A day of last rides on the 1B and X88
Oct. 20th, 2009 02:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suzyscottdotcomCaroline left the car in the garage for it’s annual MOT (annual government mandatory roadworthiness inspection test)…
and we went for…
Stagecoach Cambridge Volvo B10M/Alexander PS 20112 26 Royston, Burns Road at Roysia Surgery – Cambridge, Regent Street
… well, Caroline got off the bus in Melbourn. Oh, and the car passed first time, just one (20p or so) bulb to replace at the back. (Now I think about it, didn’t someone mention that to us a few weeks ago?)
Anyway, I was continuing for the day out, using a £7 DayRiderGold, with £1.10 X5 supplements added to the mix. The purpose was to sample the MK Metro 1B (MK – Northampton) and Stagecoach X88 (Oxford – Northampton) which are both on my “to do one day” list. However, they both finish this weekend, in their current form. After stopping briefly for breakfast, crossed Parkers Piece for…
Stagecoach Bedford Volvo/Plaxton 53617 X5 Cambridge, Parkside – Bedford, Bus Station
So, from there, to Bedford. As I was touching on above, with the Milton Keynes area service changes due at the start of next week, most of Service 1B (Milton Keynes – Newport Pagnell – Olney – Stoke Goldington - Northampton) is revised. The majority of the MKC tendered bit between Olney and Stoke Goldington has been lost by MK Metro to Stagecoach, who will number it 36 (between Olney and Northampton), with the exception of one peak bus by Arriva/MK Metro. The rest of the 1 group, including Bedford journeys, will continue. So, decided to have my one and only go on a Northampton journey on the 1B, as well as leaving the X5 behind for a bash of the stopping service 1 – and with MK Metro’s £3.20 day ticket valid across the entire network, i.e. including Northampton, Bedford, Buckingham, Cranfield etc. as well as all over MK, why not? The 1 normally goes out via Bedford Rail Stn, 1C direct, then all via Biddnham, Great Denham, Bromham, then 1C via Chichely or 1 via Turvey and Lavendon, which I’d passed often enough on the Pluto P1. After there, various roads to Olney, Newport Pangell, Green Park, Willen, CMK Food Centre, CMK The Point, to Central Rail Station, Milton Keynes. The current timetable basis is that the hourly 1B to Northampton and the roughly hourly 1/1C to Bedford combine with an extra short 1 to Newport Pagenell (from MK) only, to make a bus roughly every 20 minutes. This then combines with the 2 group to offer up to every 10 mins between Newport Pagnell and MK.
MK Metro Optare Solo 2439 1 Bedford, Bus Station – Milton Keynes Central Rail Station
This bus arrived a little late, and departed shortly after with a good load.
A combination of the bus, diversions in the country and a severe deviation for closure of part of the town centre at Newport Pagnell, meant that the 1B (supposed to be 20 minutes behind us!) was following us as we left Newport Pagnell! we were around 20 minutes late for the driver change, at the former MK Bus Station, which is now used as a cross between a driver’s room and a skateboard park, with a nightclub tacked on the end for assortment. The drivers discussed that this bus had been slow, but it didn’t seem so bad – maybe they’d had better. Anyway, we changed drivers, but I stayed on for the next leg of my trip.
MK Metro Optare Solo 2439 1B Milton Keynes Central Rail Station – Northampton Bus Station
We left CMK (Central Milton Keynes) 17 minutes late, and dabbled between that and a bit later, throughout the route. This route picked the route and diversions back to Olney, then via Weston Underwood, Stoke Goldington, Wootton, and Northampton bus station. We arrived at 1512, clawed back to 15 minutes late.
From there, just a few moments to look for the new 88 leaflet, before going for the 1520 Stagecoach Service X88 to Oxford. Two years ago, the X6 (Northampton – Oxford) was joined with the 88 to Silverstone, so that every two hours or so, the bus ran through as X88 via various parts of Northampton, Bilsowrth, Towcester, Silverstone, Syresham, Brackley, Bicester, Oxford city centre/Gloucester Green, with two peak journeys extending to/from Oxford Rail Station, with support from Northamptonshire County Council. In it’s current form, the X88 is to finish on Saturday. It may be a mix of retendering, as well as some of the service cuts that the council have made across the county recently. Anyway, The 88 will then be tweaked to run hourly, but Walters Limousines will do three/four buses between Silverstone (three), Brackley (four) and Oxford. However, the new Stagecoach timetable, and bus stop and vehicle notices, indicate that the new service does not start until mid-December – not sure why as I type this. Anyway, boarded the bus for the next journey…
Stagecoach Optare Solo 47123 X88 Northampton, Bus Station – Oxford, Railway Station
From there, we arrived at the railway station a bit earlier than planned. So, I could stay out for the 1840 back to Cambridge, or the 1740. I went back to Gloucester Green bus station, and went for this on the X5…
Stagecoach Volvo/Plaxton 53606 X5 Oxford, Gloucester Green – Cambridge, Parkside
I didn’t realise the traffic was so bad heading out of Oxford (unusually), and we even managed to get late into Cambridge, about 12 mins or so. Anyway, as I didn’t go for dinner before boarding the X5, went to a good Italian place at the foot of Milton Road, for a rather large one to share. It’s done us for lunch now as well! It was an enjoyable journey, especially the beginners guide to Newport Pagnell and Olney! You can see all the pictures here.
and we went for…
Stagecoach Cambridge Volvo B10M/Alexander PS 20112 26 Royston, Burns Road at Roysia Surgery – Cambridge, Regent Street
… well, Caroline got off the bus in Melbourn. Oh, and the car passed first time, just one (20p or so) bulb to replace at the back. (Now I think about it, didn’t someone mention that to us a few weeks ago?)
Anyway, I was continuing for the day out, using a £7 DayRiderGold, with £1.10 X5 supplements added to the mix. The purpose was to sample the MK Metro 1B (MK – Northampton) and Stagecoach X88 (Oxford – Northampton) which are both on my “to do one day” list. However, they both finish this weekend, in their current form. After stopping briefly for breakfast, crossed Parkers Piece for…
Stagecoach Bedford Volvo/Plaxton 53617 X5 Cambridge, Parkside – Bedford, Bus Station
So, from there, to Bedford. As I was touching on above, with the Milton Keynes area service changes due at the start of next week, most of Service 1B (Milton Keynes – Newport Pagnell – Olney – Stoke Goldington - Northampton) is revised. The majority of the MKC tendered bit between Olney and Stoke Goldington has been lost by MK Metro to Stagecoach, who will number it 36 (between Olney and Northampton), with the exception of one peak bus by Arriva/MK Metro. The rest of the 1 group, including Bedford journeys, will continue. So, decided to have my one and only go on a Northampton journey on the 1B, as well as leaving the X5 behind for a bash of the stopping service 1 – and with MK Metro’s £3.20 day ticket valid across the entire network, i.e. including Northampton, Bedford, Buckingham, Cranfield etc. as well as all over MK, why not? The 1 normally goes out via Bedford Rail Stn, 1C direct, then all via Biddnham, Great Denham, Bromham, then 1C via Chichely or 1 via Turvey and Lavendon, which I’d passed often enough on the Pluto P1. After there, various roads to Olney, Newport Pangell, Green Park, Willen, CMK Food Centre, CMK The Point, to Central Rail Station, Milton Keynes. The current timetable basis is that the hourly 1B to Northampton and the roughly hourly 1/1C to Bedford combine with an extra short 1 to Newport Pagenell (from MK) only, to make a bus roughly every 20 minutes. This then combines with the 2 group to offer up to every 10 mins between Newport Pagnell and MK.
MK Metro Optare Solo 2439 1 Bedford, Bus Station – Milton Keynes Central Rail Station
This bus arrived a little late, and departed shortly after with a good load.
A combination of the bus, diversions in the country and a severe deviation for closure of part of the town centre at Newport Pagnell, meant that the 1B (supposed to be 20 minutes behind us!) was following us as we left Newport Pagnell! we were around 20 minutes late for the driver change, at the former MK Bus Station, which is now used as a cross between a driver’s room and a skateboard park, with a nightclub tacked on the end for assortment. The drivers discussed that this bus had been slow, but it didn’t seem so bad – maybe they’d had better. Anyway, we changed drivers, but I stayed on for the next leg of my trip.
MK Metro Optare Solo 2439 1B Milton Keynes Central Rail Station – Northampton Bus Station
We left CMK (Central Milton Keynes) 17 minutes late, and dabbled between that and a bit later, throughout the route. This route picked the route and diversions back to Olney, then via Weston Underwood, Stoke Goldington, Wootton, and Northampton bus station. We arrived at 1512, clawed back to 15 minutes late.
From there, just a few moments to look for the new 88 leaflet, before going for the 1520 Stagecoach Service X88 to Oxford. Two years ago, the X6 (Northampton – Oxford) was joined with the 88 to Silverstone, so that every two hours or so, the bus ran through as X88 via various parts of Northampton, Bilsowrth, Towcester, Silverstone, Syresham, Brackley, Bicester, Oxford city centre/Gloucester Green, with two peak journeys extending to/from Oxford Rail Station, with support from Northamptonshire County Council. In it’s current form, the X88 is to finish on Saturday. It may be a mix of retendering, as well as some of the service cuts that the council have made across the county recently. Anyway, The 88 will then be tweaked to run hourly, but Walters Limousines will do three/four buses between Silverstone (three), Brackley (four) and Oxford. However, the new Stagecoach timetable, and bus stop and vehicle notices, indicate that the new service does not start until mid-December – not sure why as I type this. Anyway, boarded the bus for the next journey…
Stagecoach Optare Solo 47123 X88 Northampton, Bus Station – Oxford, Railway Station
From there, we arrived at the railway station a bit earlier than planned. So, I could stay out for the 1840 back to Cambridge, or the 1740. I went back to Gloucester Green bus station, and went for this on the X5…
Stagecoach Volvo/Plaxton 53606 X5 Oxford, Gloucester Green – Cambridge, Parkside
I didn’t realise the traffic was so bad heading out of Oxford (unusually), and we even managed to get late into Cambridge, about 12 mins or so. Anyway, as I didn’t go for dinner before boarding the X5, went to a good Italian place at the foot of Milton Road, for a rather large one to share. It’s done us for lunch now as well! It was an enjoyable journey, especially the beginners guide to Newport Pagnell and Olney! You can see all the pictures here.
