Don't forget that Arriva renumbered the "X53" to the 54 in the passage of time and the X53 was never express either.
As for the limited stop thing, the X2 was initially limited stop within Merseyside too and I assume was made stopping all the way due to the sheer popularity of that route in the Merseyside area, for a while it was one of the few routes you could get from Queen Square up Bootle way too rather than Sir Thomas Street which must have helped.
(20/06/2014 18:29)CX06 EBK Wrote: [ -> ]Don't forget that Arriva renumbered the "X53" to the 54 in the passage of time and the X53 was never express either.
The X53 did not go the same route as the 54, it operated a similar one.
The X on the route number does make it a lot easier to market as it stands out from the crowd , but if it isn't an express limited stop style service it does devalue the X on the number , it is not as if it really is a long route the X3 like the X2 originally was .
(20/06/2014 15:47)Dentonian Wrote: [ -> ]Not quite sure of the logic here. If the route/stopping arrangements could be altered - so I assume that was done outside 56 days notice - why couldn't the route number?
I honestly don't know.
Only going by what my source at Stagecoach said.
Interesting idea though, seems a bit silly to have an 'express' route that clearly isn't.
(20/06/2014 14:06)mathias Wrote: [ -> ]Got talking to someone within Stagecoach about the X3 route.
They said it was originally designed to be a limited-stop service linking Kirkby Civic Centre with Liverpool City Centre via the East Lancs Road (hence eXpress 3).
How long would the journey time have been if the X3 ran as a limited stop service?
(21/06/2014 12:01)Busser Wrote: [ -> ]How long would the journey time have been if the X3 ran as a limited stop service?
I suspect that peak-hour traffic congestion would be problematic and the time saving would be less than ten minutes.
Before the electrification of the Kirkby line in 1978, the 500 and 544 limited stop services ran on a 15-minute frequency. However, times have changed and there is no longer the demand to warrant a limited stop bus service between Kirkby and Liverpool city centre.
I still think extending the X3 to Skelmersdale via the M58 and then on to Wigan is worth considering.
(21/06/2014 12:28)Barney Wrote: [ -> ]I still think extending the X3 to Skelmersdale via the M58 and then on to Wigan is worth considering.
Actually depending on the journey time, an extension to Skelmersdale via the M58 would be a good idea, And there isn't a train to compete with from Skem as well so if it was quick enough compared to bus and train via Ormskirk then it could do well. Also a bus link between Liverpool and Wigan would be nice.
(18/06/2014 15:03)rod_259 Wrote: [ -> ]Don't get into Liverpool City Centre very often but there last Saturday. Apart from X2 and 471/472 didn't see any deckers. Do Tridents operate on any regular services these days?
I saw a few and rode one (17269) on route 19 on Sat 3rd May. I don't know whether they still run on this route or concentrate on south Liverpool routes now.
The trident make it on to 17 or 19 quite frequently, and certainly regularly on Saturdays.
Whilst the universities are off they're generally concentrated on other routes such as the 17/19 due to the 86/86C having a reduced summer timetable