Megabus discontinue various routes

[dk1]

Megabus discontinue their London-Norwich route.

Looks like yesterday was the last day of operation…

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“Megabus has announced it has cancelled its route between Norwich and London due to a drop in demand. The M16 service ran between Norwich, with stops at the bus station and University of East Anglia, and Straford in London.”

I have no idea how popular this route ever was but I would imagine with fierce competition from the half-hourly rail service to London (hourly to Stratford) as well as a few National Express coach services each day, it was always going to struggle.

 

[Flange Squeal]

I can't imagine being dumped at Stratford then having to pay a separate fare to use a train/tube into central London itself was much of a selling point for it either?

 

[jfollows]

It went to Victoria and called at Stratford en route, didn’t it?

 

[Flange Squeal]

It went to Victoria and called at Stratford en route, didn’t it?

It used to go all the way to Victoria in the past, but I don't think it has since the May 2018 service change?

 

[jfollows]

It used to go all the way to Victoria in the past, but I don't think it has since the May 2018 service change?

Ah, OK, then I quite agree with your point about being dumped at Stratford!

 

[RT4038]

Ah, OK, then I quite agree with your point about being dumped at Stratford!

Here is a bit of background:

The Norwich-London megabus route was losing money in 2018; not a lot but still a loss. Fares could not be increased due to competitive pressures, and there are no additional stops that could be made that were worth the time penalty. An additional stop had been put in at Stratford a little earlier. The journey from/ to Victoria was taking up nearly one third of the overall journey time, for less than one quarter of the passengers riding. The charges for using Victoria Coach Station were taking up about 10% of the revenue. Three Quarters of the passengers were alighting / boarding at Stratford from their own free will (i.e. not 'dumped'). Stratford has remarkably good TfL transport links to all over the capital. The reduction in operating hours by turning short at Stratford was going to mean an additional round trip could be operated with the same number of vehicles, earning more revenue. Interlining passengers at Victoria, to either megabus or other coach services, was almost nil. Few passengers lost with Victoria cancelled, and route turned into a profit. I expect that post covid numbers have not returned, and fuel price increases have doomed the service.

 

[Peter Philips]

Mod note: I have merged the two threads that were discussing Megabus route cancellations

Further to the Nowich-London M16 being discontinued I notice the Falmouth-Redruth-Newquay-Plymouth-Exeter-London M6 has been removed from its booking site this week with a forward booking for June being refunded. I emailed Megabus asking if the route was axed, thinking it may just be a technical glitch & received a reply saying 'unfortunately we do not have any information if this service will be reinstated.

 

[Leeds1970]

The Leeds - Hull route has been cut to one service to Leeds in the morning and two back towards Hull in the evening
Leeds to other destinations have also been revised and / or rerouted to cut the number of vehicles in service. there just isn't the demand at the moment
National express from Leeds seems to be the same.
Even FilxBus appear (from personal observations) to be struggling to put bums on seats despite their ultra low prices.

 

[sonic2009]

The Leeds - Hull route has been cut to one service to Leeds in the morning and two back towards Hull in the evening
Leeds to other destinations have also been revised and / or rerouted to cut the number of vehicles in service. there just isn't the demand at the moment
National express from Leeds seems to be the same.
Even FilxBus appear (from personal observations) to be struggling to put bums on seats despite their ultra low prices.

The Flixbus I travelled on Sunday evening was full from with only 2 seats spare on the N02 from Manchester to London.

Megabus have always been more expensive than rivals in some cases and cut some routes/changed timings.

 

[Martin1988]

Have noticed that the M6 has gone as have a couple of the weekend extras on the M10 Bristol to London service.

Admittedly the last few times I've used Megabus the loadings have been much lighter than I ever remembered previously.

A few weeks ago I used a Megabus from Bristol to Birmingham and then returned on Flixbus. The Megabus was probably half full at most but the Flixbus left Birmingham with nearly every seat full.

 

[freetoview33]

Have noticed that the M6 has gone as have a couple of the weekend extras on the M10 Bristol to London service.

Admittedly the last few times I've used Megabus the loadings have been much lighter than I ever remembered previously.

A few weeks ago I used a Megabus from Bristol to Birmingham and then returned on Flixbus. The Megabus was probably half full at most but the Flixbus left Birmingham with nearly every seat full.

I went National express Bristol to Birmingham and back and it was buiser than early 2020!

 

[markymark2000]

I can't speak for everyone but whenever I look at planning a journey on coaches anymore, I find that compared to pre covid, the times are less attractive (for example where I am, Flixbus is 16:40 to London. Who is travelling to be in London at 9pm, people want to be coming out of London then, not going in), journey involved additional changes (NatEx and their 'hub centric' services, not giving a crap about people not going to these hubs) or journey times are seemingly increased as firms have added additional stops so journey times are no longer competetive.


In Megabus and Flixbus case too, information about their timetables online is sketchy. Least NatEx, if you know your route number, you can see the different journeys and plan things that way (similar to a local bus) but Megabus and Flixbus don't have their timetables as freely available online and the route numbers for Megabus make no sense at all so it's quite confusing for passengers to plan a journey using timetables, only journey planners and online journey planners for Mega and Flix are generally wrong too as they don't keep Traveline informed (to then keep national journey planners updated)

 

[Swanny200]

Megabus have been having a few issues with coaches breaking down too, Niece was visiting us a few weeks ago Bristol to Birmingham, changing there for Newcastle, she rings us to tell us the coach has broken down with a coolant leak, 2 hours later she is still there waiting in a bus stop about 5 miles out from Birmingham.

Driver hadn't a clue what was going on, megabus customer services by phone was saying they were closed due to the pandemic and social distancing (so no use), new bus comes along, they pile on and it breaks down with the same issue a mile from Birmingham a coolant leak, driver is a bit more knowledgeable and kept them informed, the new bus then arrives and forms the service to Newcastle, the new bus was the original bus that broke down, 2 and a half hours late.

Not the first service to be like this in recent times

What has happened to them lately??

 

[route101]

I can't speak for everyone but whenever I look at planning a journey on coaches anymore, I find that compared to pre covid, the times are less attractive (for example where I am, Flixbus is 16:40 to London. Who is travelling to be in London at 9pm, people want to be coming out of London then, not going in), journey involved additional changes (NatEx and their 'hub centric' services, not giving a crap about people not going to these hubs) or journey times are seemingly increased as firms have added additional stops so journey times are no longer competetive.


In Megabus and Flixbus case too, information about their timetables online is sketchy. Least NatEx, if you know your route number, you can see the different journeys and plan things that way (similar to a local bus) but Megabus and Flixbus don't have their timetables as freely available online and the route numbers for Megabus make no sense at all so it's quite confusing for passengers to plan a journey using timetables, only journey planners and online journey planners for Mega and Flix are generally wrong too as they don't keep Traveline informed (to then keep national journey planners updated)

Where I stay National Express offer the best times and frequency . Megabus only run a couple of times a day. There should be an overnight Portsmouth to Newcastle journey.

The Birmingham to Norwich service, is that still running?

 

[sonic2009]

Where I stay National Express offer the best times and frequency . Megabus only run a couple of times a day. There should be an overnight Portsmouth to Newcastle journey.

The Birmingham to Norwich service, is that still running?

M37 still runs yes.

 

[matt_splat]

I went National express Bristol to Birmingham and back and it was buiser than early 2020!

The 101, 102, 104s are normally but they cover some mileage to get those loads. The 100s really do seem quiet.

 

[dan5324]

Megabus have suffered massively from both Covid and flixbus. Wouldn’t surprise me if the name vanished in a year or so’s time.

 

[telstarbox]

Their timetables do appear on bustimes.org if you know the route number you want:

M10 - Swansea - Victoria

Megabus

bustimes.org

 

[route101]

Megabus have stopped serving Southampton on the M3. Weymouth does not appear to be served either.

Source: https://bustimes.org/services/m3-weymouth-victoria Source

 

[Statto]

Their timetables do appear on bustimes.org if you know the route number you want:

M10 - Swansea - Victoria

Megabus

bustimes.org

No need to click on the route number, click this instead for a list of Megabus routes.

Megabus

bustimes.org

 

[PG]

No need to click on the route number, click this instead for a list of Megabus routes.

Very handy, thanks. Can't really understand why Megabus are so reluctant to make this information easily accessible - it just adds to the argument of bus/coach v. train; in that where and when they run are uncertain in the eyes of potential passengers.

 

[Peter0124]

Does anyone know why there's only TWO buses during the day from Glasgow to Carlisle? And they depart at 09:05 and 09:30??

 

[Peter Philips]

No need to click on the route number, click this instead for a list of Megabus routes.

Megabus

bustimes.org

But oddly that list still contains routes discontinued such as the Falmouth M6.

 

[markymark2000]

But oddly that list still contains routes discontinued such as the Falmouth M6.

Data is supplied by Traveline. Traveline only update the data with what Megabus give them.

For some reason, Megabus and Flixbus seem to forget about the importance of the Traveline database in that, it puts the routes onto Google Maps and many other journey planners which gives huge, huge amounts of free advertising.

 

[JonathanH]

Does anyone know why there's only TWO buses during the day from Glasgow to Carlisle? And they depart at 09:05 and 09:30??

Lack of demand for any more services? Practicality.

Megabus don't serve Carlisle.

The two National Express coaches at 0915 and 0940 go on to London and Birmingham, the second coach going via Manchester. The London coach arrives at 2005. To the extent anyone wants to spend an entire day on a coach travelling from Glasgow to London, it seems they don't want a lunchtime departure and late arrival.

An hourly bus connection between Glasgow and Carlisle can be made via Dumfries on the X74 / 79.

 

[Statto]

Lack of demand for any more services? Practicality.

Megabus don't serve Carlisle.

The two National Express coaches at 0915 and 0940 go on to London and Birmingham, the second coach going via Manchester. The London coach arrives at 2005. To the extent anyone wants to spend an entire day on a coach travelling from Glasgow to London, it seems they don't want a lunchtime departure and late arrival.

An hourly bus connection between Glasgow and Carlisle can be made via Dumfries on the X74 / 79.

The X74 / 79 may be hourly, but journey time will be over 4 hours one way, because of the 40 to 45 minute wait in Dumfries, & you will have to buy 2 separate tickets, as X74 & 79 are operated by 2 separate Stagecoach divisions.

Southbound
X74 arrives in Dumfries xx25
79 departs Dumfries xx10

Northbound
79 arrives Dumfries around xx06
X74 departs Dumfries xx45

X74 journey time 2 hours 10, 79 journey time around 1 hour 40

 

[Peter0124]

The X74 / 79 may be hourly, but journey time will be over 4 hours one way, because of the 40 to 45 minute wait in Dumfries, & you will have to buy 2 separate tickets, as X74 & 79 are operated by 2 separate Stagecoach divisions.

Southbound
X74 arrives in Dumfries xx25
79 departs Dumfries xx10

Northbound
79 arrives Dumfries around xx06
X74 departs Dumfries xx45

X74 journey time 2 hours 10, 79 journey time around 1 hour 40

Is the Scotland wide bus travel pass valid on the 79? That's the reason why I wish there was more bus services. The train from Glasgow to Carlisle is better, but dearer. And the X74 has abysmal connection times into Dumfries/Carlisle Scotrail trains especially on the way back.

Eg train arrives into Dumfries at xx:48 (some hours its more, or less). The X74 bus leaves the nearest Dumfries bus stop at xx:47. Basically just missing it plus it's not a direct interchange at the station either.

If this is off topic feel free to move my post to another thread.

 

[JonathanH]

Is the Scotland wide bus travel pass valid on the 79? That's the reason why I wish there was more bus services

Making provision for people to make a concessionary journey isn't really justification for running more direct coaches from Glasgow to Carlisle though.

Not least because

The train from Glasgow to Carlisle is better

 

[Peter0124]

Making provision for people to make a concessionary journey isn't really justification for running more direct coaches from Glasgow to Carlisle though.

Not least because

Why can't the bus companies co-operate with the train companies to atleast provide a decent interchange? My post above explains how the Scotrail trains at Dumfries arriving from the south and the X74 bus basically miss eachother.

 

[JonathanH]

Why can't the bus companies co-operate with the train companies to atleast provide a decent interchange? My post above explains how the Scotrail trains arriving from the south and the X74 bus basically miss eachother

A start would be the two Stagecoach companies matching up their times. Have you raised the issue with them?

Given the single track sections, I imagine it is the X74 that would have to move, not the trains. Again, I doubt the possibility of the X74 matching up with trains drives its timing (which appears to be around having a just before 9am arrival in Glasgow then running hourly in the same pattern with a just after 5pm and just after 6pm departure in the same pattern).