From Hants to Dorset

Dorset is no longer a dirty word on Omnibuses, following our recent attitude survey. The overwhelming majority of those who responded—over 99 per cent—were content with once-in-a-while Dorset posts

The most surprising thing about the Echo’s brief interview with Greyhound’s Alex Warner was the reporter’s northern accent. I somehow expected a soft Dorset burr to introduce Greyhound’s westward migration out of Hampshire to Bournemouth, commencing 1st May. Time was when a local journo would grow up in and with her own area. That was once the local medium’s strength. Instead, she sounded like Liz White of Life on Mars.

The second thing was how very good-natured the interview was and not at all probing. Because there was nothing controversial? A new Greyhound London service may catch the imagination but given existing coach & rail, why was it needed? Was extra legroom and a free newspaper enough to differentiate Greyhound? Rhetorical question, but why were fares so close to National Express’ and Megatrain’s? And, was the proposed service sustainable given the admission that about ¼ of all seats would sell for £1.50?

The third interesting thing was that the hesitant reporter chose to start by asking, “Why was Bournemouth chosen as the next destination to extend the Greyhound coach service?” This implies others. Did she make an assumption? Was she prompted? Did she overhear something? Does the reporter know something we don’t? You don’t invest in a managing director like Alex Warner without expecting more. More, that is, than the current Hampshire to Londons, and now Dorset.

NatEx already operates some 22 departures a day twixt Bournemouth and London. Greyhound promises two. The average NatEx journey time is 2hrs 53 mins, though if you take out the indirect services, this reduces to 2 hrs 40 mins on average, on the 16 direct 035 journeys, usually operated by contractor Transdev Yellow Buses. Will Greyhound get under the 2 hrs 30 min barrier? NatEx invariably stops at Ringwood, above, seeing quite an impressive service for its size. NatEx reacted to Greyhound UK’s Portsmouth and Southampton services, offering more direct routes and lower fares (could they get much lower?). How will it react in Bournemouth? By reducing Ringwood?

Unlike NatEx, as well as the travel exchange, Greyhound chooses to stop in Bournemouth town centre, by the pier. For those who don’t know, the travel exchange is by the rail station and slightly off-centre, though it’s easier for onward bus travel for many suburbs, avoiding the town itself. NatEx calls it the coach & rail station, placing “coach” first.

Greyhound may be part of the iconic brand that you have seen for almost a hundred years in film and fiction, as Warner put it (though it dates from 1926), but in England at least the operation has proven slicker, quicker, and attractive to a wider range of people than you might find Stateside.

Rail to London is around two hours and costs £84.20 standard return, reducing to £41.20 off-peak. Megatrain has four off-peak departures, with yield managed fares of between £5 and £16 single.

i Fiona Pendlebury of the Bournemouth Echo on Greyhound

Also from 1st May comes a kind of Greyhound ‘plusbus’ where you can add Southern Vectis and Hovertravel to your Greyhound Portsmouth-London ticket. A bargain from £8.50 to get to Pompey. That’s bus, hovercraft and coach from the Wight Island to London.