By Plane And Bus And Train ...

X30 Extra Thoughts

fbb is grateful to correspondent Peter for his memories of First Bus X30 via Southend Airport. His email also provoked a search for addition information which, in turn led fbb ...

... to his very own blog of 2016.

So here is correspondent Peter's pertinent paragraph.

Once upon a time, the Southend Airport bus stop was actually served by the X30 (Southend - Chelmsford - Stansted) back in the 2009-2012 era when I used it weekly to travel between home and University - not entirely sure when it stopped going into the Airport proper. Back then, it was in the hands of proper Volvo B9R / Plaxton Panther coaches and was an actual limited stop X route. 

Nowadays, it is glorified buses (Scania N250UD / E400MMC), much less express, and has two different routings in the Southend area with the same route number. 

Ah, progress.

Just for comparison purposes here is a 2016 timetable extract with all X30s running hourly via the actual airport. ...

... and today's X30 ...

... now with through journeys every 30 min, but with the hourly service via the airport no longer via the terminal; i.e. not via the airport!

As correspondent Peter says, such is progress.

But The Good News - Sort Of

Stephensons does not feature often in these blogs, but perhaps the company deserves a higher profile?

This new route is branded in the company house colours of green and white ...

... and provides for a useful link from the C2C line at Leigh-on-Sea.

The route travels via Eastwood ...

... and on to the airport.

The Monday to Saturday service is every 30 minutes with half the buses running to the burgeoning Airport business park ...

... which has burgeoned a bit more since Google (StreetView and Earth) were doing their snooping.

The other half will terminate at the currently unserved layby right next to the terminal building entrance.

The leaflet for the service is excellent ...

... with full timetables and the above route map.

The Saturday service is a generous every 30 minutes to the airport only ...

... with buses running every hour on Sundays.

The service provides some completely new links from Leigh and around Eastwood as well as serving the airport facilities.

Readers may be surprised that a small independent concern is taking a huge risk with a highly speculative service. 

Of course it isn't! 

Southend Council explains.

Southend-on-Sea City Council is pleased to announce that the new North South Bus Link (23A/23B) bus service will be operated by Stephensons of Essex, following a successful competitive tender process.

The service, funded by the Department for Transport's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) Bus Grant, will run for an initial two years with government support, with an option of a third year and the aim of becoming a self-sustaining route in the future. The new service will be subject to the Traffic Commissioners approval.

The new route will begin on Sunday 31 August 2025 and will run at up to 30 minute intervals, serving key areas including St Laurence, Eastwood Park, Belfairs, Blenheim Park, Leigh and West Leigh. On Mondays to Fridays the route will alternate between terminating at London Southend Airport (23A) and the Airport Business Park (23B) from Leigh-on-Sea Railway Station, offering new links to schools and workplaces such as Eastwood Academy, Progress Road, Aviation Way and Southend Airport Business Park. On Saturdays and Sundays the route will operate between Leigh-on-Sea Railway Station and London Southend Airport only (23A).

To support the launch of the new service, brand-new and relocated bus stops will be installed along Progress Road and Whitehouse Road. 

Dean Robbie, Managing Director of Stephensons, commented: "We are delighted to be chosen to work in partnership with Southend City Council to operate this much-needed new local service. We will be investing in three brand new low-emission single deck buses at a cost of around £600,000, which will be especially branded for the 23A/B, and this new venture will create around seven new jobs for local people. We hope that those who have campaigned long and hard for this new service will be amongst the first to hop on board and give it a try."

Stephensons and its partner operator NIBS were previously owned by veteran bus man Bill Hirons.

He sold the companies to an Employee Buyout Company in 2016.

Well done Steiphensons for excellent pre-launch publicity!

Tomorrow we become battery powered!

 Next Record Breaking blog : Thurs 28 Aug 

By Plane And Bus And Train ...

 ... To Southend (Saarfend) Part 2

You might think, on perusing the Essex county route map for the Southend area, that routes 7, 8, 9, 9A and X30 might offer some links to the airport as they pass close by.

The 7 and 8 ...

... stop  almost at the airport on Southend Road ...

... but there's no way through!

There is the station, across the field, temptingly nearby!

Maybe better would be a stop in Rochford Road just south of that roundabout ...

Where you have the 7, 8, 9 ...

... and 9A.

There is no mention of the Airport on the 7/8 timetable ...

... whilst the 9/9A is equally silent.

But, good news if you know (which fbb didn't until he delved deep into the matter), is that the 9/9A shares a stop with the X30 outside the Holiday Inn, a resting place on the airport "campus".

The stop does carry the name "Southend Airport" ...

... and the X30 ...

... (by First Bus Essex) does actually have a time point at Southend Airport Holiday Inn.

It is only hourly via that route but it is shown on First Bus map ...

...where it is called Airport Retail Park - which does not boost confidence that you will ever find a plane!

fbb did wonder how you might get from the Holiday Inn to the Terminal Building ...

... via the big roundabout 

The fbb Guide To Finding The Terminal

After a left turn at the big roundabout, you immediately get to another roundabout with THREE exits!

But which one? There is a large blue sign which suggests straight on.

This is officially the Eastern Perimeter Road; so off you trudge.

And trudge ...

Now, if you know that the terminal building has a gently curved roof, you can spot it over the sheds on your left,

You have to trudge some more ...

... but there it is!

You do sometimes wonder why designers only protect you from the rain for part of the entrance pathway; but, via the pergola, we should come to the front door.

Only we don't!

You have to turn left and walk back a bit to find half of the airport ...

... or turn right and walk on a bit for the other half.

Most folk will only want one or the other!

So, coming by bus, a 9, 9A or X30 will get you as close as you can get at the moment; and it is neither close nor welcoming.

Now if only there were a bus service to that empty layby right alongside the half-covered walkway?

WELL, THERE SOON WILL BE ...

Council announces new bus route

connecting residents between

Leigh-on-Sea and

London Southend Airport

Southend-on-Sea City Council is pleased to announce that the new North South Bus Link (23A/23B) bus service will be operated by Stephensons of Essex, following a successful competitive tender process.

Tomorrow's blog will reveal all.

Plank Plonked, Thanks

So fbb nipped round to Bradfords the Builders' Merchant, just a few doors along from fbb mansions, and obtained a chunk of plank ...

... remember?

Chopped up a bit with fbb's blunt and rusty saw, an extra shelf has been added to the large bookshelf unit on which the display case sits.

This will be used to relieve the clutter above and provide room for the extras recently excavated from "storage".

And it was too cluttered by far!

And the cost of this timber?

£0.00

What fbb chose for being "about the right amount" was in fact a broken chunk of waste! The man told fbb just to take it. Such economy will help pay for those ,missing Hornby tank wagons.

More edging "Stiks" (remember?) ...

... have been ordered from China.

Now, which one is for fbb?

 Next Southend blog : Weds 27 Aug