PETER MENDHAM worries that competition on trunk routes is steadily killing off once extensive networks of National Express services that connected towns and cities of England without a requirement to change in London — and urges us to make use of those that are left before they too disappear
Some of the former nationalised parts of our infrastructure that have transferred to private sector companies carry the burden of providing a ‘service’ as part of their remit; for Royal Mail it is the universal postal service, BT provides the overall telecom network and for the express coach network the task falls to National Express.
National Express, though, is facing an ever increasing struggle; competing with operators who wish to cream off the high volume traffic on the main routes, the removal of the free concessionary travel scheme in England, government support for rail operations and senior citizen free bus travel.
Express coach travel in England now offers more choices but fewer options. There are plenty of choices if you wish to travel to London, the main airports or between the major towns and cities, but your options are slowly decreasing if you are looking at a journey that starts or finishes at a sm…
