Stagecoach Gold bus route X4

X4
Overview
Operator Stagecoach Midlands
Garage Kettering
Route
Start Northampton
Via Wellingborough
Kettering
Corby
Oundle
End Peterborough
Length 50 miles (70 km) approximately [1]
Service
Operates Daily

Stagecoach Gold bus route X4 is a bus route in England that links Northampton and Peterborough via Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby. This service is operated by the Stagecoach Midlands bus company.


Route

This route was launched on May 28 2000 as a Stagecoach Express service between Northampton and Peterborough.[2][3] In April 2004, the route extended from Northampton through to Milton Keynes.[4] Over the years, the X4 route has linked the main towns of the county of Northamptonshire with Milton Keynes and Peterborough enabling better east-west county public transport links than has previously been possible.[5] From end to end, the average journey time is 3 hours and 30 minutes and the distance approximately 70 miles (110 km)[1]

In May 2018, the service runs between Northampton and Peterborough only with Stagecoach X7 running between Northampton and Milton Keynes instead.


The X4 inter-urban bus service benefited from £4.4 million ODPM Growth Area Funding between 2003 and 2006 and has seen annual passenger numbers rise from 325,000 in 2003/04 to over 500,000 in 2004/05.[5]

Current route

Service

The service runs seven days a week. Monday to Saturday daytimes, there is an half-hourly service between Northampton and Peterborough.

Evenings and Sundays there generally is a two-hourly service between Northampton and Peterborough and a two-hourly service between Northampton and Corby. An hourly frequency on the core part of the route between Northampton and Corby.

To comply with drivers’ hours regulations, the route has registered in two parts between, Northampton & Corby and Corby & Peterborough. [6]

Vehicles

In November 2011, this route became a Stagecoach Gold branded one with Stagecoach Midlands spending £1.9 million on a fleet of 13 new Scania ADL Enviro400 buses based at the Kettering depot, halfway along the route. [7][1]

These buses have Lazzerini leather seats and free wireless internet [8][6] In 2010 the route benefited from investment in low floor buses when ADL E400-bodied MANs replaced Volvo Olympians, which led to a patronage growth of 7%. [8][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 On Stage - The newsletter of Stagecoach Group
  2. ↑ Transport 2000 Cambs and West Suffolk Newsletter 71 June 2000
  3. ↑ Peterborough Bus Times - Globe Studios - News Archive 2000
  4. ↑ Peterborough Bus Times - Globe Studios - New Archive 2004
  5. 1 2 North Northamptonshire Profile 2005 - Northamptonshire County Council
  6. 1 2 X4 Stagecoach Gold X4 - luxury at no extra cost - Timetables and fares
  7. 1 2 Stagecoach X4 route goes for gold - Coach and Bus Weekly
  8. 1 2 Stagecoach Gold Service getting a gold ticket to ride - Peterborough Telegraph
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