Thursday 16th May 2019 We're fast approaching the anniversary this weekend of that fateful day in May last year when the Thameslink (and Northern Rail) train networks went into meltdown. Changes to the GoVia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operated Thameslink network had been billed as the culmination of years of investment and preparatory work including millions... Continue Reading →
Tuesday 14th May 2019 Exactly thirty-five years ago today British Rail began the first non-stop train service between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport marketed as Gatwick Express. Class 73 locomotives hauled Mark 2 carriages providing a 30 minute journey time. Since 1984 GX's history has been in three almost equal parts: the British Rail era... Continue Reading →
Sunday 12th May 2019 The Guardian newspaper ran a high profile series of articles last week comparing London with the rest of England across various quality of life parameters under the theme "London versus...". "The price of a standard pint of Carling lager in Wetherspoon's pubs across England varies by more than £2, depending on... Continue Reading →
Friday 3rd May 2019 Finding myself in Glasgow at 7.30am yesterday morning (after my inaugural Caledonian Sleeper Mark 5 journey) I thought it would be an opportunity to continue the first-time experiences by taking a ride on the recently completed electrified ScotRail line to Edinburgh via Shotts and then catch a Borders Buses X62 down... Continue Reading →
Monday 1st April 2019 I'd seen the build up in the trade press last summer. Another 'on-demand' 'ride-sharing' 'app-based' 'innovative' minibus service due to start running between central/north London and Luton airport from October 2018. The operation called 'Blue Bus' would "drop you off as near to your home as we can". Obviously there would... Continue Reading →
Tuesday 19th March 2019 Lothian Buses have just started operating their brand new 100 seat tri-axle buses in service on city routes 11 and 16. I thought I'd take a ride. They're Alexander Dennis Enviro400XLB bodies on a Volvo chassis (according to the swanky promotional video which plays out every five minutes or so on... Continue Reading →
Monday 18th March 2019 During my initial trip on a brand new Class 800 train when they began running between Paddington and Bristol/Cardiff at the end of 2017 my first thought was to lament the end of the luxurious comfortable seats GWR had introduced in first class in HST trains the new IEP units were... Continue Reading →
Thursday 14th March 2019 It began a month ago. A day out to Norwich to travel route 88 via Bungay and Halesworth to Southwold, where I'd catch the four-journey-a-day tendered route 90 which returns to Halesworth via a very circuitous route through some delightful Suffolk villages as well as the small town of Beccles. Both... Continue Reading →
Thursday 21st February 2019 It's reminded me of London 2012. Aside from the brilliant athletes and the behind-the-scenes organisational excellence it was the deployment of Games Makers which made for such a positive and enjoyable visitor experience despite mega crowds and challenging transport logistics before and after events. When the wash up review of this... Continue Reading →
Sunday 17th February 2019 It's been publicised for over a year; preparations have been going on behind the scenes for much longer than that. It was originally planned to happen last October. Now we're finally on the cusp of the biggest rail replacement ever as the nine day Brighton Main Line closure is hours away... Continue Reading →
Saturday 16th February 2019 There's another rail construction project approaching its deadline for completion - the opening of a brand new train station in London. Meridian Water is due to welcome its first passengers coinciding with the summer timetable change on 19th May. That's just twelve weeks away so I thought I'd pop along for... Continue Reading →
Sunday 10th February 2019 January 2018 saw Rossendale Borough Council become the latest in the dwindling band of local authority municipal owners to sell off its bus company. Transdev Blazefield were the successful buyers and twelve months on seemed a good time to have a look around the network and see what's been happening. Quite... Continue Reading →
Monday 28th January 2019 You've got to feel sorry for the growing number of passengers who rely on the GOspel Oak to Barking orbital railway line in north east London, known affectionately as GOBLIN for short. The former down-at-heel and unloved Silverlink Metro line transferred to TfL back in 2006 when the future was bright,... Continue Reading →
Thursday 24th January 2019The recent launch of First Bus's nine brand new Scania Irizar i6 bodied K-series coaches for its prestigous RailAir nonstop service linking Reading Station with Heathrow Airport attracted a shoal of positive comments on Twitter and in the trade press so I thought I'd give it a road test today. All the... Continue Reading →
Monday 7th January 2019 It's all happening in Guildford this week. Stagecoach South introduced a fleet of nine ADL Enviro 200EV electric buses on the Guildford Park and Ride services today while, as predicted in my post on 16th November last year, the bus war between Arriva and Safeguard has escalated into Bellfields. I had... Continue Reading →
1 What are passengers in Basingstoke soon to miss, that those in Leicester suffered a loss of in the summer? Printed timetables …. as Stagecoach South announced they wouldn’t be printing timetables for upcoming changes next month. It follows Arriva Midlands doing the same in Leicester in 2018. 2 What did passengers do to force... Continue Reading →
Tuesday 18th December 2018 After my fortnightly French Connection column got ditched last summer, readers of Bus & Coach Buyer have reportedly been worried sick they’ll miss my ritual round up of the year with its concoction of fascinating facts, august awards and quirky quiz questions. Fear no more. I’m delighted to report BusAndTrainUser has... Continue Reading →
Wednesday 28th November 2018 A right royal bus battle is underway in West Lothian with more salvos being fired this weekend. At the beginning of August First Bus gave their extensive network based on Livingston a good old sort out introducing a simplified route pattern offering quicker journeys and new links into Edinburgh's city centre... Continue Reading →
Friday 23rd November Hats off to Transdev Blazefield owned Harrogate Bus Company for getting their brand new fleet of electric buses for the town's network of local bus routes on to the road and into service. Unlike London's all electric Waterloo garage where buses only charge up back at base, this scheme introduces 'opportunity charging'... Continue Reading →
Tuesday 20th November 2018 Many congratulations Andrew Wickham and all the team at Go South Coast. They've only just gone and added yet another award to their bulging trophy cabinet this afternoon at London's Troxy: the prestigous UK Bus Awards 2018 Bus Operator of the Year; having won top Shire Operator of the Year and... Continue Reading →
Friday 16th November Head to head bus competition broke out in Guildford last week. It won't last; one operator will blink first - read on to find out which. Long established family owned Safeguard Coaches runs circular routes 4/5 linking the city centre with Aldershot Road, Park Barn and the Royal Surrey County Hospital. Eight years... Continue Reading →
Thursday 20th September The Westminster Parliament's Transport Select Committee have been inviting comments for their Inquiry into the health of the bus market. As Monday's closing date for feedback is fast approaching I thought I'd better gather a few thoughts for them. The Inquiry's scope sounds worthy enough... Personally I prefer the Easy Read booklet... Continue Reading →
Tomorrow is the last day to give feedback for the Rail Delivery Group’s review of rail fares with the aim of making them much easier to understand. They’ve produced a simple clickable online survey which, if you don’t make any additional comments or suggestions, only takes around five minutes to complete, so is well worth... Continue Reading →
I won’t say I remember it as if it was yesterday, as that really would be an exaggeration but it seems impossible to believe today marks the 50th anniversary of London Transport’s revolutionary Bus Reshaping Plan hitting the streets of Wood Green and Walthamstow as well as a plethora of new Red Arrow routes criss-crossing... Continue Reading →
Today is the last day to make your views known to the DfT if you’d like to see changes made for the next Cross Country franchise due to begin in December 2019. Although as befits things on rails it might be put back into 2020. The current franchise has been operated by Arriva Trains UK... Continue Reading →
That's a headline to grab your attention for sure. And it's true; for those of us on the Brighton line and travel off peak into Victoria. GTR have announced from Saturday 1st September it's back to the bad old days with ticket restrictions reinstated around what trains we can use particular tickets on. Looking at... Continue Reading →
An accolade for Arriva. They're had a rethink and in a turnaround of customer service contact policy reinstated the 0345 phone line on their website. Never let it be said blogging isn't worth it. Well done and thanks Arriva. Now it's just all the other stuff to sort! After this success, I thought it might... Continue Reading →
I've just spent a brilliant few days enjoying the scenery in an area stretching from Gloucestershire through mid Wales to Swansea. The Black Mountains, the Forest of Dean, the Brecon Beacons, the Heart of Wales and the Gower are all delightful and so much more so from the vantage of a bus and train window.... Continue Reading →
Followers of this blog, my twitter timeline and various magazine articles I’ve written will know I’m a bit of a sceptic about the current fashion for App-A-Ride, the modern day Dial-A-Ride and so called demand responsive services. I just can’t see how the business model will ever deliver a profit. I must be missing something... Continue Reading →
'We want a mobility ecosystem that delivers seamless intermodal transportation faster, cheaper, cleaner, more responsive and safer than today. This will be enabled by open data on fares and journeys across all modes - data that is available to everyone to access, use and share'. No, they're not my words; it's the "putting passengers first"... Continue Reading →
Jeremy Corbyn: “With fares rising above inflation, passenger numbers falling and services being cut, does the Prime Minister accept her failure on yet another public service: the buses?” Theresa May: “I’m delighted my right honourable friend has taken the opportunity to raise the topic of buses; a vital and hugely important public transport mode which... Continue Reading →
Thursday. And it's Day 4 of Catch The Bus Week 2018. How’s the fun all going for you? Got on a bus yet? If the traditional embarrassed-men-in-suits-plus-a-few-women launch photo in Westminster (Westminster? - it's the only way to nab a Minister on a late Monday morning) (and yes I know #CTBW, as it's affectionately known... Continue Reading →
There’s been a bit of a spat on Twitter over the last 48 hours about whether motorists can be persuaded to use buses in the same way they’re enticed to use trains and trams. Train and tram fanatics claim metal wheels on tracks are masters of the mass transit mode with buses just bit players. Examples... Continue Reading →
Here's something new. A place for mini travelogues and bus and train comment. Where there's space for more than just 280 characters; follow me as I tweet on the road and from the tracks (@BusAndTrainUSer) keeping an eye on what's good, what's bad and what's positively ugly. It's also for wry and pithy commentary on... Continue Reading →
BusAndTrainUser 