(01/08/2021 10:49)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure when it stopped but there was a service advertised on the NX website within the last 10 years, I'm pretty sure it was a Burnley to London service. Of course NX sometimes skip calls if there's no-one pre-booked to get on or off there so it might be some days it didn't make the booked call at Alty.
With Flixbus, Megabus and NX all running Manchester to London services I think one of them should look at the option of a regular 'South Manchester' call which isn't the airport. It's much easier for someone get a lift to somewhere like Altrincham Interchange than the airport and taxis can be much cheaper too.
It does remove some flexibility though if there's roadworks/an accident as there's more options for Chester to Stoke than there are for Chester to Nantwich to Stoke.
You’re right. It was a burnley - london 540. Although I can’t remember when it stopped.
(01/08/2021 10:49)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure when it stopped but there was a service advertised on the NX website within the last 10 years, I'm pretty sure it was a Burnley to London service. Of course NX sometimes skip calls if there's no-one pre-booked to get on or off there so it might be some days it didn't make the booked call at Alty.
With Flixbus, Megabus and NX all running Manchester to London services I think one of them should look at the option of a regular 'South Manchester' call which isn't the airport. It's much easier for someone get a lift to somewhere like Altrincham Interchange than the airport and taxis can be much cheaper too.
It does remove some flexibility though if there's roadworks/an accident as there's more options for Chester to Stoke than there are for Chester to Nantwich to Stoke.
There aren't any very popular places in South Manchester which people travel long distance to. The Airport makes perfect sense for connectivity and due to the potential usage. Anyone putting a bus into Altrincham rather than the Airport would be down right stupid. You'd lose out so many passengers to gain... one or two per week maybe. tops. Serving Alt alongside the Airport is more likely however still, anyone doing that would be daft because the time penalty would discourage a significant amount of longer distance passengers.
Companies don't care about the local taxi prices or connectivity to a stop. I mean, Megabus literally made money for years serving obscure out of town places.
(01/08/2021 12:28)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]There aren't any very popular places in South Manchester which people travel long distance to. The Airport makes perfect sense for connectivity and due to the potential usage. Anyone putting a bus into Altrincham rather than the Airport would be down right stupid. You'd lose out so many passengers to gain... one or two per week maybe. tops. Serving Alt alongside the Airport is more likely however still, anyone doing that would be daft because the time penalty would discourage a significant amount of longer distance passengers.
Are we actually talking about the same thing?
A coach from Manchester to London or Manchester to Bristol is not picking up holiday makers at Manchester Airport to take home. No-one with any sense flies in to Manchester Airport if their final destination is in the south of England, it's why the only train service from the airport going south is a local stopper to Crewe. Central Trains tried running a service between Manchester Airport and Derby via Stoke but hardly anyone used it, it didn't even justify using a single carriage class 153. The coach is even less attractive than the trains which ran every hour and have more flexible ticketing options. Even the most flexible National Express option makes you select a specific service, which you can change if necessary. How do you change a coach ticket while your flight is made to circle the airport due to poor weather conditions not allowing planes to land?
On the other hand a coach from Manchester to London or Bristol is carrying will attract students studying at universities in the midlands and south. These students don't all live in central Manchester and certainly don't live at Manchester Airport. The more affluent an area the more students - so Altrincham being close to Hale, Lymm, Knutsford, Wilmslow and Alderley Edge is an excellent place to stop for that market, especially if two other operators are already fighting to get the 2 or 3 people that might actually travel on a coach from Manchester Airport after arriving there on a plane.
Then there's other markets too - such as people visiting relatives. If your Gran in her 90s is coming up by coach, it's much easier to pick her up from a bus interchange, than an international airport interchange.
It's amazing you think not many people will board or alight a coach at Nantwich but you're of the opinion there's this huge Manchester airport market for coach companies, when the coaches generally go in the wrong direction for the airport's key market and airport patronage has dropped to levels not since since the 1960s.
Quote:Companies don't care about the local taxi prices or connectivity to a stop. I mean, Megabus literally made money for years serving obscure out of town places.
Again, what you're not getting is if the main market is people travelling from the north to London, then the most sensible pick up points are close to where people wanting to travel live, that may not be in the city centre. For instance, how many people live within 3 miles of Meadowhall compared to 3 miles of Sheffield station? There's over 100,000 living in Rotherham to start with and they are the people not served by National Express or Intercity rail, who can reach Meadowhall more easily than Sheffield.
(01/08/2021 12:28)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]There aren't any very popular places in South Manchester which people travel long distance to. The Airport makes perfect sense for connectivity and due to the potential usage. Anyone putting a bus into Altrincham rather than the Airport would be down right stupid. You'd lose out so many passengers to gain... one or two per week maybe. tops. Serving Alt alongside the Airport is more likely however still, anyone doing that would be daft because the time penalty would discourage a significant amount of longer distance passengers.
Companies don't care about the local taxi prices or connectivity to a stop. I mean, Megabus literally made money for years serving obscure out of town places.
If I remember rightly there used to be a one a day coach from Birmingham which called at the Airport then Stockport before continuing to Manchester City Centre. Don’t think it lasted for long. To most it’s quicker to connect in/out of the City Centre,
(31/07/2021 22:08)Michael Wrote: [ -> ]How can flixbus be described as dominant they operate 17 routes NX are currently operating 92 routes with a number of routes still to be reintroduced
Due to them being really aggressive expansion plans trying to be dominant in there posts io media they are wanting to be top dog and have the means. They will hop from route to route and duck and dive but they have made errors like not get a permit to run from Heathrow to London or use non PSVAR coaches with there first few routes. And they are fast to cancel routes like Portsmouth to London less then week.
(01/08/2021 15:27)Nwales Bus Wrote: [ -> ]If I remember rightly there used to be a one a day coach from Birmingham which called at the Airport then Stockport before continuing to Manchester City Centre. Don’t think it lasted for long. To most it’s quicker to connect in/out of the City Centre,
Stockport doesn't have the advantage of a coach/bus station next to a train station or tram stop. Although, it's an excellent place for changing trains e.g. Macclesfield to Liverpool without having to negotiate any steps, lifts or travelators. Alternatively, Altrincham to Sheffield without needing to go in to central Manchester and being able to catch a Sheffield train which leaves Manchester before the train from Altrincham arrives in Manchester. In normal times the early Euston trains can get more boarding at Stockport than at Manchester Piccadilly.
(02/08/2021 10:08)Mrboo Wrote: [ -> ]Due to them being really aggressive expansion plans trying to be dominant in there posts io media they are wanting to be top dog and have the means. They will hop from route to route and duck and dive but they have made errors like not get a permit to run from Heathrow to London or use non PSVAR coaches with there first few routes. And they are fast to cancel routes like Portsmouth to London less then week.
National Express wanted to be a major player in rail. How did that work out?
Think we getting side-tracked here, remember this is a thread about Selwyns and not Nat Ex routes...maybe start a new thread about them and go back to selwyns news
In regards to Selwyns bus services, does anyone know if there has been updates on the buses they have been allocating on the 44 - as whilst the double deckers are lovely buses they are too big for the housing estate around Withington and far exceed the number of passengers that use that route. I've noticed that they have been putting on a Solo, the double decker and a longer single decker bus. Don't they have two Solo buses that could stick to that route?
Additionally, I spoke to the Manchester depot some while back to get tracking sorted to show on bus times as I've missed buses due to them running early and been waiting at stops for a while when traffic has affected the route. I am aware that tracking does work as it shows on the TfGM website as a live time but that is (no fault to Selwyns) not an efficient website for trying to find local bus stop times.
(02/08/2021 10:38)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]National Express wanted to be a major player in rail. How did that work out?
They were they had number but the East Coast like everyone who takes it on finds the government wants things at a cost they cant deliver and then everyone wanted it so offered to do it hoping they could make it pay.