Stagecoach bus route X5
Encyclopedia
Stagecoach bus route X5 is an inter-urban bus service linking Oxford
and Cambridge
via Bicester
, Buckingham
, Milton Keynes
, Bedford
and St Neots
. The route started in 1995 with an hourly service which was increased to half-hourly in 2005 and new vehicles were introduced in 2009. It has since won two awards. There is a half-hourly service for much of the day. Vehicles have free WiFi
access, air conditioning and leather seats and are wheelchair accessible. The route carried 500,000 users in 2008; passenger numbers have grown by 150% between 2004 and 2009, leading to some problems with overcrowding. It is primarily operated by the group's Stagecoach in Bedford
division.
service between Oxford and Cambridge via Luton
. The western part of the route replaced an infrequent Stagecoach United Counties service between Oxford and Bedford. The route was initially operated with a variety of high-floor coaches.
The route remained largely unchanged until August 2004, when it was diverted via Stewartby
and Lidlington
to replace withdrawn local services. Further changes around the same time saw the X5 diverted to serve Eaton Socon
and St Neots
town centres rather than serving the towns via a stop on the A421 bypass road
, thereby adding to the journey time between Bedford and Cambridge. However, evening journeys were sped up by avoiding Eltisley
, which was instead covered by another route.
Early in 2005 the X5 was doubled in frequency to operate half-hourly. This received some positive feedback, although evening services were criticised for being too infrequent and offering few through journeys.
In 2006 the route briefly faced competition in the form of an air service between the two termini operated by Sky Commuter. This followed an unsuccessful attempt by Alpha One Airways to operate on the corridor.
In April 2007 the route was curtailed within Oxford to terminate at Gloucester Green
bus station site and no longer serve the little used final section to Oxford railway station
. The changes were in part due to new European Union
driver hours limits.
A modified double-decker bus with extra luggage space was trialled in 2007, with a view to introducing double-deck operation on the route, but was not deemed successful, so the service continued to be operated with high-floor Volvo B10M
coaches.
In 2008 the route was rebranded as Cross Country, a name also used for the X4 service between Milton Keynes and Peterborough
. Passenger numbers improved dramatically, with over 500,000 users in 2008.
New coaches were introduced to the route in March 2009. In August 2009 it was reported that some passengers in the St Neots area were being left behind by coaches on the route as they were too full. This problem escalated in December 2009, when higher than expected loadings saw many evening journeys significantly overcrowded. Between 2004 and 2009 patronage increased by 150%. Another name used to promote the service was The X Factor.
and Milton Keynes Central railway station
.
The route is 85 miles long, and largely follows the path of the notional Oxford-Cambridge Arc
. The eastbound service commences at Oxford's Gloucester Green
bus station and serves selected stops on Woodstock Rd. It then heads for Bicester, stopping near the Bicester shopping village and Bicester bus station. The route calls at Bicester North railway station
(added to the route in 2008), then moves on to the outskirts of Buckingham, where it stops at the out-of-town Tesco
site before heading for Milton Keynes.
In Milton Keynes, the service stops at the Milton Keynes Central railway station
to interchange with the West Coast Main Line
and the Stagecoach bus route X4 to Peterborough
, at Milton Keynes Shopping Centre and at the Milton Keynes Coachway
for interconnection with National Express north-south services. The route continues to the Bedford bus station
, where drivers change over. Thereafter, the service diverts through Eaton Socon
where it picks up a number of passengers for its next stop in St Neots and then on towards Cambridge. Entering the outskirts of Cambridge, it serves the park and ride site at Madingley Road before reaching its terminus at Cambridge's Parkside on Parker's Piece
.
The service is part of Stagecoach's Megabus
network.
access, air conditioning and leather seats and are wheelchair accessible. They carry route branding for the service, although the Cross Country branding used in some marketing does not feature on the vehicles.
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
via Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
, Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
, Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
and St Neots
St Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
. The route started in 1995 with an hourly service which was increased to half-hourly in 2005 and new vehicles were introduced in 2009. It has since won two awards. There is a half-hourly service for much of the day. Vehicles have free WiFi
WIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
access, air conditioning and leather seats and are wheelchair accessible. The route carried 500,000 users in 2008; passenger numbers have grown by 150% between 2004 and 2009, leading to some problems with overcrowding. It is primarily operated by the group's Stagecoach in Bedford
Stagecoach in Bedford
Stagecoach in Bedford is the sector of the Stagecoach Group that operates buses in Bedford, Bedfordshire and is currently a trading name of the United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd-Background:...
division.
History
Route X5 was launched in September 1995. It operated hourly and provided a number of new links between towns which had not previously been connected by bus or rail services. It was initially branded as Varsity, a reference to a pre-World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service between Oxford and Cambridge via Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
. The western part of the route replaced an infrequent Stagecoach United Counties service between Oxford and Bedford. The route was initially operated with a variety of high-floor coaches.
The route remained largely unchanged until August 2004, when it was diverted via Stewartby
Stewartby
Stewartby is a model village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, originally built for the workers of The London Brick Company. The village housing and town community centre was designed by the noted neo-Georgian architect Sir Albert Richardson a later and more modern development than such...
and Lidlington
Lidlington
Lidlington is a small Central Bedfordshire village and civil parish surrounded by farmland, in the Marston Vale. The hamlets of Boughton End and Thrupp End are also part of the parish....
to replace withdrawn local services. Further changes around the same time saw the X5 diverted to serve Eaton Socon
Eaton Socon
Eaton Socon is a district of St Neots in Cambridgeshire, England. It was originally a village in Bedfordshire, along with the neighbouring village of Eaton Ford, but officially became part of the town in 1965...
and St Neots
St Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
town centres rather than serving the towns via a stop on the A421 bypass road
A421 road
The A421 is an important road for east/west journeys across England. Together with the A428, the A43 and A34, it forms the route from Cambridge through Milton Keynes to Oxford...
, thereby adding to the journey time between Bedford and Cambridge. However, evening journeys were sped up by avoiding Eltisley
Eltisley
Eltisley is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, on the A428 road about 5.5 miles east of St Neots and about 11 miles west of the city of Cambridge. The population in 2001 was 421 people.-History:...
, which was instead covered by another route.
Early in 2005 the X5 was doubled in frequency to operate half-hourly. This received some positive feedback, although evening services were criticised for being too infrequent and offering few through journeys.
In 2006 the route briefly faced competition in the form of an air service between the two termini operated by Sky Commuter. This followed an unsuccessful attempt by Alpha One Airways to operate on the corridor.
In April 2007 the route was curtailed within Oxford to terminate at Gloucester Green
Gloucester Green
Gloucester Green is a square in central Oxford, England, and the site of the city's bus station. It lies between George Street to the south and Beaumont Street to the north. To the west is Worcester Street and to the east is Gloucester Street....
bus station site and no longer serve the little used final section to Oxford railway station
Oxford railway station
Oxford railway station is a mainline railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. It is about west of the city centre, northwest of Frideswide Square and the eastern end of Botley Road, and on the line linking with . It is also on the line for trains between and Hereford via...
. The changes were in part due to new European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
driver hours limits.
A modified double-decker bus with extra luggage space was trialled in 2007, with a view to introducing double-deck operation on the route, but was not deemed successful, so the service continued to be operated with high-floor Volvo B10M
Volvo B10M
The Volvo B10M is a popular mid-engined bus and coach chassis built by Volvo between 1978 and 2001. It was built as the successor of the B58 and was equipped with a 9.6-litre horizontally-mounted Volvo THD100/THD101/THD102/THD103/THD104/DH10A diesel engine mounted under the floor, near the middle...
coaches.
In 2008 the route was rebranded as Cross Country, a name also used for the X4 service between Milton Keynes and Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
. Passenger numbers improved dramatically, with over 500,000 users in 2008.
New coaches were introduced to the route in March 2009. In August 2009 it was reported that some passengers in the St Neots area were being left behind by coaches on the route as they were too full. This problem escalated in December 2009, when higher than expected loadings saw many evening journeys significantly overcrowded. Between 2004 and 2009 patronage increased by 150%. Another name used to promote the service was The X Factor.
Route
The X5 connects Oxford to Cambridge via Bicester, Buckingham, Milton Keynes, Bedford and St Neots. It provides interchange facilities for north-south services at Milton Keynes by serving Milton Keynes CoachwayMilton Keynes Coachway
The Milton Keynes Coachway is situated on the A509 road close to Junction 14 of the M1 Motorway on the eastern edge of Milton Keynes, north Buckinghamshire, England offering coach services to cities, towns and airports on the M1 corridor and on into Scotland, to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the...
and Milton Keynes Central railway station
Milton Keynes Central railway station
Milton Keynes Central railway station serves Central Milton Keynes and the surrounding area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The station is located on the West Coast Main Line between the stations of Bletchley and Wolverton, both of which are also within Milton Keynes. The station is served by...
.
The route is 85 miles long, and largely follows the path of the notional Oxford-Cambridge Arc
Oxford-Cambridge Arc
The Oxford-Cambridge Arc is a notional arc of agricultural and urban land at about 75km radius of London, southern England. It runs between the two English university towns of Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes and other important settlements in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire...
. The eastbound service commences at Oxford's Gloucester Green
Gloucester Green
Gloucester Green is a square in central Oxford, England, and the site of the city's bus station. It lies between George Street to the south and Beaumont Street to the north. To the west is Worcester Street and to the east is Gloucester Street....
bus station and serves selected stops on Woodstock Rd. It then heads for Bicester, stopping near the Bicester shopping village and Bicester bus station. The route calls at Bicester North railway station
Bicester North railway station
Bicester North is a station on the Chiltern Main Line, one of two stations serving Bicester. Services operated by Chiltern Railways run south to and north to , and .Bicester North is the larger of Bicester's two stations...
(added to the route in 2008), then moves on to the outskirts of Buckingham, where it stops at the out-of-town Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
site before heading for Milton Keynes.
In Milton Keynes, the service stops at the Milton Keynes Central railway station
Milton Keynes Central railway station
Milton Keynes Central railway station serves Central Milton Keynes and the surrounding area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The station is located on the West Coast Main Line between the stations of Bletchley and Wolverton, both of which are also within Milton Keynes. The station is served by...
to interchange with the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
and the Stagecoach bus route X4 to Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, at Milton Keynes Shopping Centre and at the Milton Keynes Coachway
Milton Keynes Coachway
The Milton Keynes Coachway is situated on the A509 road close to Junction 14 of the M1 Motorway on the eastern edge of Milton Keynes, north Buckinghamshire, England offering coach services to cities, towns and airports on the M1 corridor and on into Scotland, to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the...
for interconnection with National Express north-south services. The route continues to the Bedford bus station
Bedford bus station
Bedford bus station serves the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The bus station is part owned by the Stagecoach in Bedford and Bedford Borough Council and is situated in the town centre on All Hallows just off Greyfriars....
, where drivers change over. Thereafter, the service diverts through Eaton Socon
Eaton Socon
Eaton Socon is a district of St Neots in Cambridgeshire, England. It was originally a village in Bedfordshire, along with the neighbouring village of Eaton Ford, but officially became part of the town in 1965...
where it picks up a number of passengers for its next stop in St Neots and then on towards Cambridge. Entering the outskirts of Cambridge, it serves the park and ride site at Madingley Road before reaching its terminus at Cambridge's Parkside on Parker's Piece
Parker's Piece
Parker's Piece is a flat and very roughly square green common located near the centre of Cambridge, England. The two main walking and cycling paths across it run diagonally, and the single lamp-post at the junction is commonly known as Reality Checkpoint...
.
The service is part of Stagecoach's Megabus
Megabus (United Kingdom)
Megabus is a UK coach service operated by Stagecoach Group. It started in 2003 and as of February 2010 operated 19 UK coach routes serving 41 destinations in England, Scotland and Wales. Some services link with Megatrain services which are also operated by Stagecoach...
network.
Vehicles
The route uses a fleet of seventeen Volvo B9R coaches with Plaxton Panther bodywork. These vehicles, which were purchased new in 2009 include free WiFiWIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
access, air conditioning and leather seats and are wheelchair accessible. They carry route branding for the service, although the Cross Country branding used in some marketing does not feature on the vehicles.