And, Talking of Airports [1]

A New Service Missed by fbb

He knew it was coming; but failed to spot its arrival and it has been running since 2nd July.

The Oxford Bus Company (part of the GoAhead group) has operated buses to Gatport Airwick and Heathrow for many a long year. Heathrow runs "up to every 20 minutes" on peak flight dates.

The service to Gatwick is just every hour.

The company regularly updates style and branding, and this is the latest.

Standing at Oxford's one-time vast Gloucester Green bus station (now but a shadow of its former self!) watching coaches arrive and leave from the airports and from London is a heartening sight. They always seem busy, day or night. There is ferocious competition between Oxford Bus and Stagecoach (The Oxford Tube)  on the London run with both companies providing coaches every 10 to 15 minutes.

But the newcomer is a little more prosaic; but nevertheless adventurous from the business point of view.

So your better-late-than-never blogger decided to take an on-line look at the new service.

It runs approximately every two hours.(click to enlarge the timetable panel)

There is a feeling that such a low frequency is not attractive to air travellers who already have too much hanging around before and after their flights. But it is a start, and the service offers much more than a link to the airport.

Let's look more closely at the route and stopping places.

First call is at Oxford Parkway station, followed by a whizz up the M40 to Banbuty. Except it isn't the real Banbury where you might ride a cock hoss to the cross; the coach just hops off the motorway at Junction 11 ...

... and deposits you at an uninviting and unsheltered stop on an industrial estate type place. At least you can pop into Frankie and Benny's while you wait for your onward transport!

Next into Warwick, attractive for the tourist market with stops on Castle Hill ...

... with equally lavish passenger facilities; and on to the town's bus station.

This is best described as basic, but, at least, it has shelters and easy interchange with local buses.

PR Picture: Does it really go there?

And so it is onward to Warwick University (which, as its name suggests, is in Coventry) where three stops are made. Gibbet Hill Road serves some of the Medical Department ...

... where Streetview caught a Stagecoach Unibus. There's Kirby Corner Road with more chunks of academe hidden in the afforestation. 

But the main Uni stop is "The Interchange", where it all happens!

But not much was happening when the noddy car paid its photographic visit.

And so on to International Station and the Airport, which Oxford Bus, perhaps rather naughtily, calls "Birmingham". The web site does, however, stress that connections are available from here to the real Birmingham, some distance and some time away.

One other "Birmingham" stop intrigued your inquisitive author.

Somehow the hectic exhaust fumes atmosphere  of the Airport and the National Exhibition Centre don't quite exude an attraction that might be defined as a "Resorts World". Whatever it is, it's big.

Located on the NEC site, Resorts World Birmingham is one of the most exciting retail & leisure developments to arrive here in the UK. It joins a family of Resorts World destinations located across Asia and the USA.

That puts fbb off already!

From socialising with family & friends during a visit to a show to networking with colleagues & clients after an exhibition or event, Resorts World Birmingham offers something for everyone - all under one roof:

Outlet Shopping

Ooh look. It's a plastic shopping street with a tin roof.

Bars & Restaurants - from the buzzing diversity of the World Bar to the gourmet delights of the Sky Bar.

No. fbb has no idea what it is.

11 Screen Cinema

International Casino - a world of entertainment showcasing live international gaming from poker to baccarat, open to all players.

Boutique Hotel - Stay at the luxury 4 star Genting Hotel, with 5 star rooms and suites.

Medispa - Revitalise your mind, body and spirit.

Yep. Pile on the Poyfilla!

Nightlife - As the sun sets, our nightlife awakens.

fbb simply can't wait ...

... to get back on the bus and escape as far away as possible. Must be getting old?

Thanks to our Northampton correspondent, Alan, for reminding fbb of the new Airline route. Did he e-mail before or after the awakening nightlife?

P.S. At Seaton we have awakening nightlife EVERY night

 Next airports blog : Friday 29th July 

Ten : Twentytwo : Thirty : Forty (3)

First Bus Tries Again.

The X30 has been around for some time, running hourly between Southend, Chelmsford and Stanstead Airport. Over the years it has had a variety of rolling stock. An "ordinary" bus ...

... and a coach in the original "aircoach" style that we have met before on the X22.

The most recent manifestation is in a style compatible with First's "national" image.

There is a leaflet, also decorated with the latest image.

It contains a timetable ...

... with fares. The on-line version is dated February 2015 so these may have been "revised".

But from Monday last a new "X" to Stansted has been introduced.

Hail the X10!

There is a stylised map ...

... and a logo and tag line that most definitely isn't corporate First.

"From HERE to AIR" - weak sympathetic smile! The new timetable is in standard style.

And what about the vehicles, you may ask?

You may ask indeed. First's recent press release does not show a full frontal image of the bus.

The logo is there and what looks suspiciously like a standard bus advert in a standard bus advert frame. The other pic that came with the press release is equally unrevealing

The same trendy holiday-attired young things; the same logo and the same advert panel. (Odd that these promotions never seem to include non-trendy old things like fbb - he will even put on a pair of baggy khaki shorts for a small fee. Hmmm. Perhaps not, eh?)

And, further good news for customers from September, the new route will see 5 brand new buses introduced with shiny modern interiors, extra comfy real leather seats, free WiFi, USB charging points and large luggage racks fitted as standard. The service will also benefit from a brand new creative identity with sleek, eye-catching exteriors.

Ah, there it is from the minutiae of the Press Release. New buses arrive in September. Until then, fbb reckons that the pictures were of a sticker-bedecked one of these:-

Perhaps one of our correspondents may be able to send a piccy of what actually turned up on the first few days?

Not "X" to Stansted

Back-tracking a little and returning to the X30. This long-standing route is fast between Chelmsford and the airport with one nominal stop in the middle of nowhere. Unfair, perhaps, the stop is in Barnston Village, near the schjool.

fbb is not sure whether the fellah, seen here on Streetview, is a passenger or just having a chat with the driver.

First also runs an hourly "stopping" bus, the 42A. It also runs to Barnston ...

... before turning left to Stansted.

Service 42A is an hourly extension of a cross town ten minute frequency service. (click on the timetable to enlarge).

An hour's journey instead of 35 minutes would not be attractive to a through passenger, but a steady progress through attractive villages might be more entertaining.

Which leaves us with one critical question. Will the new X40 be sufficiently attractive to the residents of Basildon, Eastmayne, Wickford and Runwell (plus extras from Chelmsford) to akea go of the service where the X40 and the X22 have both failed.

Time, as we often say in this blog, alone will tell.

But there just one small problem with Traveline. Here are First's two "X" route from Stansted ...

... both of which only run as far as Chelmsford. Obviously Traveline has something against Southend or Basildon; or maybe their people really don't know where the buses run.

Typical Traveline.

 Next bus blog : Thursday 28th July 

Ten : Twentytwo : Thirty : Forty (2)

Buses a-Plenty but Historically Confusing

fbb has visited Stansted Airport as a bleary-eyed passenger. The trip was from Isle of Wight to Zielona Gora in Poland for a nephew's wedding. The flight was by Ryan Air and left too early in the morning so an overnight non-sleep in the terminal was the best worst option. Likwise the return was too late! The return leg to London was in a National Express taxi (45 seater coach!) on which the fbb's were the only passengers. Sensibly, the driver ignored his scheduled stop at Stratford!

Yet again, fbb avers that he is no expert in bus and coach travel to busy airports. So here is the chubby one's weak-ish attempt to pull together some detail; this time on pay-the-driver "ordinary" bus services.

 Dates unknown 

First bus is operating services X22 from Clacton and Colchester to the airport and service X30 from Sarfend via Chelmsford. But all is not well with bus travel to Stansted.

 Late 2010 

A BUS service taking holidaymakers and airport workers from Clacton and Colchester to Stansted Airport is to be scrapped next year. The X22 bus, which picks up in Clacton, Essex University in Wivenhoe, Colchester town centre and Braintree, will stop operating on January 8. Bus operator First said the service is “not commercially viable”, but passengers and transport groups have criticised the decision.

The nearest alternative bus to the airport is the X5 from Ipswich, which calls at the Ardleigh Ramada Hotel and Marks Tey station only.

The X5 became National Express 250 which still runs.

It offers a two hourly service (overnight included) and runs 24/7

Saturday 8th January 2011 last the last day of First's X22.

 9th January 2011 

On the  9th Jan 2011 the TGM Group commenced operating the above airport coach service to Stansted Airport from  University of Essex, Colchester and Braaintree; the coach service operates around the clock every 2 hours between Stansted Airport, Braintree and Colchester. 

The link from Clacton is lost. Posh-ish coaches were used,

But in that form, at least, it was not to last.

 July 2011 

Bus services connecting Stansted Airport to Colchester, Braintree, and Bishop’s Stortford will be “further boosted” on July 3 2011, according to the Essex hub’s website. The affected routes are operated by transport company Tellings Golden Miller. TGM plans to abandon the existing X22 service to Colchester and Braintree in favour of a new bus route, the 133.

 At Present 

The 133 still exists but now rebranded by Arriva as part of the "sxconnect" network. ("sxconnect" = Essex Connect - chortle chortle!)

TGM sold out to Arriva in 2007. It would appear that the TGM identity is being (has been?) phased out in favour of Arriva.

Arriva's web site is poor. Full timetables are often not available and, instead of their excellent leaflet maps, we often have Google map overlays.

But the 133 service was even less helpful.

So it's off to Traveline for their version (click on the table to enlarge).

Like the erstwhile X22, the 133 is two hourly from Colchester and hourly from Braintree.

 and back to 2009 

A NEW airport link is taking off for Stansted Airport from Basildon. Local passengers and staff will be able to go up, up and away with First Essex buses, from next week. The company will operate an aircoach service – X40 - every two hours, from the town via Wickford and Chelmsford.

Alan Pilbeam ...

... managing director for First East England, said: "We are constantly improving services, so I am pleased to offer Basildon a fast, frequent and direct connection to Stansted airport. It really is a customers’ market for holidays right now – airlines are falling over themselves to attract trade, and we hope the new service will also bring a much-needed connection for shift workers at the airport."

It didn't!

 February 2010 

It seems a shame First have ditched the X40 route without really considering a few imaginative marketing options. The X40 Basildon to Stansted service wasn’t launched with any great fervour and has gone out with a whimper.

The X40 bus pictured above moved to Glasgow and then Aberdeen.

 X30 

Which leaves the X30, lone survivor of First's four X services to Stansted Airport.

The above is an extract from the xephos data, probably input about ten years ago. But First is having anouther go.

But before we look at the X30 and the NEW First Bus X route which started last Monday, it is interesting / amusing / frustrating (delete where inapplicable) to find a Stantsed Airport web site sitting gloriously on-line and dated 2014/2015.

It lists the X30 as a "UK Express Coach" ...

... which is a bit of a stretch of the imagination - local slightly express fancy bus route might be better. Other (National) "Express Coaches" listed are ...

... but the 497 (Great Yarmouth) and 498 (Diss) remain a secret.

But it is the Airports assessment of local routes that provides the biggest laugh and or cry. We will look further in due course, but for the time being fbb would not advise the eager passenger, weary from his holiday or flight, to wait for a Uno 700 as illustrated on this site.

It doesn't exist! Time travellers might like to use the 2013 version.

Today's journey plan involves a change at Bishops Stortford.

Lets hope they are more up to date with their planes!

 Next Stansted blog : Wednesday 27th July