National Express Coaches- cheaper to buy two singles via intermediate point?

jezza2412

It's quite well known that when travelling by rail from A to C on a train that stops at B, it's often cheaper to buy separate singles from A to B and B to C rather than one ticket from A to C.

Can the same thing be done on National Express coaches? ie when travelling from A to C on a coach that stops at B, if no £1 "Fun Fare" is offered from A to C but is from A to B, could I buy the £1 fare from A to B and then a regular fare from B to C?

I can't see why not- surely the worst that could happen is that you have to step off the bus at B and then reboard immediately.

Can anyone confirm?

dzug1

I don't see why it can't be done.

However the worst that can happen is that the route is busy and National Express put on a relief coach between A and B. You are directed to it as that's the ticket you have. It runs a bit late and the through coach to C has left B by the time you get there so you've missed the connection.

The chances of this actually happening are very small but not non-existent.

omelette451

dzug1 wrote: »

The chances of this actually happening are very small but not non-existent.

On many routes, particularly out of London, this happens fairly often. If one service is particularly busy and another travelling along a similar route is not passengers travelling to any destination where the two paths cross are directed to the second coach. I suppose, however, that if you explained to the staff that you had two tickets for the same service (and showed them the relevant documents) that they would make an exception for you - after all, there could be a perfectly innocent explanation for it.

hstudent

On a Penzance-Manchester-Glasgow-Edinburgh service when there was international rugby in Glasgow, all Glasgow passengers got thrown off at Manchester to join a seperate non-National Express/hired coach to Glasgow and the National Express coach called at Glasgow to pick up only.

On the plus side at least National Express arrange extra capacity so people can still get from A to B when there's special events on. If only Northern Rail could do that, instead of leaving passengers waiting at a station for an hour extra.

omelette451

hstudent wrote: »

On the plus side at least National Express arrange extra capacity so people can still get from A to B when there's special events on. If only Northern Rail could do that, instead of leaving passengers waiting at a station for an hour extra.

True, though in fairness it's much easier to do that with a road coach than it is with a train. Lack of rolling stock in general combines with restrictions such as platform lengths and Network Rail access agreements to make it much harder than, say, calling in a spare coach driver. Also, NX 'emergency' coaches are usually ones from the same rather than a different company - NX services are actually run by franchise local operators which usually have a normal coach-hire division as well; it's these that are normally used as relief coaches.

hstudent

omelette451 wrote: »

True, though in fairness it's much easier to do that with a road coach than it is with a train. Lack of rolling stock in general combines with restrictions such as platform lengths and Network Rail access agreements to make it much harder than, say, calling in a spare coach driver. Also, NX 'emergency' coaches are usually ones from the same rather than a different company - NX services are actually run by franchise local operators which usually have a normal coach-hire division as well; it's these that are normally used as relief coaches.

But most Saturday Northern Rail services are 2 carriage (at least they are in the former First North Western area), despite less Saturday services operating than on weekdays. 99% of stations can cope with 4 carriage trains and it is possible to use 3 lots of 2 carriage trains joined up and only open the doors of two of the trains at stations with short platforms, (Transpennine Express do it when they use two three carriage trains joined up.)

omelette451

hstudent wrote: »

it is possible to use 3 lots of 2 carriage trains joined up and only open the doors of two of the trains at stations with short platforms, (Transpennine Express do it when they use two three carriage trains joined up.)

It depends on the type of train being used. Transpennine has a brand-new fleet that was designed to include 'selective door operation'; Northern's fleet is older and most of their trains don't have this option - it's either one door only (opened manually by the guard) or all of them.

I didn't realise when replying before that you were talking about a Saturday, when it's obvious they've got spare units. My suggestion now is that that may be when they do maintenance, or, more likely, it's because in general they consider it not to be worth the extra access charges and especially fuel costs to run longer trains on Saturdays (they have to run joined up all or most of the day, not just for one service). Perhaps you could write to them pointing out which particular services are regularly overcrowded? Chances are managers haven't a clue, so it can't hurt to ask.

hstudent

omelette451 wrote: »

Perhaps you could write to them pointing out which particular services are regularly overcrowded? Chances are managers haven't a clue, so it can't hurt to ask.

I've done that and so have other people I know. You get a generic response saying that they are aware that many lines are overcrowded and are working with PTEs to correct that.

omelette451

hstudent wrote: »

I've done that and so have other people I know. You get a generic response saying that they are aware that many lines are overcrowded and are working with PTEs to correct that.

So it's option 3 then: they're just generally useless. Unsurprising if somewhat disappointing.

munsterforever

hstudent wrote: »

On a Penzance-Manchester-Glasgow-Edinburgh service when there was international rugby in Glasgow, all Glasgow passengers got thrown off at Manchester to join a seperate non-National Express/hired coach to Glasgow and the National Express coach called at Glasgow to pick up only.

On the plus side at least National Express arrange extra capacity so people can still get from A to B when there's special events on. If only Northern Rail could do that, instead of leaving passengers waiting at a station for an hour extra.

international rugby is usually played in edinburgh...i'd say you were very unfortunate