National Express Coaches Discussion

[Robertj21a]

Nowhere near close enough to VCS. Besides although owned by Nat ex and running nat services it’s still a different operation compared to owned ops ie stansted Luton ex Gatwick ex Sipson road.
That’s before we even start about talking drivers. We have many that live closer to central London than any Clarke’s or kings bases.

Not sure that a really central garage close to VCS will be affordable. Sydenham isn't too far out.

 

[dan5324]

Not sure that a really central garage close to VCS will be affordable. Sydenham isn't too far out.

It’s not much so the affordability, more practicality and finding somewhere suitable. Also as posted, so you give the work to Sydenham. What happens to the 200+ owned ops drivers who live nowhere near Sydenham?

I have insider knowledge that the work is staying with owned ops. Not third party/kings ferry etc so not sure why they keep being brought up.

 

[Robertj21a]

It’s not much so the affordability, more practicality and finding somewhere suitable. Also as posted, so you give the work to Sydenham. What happens to the 200+ owned ops drivers who live nowhere near Sydenham?

I have insider knowledge that the work is staying with owned ops. Not third party/kings ferry etc so not sure why they keep being brought up.

I thought Kings Ferry and Clarkes were owned ops?

 

[dan5324]

I thought Kings Ferry and Clarkes were owned ops?

They own the companies but are entirely separate from the owned operations at both start hill near stansted, and Luton depot. It’s the drivers who live in London that are based at start hill and Luton that would be required to man a possible future base in London. Secretly I think the company now hugely regret moving out of sipson road. A London depot based perfectly next to Heathrow and around 25 mins from vcs.

 

[Boo_]

Not sure that a really central garage close to VCS will be affordable. Sydenham isn't too far out.

No but it is. Many National Express used to have to park at nine elms for layover overnight and some in the daytime they would park at Abellio Battersea Park bus garage. But Nine elms coach park closed so coaches was asked to goto Tower transit in Park Royal
But Often this will make operational issues of the service as it could take hour to get there And when Battersea Park Bridge was playing up that would also make big issues also. that 30min drive from Abello and load in VCS would mean hour is taken from driver time before you even leave victrola on your drive out of London. So often coaches would run out of time before getting to Taunton for their driver hand over that was how tight some of the runs are.
So having your coaches based in London is also a issue as the time it takes to get to VCS limits the run they can do out of VCS

 

[Boo_]

They own the companies but are entirely separate from the owned operations at both start hill near stansted, and Luton depot. It’s the drivers who live in London that are based at start hill and Luton that would be required to man a possible future base in London. Secretly I think the company now hugely regret moving out of sipson road. A London depot based perfectly next to Heathrow and around 25 mins from vcs.

Never 25mins from VCS

Any London op would most likely be run off West Midlands travel Operators license and would be Out Stationed. There only really the west country and Scottish services that do overnighters in London and most of the coaches dont park up but have a change of crew in London. and they cant leave coaches overnight at VCS. Now Airport ops are not the same as network routes. as the Airport routes are more like local bus routes so go home every night.

 

[dan5324]

Never 25mins from VCS

Any London op would most likely be run off West Midlands travel Operators license and would be Out Stationed. There only really the west country and Scottish services that do overnighters in London and most of the coaches dont park up but have a change of crew in London. and they cant leave coaches overnight at VCS. Now Airport ops are not the same as network routes. as the Airport routes are more like local bus routes so go home every night.

Err I suggest you check some of the timetables. A few only give you 30/35mins from central bus station to vcs. It most
definitely can be done in that time or around that time. And I’m sorry but you don’t know what you’re on about. 4 stansted A services were regularly stabled in London. That has now changed to 6 cross country services with no A services currently based there. We are looking to base more in due course with the aim of getting some management plus other facilities based there or nearby. Vehicles have both been parked at VCS departures next to gate 0 and at Sammies.

Also what on Earth is airport ops? You’re aware “airport ops” as you call it are running the majority of long distance services right now, right?

 

[Boo_]

Err I suggest you check some of the timetables. A few only give you 30/35mins from central bus station to vcs. It most
definitely can be done in that time or around that time. And I’m sorry but you don’t know what you’re on about. 4 stansted A services were regularly stabled in London. That has now changed to 6 cross country services with no A services currently based there. We are looking to base more in due course with the aim of getting some management plus other facilities based there or nearby. Vehicles have both been parked at VCS departures next to gate 0 and at Sammies.

Also what on Earth is airport ops? You’re aware “airport ops” as you call it are running the majority of long distance services right now, right?
I do all a lot about NX I even had a union meeting at sipson road. NX airport ops was a standalone unit but now it part of

The coaches has to be out of Victrola by the first wave 7am or it makes issues. about 5am the airport services ramp up so the few that are there only stay from midnight to about 5am

They used to have a few coaches that had a layover but was gone by 7am think they used to have 2 coaches from network left overnight and a few airport coaches but was all gone by first wave. as by 8am victrola gets rammed with 2 day trips companies and then euros leave.
NX ops now are not not what it used to be with all the coaches now part of West Midlands Travel after sipson road closed.

When I worked at VCS only about 5 coaches was West Midlands Travel. rest was Airport ops

I know they used to have A1 coaches based at Sammys and few drivers. and rest was based at airport on a car park

All my knowledge is from working for National Express operations at Victoria 6 years ago.

I used to look after A1 A3 A6 (A4 that a service that ran when TFL had issues with Tube and did Heathrow but did not call at CBS but every other Terminal)

if you check google if takes 36mins from CBS to VCS and 33mins from VCS to CBS Often they would run late it more like 1 hour apart from coaches after 8pm. Whenever we ran the A4 to Heathrow that never ran to time as they used really old timing. often coaches have a wait at Heathrow they also give 30mins to Golders Green that also not always the case.

 

[Argyle 1980]

Does anyone know if National Express (specifically Parks of Hamilton at Honicknowle depot) allocate vehicles for schedules any number of days in advance or is this something control are likely to allocate on the day?

 

[Eyersey468]

Does anyone know if National Express (specifically Parks of Hamilton at Honicknowle depot) allocate vehicles for schedules any number of days in advance or is this something control are likely to allocate on the day?

I can't speak for Parks of Hamilton but we generally allocate vehicles a day or two in advance, though of course sometimes allocations have to be swapped last minute, as happened to me on Sunday when a coach battery was completely flat and after we had got it going off the booster pack there were all kinds of error messages coming up.

 

[busesrusuk]

I can't speak for Parks of Hamilton but we generally allocate vehicles a day or two in advance, though of course sometimes allocations have to be swapped last minute, as happened to me on Sunday when a coach battery was completely flat and after we had got it going off the booster pack there were all kinds of error messages coming up.

It seems that the London - airport coaches are getting vinyl's advertising Madrid. Most that I have seen are the usual "last third" of the vehicle but one has an allover wrap (except the front) which looks quite striking. I snapped a couple earlier:
NatEx SH299 Aug21 | Buckingham Palace Rd, Victoria. Aug 2021… | Keith Wood | Flickr
NatEx SH293 Aug21 | Queen mums gate, Aug 2021 | Keith Wood | Flickr

HTIOI

 

[carlberry]

It seems that the London - airport coaches are getting vinyl's advertising Madrid. Most that I have seen are the usual "last third" of the vehicle but one has an allover wrap (except the front) which looks quite striking. I snapped a couple earlier:
NatEx SH299 Aug21 | Buckingham Palace Rd, Victoria. Aug 2021… | Keith Wood | Flickr
NatEx SH293 Aug21 | Queen mums gate, Aug 2021 | Keith Wood | Flickr

HTIOI

That allover wrap must be hideous to ride in, what idiot agreed to that? I suspect that Flixbus offered to pay for part of it!

 

[GusB]

That allover wrap must be hideous to ride in, what idiot agreed to that? I suspect that Flixbus offered to pay for part of it!

It nicely sets off the beautiful Caetano design...

 

[dan5324]

So news just in. National express to partially take over Tower Transit's Temple Miills Lane depot to operate in house intercity work.

 

[cnjb8]

So news just in. National express to partially take over tower transits temple mills lane depot to operate in house intercity work.

Is that Lea Interchange or Westbourne Park?

 

[GusB]

So news just in. National express to partially take over Tower Transit's Temple Miills Lane depot to operate in house intercity work.

Source?

 

[dan5324]

Is that Lea Interchange or Westbourne Park?

Lea interchange, temple mills lane. Stratford. Yes

Source?

Source?

Unfortunately company emails can’t be shared. I work for the company in planning. Feel free to delete but it’s been confirmed.

 

[markymark2000]

So news just in. National express to partially take over Tower Transit's Temple Miills Lane depot to operate in house intercity work.

Does 'Intercity Work' include Stanstead Airports? I am thinking could they close the Stanstead depot and thus move the routes which terminate at Stratford, to this new depot?

 

[dan5324]

Does 'Intercity Work' include Stanstead Airports? I am thinking could they close the Stanstead depot and thus move the routes which terminate at Stratford, to this new depot?

Will be intercity only, for now. There is no intention of closing the Stansted depot.

 

[markymark2000]

Will be intercity only, for now. There is no intention of closing the Stansted depot.

Is this NX bringing more intercity work in house then or simply moving work from elsewhere?

 

[cnjb8]

Lea interchange, temple mills lane. Stratford. Yes



Unfortunately company emails can’t be shared. I work for the company in planning. Feel free to delete but it’s been confirmed.

Thank you

Is this NX bringing more intercity work in house then or simply moving work from elsewhere?

They’ve been bringing more and more services in house, especially with the purchases of Stewarts, Woods and Lucketts

 

[markymark2000]

They’ve been bringing more and more services in house, especially with the purchases of Stewarts, Woods and Lucketts

I know they brought more in house but since they have restarted to what feels like their new network, many of the routes seem to have gone out to the operators and so to bring more in house (based off present), either current operators are on very short contracts or NatEx is going to be cancelling contracts to bring stuff in house.

 

[cnjb8]

I know they brought more in house but since they have restarted to what feels like their new network, many of the routes seem to have gone out to the operators and so to bring more in house (based off present), either current operators are on very short contracts or NatEx is going to be cancelling contracts to bring stuff in house.

I see what you mean now, my apologies.
Johnsons Bros in Worksop operated three NatEx Levantes from 2016/17 on the Liverpool to Mansfield service (350 I think), then the coaches passed to Woods for their NX routes, and the 350 doesn’t run anymore.
Also sommat to note, I saw a NXWM Levante on driver training in Nottingham today

 

[dan5324]

A lot of routes are being brought in house for a variety of reasons. From poor delivery from certain other operators to just being better if the services (early ones in particular) are based in London. A vast majority will be early starts. The lates and night runs in general will stay third party. The whole idea is efficiency. And to cut dead mileage across the network. Time will tell if it’s a success.

 

[Swanny200]

A lot of routes are being brought in house for a variety of reasons. From poor delivery from certain other operators to just being better if the services (early ones in particular) are based in London. A vast majority will be early starts. The lates and night runs in general will stay third party. The whole idea is efficiency. And to cut dead mileage across the network. Time will tell if it’s a success

So I'm assuming that also means the likes of the cross border services to London and the eventual plan would be to have a hub of sorts in the north if this is a success.

 

[Robertj21a]

So I'm assuming that also means the likes of the cross border services to London and the eventual plan would be to have a hub of sorts in the north if this is a success.

As long as Flixbus doesn't dominate the country in the meantime!

 

[gray1404]

I notice that the National Express 550 service both in the Liverpool-London and London-Liverpool directions is also serving Birmingham. Under normal circumstances does the 550 normally go between Liverpool and London (and vv) avoiding Birmingham? I am wondering if this is normal or a question of them serving both Birmingham and London on the same route post COVID restrictions before they return to a fully normal timetable?

Thanks.

 

[dan5324]

I notice that the National Express 550 service both in the Liverpool-London and London-Liverpool directions is also serving Birmingham. Under normal circumstances does the 550 normally go between Liverpool and London (and vv) avoiding Birmingham? I am wondering if this is normal or a question of them serving both Birmingham and London on the same route post COVID restrictions before they return to a fully normal timetable?

Thanks.

It has been like that for a while now. It’s an awful route and unnecessary and would be better served by simply having a route from Birmingham to Liverpool and let the 550 take the M6 toll. The running time has put many passengers off from what our surveys have told us.

 

[gray1404]

Been like that for a while now. It’s an awful route and unnecessary and would be better served by simply having a route from Birmingham to liverpool and let the 550 take the m6 toll. The running time has put many passengers off from what our surveys have told us.

Thanks @dan5324 . Are there any plans to have the 550 route avoid Birmingham once National Express is back to normal, or was it going via Brum even before the COVID cut backs?

 

[dan5324]

Thanks @dan5324 . Are there any plans to have the 550 route avoid Birmingham once National Express is back to normal, or was it going via Brum even before the COVID cut backs?

Previous Liverpool routes did indeed bypass Birmingham. There are no plans as of yet to reinsate these. Well…there were plans but they were shelved when Flixbus upped their game. It’s really weird for National Express at the moment; some routes have really picked up and are almost at their pre Covid loadings. Other routes just haven’t, some even less than during the worst of Covid! There are some very strange things happening and planning can’t seem to work out why. And it’s not Flixbus!