National Express UK Expansion:

[Mrboo]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:

(22/09/2021 12:54)knutstransport Wrote:  What's also changed since 2014 is we had a COVID related shutdown of the networks and the new networks emerging are different to the old ones. For example, if you wanted to travel between Manchester and Bristol you had a choice of Megabus or NX direct services, now Megabus offer the only direct services with NX requiring a change at Birmingham.

The Megabus booking site does indicate where a 3rd party runs a service. You know if you're going to get a service run by MP Travel, as it's advertised as being operated by MP Travel. This is similar to when Megabus services stopped serving Blackpool and Megabus tickets started to be sold for travel on the X61 instead, with it being advertised as being operated by Stagecoach in Lancashire.

On the other hand I once caught a NX from Liverpool to Manchester and it was operated with a plain white coach, with the only branding on it being the legal lettering for Hayton's near the door. Certainly nothing on the ticket to indicate someone else operated the service on behalf of NX. I also once travelled from Dublin to Leeds on the overnight Eurolines service, using a National Express ticket. That was operated by Bus Eireann.

I've also noticed with NX on occasions the coach company running the service is based at one end of a long route and the coach turns up with 2 drivers on board, rather than the relief driver joining at a point in the middle of the journey.


I'm not an expert on coach models but there are still some proper double decker coaches running Megabus services, in addition to the interdecks which seem to be the norm for Megabus.

I used to work for about. year at Victrola after working for Megabus for NX but they cut staff due to selling eurolines.

I once had a issue with a passenger who would not get on a non NX coach as we had a service car ( NX coach ) and 2 more coaches on same trip doing non stop to point so was loading everyone on the non stop coaches with service car doing mid points as would of overloaded we ended up having to call the police to remove passenger thinking back that passanger may of had mental or learning disability so freaked.

But many people are not aware is NX Sub out their routes but they do get local bus registrations on some routes and under their name so have to run their services or have issues from TC. unlike Megabus and Flexbus who can just refund money.