National Express coaches 2020s

Monday 17 May 2021 (1636) – Today the Covid lockdown conditions were eased the coach services of National Express and Megabus were resumed on the routes from Norfolk to London. West Midlands Travel (a National Express subsidiary) SH250 (BF68 LDL), a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 new in October 2018, seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills when working the1440 National Express service 491 from Great Yarmouth to London (Victoria). The rear portion carried an tourism advert for Madrid, Spain. Service 491 featured three trips on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays with just one trip on the other three days. Ambassador Travel worked the 0730 and 1140 journeys southbound (returning from Victoria at 1300 and 1800 respectively). The 0930 northbound from Victoria which returned from Great Yarmouth at 1440 was worked by National Express owned Travel West Midlands.

Saturday 14 August 2021 (0919) – Lucketts Travel X5607 (BK67 LOH) seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills a short time after departing Mildenhall bus station (0910) when working the 0805 National Express service 727 from Norwich to Brighton. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that was new in October 2017. In March 2020 National Express acquired the business of Lucketts Travel of Fareham. Lucketts had acquired Worthing Coaches in 2005 and continued to use the name as an operating subsidiary.

Saturday 14 August 2021 (0919) – Lucketts Travel X5607 (BK67 LOH) seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills a short time after departing Mildenhall bus station (0910) when working the 0805 National Express service 727 from Norwich to Brighton. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that was new in October 2017. In March 2020 National Express acquired the business of Lucketts Travel of Fareham. Lucketts had acquired Worthing Coaches in 2005 and continued to use the name as an operating subsidiary.

Saturday 26 June 2021 (0908) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. Coaches of Lucketts Travel and its subsidiary Worthing Coaches then appeared on the service. The Lucketts Group had been acquired by National Express in March 2020, Luckett’s had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Lucketts Travel X5609 (BU18 OSK) was seen at Mildenhall when working the 0805 service from Norwich to Brighton. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that had been new in March 2018. The full fleet number X560956 (as a 56 seater I presume the last two digits of that rather long fleet number could possibly relate to the seating capacity) is carried below the nearside light cluster although the last two digits are not included on the larger size fleet number displayed over the windscreen.

Saturday 26 June 2021 (2004) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. A new operator working the runs was Worthing Coaches of Lancing, West Sussex – a company which had been acquired by National Express in March 2020 along with Luckett’s Travel of Fareham that had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Worthing Coaches XW5610 (BU18 OSL) was seen in Mildenhall when working the 1905 service from Norwich (Bus Station) to Brighton. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that had been new in March 2018. The full fleet number XW561056 (as a 56 seater I presume the last two digits of that rather long fleet number could possibly relate to the seating capacity) is carried below the nearside light cluster although the last two digits are not included on the larger size fleet number displayed over the windscreen.

Saturday 26 June 2021 (2016) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. A new operator working the runs was Worthing Coaches of Lancing, West Sussex – a company which had been acquired by National Express in March 2020 along with Luckett’s Travel of Fareham that had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Worthing Coaches XW5610 (BU18 OSL) was seen in Mildenhall when working the 1905 service from Norwich (Bus Station) to Brighton. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that had been new in March 2018. The full fleet number XW561056 (as a 56 seater I presume the last two digits of that rather long fleet number could possibly relate to the seating capacity) is carried below the nearside light cluster although the last two digits are not included on the larger size fleet number displayed over the windscreen.

Saturday 26 June 2021 (0913) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. A new operator working the runs was Worthing Coaches of Lancing, West Sussex – a company which had been acquired by National Express in March 2020 along with Luckett’s Travel that had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Worthing Coaches XW5611 (BU18 OSM), a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 new in March 2018, was seen heading towards Newmarket on the A11 at Fiveways, Barton Mills when working the 0805 service from Norwich to Brighton. The service reaches Fiveways on the A11 from Thetford and then runs the 1.5 miles to Mildenhall (Bus Station) before returning to Fiveways to continue its journey on the A11 to Newmarket.

Saturday 26 June 2021 (0859) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. A new operator working the runs was Worthing Coaches of Lancing, West Sussex – a company which had been acquired by National Express in March 2020 along with Luckett’s Travel that had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Worthing Coaches XW5611 (BU18 OSM) was seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills when working the 0805 service from Norwich to Brighton. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that was new in March 2018. The full fleet number XW561156 (as a 56 seater I presume the last two digits of that rather long fleet number could possibly relate to the seating capacity) is carried below the nearside light cluster although the last two digits are not included on the larger fleet number displayed over the windscreen.

Saturday 26 June 2021 (1156) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. A new operator working the runs was Worthing Coaches of Lancing, West Sussex – a company which had been acquired by National Express in March 2020 along with Luckett’s Travel that had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Worthing Coaches XW5611 (BU18 OSM) was seen at Mildenhall when working the 0620 service from Brighton to Norwich. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that had been new in March 2018. The full fleet number XW561156 (as a 56 seater I presume the last two digits of that rather long fleet number could possibly relate to the seating capacity) is carried below the nearside light cluster although the last two digits are not included on the larger fleet number displayed over the windscreen. In the background is Mulleys Motorways Limited MUI 7919 working the 1120 service 355 from Bury St. Edmunds to Beck Row. It is an Alexander bodied Volvo B7TL new as Dublin Bus AV14 (00D 40014) in September 2000 which became X179 CHJ when imported to England. Mulleys re-registered it to MUI 7919 in May 2016.

Saturday 26 June 2021 (1946) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. A new operator working the runs was Worthing Coaches of Lancing, West Sussex – a company which had been acquired by National Express in March 2020 along with Luckett’s Travel that had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Worthing Coaches XW5612 (BU18 OSN) was seen leaving Mildenhall Bus Station when working the 1415 service from Brighton to Norwich. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that had been new in March 2018.

Saturday 26 June 2021 (1322) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. A new operator working the runs was Worthing Coaches of Lancing, West Sussex – a company which had been acquired by National Express in March 2020 along with Luckett’s Travel of Fareham that had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Worthing Coaches XW5613 (BU18 OSO) was seen at Mildenhall when working the 1205 service from Norwich (Bus Station) to Brighton (actually 1140 from the University of East Anglia). It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that had been new in March 2018. The full fleet number XW561356 (as a 56 seater I presume the last two digits of that rather long fleet number could possibly relate to the seating capacity) is carried below the nearside light cluster although the last two digits are not included on the larger size fleet number displayed over the windscreen.

Saturday 10 July 2021 (0859) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. A new operator working the runs was Worthing Coaches of Lancing, West Sussex – a company which had been acquired by National Express in March 2020 along with Luckett’s Travel that had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Worthing Coaches XW5614 (BU18 OSP) was seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills when working the 0805 service from Norwich to Brighton. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that was new in March 2018. The full fleet number XW561456 (as a 56 seater I presume the last two digits of that rather long fleet number could possibly relate to the seating capacity) is carried below the nearside light cluster although the last two digits are not included on the larger fleet number displayed over the windscreen.

Monday 11 October 2021 (0944) – Ambassador Travel 219 (BV19 XOY) seen cruising down Chalk Hill between Red Lodge and Barton Mills on the A11 when working the 0730 National Express service 491 from London (Victoria) to Great Yarmouth. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K360EB4 new in March 2019 to National Express owned West Midlands Travel.

Monday 11 October 2021 (0925) – A Lucketts Travel (or Worthing Coaches) Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 seen on the A11 near Barton Mills. Running a little late today working the 0750 National Express service 727 from Norwich to Brighton. It should have departed Mildenhall at 0855 passing this point about ten minutes later. In March 2020 National Express acquired the business of Lucketts Travel of Fareham. Lucketts had acquired Worthing Coaches in 2005 and continued to use the name as an operating subsidiary. (Using the tracking facility on the 'Bus Times' website I surmise this coach was Lucketts X5611)

Saturday 9 October 2021 (1141) – National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. Coaches of Lucketts Travel and its subsidiary Worthing Coaches then appeared on the service. The Lucketts Group had been acquired by National Express in March 2020, Luckett’s had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005. Lucketts Travel X5609 (BU18 OSK) was seen on the A11 at Barton Mills when working the 0620 National Express service 727 from Brighton to Norwich. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that had been new to Luckett’s in March 2018.

Saturday 9 October 2021 (1141) – Lucketts Travel X5609 (BU18 OSK) was seen approaching Fiveways Roundabout on the A11 at Barton Mills when working the 0620 National Express service 727 from Brighton to Norwich. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 that had been new to Luckett’s in March 2018. National Express resumed operation of service 727 on Monday 21 June 2021 following a period of Covid-19 lockdown and the service once again linked Norwich with Brighton. Coaches of Lucketts Travel and its subsidiary Worthing Coaches then appeared on the service. The Lucketts Group had been acquired by National Express in March 2020, Luckett’s had owned the Worthing Coaches business since 2005.

Tuesday 16 November 2021 (0859) – Lucketts Travel X5602 (BK67 LNY), a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410EB6 that was new in October 2017, seen in King Street, Mildenhall when working the 0750 National Express service 727 from Norwich to Brighton (1445). Whilst it can definitely be said that one Caetano Levante 2 looks like any other Caetano Levante 2 this photograph captures one such vehicle not previously captured by my camera. In March 2020 National Express acquired the Lucketts Travel Group, Lucketts had acquired Worthing Coaches in 2005 retaining the name as an operating subsidiary.

Tuesday 16 November 2021 (0902) – Lucketts Travel X5602 (BK67 LNY), a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410EB6 that was new in October 2017, seen leaving Mildenhall bus station when working the 0750 National Express service 727 from Norwich to Brighton (due there 1445). Whilst it can definitely be said that one Caetano Levante 2 looks like any other Caetano Levante 2 this photograph captures one such vehicle not previously capture by my camera. In March 2020 National Express acquired the Lucketts Travel Group, Lucketts had acquired Worthing Coaches in 2005 retaining the name as an operating subsidiary.