Impact of Rail Strikes on Bus and Coach Services

[Blindtraveler]

The newly reintroduced X5 from North Berwick to Edinburgh current become popular if the current ScotRail dispute is not resolved and worsens and indeed if if this is also affected by the national strikes later in the month.



Borders x95 from Galashiels to Edinburgh could see a Resurgence as well although with borders having had a much reduced rail service for a long time and not sure what the modal share is between this and the train anyway at the moment plus borders have serious driver issues





I think London buses could be in for quite a pasting if the tube strike also goes ahead on the same day as the National Rail one

 

[duncombec]

The net result of this will be quite different in comparison to, say, 2019, as more people are now set up to work from home. Those left travelling are likely to be those who need to be at a particular location, rather than just those who want to. Arguably, the Saturday could be the more interesting from a bus perspective.

There will undoubtedly be a hierarchy of importance for replacement flows, and I would suspect schoolchildren, particularly those sitting national exams, would be fairly high up the list, and perhaps where any councils getting involved will direct what few additional buses and drivers there may be towards. Of course, there is also the possibility that coach operators could be used for school flows, as happened in this area with Covid duplicates. County Councils will be well aware of the 'statutory flows', but whether they have the budget to pay for them is a different matter.

How many will switch to bus will also depend on knowledge of the bus network. It may be quite one thing if you're used to seeing buses around town with your chosen destination on them, or you've used them before when trains have gone wrong for whatever reason, but quite a different thing if you have no idea where they go.

Bus companies will also have to tread carefully around their existing passengers: after months of cancellations due to driver shortages, it would be a dangerous game for companies to leave some areas unserved or with poorer service to focus on potential rail passenger flows, lest that lose them more of their 'regular' customers.

 

[sonic2009]

CityZap Leeds - York
840/843 Leeds - York - Malton - Whitby (840) or Seamer - Scarborough (843)

Suspect the 840 wont be that busy loaded past Malton to Whitby.

 

[blackfive460]

840/843 Leeds - York - Malton - Whitby (840) or Seamer - Scarborough (843)

Especially on Saturday 25th, Armed Forces Day National Event in Scarborough.
EYMS services from Hull, Bridlington and Filey will be busy that day too.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Bus companies will also have to tread carefully around their existing passengers: after months of cancellations due to driver shortages, it would be a dangerous game for companies to leave some areas unserved or with poorer service to focus on potential rail passenger flows, lest that lose them more of their 'regular' customers.

I present to you Arriva Yorkshire who have been on strike since the 6th June. This would leave most of Wakefield without any buses apart from Stagecoach's 59 (Barnsley to Wakefield), Team Pennine's X1 (Wakefield to Holmfirth) and Ross Travel Group's "Featherstone Rover" services between Pontefract and Wakefield.

I would have included the 231/232 Huddersfield to Wakefield being expected to be full and bursting, but these services have been operated by Arriva since Team Pennine took over Yorkshire Tiger.

 

[Bantamzen]

With the bus industry struggling to attract and keep drivers, I think few will be able to take advantage of any bonanza.

'Keighley Bus' - Kly - Skipton, Kly - Bradford and Kly - Leeds may be quite busy. As will the 'First Leeds' Ilkley - Leeds route.

I can remember a few years ago when the line at Kirkstall was flooded, I got one of the first then 760s from Shipley into Leeds. Nearly 3 hours later I finally fell off the damn thing at Leeds bus station. I will not be trying that out again...

 

[markymark2000]

I present to you Arriva Yorkshire who have been on strike since the 6th June. This would leave most of Wakefield without any buses apart from Stagecoach's 59 (Barnsley to Wakefield), Team Pennine's X1 (Wakefield to Holmfirth) and Ross Travel Group's "Featherstone Rover" services between Pontefract and Wakefield.

I would have included the 231/232 Huddersfield to Wakefield being expected to be full and bursting, but these services have been operated by Arriva since Team Pennine took over Yorkshire Tiger.

You've missed out a lot of routes there. Plenty of other routes in Wakefield. CT Plus, Globe, Station Coaches.

 

[Mwanesh]

The X4 between Ebb Vale and Cardiff will be rammed. It will be a pain to travel during these days. I can't see bus companies helping that much they have their own problems.

 

[Cambus731]

I was planning to get the train between Accrington and Burnley on the 25th, so I guess I'll be catching the Transdev bus route between the two towns that starts back in Preston. Think it's the 152. Its normally a double decker. I guess it may be a bit busier than usual.

 

[Stan Drews]

I was planning to get the train between Accrington and Burnley on the 25th, so I guess I'll be catching the Transdev bus route between the two towns that starts back in Preston. Think it's the 152. Its normally a double decker. I guess it may be a bit busier than usual.

The 152 (Hotline) doesn’t go through Accrington. You’d need the Mainline M1 from Accy to Burnley, which is usually the branded Optare Versas.

 

[Cambus731]

The 152 (Hotline) doesn’t go through Accrington. You’d need the Mainline M1 from Accy to Burnley, which is usually the branded Optare Versas.

I never knew thar. I always just assumed it did. But now you mention it, when I've been in Accrington in the past, I've never seen the 152. M1 it is then

 

[Geordie driver]

I wasn't implying the deckers could run extra services. I was implying that most of that operator's services are single deckers and there might be the possibly of using a double decker on some of the services at times when they aren't needed on school/college services (leaving the single deckers parked up out-of-use instead). In the case of Warrington's Own Buses they often have spare buses sat at Warrington Bus Station and their depot is only just around the corner.

Which is why I said slim to zero, not zero. It's possible that, after the school runs, they might go to the effort of swapping vehicles around for a few, off peak hours then back again in time for the schools ( you are talking about a window from 09 30 to 14 30 max then after 17 00) but even then you need the staff to do these swaps and it's putting you at risk of not being able to cover your (must run) school services.

Often, and certainly where I have worked, school buses also do other works before and after the schools, very early works runs for example or service runs into the city when the pensioners boom starts at 09 30 ( reality, any time after 09 10). The logistics of swapping buses round don't make sense for a once in a blue moon rail strike that might not even produce much extra revenue.

 

[northwichcat]

The logistics of swapping buses round don't make sense for a once in a blue moon rail strike that might not even produce much extra revenue.

Forget about potential extra revenue on strike days. If the normal passengers can't board due to extra usage and the normal passengers decide to look at alternative ways of getting around, it's permanent lost revenue and potentially further route withdrawals.

 

[Class 317]

During the 1982 rail strikes coach companies picked up a lot of additional passengers with many new routes starting to serve new markets.

Thinking about hybrid working could commuter services make a come back? Thinking a longer but cheaper journey one or two days a week might be more appealing than a daily one?

Another similar circumstance is that we have a very competitive coach service provision with 3 main competing companies.

Also the cost of living crisis is making many look at cheaper alternatives.

On the other hand coach companies will be facing both higher fuel prices and staffing challenges.

What do people think might happen?
I'm assuming the strikes will go on for sometime.

 

[172007]

Coaches will generally always serve the budget pre booked in advance market. You can walk, pay and board for coaches but its not like the railway. If coaches really where to be comparable to the railways then you would need on the M6 or M1 a coach from each of the three main companies every few minutes to give the walk on every half an hour frequency the train can do. Can't see it happening especially with traffic.

 

[Smethwickian]

Longer term, maybe, a few more passengers may switch to coach. But anyone expecting a flood of extra departures on rail strike days this month may be disappointed. Coach services cannot be stepped up quickly because staffing is, as the OP suggests, an issue. National Express, for one, has cancellations every single day on certain routes due to driver non-availability, which is constraining its ability to commit to increased timetables any day soon.

 

[yorksrob]

If the industrial dispute drags on and on, there could well be an opportunity for coach companies to expand and thrive.

If it's resolved quickly, not so much.

 

[GusB]

Posts #44-47 were posts in a separate thread, but have been merged into this one. I've updated the thread title.

 

[Bus Lightyear]

I see someone has already mentioned the Citylink 900.

Elsewhere in Scotland, I suppose we could see a major uptake on the First Glasgow 1-1A-1B from Helenburgh and the Vale of Leven to Glasgow as very few tend to make this journey by bus. The other issue is that these routes can only be single deck operated due to some low bridges.

Stagecoach X74-76-77 from Ayrshire to Glasgow and First X11-240-267 etc from Lanarkshire to Glasgow could also be hammered.

 

[Blindtraveler]

X74 Dumfries to Glasgow is already very popular at certain times of day in particular. I don't know what the driver situation is at Dumfries but doubt they could provide much in the way of extra vehicles to strengthen the service should demand be there. Also wonder how this is coping at present with the severely reduced service to Glasgow by train

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I present to you Arriva Yorkshire who have been on strike since the 6th June. This would leave most of Wakefield without any buses apart from Stagecoach's 59 (Barnsley to Wakefield), Team Pennine's X1 (Wakefield to Holmfirth) and Ross Travel Group's "Featherstone Rover" services between Pontefract and Wakefield.

I would have included the 231/232 Huddersfield to Wakefield being expected to be full and bursting, but these services have been operated by Arriva since Team Pennine took over Yorkshire Tiger.

Not only is Wakefield massively affected: Dewsbury (a town already dying on its hind-quarters) has almost no buses as almost everything is Arriva, likewise Batley. Pretty much the whole Heavy Woollen District (Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton etc.) have been wiped off the public transport map completely. Dewsbury and Batley saved only by the trains which themselves are having similar issues.

I'm seriously considering getting a car again, something I didn't think I'd ever do... but if the strikes continue the prices of slightly older, unglamorous runabouts (all I can realistically afford) will probably shoot up too.

 

[route101]

I see someone has already mentioned the Citylink 900.

Elsewhere in Scotland, I suppose we could see a major uptake on the First Glasgow 1-1A-1B from Helenburgh and the Vale of Leven to Glasgow as very few tend to make this journey by bus. The other issue is that these routes can only be single deck operated due to some low bridges.

Stagecoach X74-76-77 from Ayrshire to Glasgow and First X11-240-267 etc from Lanarkshire to Glasgow could also be hammered.

The 900 is a walk up service every 15 minutes so very useful. The services from Glasgow/Edinburgh up to Inverness/Aberdeen can sell out, unless they provide dupes.

 

[Bus Lightyear]

The 900 is a walk up service every 15 minutes so very useful. The services from Glasgow/Edinburgh up to Inverness/Aberdeen can sell out, unless they provide dupes.

We better hope there's no industrial disputes whilst the Edinburgh Festival is on.

 

[Scotrail314209]

The Stagecoach X36 service (while it’s still running!) Between North Ayrshire and Glasgow will probably be extra packed out during the day, since it also covers Kilwinning.

The 585 service between Largs and Ayr will probably also be busier due to the fact that people do use the train to travel locally and between the two towns. Hopefully Stagecoach see sense and put deckers on it.

 

[Alex365Dash]

There’s quite a bit of demand for travel on West Coastway in the Brighton metro area between Brighton and Worthing. Since the West Coastway will be closed in its entirety (apart from the Hove shuttle) on strike days, I wouldn’t be surprised if that demand ended up on the Coastliner 700 service either.

Funnily enough, the route serves most of the places the Brighton - Portsmouth Southern service does, except that the 700 is split in three so to actually get from Brighton to Portsmouth by bus requires two changes all onto the same route number!

 

[omnicity4659]

Go North East 21, 56, X10 and X21. The fomer two of those are packed out even without any rail passengers on them.

Arriva Durham 7 and X12. Both would need to be exclusively allocated deckers if they're to manage all of the rail passengers.

Arriva Northumberland X15 is the only bus link from Berwick to anywhere outside of Northumberland in England so will likely be packed.

Stagecoach North East X24 will be busy but I think it may just about manage with the rail passengers.

Berwick appears to have a reasonable level of rail service during the strike. Majority of the problems may be further down the line.

I expect that Arriva Northumbria's X14/X15/X18 between Morpeth and Newcastle will be busier than usual, X9/X10/X11 between Cramlington and Newcastle too.

For the Tyne Valley Line there's Stagecoach Carlisle and Arriva Northumbria's 685 (Newcastle-Corbridge-Hexham-Haltwhistle-Brampton-Carlisle) along with the Go North East 10 which shadows the TVL between Newcastle and Hexham.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Not only is Wakefield massively affected: Dewsbury (a town already dying on its hind-quarters) has almost no buses as almost everything is Arriva, likewise Batley. Pretty much the whole Heavy Woollen District (Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton etc.) have been wiped off the public transport map completely. Dewsbury and Batley saved only by the trains which themselves are having similar issues.

I'm seriously considering getting a car again, something I didn't think I'd ever do... but if the strikes continue the prices of slightly older, unglamorous runabouts (all I can realistically afford) will probably shoot up too.

I'd also include Goole too as the rail service to Leeds isn't great either. I can't imagine competing operators would be willing to make inroads into Arriva's terratory just to try and keep some of West Yorkshire connected.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'd also include Goole too as the rail service to Leeds isn't great either. I can't imagine competing operators would be willing to make inroads into Arriva's terratory just to try and keep some of West Yorkshire connected.

I have family living in Team Pennine territory, and if Alex fancies expanding into the Arriva territory I currently live in they'll be welcomed with open arms!

 

[GaryMcEwan]

I can definitely see the Megabus / Citylink Scottish services being absolutely rammed.

The M9 heading Glasgow way in peak time is always nearly full by the time it gets to Perth Broxden and that’s before anyone gets on at Perth.

If they are able to, I can definitely envisage dupes being put on to cope with the demand.

 

[markymark2000]

I can definitely see the Megabus / Citylink Scottish services being absolutely rammed.

The M9 heading Glasgow way in peak time is always nearly full by the time it gets to Perth Broxden and that’s before anyone gets on at Perth.

If they are able to, I can definitely envisage dupes being put on to cope with the demand.

Megabus reports that bookings are up 85% on strike week versus the week before (so this week)

Stagecoach buses and coaches ready to keep Britain on the move during rail strikes

Stagecoach, the country’s biggest bus and coach operator, is ready to help keep Britain on the move as people plan alternative travel to avoid the disruption caused by next week’s rail strikes.

www.dee1063.com

The company’s megabus and Scottish Citylink inter-city coach services have already seen a significant spike in bookings.

Megabus sales during the week of the rail strikes are 85% higher than the week before, and the following week is following a similar trend. Thousands of extra seats have been added to the megabus network and customers are strongly advised to book early for megabus and Scottish Citylink coach services.