixbus on the continent.