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Expresses Ove] he Border

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11th November 1955

Page 142

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Page 142, 11th November 1955 — Expresses Ove] he Border

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Big Operators Running Regular Services from England to Scotland Carry Heavy Loadings

By Hugh McPherson

AQUARTER of a century has passed since the

• establishment of the principal express services on First in the field among longdistance cross-Border services was the Edinburgh-Newcastle route, which goes back to 1928. The main operators in this sphere today are Scottish Omnibuses, Ltd., and their associated operators.

Post-war additions to Scottish Omnibuses' routes are the summer week-end services from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Scarborough, which were introduced in June, 1952. Another post-war innovation successfully achieved by Northern Roadways, Ltd., was the express runs between Glasgow and London, Edinburgh and London, and Glasgow and Birmingham.

A notable exception to the general run of express services is the special two-day service between Edinburgh and London. Provided for those who aim, rather, to "travel hopefully than to arrive," it is well known to tourist agents throughout the United States and the Continent, and it. is not unusual in this case for British passengers to be outnumbered in a ratio of eight to one.

There is a pleasant touch of luxury and romance about this particular facility and the prices are the same as before the war, i.e., £1 12s. 6d. for the single journey and £3 2s. 6d. return. Few passengers book only for the coach, and increases in hotel charges have raised the single inclusive rate from £2 17s. 6d. before the war to £5, the inclusive return having risen from £5 12s. 6d. to £9 17s. 6d.

Lunch and tea for two days, as well as dinner, room and breakfast, and service charges, are included in the single rate.

East and west coast routes enable passengers to make the round trip in the manner of an extended tour. Starting from Edinburgh, the eastern route lies by way of Dunbar, Berwick-on-Tweed, Alnwick, Morpeth, Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham, Darlington, Northallerton and Thirsk, to York.

The diversion to Harrogate may be made when bookings are heavy and accommodation is not readily available at customary hotels on the route. On the second day the journey continues through Doncaster, Bawtry, Newark, Grantham, Stamford, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Roy-. stort and Baldock.

West Coast Service The western route is via Moffat, Gretna Green, Carlisle, Keswick, Grasmere, Windermere, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan, Warrington and Chester, with Buxton as a possible diversion. In this case the second day's journey is through Nantwich, Lichfield, Kenilworth, Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon, Oxford, Henley, Maidenhead and Windsor.

Coaches used on the two-day run are often A.E.C. 38-seaters, but Bristol 38-seaters are sometimes employed. Up to six vehicles a day may be used on this licence, daily departures being the rule from the beginning of June until the end of September. The facilities operate three times a week during the second half of May.

All principal hotels employed can safely anticipate a coach-load every night, although in fact there are usually between 60 and 70 passengers nightly at each of the main stopping places.

Drivers take their vehicles right through, and for them it obviously ranks as a top-link job. During the 1954 season 16,289 passengers were carried.

The through Edinburgh-London service operated by Scottish Omnibuses makes the journey in 15 hr. 19 min. There is an evening departure daily throughout the year, with two extra evening timings during the summer season. A day service also operates during the summer. Similar arrangements apply in the reverse direction and, last year, 103,286 passengers were carried. The route is by way of Lauder, Coldstream, Morpeth, Newcastle and the Great North Road.

Operated by the Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd., the Glasgow-London run is based on a regular night service in each direction, with an extra night and a day service during the summer season. The journey takes 15 hr. 54 min. in each direction. The Glasgow service is run by way of Hamilton, Gretna, Carlisle, Penrith, Boroughbridge, Doncaster, Grantham and Stamford. During 1954, 120,615 passengers were carried.

Before the war, both the Edinburgh and Glasgow fares were £1 10s. single and £2 10s. return. The single fare remains at £1 10s., but the return rate has now risen to £3.

A concession arrangement, made by the Scottish Bus Group and British Railways, permits passengers to book a road-rail return voucher for £3. With this ticket, it is possible to make the homeward trip by coach without extra charge, but if the passenger wishes to return by rail a supplementary fare of £1 has to be paid.

The Edinburgh run is worked entirely with A.E.C. coaches, equipped with deep seating, airconditioning and toilet facilities. The Glasgow service is operated with A.E.C.s and Guy Ara...) lightweight coaches.

Edinburgh timings are arranged so that those who are sufficiently hardy may make a continuous journey from London to Scrabster to connect with the Orkney steamer. By leaving London on the 8 a.m, summer service, Edinburgh would be reached at 11.19 p.m., in time to change to the 11.30 p.m. for Inverness.

The limited-stop night service to Inverness arrives at 6.40 a.m., giving a half-hour break before the Highland Omnibuses, Ltd., departure to Dingwall, Invergordon, Bonar Bridge, Helmsdale, Wick, Thurso and Serabster. Arrival at Scrabster is timed for 2.10 p.m., when some 700 miles have been covered.

A challenge to the Scottish Bus Group's exclusive hold on the Glasgow-Edinburgh-London routes was first made in 1951 when Northern Roadways, Ltd., applied for licences to operate coaches at £2 single and £3 10s. return. These A.E.C. coaches have 32 adjustable aircraft-type seats, each with individually controlled lighting, and a toilet. A hostess serves light refreshments free of charge and rugs, pillows and newspapers are supplied.

At the present time, daily services are being operated between Glasgow and London, and Edinburgh and London, the journey time in both cases being 16 hours. There is also a Glasgow-Birmingham service, taking 113i hr., and a high-season Glasgow-Bournemouth service working outwards on Friday and Saturday nights and back on Saturday and Sunday nights.

Three principal routes exist between Edinburgh and Newcastle; they are operated by Scottish Omnibuses and United Automobile Services, Ltd., and, in 1954, 2,113,939 passengers were carried. The most intensive service is provided via Edinburgh Dunbar Berwick Alnwick Morpeth Newcastle, and there is a variation wh:ch includes Coldingham and Eyemouth.

Other routes are EdinburghDalkeith Lauder St. Boswells Jedburgh-Newcastle, and by way of Lauder Earlston Kelso Wooler Morpeth. Return tickets between Edinburgh and Newcastle are interavai la Me.

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months there is a bookable limited-stop service between Edinburgh, Berwick and Newcastle. One of the two timings gives a special connection at Newcastle for Leeds, enabling passengers to depart from Edinburgh at 8,55 a.m. and arrive in Leeds, by way of the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., service, at 6.43 p.m. In the summer months, it is also possible to make a connection at Newcastle for the day journey to Scarborough.

Through week-end night services from Edinburgh to Scarborough were instituted in the summer of 1952. This departure is from Edinburgh on Friday night only and from Scarborough on Saturday only, in each case leaving at 11 p.m. and arriving at the destination at 7.35 a.m. the following day.

Glasgow has similar services as well as a through Friday, Saturday and Sunday day service. From Glasgow. Scottish Omnibuses and U.A.S. run regularly via Galashiels. Melrose and the Border Country. through Newcastle, terminating at Whitley Bay.

Western S.M.T. and Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., provide an all-theyear-round service from Glasgow to Carlisle, Liverpool, Manchester and Blackpool. Although journey times vary owing to refreshment stops, they come into the general range of 101lOi hr.

Leaving Glasgow, the principal services travel via Hamilton, Crawford, Beattock, Lockerbie, Carlisle, Penrith, Shan, Morecambe and Lancaster. The Blackpool service, however, which is more particularly of the holiday season pattern, goes by way of Kilmarnock, Sanouhar, Dumfries, Annan, Carlisle, Keswick and Windermere, missing out Morecambe. The Glasgow-Lancashire route, which began in 1929, carried 65,049 passengers last year.

The Edinburgh-Lancashire grouping, which has a more seasonal emphasis, dealt with 111,982 passengers in 1954, operations being conducted by Scottish Omnibuses and Ribble. The common route from the Scottish capital is by way of Dalkeith, Middleton, Galashiels, Selkirk, Hawick and Langholm to Carlisle but, once again, vehicles for Blackpool are routed through the Lake District avoiding the climb over • Shap Fell.

A joint enterprise of Ribble, the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., and the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., is a nightly run, taking about 141 hr., between Glasgow and Coventry, by way of Carlisle, Manchester, Macclesfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford and Birmingham. A highseason offshoot, with parallel timings, runs between Edinburgh and Preston.