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| March
2004 |
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The
United Kingdom consists of four countries - England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland. Several bus services operate between these
countries and also to neighbouring Ireland and France. This is
brief look at some of the more interesting routes. |
UK |
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Border |
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| Photo
Facts |
East
Coast:
 | For many years United Automobiles ran
all the way from Newcastle to Edinburgh via the Borders.
Their 6142 (WHN678G), an ECW/RE, is seen in Edinburgh in
October 1978. [top left] |
| The spiritual successor to the route
is now provided under tender by Munro's. Their M901KS
prepares to depart Newcastle for Edinburgh in April 2003 on the once
daily journey. [above left] |
| Perryman operates an unusual route
from Berwick (in England) to Edinburgh via the coast. It
is a two-hourly service run by minibuses, sometimes with trailers for
luggage. X899BVN leaves Berwick for Edinburgh in
April 2003. Other current main East coast cross-border
services include the (60) from Berwick to Galashiels and (X95)
Edinburgh to Carlise via Galashiels. [right] |
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West
Coast:
| White Star V974DRM, a Plaxton/Dart,
in Carlisle in December 2001. White Star was
recently bought by Stagecoach. [left] |
| Western EL2498 (SCS367M), a
Y-type Leopard, in Carlisle in August 1981. Both are
operating cross- border services to Scottish villages.
[right] |
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| Photo
Facts |
North
Wales:
| Crosville (remember them ?) suffered
considerable competition around Chester during the late 1980's and
1990's. Devaway PWW708R, a former West Riding
T-type Leopard, is seen [below left] in Chester heading for
Mold (in Wales) in March 1991. They were bought by
Crosville's successor Arriva in 1998. |
| Wrights H408YMA, a Leyland
Lynx, is seen in Wrexham bus station in April 1992 [below right] competing
with Crosville Wales on the Chester route. They eventually
went bust in 1994. |
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South
Wales:
| Stagecoach 20870 (P870MNE) in
Newport (Wales) in June 2003 on the (73) service to Gloucester. [above
left] |
| Stagecoach former National Express
Plaxton/Tigers 931 (AAL575A) and 909 (AAL538A) in
Monmouth (Wales) in March 1998, heading for Ross-On-Wye (England) and
Chepstow (Wales). [above right] |
| First Plaxton/Javelin 172 (L6BMS)
in Newport on the (302) service from Swansea (Wales) to Bristol
in June 2003. [below left] |
| Arriva M945LYR, a Van Hool/DAF,
in Bristol on the long-standing Trawscambria service from Mid Wales in
August 2000. This service is jointly crewed by Stagecoach
and Arriva. [below right] |
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| Photo
Facts |
| Bus Eireann VC56 (96-D-52687),
a Caetano/Volvo in Newry bus station (Northern Ireland) in August 2003
heading for Dublin (Ireland) on the 200 service from Belfast. |
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Ireland |
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| Photo
Facts (clockwise) |
| When the Channel Tunnel was opened in
1994, it was suddenly possible to operate a direct bus service from
England to France. Caron Voyages from Boulogne and
Stagecoach East Kent therefore started a route, named Duo Line, to
connect Cite Europe shopping centre in Calais with
Canterbury. Crosskeys eventually replaced Stagecoach, but
the service stopped by 2002. Caron Voyages 5531RE62,
a standard Renault, is seen in Canterbury bus station in July 1999. |
| Quoi ? Do Stagecoach
really operate in France ? Well no actually, but they do
provide timetables for their Kent services in French. |
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| Photo
Facts (clockwise) |
National
Express and Scottish Citylink provide regular cross-border express
services. However there are more unusual ones such as the
following:
| CIE WVH22 (HZD596), a Leyand
Worldmaster with Van Hool bodywork in Buchanan bus station, Glasgow on
service from Ireland in June 1985. |
| Ships in the night (or the morning
actually). Ulsterbus 670 (AAZ1670), a Plaxton/DAF
prepares to leave Birmingham for Belfast (Northern Ireland), while Bus
Eireann VC137 (98D12154), a Caetano/Volvo arrives from
Waterford (Ireland) in August 1998. The Ulsterbus vehicle
only makes at as far as Stranraer in Scotland, whereas the Bus Eireann
vehicle crosses the water. |
| A Transline service (now marketed
under the Eurolines banner) has for many years provided a link to
Edinburgh from Germany. Menchen Setra BOR-BM-10 is
seen arriving in the rebuilt St. Andrews Square bus station in April
2003. |
| Summer Saturday mornings in Glasgow
provided some surprising vehicles on holiday express
routes. Chester 2 (B202 EFM), a Northern
Counties/Olympian prepares to depart for Llandudno in Wales in June
1985. |
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