Imagine what an opportunity it could have presented for a new network of high profile bus links all over the Home Counties if that extra lane all around the M25 had been reserved for buses and coaches
INSIDE TRACK
I have been hugely encouraged and excited to see the introduction of new interurban bus routes during the past couple of years.
The most recent and high profile launch was the Cityzap branded route run by Transdev Blazefield between Leeds and Manchester (see p42). A revamp of the well-established Coastliner service between York and Leeds in March 2016 led to the establishment of the smart new Cityzap brand for two fast direct journeys an hour, while this latest initiative carves out a completely new market running virtually non-stop with extensive use of the M62 offering a realistic alternative to the crowded and expensive train.
Transdev is to be congratulated for investing in this exciting start-up and I wish it every success, as I do another similar initiative also introduced last November by Stagecoach Yorkshire. A new hourly X10 fast service now links Barnsley and its suburb of Darton with Leeds using the M1.
This route reminds me of the White Rose Express network that proved hugely popul…