2019 Quiz answers

Did you miss the BusAndTrainUser Quiz of the Year? 

Take a look via the link above before sneaking a peak at the answers below….. 

1 What comes fourth in the sequence:  Lincoln, Aberdeen, Inverness ….?

Harrogate – LNER began running its new Azuma branded trains to Lincoln on 21st October, to Aberdeen on 26th November, to Inverness on 9th December and to Harrogate on 15th December.

2 What’s the Odd One Out:  Snap; Class 442 electrics; Ensign Bus route X1; Conwy Valley rail line?

Class 442 electrics.  The operation of all four listed were ‘paused’ during 2019. Snap returned in September after its ‘pause’ in June to raise further funding; Ensign’s route X1 between Southend Airport and central London ‘paused’ after its introduction in May when the Airport refused to let buses pick up outside the terminal building but after discussions the route returned in October; the Conwy Valley rail line was ‘paused’, after damage caused by Storm Gareth, between March and July, only to ‘pause’ again in November for three weeks but reopened earlier this month whereas the Class 442 Wessex electrics refurbished at great expense by South Western Railway for operation on the Portsmouth line are the odd-one-out because after being introduced in June their operation was ‘paused’ due to issues with trackside signalling being incorrectly set after the train passed by and at the year end this ‘pause’ continues; whereas the other three all resumed service in 2019.

3 Why were bus operators tied up in knots in Staffordshire in 2019?

The Knot is a brand new mutli-operator bus ticket introduced in April and accepted by Arriva, First, Select, Stagecoach, Midland Classic, D&G and Travel West Midlands in Staffordshire for just £7 for a day’s travel.

4 What connects Guildford, Staines, Iver and Ruislip?

They’re all towns/communities which saw new direct bus routes introduced to Heathrow Airport during 2019 – First Bus RA2 from Guildford; Carlone Buses X442 from Staines Station; Reading Buses 459 from Iver; and TfL/abellio 278 from Rusilip.

5 What did passengers in Harrogate on Sundays; Kidderminster’s route 3 in May; on trains between Barking and South Tottenham in September; and on Slough’s ‘Bath Road Central’ bus route from the town’s station have in common?

They all enjoyed free travel. Transdev Blazefield has been offering free Sunday travel on its local (electric) bus routes in Harrogate since March thanks to sponsorship from The Spirit of Harrogate and Harrogate BID, Diamond Buses were compelled to offer free travel between 13th and 19th May by Traffic Commissioner Nick Denton at a Public Inquiry in June 2018 after an Appeal was dismissed by the Upper Tribunal following unreliability issues; London Overground gave passengers free travel on the Gospel Oak to Barking line funded by Bombardier in compensation for a reduced service during the summer due to the late delivery of new trains and the Slough Bath Road Central bus route (BRC Shutle) offers free travel in conjunction with local employers O2 Telefonica, UCB, Lonza and ipsen.

6 What connects bus routes 35 in Worcester, 38 on Merseyside, 50 in the West Midlands and 653 in Hatfield?

They all received new branding during the year. First Bus route 35 became Nimrod; Stagecoach route 38 became Gold branded; Travel West Midlands route 50 became Platinum and UNO route 653 became Tiger Moth.

7 What was Dame Vera Lynn doing in Woolwich in 2019?

Dame Vera Lynn is named on one of the two new ferries introduced on the Woolwich Free Ferry service in February. The other one is named after Ben Woollacott, a teenage deckhand who tragically died when he fell from the ferry in 2011.

8 Why were Go North East passengers encouraged to put their feet up in 2019?

Three  buses with a new ‘Feet Seat’ design incorporating a folded seat that leaves a flat surface for passengers to put their feet up on went on trial on Go North East’s routes 309 and 310 across North Tyneside. The seat can be pulled down for sitting on as normal when the bus is busy. The trial has been so successful all Go North East’s new buses will feature the innovation as standard.

9 What’s the Odd One Out: Buses crossing Hammersmith Bridge; Victoria Coach Station moving to Royal Oak; two buggies being carried on a Lothian tri-axle 100 seater Enviro 400 bus; GWR running trains to Bishops Lydeard.

GWR running trains (from Taunton) to Bishops Lydeard … it was the only one of the four that went ahead during 2019. Hammersmith Bridge was closed to all vehicles (including buses); TfL officially abandoned plans to relocate Victoria Coach Station to Riyal Oak during the year and Lothian Buses introduced their mega 100 seater tri-axle buses on to local bus services during the year but with only one combined wheelchair/buggy space so two buggies can’t be carried, but lots of passengers can.

How did you do?

Keep reading for more quirky transport stories in 2020.  Happy Christmas.

Roger French