890 National Express/Expressway to cease

I was in Cork lately and saw this bus coming out of the city and googled it as I never even knew it existed! Intersting way to get to Wales and England. Presume it was very busy 30 years ago. Why the rush to axe it now? Lack of passengers? Shame to see another travel option go.

is this something to do with subvention in a post-Brexit world ? bit close to the Brexit date for me

road_high wrote: »

I was in Cork lately and saw this bus coming out of the city and googled it as I never even knew it existed! Intersting way to get to Wales and England. Presume it was very busy 30 years ago. Why the rush to axe it now? Lack of passengers? Shame to see another travel option go.

the successor to Slatteries of Tralee's service of many years ago. I traveled once and that was once too often. Uncomfortable vehicles and took forever.

91wx763 wrote: »

Certainly not. It also served as an internal service serving Cardiff and Swansea and small towns in west Wales en route to Pembroke. It was mentioned elsewhere that the vehicle could be borrowed while laying over in London.

Pssengers from London to Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea and west wales can be catered for cheaper using UK based coach and driver, it is the cross-channel loadings that will have mattered for keeping this route going.

91wx763 wrote: »

Megabus operate a ship side service from London to Pembroke for the ship at weekends, though the convenience is lost with this and if the ship is late and misses the first Bus Eireann service west at 0700 there's a long wait at Rosslare until 0905 weekdays and 1300 on Sundays !!!

That connection used to be daily, Megabus cut it back to 3 days/week as well as cuts to the route west of Swansea, They also ditched their route to/from Holyhead. A sure sign that these routes are struggling.

devnull wrote: »

This is a little bit complex, but essentially National Express announced in 2018 that they were withdrawing from Eurolines and winding down services and this probably is the winding down continuing, I believe it is the last actual service that National Express operate as part of Eurolines.

The 871 is now a full Bus Eireann service. Whilst National Express no longer have no direct involvement, they do still sell tickets for the service and coaches and describe it as "Bus Eireann 871, operated by third party." when you try and buy a ticket on their website.

The vehicles allocated to the 871 service without NX involvement already have a new livery : https://www.flickr.com/photos/x10lynxman/49336361257/in/photolist-2iaEkDq-2iaFKme-2ghoGqZ-2adniz4-2hhjCZe-Jcmmqe-2bgYaw3-29uTvHp

The 871 has always been a Bus Eireann service and a CIE service before that, using Supabus branding before Eurolines, NX never had any direct involvement in the running of the route.

NX and Eurolines were booking and connection partners but the route (along with the 880 Dublin-Leeds) is and has been 100% run by BE either with their own coaches and drivers or sub contractors.

890 on the other hand has been a NX contract for a long time with BE providing booking and connections in Ireland. For a time up to the mid 2000s BE ran the route with Waterford based coaches and drivers but as contractors to NX.

There is no falling out between them as suggested, it is a commercial decision to cut a route not performing. NX cutting connections with Eurolines (who are now owned by Flixbus) may have had an indirect effect on both Irish routes viability because it removed through booking from mainland Europe.

The 880 Dublin - Leeds route was cut to weekend only then withdrawn completely last year with passengers for Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds being accommodated by transfers to other NX services from the 870.

91wx763 wrote: »

An uncorroborated whisper I heard the other night is that Tommy Kavanagh (B.Kavanagh coaches) may reintroduce a summer 890 type service. The only issue being that that is the busiest time for tour buses. In addition some of their staff who do the irish section are part time/semi retired staff who'd still need work all year round.

When you say the Irish section, how did that arrangement work ?

I remember years ago after I 1st moved over here ( 2001) from wales ... myself and 3 others were waiting to get on eurolines bus at killarney bus stop with all our bags, I was going home to wales and the other 2 were going to london ...

The bus driver informed us there was no room on bus because it was full of students ......we were in shock ... he said although it was indeed a eurolines bus it was also a routine bus and anybody could use it ....

The 3 of us really kicked up a fuss and rightfully so , I genuinely felt sorry for driver but his hands were tied aswell ..... he agreed reluctantly to let us sit on the steps at back by toilet until somebody got off .........3 miles up road over half bus was empty....

I often found over the years the bus would often miss connecting bus at Waterford and a few times driver would tell us to get off in waterford and run to catch bus through short cuts .....

I remember once being on bus with a drunk woman...god she drove everybody nuts!!!!

I dont miss that bus!!!!! At least I got off at fishguard,, the other poor bastards still had hours ahead of themselves to london ....

It was a brilliant service if you lived anywhere near Waterford, Kilkenny or Wexford and anywhere in Wales was your destination. I have an elderly relative in Bristol who always used it in her day returning to Ireland, she hasn't come in years and must be headed for 80 years old now.

On the subject of Bus Eireann and Eurolines, Heres VC79 in Frankfurt many years ago.

A lot of older folk used to like picking up the Expresslines / Eurolines bus from Waterford, New Ross & Wexford, going across to Wales & south England, no messing about with luggage as it stays on the coach, just walk on & off the ferry.

My Aunt used to travel to meet her daughters & family in Reading regularly before covid. I can't see her trying out a new service going via Dubin-Holyhead-London & then to Reading with all the changing luggage & busses.