National Express coaches 2000s

Monday 26 February 2001 (approx. 1400) – First Cymru Buses 116 (S116 RKG), a Plaxton Expressliner 2 bodied Dennis Javelin new in October 1998, seen in Cardiff bus station when operating the 1225 National Express ‘Flightlink’ service 202 from Swansea to Gatwick Airport. Just in front was Dunn-Line Plaxton Excalibur bodied Volvo B10M W384 PRC acting as duplicate which had arrived in Cardiff as a duplicate for First Cymru 109 (M109 PWN) working the 0730 Gatwick to Swansea service 201.

Thursday 22 August 1996 – First Wessex 6183 (P946 RWS), a Plaxton Expressliner II bodied Volvo B10M new in June 1993, seen leaving the old National Express coach Station, Digbeth, Birmingham when working the 1030 London to Pwllheli National Express service 545 (due Pwllheli 2030). It carried ‘Express Shuttle’ livery. In the background is Express Travel Services P251 AUT, a Jonckheere Mistral bodied Volvo B10M , working the 1040 National Express service 314 from Cambridge to Southport (due 1735).

Tuesday 4 May 2004 (1135) - First 20459 (R943 RHT), a 1998 Plaxton Expressliner bodied Volvo B10M, overtakes Ulsterbus 692 (ACZ 6692) on the M6 Motorway. It was working the 0735 Bristol to Liverpool National Express service 318 which, like us, had left Digbeth coach station, Birmingham at 1100. The Ulsterbus coach was working the Birmingham to Stranraer portion of the Belfast service 921.

Monday 26 February 2001 (0955) – First Western National Buses 2103 (M103 ECV), a Van Hool Astrobel bodied Volvo B10MT, seen at Heathrow Airport when working the 0900 National Express service 500 from London (Victoria) to Penzance. It was scheduled to arrive Penzance at 1750.

Monday 26 February 2001 (0955) – First Western National Buses 2521 (P521 PNL), a Van Hool Alizeé bodied Volvo B10M, seen in the now demolished bus station in Rochdale about to work the 1030 National Express service 328 to its home base at Plymouth, a little over 300 miles away. The road from the north west to the south west was once the preserve of Yelloway Motor Services and it is hard to imagine this would ever change when I worked at Yelloway in the late 1960s/early 1970s. (Rossendale Transport 114 is visible in the background).

Monday 22 May 2006 - In late 2005 First replaced Selwyn's Travel on some National Express services linking East Anglia with the North West using Manchester based coaches. Irizar Century bodied Scania 23018 (YN54 APV) was seen in Drummer Street, Cambridge when working the 0815 Clacton-on-Sea to Liverpool service 350. Selwyn's did come back to work this service later (and still does in 2016).

Tuesday 4 May 2004 (approx 1000) - In March 1996 National Express acquired the Manchester-Birmingham-Heathrow-Gatwick express coach services of Birmingham based Flight’s Travel Group which included the ‘Flightlink’ brand name. Flight’s Coach Travel Limited continued to act as a National Express contractor for a few years after the acquisition. This smart looking Plaxton Paragon bodied Volvo B10M was seen in the old National Express coach station at Digbeth, Birmingham had arrived as the 0545 NX service 210 from Gatwick.

Tuesday 27 February 2001 (approx. 1405) - In March 1996 National Express acquired the Manchester-Birmingham-Heathrow-Gatwick express coach services of Birmingham based Flight’s Travel Group which included the ‘Flightlink’ brand name. Flight’s Coach Travel Limited continued to act as a National Express contractor for a few years after the acquisition although the vehicles were latterly less exotic. S295 WOA was a Plaxton Expressliner bodied Volvo B10M new in December 1998 that was seen in the old National Express Coach Station at Digbeth, Birmingham when working the 0930 Gatwick to Wolverhampton service 210 – it was due in at 1325 but running late. Just visible beyond was First Western national Buses 2521 (P521 PRL), a Van Hool Alizeé bodied Volvo B10M, working the 0740 Plymouth to Rochdale National Express service 328.

Holiday Monday 5 May 2002 – The National Express Coach Station at Dyer Street in Leeds forms an integral part of the main bus station that has loading platforms on the other side of the central concourse. Park’s of Hamilton HSK 653, a Plaxton bodied Volvo B10M, was taking a refreshment break (1105-1145) when working the 0715 Lincoln to Glasgow National Express service 537 (due Glasgow at 1730). Arriva Yorkshire Van Hool Alizeé bodied DAF 31 (P31 XUG) carrying the National Express ‘Flightlink’ livery pulls in working the 1100 Bradford to Gatwick Airport (due to arrive at 1820).

Thursday 6 May 2004 - Tebay Service Area, Cumbria lunch stop between 1320 and 1405. A number of southbound National Express services passed through Carlisle around 1300, three of them also called for a rest break at Tebay. In this picture is Park’s of Hamilton HSK 642, a Jonckheere Mistral bodied Volvo B10M, working the 1100 Glasgow to Lincoln 537 service. Also in at the same time was Bebb Travel Y94 HTX, a Plaxton Paragon bodied Volvo B10M, working the 0915 Edinburgh to Cardiff 536 service and Rapson’s 654 (X465 SAS) working the 0630 Inverness to Coventry 538 service. I was travelling on Ulsterbus 691 (ACZ 6691), a 1999 Plaxton Excalibur bodied Volvo B10M-62, working the Stranraer-Birmingham section of the Belfast-Birmingham service 921. We had left Carlisle at 1238, some 13 minutes later than the timetable showed. The only other coach on site at the time was T871 JBC, a Noge Catalan bodied MAN operated by Scottish company Irvine’s of Law.

Thursday 31 May 2001 (1305) – An unusual type to be found working on National Express services was LSK 512, a Spanish built Beulas Stergo bodied Iveco EuroRider 35 operated by Park’s of Hamilton. It was seen in Skipton bus station when working the 0715 Lincoln to Glasgow National Express service 537 (due Glasgow at 1720).

Thursday 31 May 2001 (1305) – An unusual type to be found working on National Express services was LSK 512, a Spanish built Beulas Stergo bodied Iveco EuroRider 35 operated by Park’s of Hamilton. It was seen in Skipton bus station when working the 0715 Lincoln to Glasgow National Express service 537 (due Glasgow at 1720).

Thursday 31 May 2001 (1305) – An unusual type to be found working on National Express services was LSK 512, a Spanish built Beulas Stergo bodied Iveco EuroRider 35 operated by Park’s of Hamilton. It was seen in Skipton bus station when working the 0715 Lincoln to Glasgow National Express service 537 (due Glasgow at 1720).

Tuesday 4 May 2004 (approx 0930) - Rapson's Coaches 667 (DSU 707) seen in the old National Express coach station at Digbeth, Birmingham as it worked the 0830 National Express service 538 from Coventry to its home city of Inverness.

Tuesday 4 May 2004 - Tebay Service Area, Cumbria. Left is Rapson's Coaches 667 (DSU 707) working the 0830 Coventry to Inverness National Express service 538. Right is Ulsterbus 692 (ACZ 6692) working the 1100 Birmingham to Stranraer portion of the Belfast service 921, a joint Ulsterbus/National Express (Eurolines) service.

Tuesday 27 March 2001 (0250) - Rapson's Coaches, Inverness 645 (V943 JST), a Plaxton Expressliner bodied Volvo B10M new in January 2000, seen at Knutsford Service Area in Cheshire during a break when operating the 2300 overnight London to Inverness National Express service 588. It was due to arrive in Inverness at 1126. I travelled on this service between Milton Keynes and Glasgow. The driving arrangements were interesting. Driver 1 (Bob, in the photo) drove from London (2300) to Forton Service Area near Lancaster (0416-0417) taking a break at Knutsford (0247-0321). Driver 2 joined the coach at Knutsford. He had arrived on the southbound overnight service from Scotland and initially travelled as passenger. At Forton the coach made a very quick 'pit stop' and the drivers changed over (0416-0417). Driver 2 drove to Glasgow (0710) as Driver 1 rode as passenger. At Glasgow Driver 1 took over to then drive from Glasgow to Inverness (1126).

Thursday 6 May 2004 - Rapson's Coaches 654 (X465 SAS) seen at Tebay Service Area in Cumbria during a refreshment break (approx 1320-1405) when working the 0630 National Express service 538 from Inverness to Coventry. It was a Plaxton bodied Volvo B10M.

Saturday 22 February 2005 – During the construction of the new bus station in Mildenhall, buses and coaches picked up in what had been car parking bays outside Bussens and Parkin’s store in King Street. A Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Cambridge Coach Services was working the Norwich to Gatwick service 727.