New routes for Megabus across the region - May 2017

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

Leading low cost coach operator megabus.com today (18 April) announced a significant network expansion with the addition of a series of new routes across England and Wales.
The company – part of international transport group Stagecoach – has partnered with South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach Company Ltd to deliver five new routes across the midlands and south west of England.  The Bristol based company will operate the new routes as part of the megabus.com network, offering direct links to Heathrow or Gatwick from 13 towns and cities from 1 May 2017.

The news means that megabus.com – which is known for offering fares from just £1* - now provides its first direct links to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with daily departures to Heathrow from Barnstaple, Cardiff, Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Cheltenham and new links between Cardiff, Bristol and Gatwick.
A fleet of 26 coaches, which will bear the well known blue and yellow megabus.com livery, will operate the new services from the South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach Company depot in Bristol.
Tickets for all journeys are now available at www.megabus.com, with fares from £1*.
To celebrate this exciting launch, megabus.com has also confirmed that tickets for travel during the first week of the new services, (from 1st – 7th May 2017 ) will all be priced at just £1*.

Travel on the below routes will begin from 1 May:
•   M6a Barnstaple-Tiverton-Taunton- Bridgwater- Bristol-Heathrow Airport- London Victoria
•   M38 Barnstaple- Tiverton- Taunton- Bridgwater- Bristol- Gloucester-Birmingham- Leicester- Loughborough University – Nottingham    Trent University- Nottingham City Centre
•   M25 Cardiff- Bristol- Heathrow Airport - Gatwick Airport
•   M18 Bath- Corsham- Chippenham- Heathrow Airport- London Victoria
•   M14 Gloucester- Cheltenham- Cirencester- Swindon- Heathrow Airport - London Victoria

Full quote here

[chuffed]

Used Megabus Bristol to Victoria a few times now. Very pleased with the quality of the coaches, the driving and professionalism of the drivers, and delighted with the fares I've paid.... as little as £3 even on a Saturday evening out of London. Better views from the top deck front seats, as opposed to cattle class high seats backs on HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s from Temple meads. I love to travel by train but Megabus really is a no brainer.

[LiskeardRich]

I've used them often as cornwall to London for a fiver each way is very attractive.

[ellendune]

As a franchise operation presumable it depends a bit on the company that is actually running the service.

[Surrey 455]

As a franchise operation presumable it depends a bit on the company that is actually running the service.

I thought that all Megabus coaches were fully owned by Stagecoach. National Express however do run some of their own routes and franchise others.

[grahame]

As a franchise operation presumable it depends a bit on the company that is actually running the service.

I thought that all Megabus coaches were fully owned by Stagecoach. National Express however do run some of their own routes and franchise others.

Certainly interesting that several of the new routes start fro Barnstaple ... where (let me see) who has a near-monopoly of the buses, and where any long distance rail opportunities for Stagecoach have been taken away from them.

[ellendune]

The company – part of international transport group Stagecoach – has partnered with South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach Company Ltd to deliver five new routes across the midlands and south west of England.  The Bristol based company will operate the new routes as part of the megabus.com network, offering direct links to Heathrow or Gatwick from 13 towns and cities from 1 May 2017.

So if it is not a franchise what is it?

[JayMac]

Have SGBC lost some of their NatEx routes? These new megabus.com routes mirror parts of routes they already provide to NatEx.

Rather unusual for one company to provide services to two competing networks.

[LiskeardRich]

Have SGBC lost some of their NatEx routes? These new megabus.com routes mirror parts of routes they already provide to NatEx.

Rather unusual for one company to provide services to two competing networks.

Yes, SGBC have lost all their natex to Edwards as of a few weeks time. You may have noticed all their natex coaches are losing branding and operating plain white.

[Surrey 455]

The company – part of international transport group Stagecoach – has partnered with South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach Company Ltd to deliver five new routes across the midlands and south west of England.  The Bristol based company will operate the new routes as part of the megabus.com network, offering direct links to Heathrow or Gatwick from 13 towns and cities from 1 May 2017.

So if it is not a franchise what is it?

Ahh...perhaps I should read rather than skim-read earlier posts. Sorry.

[LiskeardRich]

The company – part of international transport group Stagecoach – has partnered with South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach Company Ltd to deliver five new routes across the midlands and south west of England.  The Bristol based company will operate the new routes as part of the megabus.com network, offering direct links to Heathrow or Gatwick from 13 towns and cities from 1 May 2017.

So if it is not a franchise what is it?

sub contracting. It's not a franchise