National Express UK Expansion:

[knutstransport]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:

(21/09/2021 15:56)Mrboo Wrote:  Could then mean Megabus being offloaded to flixbus if NX takes over but that is not a shock. NX is in trouble with flixbus if they dont now take action and stagecoach has issues with Manchester maybe and also megabus. So putting Stagecoach onto NX routes would mean local depots all in house.

I'm under the impression the Leeds-Birmingham and beyond Megabus services don't require a Manchester driver but it may vary depending on the exact service and time.

I think it works well for NX to offer franchises to coach hire companies, as it allows duplicates to easily be arranged when needed.

Megabus also seem to be unique in the UK in using the interdeck coaches, to maximise on seating capacity and luggage space.

[Mrboo]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:
When I worked for Megabus back in 2014
Hyde Road had 1 coach over night that would do first Trip to Newcastle and did the last return. They would also supply all drivers on Newcastle to Birmingham route. with Rugby doing Birmingham to Leeds runs and hyde road did do some Manchester to watford gap when Preston drivers did not take over from Scottish drivers. But that not the case anymore as MP Travel now run Manchester office for Stagecoach and also do London trips with far less drivers now from Hyde Road.

Both NX and Megabus now use 3rd party's to run their services with NX now taking more inhouse. it used to be Stagecoach did most of their runs apart from 1 route and a few weekend services. at Leeds used to have Tetleys doing 1 run to London on Fri and Sun and compass Royston did 1 from Newcastle to London

the interdecks was got due to a Brian Souter owning share in Plaxton and was cheaper then the Van Hool they used before and the Van Hool had issues with them having to have smaller fuel tanks fitted in end as 90 seats on them with 20kg bag limit pushed them over there limit so for short time they had to undersell the coaches until they got the smaller tanks fitted . the interdecks had I think it was 75 seats and the Plaxton B12a they replaced was 65 seats they also had a few B9s 49 seats for euro routes but did not stay long on megabus

of Late NX have been taking lots in House

[knutstransport]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:

(22/09/2021 00:00)Mrboo Wrote:  When I worked for Megabus back in 2014
Hyde Road had 1 coach over night that would do first Trip to Newcastle and did the last return. They would also supply all drivers on Newcastle to Birmingham route. with Rugby doing Birmingham to Leeds runs and hyde road did do some Manchester to watford gap when Preston drivers did not take over from Scottish drivers. But that not the case anymore as MP Travel now run Manchester office for Stagecoach and also do London trips with far less drivers now from Hyde Road.

Both NX and Megabus now use 3rd party's to run their services with NX now taking more inhouse.

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.

Quote:the interdecks was got due to a Brian Souter owning share in Plaxton and was cheaper then the Van Hool they used before and the Van Hool had issues with them having to have smaller fuel tanks fitted in end as 90 seats on them with 20kg bag limit pushed them over there limit so for short time they had to undersell the coaches until they got the smaller tanks fitted . the interdecks had I think it was 75 seats and the Plaxton B12a they replaced was 65 seats they also had a few B9s 49 seats for euro routes but did not stay long on megabus

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.

[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.

[knutstransport]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:

(22/09/2021 21:17)Mrboo Wrote:  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.

We used to have a "Cheshire Connect" brand and livery on certain Cheshire East contracted routes. It was used on routes operated by Bakers, D&G Bus, Bowers/High Peak and GHA/Vale Travel. Despite the exterior saying something like "Cheshire Connect operated by GHA Coaches" and tickets showing the operator branding, not Cheshire Connect branding, many people thought Cheshire Connect was an operator.

[Jack]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:
Stagecoach have announced their share of Scottish Citylink along with Megabus and Falcon are sold to ComfortDelGro. On the same day Stagecoach and National Express have agreed to a merger.

[Mrboo]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:
Going by when Midland Red South Sold Megabus Europe

They will remove their coaches from the network and I am sure they will move there coaches onto NX routes along with the drivers over getting less on Megabus.

Good news for 3rd party ops as now means they could do more Megabis routes.

But this is very bad for NX 3rd party ops

But good news for Flixbus as they may flip Megabus like they did in Europe by offering to buy it

[iMarkeh]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:

(14/12/2021 11:55)Mrboo Wrote:  Going by when Midland Red South Sold Megabus Europe

They will remove their coaches from the network and I am sure they will move there coaches onto NX routes along with the drivers over getting less on Megabus.

Good news for 3rd party ops as now means they could do more Megabis routes.

But this is very bad for NX 3rd party ops

But good news for Flixbus as they may flip Megabus like they did in Europe by offering to buy it

Stagecoach are going to be a sub contractor still for Megabus so I can't see them removing everything from the network. That said, there will be a very interesting situation in South Wales and Bristol. Of course ComfortDelGro has NAT Group in the area who could do Mega work. South Glos & Cwmbran could then go onto NatEx work but then Edwards will lose a lot of work and they are one of the biggest NX contractors.



Certainly some interesting times ahead.

[Mrboo]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:

(14/12/2021 16:45)iMarkeh Wrote:  Stagecoach are going to be a sub contractor still for Megabus so I can't see them removing everything from the network. That said, there will be a very interesting situation in South Wales and Bristol. Of course ComfortDelGro has NAT Group in the area who could do Mega work. South Glos & Cwmbran could then go onto NatEx work but then Edwards will lose a lot of work and they are one of the biggest NX contractors.



Certainly some interesting times ahead.

When Megabus Europe was sold to Fiexbus they were also just a contractor but it was not long before they were not running the services I don't know if stagecoach pulled out or was removed.

Stagecoach used to be a big contractor for NX before they lost routes at Rugby so ended up setting up Megabus as had the drivers.

Current bases
Rugby could run a number of routes for NX that travel down M1
Bristol North and Cwmbran Could take back the routes that NX had for SGB and edwerds
Glasgow Could do Scotland to London

Citylink could run their own coaches on Megabus to London and have base with NAT in South wales and have London bus depots.

Being a Big NX contractor does not mean your safe look at SGB and Yourbus

[knutstransport]

RE: National Express UK Expansion:

(15/12/2021 00:39)Mrboo Wrote:  Being a Big NX contractor does not mean your safe look at SGB and Yourbus

Yourbus was a very unique company. How many British bus operators have an Australian subsidy when they aren't even nationally recognised in the UK? There were also issues with managers telling drivers to tamper with tracking devices so they provided false readings and that lead to criminal proceedings. Fortunately, the UK isn't so corrupt that a big wodge of cash makes those kind of things go away.