Rail replacement buses? Whisper it, they’re not all that bad - Ismail Mulla
When I first heard of the disruption, thanks to the multi-billion pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), my reaction was to run for the hills. However, in recent weeks I’ve found that it’s actually not all bad, whisper it, the buses are actually good.
Sure, the journey times between my hometown of Dewsbury and Leeds are extended by 15 minutes and it is pot luck as to whether you have the plush coach or the standard rickety bus to get you to your destination, but it works.
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Hide AdThere is none of the angst that comes with the lottery of travelling by train - will it get there, won’t it get there? Are the lines clear? Will there be enough space to actually get on?


I’d resorted to playing ‘excuse bingo’, seeing what elaborate excuse the operators would have for disrupting the journey. There were some real humdingers pre-Covid. Such as passengers being told to vacate a train because “the driver's seat had collapsed”. The irony was not lost on those of us who had stood for what seemed an eternity for a train to get going.
Then there was the announcement that the train would be slowing down because someone was allegedly shooting at the train. Now I’ve seen my fair share of action movies, perhaps too many for my own good, and if they are anything to go by then surely speed is of the essence.
But what the rail replacement buses have shown is that operators can organise transport when they aren’t given excuses to take advantage of.
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Hide AdThe buses have also shown the value of human capital. Rather than hiding behind a tannoy or worse still automated announcements, the staff have been hands on making sure passengers are getting onto the right buses.
So why would people not just ditch the trains and get on regular public buses, some may ask? Well, that’s what has been happening with the £2 bus fare cap proving a roaring success. It will be interesting to see what impact raising the cap to £3 would have on passenger numbers.
Very little was said of that announcement's impact on ‘working people’. Buses are often jammed with them in the morning.
That is also the case for the rail replacement buses. The salesman making early calls, the cleaning staff bracing themselves for a long day of graft and students preparing for a day of lessons.
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Hide AdIt’s a reminder of why public transport is so important. You want to grow the economy? Bring down unemployment? Improve education? Tackle climate change? The answer is right there.
While I may have espoused the virtues of the rail replacement bus, it’s not exactly sustainable. You can’t have so many staff running around for a limited number of passengers (numbers do drop when the trains get cancelled).
There’s also no getting away from the fact that it does take a lot longer. Even the replacement services that go direct have to navigate traffic. While regular bus services can’t just travel to one destination without stopping, it’s just not feasible.
So once the upgrade work is delivered, we need a return to a new, improved normal where passengers in the North can board a train without the miasma of misery that comes with an unreliable network.
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Hide AdIt’s why I’ve been more forgiving of the delays around the TRU project. The £11.5bn project involves electrifying the 76-mile route, building new tracks, installing digital signalling equipment and upgrading stations.
The project, set to complete in 2033, will increase capacity – allowing eight more trains to run each hour and supposedly improve reliability.
It’s also set to cut journey times, meaning that people can travel between York and Manchester in 41 minutes and from Leeds to Manchester in 33 minutes.
Let's hope these things are finally realised because in my lifetime all we’ve had is promises of jam tomorrow.
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Hide AdIt was interesting to see the Government say that it was “laying the ground” for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Making promises in opposition and in the early days of government is easy. Seeing them through is a whole other thing.
Whatever happens, you can rest assured that this bus of strivers will continue to trundle along and continue to plug away.
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