Trivia: First and last journeys on a service

[Martin2012]

Have you ever had the experience of travelling on the very first or very last journey on a bus service after its introduction or before its withdrawal?

Back in October 2022 I rode the very first journey on the short lived 47 between Bristol and Yate. It was about 0530 in the morning and raining from memory. The bus turned up and the driver announced we'd be late leaving as a trainer was joining him. About 20 minutes late he finally arrived and we set off. Also, the new route hadn't been programmed into the displays so the drivers had to keep alternating the route numbers (5, Y5 and Y3 from memory) during the journey. I was the only passenger on board until about Fishponds from memory too. I also rode the first ever journey on the Metrobus m4 between Cribbs and Bristol City Centre back in February and unexpectedly, there were a large number of enthusiasts waiting to catch it including what looked like a number of international students. Finally, back in April I also rode the first ever 525 between Yate and Emersons Green where it was mostly only me and the driver who went the wrong way at one point until I reminded him and he turned round.

Earlier in the year I ended up riding the last ever journey on Abus Service 96 from Hengrove to Brislington and back. The manager of Abus joined us in Brislington and after terminating at Hengrove kindly agreed to drop me back to the Park and Ride site where I also saw and photographed the last 178 and the last Brislington Park and Ride journey to be operated by First.

Finally back in April I ended up riding on the last ever Arriva operated journey on Service 38 between Macclesfield and Crewe and in the process, became the last person to catch an Arriva Bus out of Haslington and the last person to alight from one in Crewe. Remember there being several passengers on board, one or two of whom seemed to be regulars so they were saying goodbye and good luck to the driver.

Anybody else had any similar experiences.

 

[LAIRA]

i rode the last ever journey operated by Millbrook Steamboat Company between Torpoint & Cawsand very late on a Sunday evening many years ago.

 

[ACBest]

I did both on the X3 between Lincoln and Newark which Stagecoach ran between May 2010 and April 2011 - I was both the first and last passenger to have ever travelled on the route!

 

[Busaholic]

Not quite your criteria, but I travelled on the last Routemaster journey to Marble Arch on the last day of 'proper' operation of RMs, on London route 159, in December 2005. Nobody knew it would be the last bus that arrived there, as opposed to departed in the opposite direction, but so it proved to be. It was also the last journey ever worked by the longer Routemaster variation, the RML, even on so-called 'heritage' operations. I got interviewed by the media on the top deck when I told them I'd travelled 300 miles to be there.

 

[pjnathanail]

I religiously travel on the first departure of every new service that we take on, and I try and make a point of travelling on the last service of the preceding operator too, partly for learning purposes and partly to gain a sense of “closure”.

When we took over Park and Ride in Chelmsford I travelled on the final First service on the preceding Saturday; the driver was most surprised to see a passenger board at the P&R site so late in the day and when I explained what I was doing made it very clear that if he didn’t pick any passengers up in town, he’d not be returning to the P&R. Indeed it proved thus, so First’s 14 year stint on P&R ended ingloriously at a wet and windy bus stop on Parkway in Chelmsford. Fortunately the driver was not one of the batch who TUPE’d to us; it would have been an awkward reunion the following day when we took over!

Another recent one was the changeover of the 90 from Marshalls; I boarded a very well loaded final bus late on a Saturday night with a mixture of Marshalls staff and drunk teenagers! An ironically low key end to their tenure of exceptional service on the route in that one of the latter group who was particularly worse for wear was unwell in a hedge just next to the stop where the bus terminated. All the glamour of bus travel…

Some of our routes which I’ve travelled on the first journey of (but not the last of the previous operator) include our 9(C), NovusDirect and 23 in Peterborough.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I travelled on the last 681 [Jul 19 2019] (Atherton/Hag Fold loop), which was also the driver's last journey before retirement.

 

[markymark2000]

I got on the very first Flixbus 021 service when they started that. Back on the 20th May 2021. Sat at Birmingham Dudley Street, I swiftly discovered just what a poor stop it was in terms of facilities and I quickly realised how bad Flixbus Customer Service was. The bus was running a bit late and wasn't tracking so I rung up customer service to see what was going on, they didn't understand much English and were no use at all. I rang Thandi who I thought were running the bus and they weren't so I just waited. 25 minutes late, a green Levante turned up and we set off. The coach was decent enough, just the standard National Express interior as you'd expect given Whippets had these on National Express work prior to moving themselves over to Flixbus.

It became clear that the driver didn't know where they were going and so I directed them into Chester Bus Station. I then asked the driver if he was allowed to use the Mersey Tunnel. He wasn't sure if he was allowed on the toll bridges and so off we toddled to Liverpool via the M53, M56, M6, M62. The driver then realised that because of ongoing delays we would have to have a 45 break at Burtonwood Services before continuing onto Liverpool.

Being the spotter I am, I chose to do a round trip just for a laugh and to say I'd been on the first Flixbuses into Chester and I was due to have an hour off in Liverpool between trips. As I am sure you've clicked on, this didn't work so I told the driver my situation and he said just stay on. He checked with Whippets depot if we were allowed to go via the tunnel and they must have said yes as I then directed the driver through the Kingsway Tunnel and back to Chester. I alighted here because of the delay (plus I never intended on going back to Birmingham, I just had to buy this ticket because Liverpool - Chester is a 'local journey' and the route isn't registered).

The driver was friendly enough but needless to say Whippets hadn't done any route training, weren't aware of the 3 (At the time as Runcorn Old Bridge was shut for refurb) tolled Mersey Crossings and Flixbus themselves had minimal understanding of English which always helps things when you need immediate help. It wasn't the best journey that I have ever had.

 

[507021]

Not quite the same as being on the first and last service of a particular route, but fairly similar. I was visiting the Isle of Man in mid-2005 and travelled on what was the very first revenue earning journey of the-then brand new 45, one of a trio of VDL DB250s new to the island in that year. I know this was the case because I very clearly remember the driver telling a colleague he'd just brought the bus out from Banks Circus depot and it was its first day in service. Fast forward to 2014, I was the last person to drive 45 in revenue earning service for Bus Vannin. However, the cherry on the cake was also being the last person to drive it on Manx roads, when I asked very nicely if I could drive it to the ferry port for shipping to the UK after it had been sold.

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

I was on the very first first Glasgow 3 when Simplicity was launched. We ended up on Great Western Road and I had to redirect the driver back on to the proper route.

 

[MP393]

I did an “out and back” on the second to last Arriva 84 from Crewe - Nantwich, and return, back in April before Winsford depot closed. It was all I could manage due to finishing work late, but I did then drive over to Macclesfield and photograph the last 38 service leaving.

Next morning I was out on the first 84 Crewe - Chester under Stagecoach operation

 

[341o2]

Friday 24th March 1972, Bradford 843 on the last stage carriage working of a British trolleybus.

 

[Statto]

I can't remember if i've ever been on the first & last service of a route, but i have been on routes on the first & last day of operation, most notably the 25th, 26th October 1986 (deregulation), 25th the last day Merseyside PTE operated buses (some routes withdrawn & have never returned), then 26th the first day of Merseybus, routes with new numbers, particularly for tendered services in Merseyside.

 

[EllieAquitrain]

A couple friends and I rode the last Lothian Buses 41 in Edinburgh recently — the route has been divvied up between the 47 at the northern end through Cramond and the new route 9 on the southern half through Marchmont to King's Buildings.

 

[Martin2012]

I did an “out and back” on the second to last Arriva 84 from Crewe - Nantwich, and return, back in April before Winsford depot closed. It was all I could manage due to finishing work late, but I did then drive over to Macclesfield and photograph the last 38 service leaving.

Next morning I was out on the first 84 Crewe - Chester under Stagecoach operation

I've got a feeling we may have actually encountered each other on that first 84 journey. Seem to recall you and a friend sitting on the back seat with me and telling me you'd been to Macclesfield to photograph the 38.

I got on the very first Flixbus 021 service when they started that. Back on the 20th May 2021.

Sounds like you had an eventful journey.

I rode the first ever Flixbus 041 service from Bristol to London when it started in July 2020. Remember there only being a handful of people on with at least one being an enthusiast. That trip always sticks out in my mind because we were still in the depth of Covid restrictions. National Express had only resumed operation the day before and pubs and restaurants were still a few days away from being able to reopen. Remember being shocked after being dropped at the entrance to Departures at Victoria Coach Station and then getting told I couldn't go in the terminal to use the loo and needed to use the ones in the train station. Also remember virtually all the retail and catering outlets in Victoria Place and the train station being shut save for the WHSmith in the station. On the Flixbus ride home that evening I turned out to be the only passenger on the coach for the whole trip. Remember there being hardly any passengers in Victoria Coach Station and then when I arrived back in Bristol at around 2230 the streets were deserted.

I also did the first 041 journey when the service resumed in April 2021 following its Lockdown induced suspension. Two of the front seats were available to book and so I chose those seats and then upon boarding I was told that due to Covid those seats weren't available. However upon reaching UWE the drivers relented and let me sit there after all. Got a feeling I sat on the back seat on the ride back that evening.