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Post by greenboy on Jun 6, 2022 6:53:51 GMT
Pretty empty on Fridays though, poets day. Possibly a case for keeping it Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday although I don't know how practical that is? I wonder if it would be practical to run a 30-minute service all day (including evenings and weekends), and run extra journeys on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday peaks? The 468 could be reduced slightly if needed although ideally it would keep its current levels of service during the daytime. Possibly but I think people expect a turn up and go service, if no X68 is imminent they'll probably just get a 468 and change as necessary. |
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 6, 2022 7:16:53 GMT
I wonder if it would be practical to run a 30-minute service all day (including evenings and weekends), and run extra journeys on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday peaks? The 468 could be reduced slightly if needed although ideally it would keep its current levels of service during the daytime. Possibly but I think people expect a turn up and go service, if no X68 is imminent they'll probably just get a 468 and change as necessary. Good point. Also I suspect that an off-peak service could be opposed by Govia Thameslink as it would syphon off some of their off-peak revenue, a peak service was tolerated in the past as it took the edge off their own capacity issues. |
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Post by WH241 on Jun 6, 2022 7:57:43 GMT
All very well suggesting Tuesday to Thursday for express services but eventually employers might start asking workers to spread days at home out across different days. Personally don’t think it’s right that employees get to choose having easy Mondays and Fridays at home but hey.
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 6, 2022 8:04:25 GMT
All very well suggesting Tuesday to Thursday for express services but eventually employers might start asking workers to spread days at home out across different days. Personally don’t think it’s right that employees get to choose having easy Mondays and Fridays at home but hey. I think Fridays had been starting to happen a few years pre covid. I know a couple of people who moved to Kent and Hampshire respectively and had built offices in their houses and planned to do a day at home. |
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Post by vjaska on Jun 6, 2022 9:57:03 GMT
So am I, it's surely one of the most obvious routes to cut given the drop in commuting? I'm surprised that the route has lasted as long as it has, when it was introduced in 1986 following complaints about the 68 being converted to OPO the general feeling was that it wouldn't last more than a few years. There is probably more of a case for a weekend X68 for the leisure market. I got on it Thursday a couple of weeks ago at 17.44 at Aldwych and took the last seat upstairs with several people behind me having to go back down as the deck was full and then picked more up at Waterloo. I’ve been saying this since after the restrictions were initially lifted - the X68 has been how you’ve described since that period |
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 6, 2022 10:00:51 GMT
I got on it Thursday a couple of weeks ago at 17.44 at Aldwych and took the last seat upstairs with several people behind me having to go back down as the deck was full and then picked more up at Waterloo. I’ve been saying this since after the restrictions were initially lifted - the X68 has been how you’ve described since that period I almost felt quilty taking the seat as an enthusiast when there were clearly alot of loyal commuters familiar with the route also getting on. Iv often wondered what the rota for the X68 is really. I'm assuming the first evening bus from Russell Square can make it back up to do the last but there must be some workings which simply run from Russell Square to West Croydon and then back to the garage. |
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Post by intro on Jun 6, 2022 10:08:22 GMT
I’ve been saying this since after the restrictions were initially lifted - the X68 has been how you’ve described since that period I almost felt quilty taking the seat as an enthusiast when there were clearly alot of loyal commuters familiar with the route also getting on. Iv often wondered what the rota for the X68 is really. I'm assuming the first evening bus from Russell Square can make it back up to do the last but there must be some workings which simply run from Russell Square to West Croydon and then back to the garage. As a local of the X68 it is really good when you get a driver that is about to go back to the garage, as they usually are really fast, it would be a shame if I had to take the 468 then 68, as that would take so much longer. On the note of the rotas, on LVF it shows that most of the crosslinks (at least this morning!) are with the 188, with 2 buses going on to the 35, one onto the 185, and two buses that just came out for the X68. |
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Post by greenboy on Jun 6, 2022 10:53:14 GMT
I’ve been saying this since after the restrictions were initially lifted - the X68 has been how you’ve described since that period I almost felt quilty taking the seat as an enthusiast when there were clearly alot of loyal commuters familiar with the route also getting on. Iv often wondered what the rota for the X68 is really. I'm assuming the first evening bus from Russell Square can make it back up to do the last but there must be some workings which simply run from Russell Square to West Croydon and then back to the garage. At least the first two journeys in each direction run back light and do another trip, can go via the 59/109 route but I guess it's up to the driver. When Arriva did it from N it had coach seated Olympians (L166-171 if I remember correctly) and there were a couple of short workings to Thornton Heath High Street. It is a nice service to use and it will be a shame if it goes but TfL have got to decide whether it's viable anymore particularly with the amount of dead running involved. |
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darz
Conductor
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Post by darz on Jun 6, 2022 11:34:44 GMT
I almost felt quilty taking the seat as an enthusiast when there were clearly alot of loyal commuters familiar with the route also getting on. Iv often wondered what the rota for the X68 is really. I'm assuming the first evening bus from Russell Square can make it back up to do the last but there must be some workings which simply run from Russell Square to West Croydon and then back to the garage. At least the first two journeys in each direction run back light and do another trip, can go via the 59/109 route but I guess it's up to the driver. When Arriva did it from N it had coach seated Olympians (L166-171 if I remember correctly) and there were a couple of short workings to Thornton Heath High Street. It is a nice service to use and it will be a shame if it goes but TfL have got to decide whether it's viable anymore particularly with the amount of dead running involved. Agreed loosing the X68 would be detrimental to residents in upper Norwood/ Thornton Heath/ Crodyon, not to mention the much needed extra capacity the X68 provides south of west norwood in the PM Peak |
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darz
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Post by darz on Jun 6, 2022 11:38:18 GMT
It would be wonderful if the X68 ran a more expansive timetable, (e.g Mon-Fri (6am-10am) and (3pm-8pm) and Sat (10am-3pm)) and for it to run in both directions at these times albeit with one direction having better service than the other, such as having a more frequent service northbound during morning peak and having a reduced service during evening peak. Agreed , I really do hope the government wake up and fund TFL as if it’s is public service as opposed to a business, the lesiure market is booming and a weekend X68 if marketed correctly could be a success. |
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 6, 2022 11:50:30 GMT
It would be wonderful if the X68 ran a more expansive timetable, (e.g Mon-Fri (6am-10am) and (3pm-8pm) and Sat (10am-3pm)) and for it to run in both directions at these times albeit with one direction having better service than the other, such as having a more frequent service northbound during morning peak and having a reduced service during evening peak. Agreed , I really do hope the government wake up and fund TFL as if it’s is public service as opposed to a business, the lesiure market is booming and a weekend X68 if marketed correctly could be a success. Tbh TFL have had 30+ plus years to increase the X68. Whislt I think like with the X26 they dare not touch it, its highly unlikely to see any major improvement. |
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Post by greenboy on Jun 6, 2022 11:55:22 GMT
It would be wonderful if the X68 ran a more expansive timetable, (e.g Mon-Fri (6am-10am) and (3pm-8pm) and Sat (10am-3pm)) and for it to run in both directions at these times albeit with one direction having better service than the other, such as having a more frequent service northbound during morning peak and having a reduced service during evening peak. Agreed , I really do hope the government wake up and fund TFL as if it’s is public service as opposed to a business, the lesiure market is booming and a weekend X68 if marketed correctly could be a success. Quite honestly I think some people on here need to wake up and realise that the government are not going to throw public money at TfL and neither would any other government. Yes the leisure market is booming at the moment but how long for? Will it drop off when people have caught up with things that they didn't do during lockdown? Obviously nobody knows. But as I said before a weekend X68 is a possibility with Upper Norwood poorly served by rail but I'd put it no stronger than that at the moment. |
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Post by SILENCED on Jun 6, 2022 12:00:09 GMT
Agreed , I really do hope the government wake up and fund TFL as if it’s is public service as opposed to a business, the lesiure market is booming and a weekend X68 if marketed correctly could be a success. Quite honestly I think some people on here need to wake up and realise that the government are not going to throw public money at TfL and neither would any other government. Yes the leisure market is booming at the moment but how long for? Will it drop off when people have caught up with things that they didn't do during lockdown? Obviously nobody knows. But as I said before a weekend X68 is a possibility with Upper Norwood poorly served by rail. I read a stat elsewhere yesterday, no idea how accurate it is, that buses in London receive a subsidy of £15 per head in London and just 15 pence per head outside of London. How can the government justify even more subsidy in the capital? |
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darz
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Post by darz on Jun 6, 2022 12:00:29 GMT
Agreed , I really do hope the government wake up and fund TFL as if it’s is public service as opposed to a business, the lesiure market is booming and a weekend X68 if marketed correctly could be a success. Quite honestly I think some people on here need to wake up and realise that the government are not going to throw public money at TfL and neither would any other government. Yes the leisure market is booming at the moment but how long for? Will it drop off when people have caught up with things that they didn't do during lockdown? Obviously nobody knows. But as I said before a weekend X68 is a possibility with Upper Norwood poorly served by rail but I'd put it no stronger than that at the moment. Doesn’t kill to dream does it? If anything TFL and government relations need to improve as TFL is moving in a direction where it does not serve the public’s is best interest and is beginning to be run as as business which it arguably is but is primarily to serve the public. If the government really want to improve their progress towards net zero then a better funding arrangement is required for TFL services. |
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Post by greenboy on Jun 6, 2022 12:04:45 GMT
Quite honestly I think some people on here need to wake up and realise that the government are not going to throw public money at TfL and neither would any other government. Yes the leisure market is booming at the moment but how long for? Will it drop off when people have caught up with things that they didn't do during lockdown? Obviously nobody knows. But as I said before a weekend X68 is a possibility with Upper Norwood poorly served by rail but I'd put it no stronger than that at the moment. Doesn’t kill to dream does it? If anything TFL and government relations need to improve as TFL is moving in a direction where it does not serve the public’s is best interest and is beginning to be run as as business which it arguably is but is primarily to serve the public. If the government really want to improve their progress towards net zero then a better funding arrangement is required for TFL services. Indeed........ no harm in dreaming! |
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