Are there any commuters who would make the switch in order to try and save the 773 coach service from Berkhamsted to London? Apart from the large financial savings, it must be more reliable than the train! User or potential user - please email us: talk2us@optimumbus.com

By optimumbus at 10:02 on 21/01/11

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If I were to consider using it, I would need timetable, price and route map.
Why not post it here?

By alibongo22 at 12:27 on 22/01/11
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@alibongo:

The service is operated by Marshalls Coaches and the relevant link is below:-
http://tinyurl.com/4kgaakx - fares and other relavent info can be found at the same place.

@optimumbus:

yes, I would use the service - I have used it but only once for a single journey - but for the fact that there is only one journey each way per weekday AND it takes a lot longer than the train, AND (despite what you say) it is less reliable than the train. I don't want to be/ can't be restricted to the one journey coming back from London.

I would only consider using a bus or coach to London an hourly service every day could be run with extra journeys at peak times. You'll probably be aware that such a service has operated in the past, but the fact is that this cannot be economic, especially with fuel prices as they are now. There was an experiment to reinstate St. Albans to London coach services, but after a year they were withdrawn - last Christmas - due to insufficient demand.

When I used the service, Marshalls used a driver plus someone else to collect fares (!) and sell coffees/teas. A nice touch (many travellers were regulars of course) but not sustainable.

By crozzie at 18:38 on 22/01/11
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I like the idea of using the coach, but it's completely impractical for me. My hours of work vary wildly so the one-time-only timetable is no good, and the coach doesn't drop off anywhere near my workplace, so I'd have to take a tube or bus to the office, adding more time and expense. Is it really more reliable than the train? What about traffic/accidents/roadworks? I agree with crozzie - if there were frequent coaches I'd consider it, but I expect that just isn't economically viable.

By AmandaCarter at 15:17 on 23/01/11
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I like the idea in principle, it just fails on two fronts - the same way bus services in general fail for many people who don't normally use it..

Firstly there's that fear of standing at a bus stop with no way of knowing whether it's on time/late/not coming/already gone.
Secondly you need a map, not a timetable to visualise which stop is best for you - spending 15 minutes over google maps, swearing about the fact that supposedly useful bus stop numbers are in fact no use at all...

So, although it clear the bus/coach much cheaper - but ease of use & to minimise unknowns, the better the devil you know...the train.
sorry...

By alibongo22 at 13:20 on 26/01/11
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New commuter bus route 793 between Aylesbury and London Moorgate, passing Tring and Berko starts Friday 1st April (good choice !). Timetable and other contact details here : http://tinyurl.com/4gqqje3

By crozzie at 12:43 on 18/03/11
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I gather that few people did use this coach (minibus) service to London and it ran for the last time last Friday (1 year after starting up). Who knew it even ran ??

By crozzie at 22:14 on 30/04/12
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Many years ago, I spent some time having to commute to the south.
I gave up the train after 6 months (in the days when they went 'choo choo') and used the green line (run by London Transport).
The service was cheap, reliable and fast.

Then they 'improved the rail service, Berkhamsted became a haven for London refugees, you could no longer get a bus from Berkhamsted to Birmingham, Glasgow or most other places.

I think it's a cunning plan to get the public used to doing one thing , say, commuting to work, and then upping the fares/fuel costs, reducing alternatives but the simple principal of privatising everything. You can't even get a bus to hospital from the town now (or a train, come to that).

We get what we deserve, I'm afraid.

By N Cutting at 07:11 on 01/05/12
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It's still listed on th MET Coaches website http://tinyurl.com/czohfrl
We didn't look into running it any further because MET were going to take it over.

By optimumbus at 13:57 on 01/05/12
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The Intalink site [http://tinyurl.com/3dw3yr] says it finished last week. I suspect the demand for a single return journey just isn't there.

By crozzie at 21:17 on 01/05/12
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