On Jan 27, 9:31*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:00:34 +0000 (UTC), wrote:

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 02:52:32 -0800 (PST)
George wrote:
Perhaps we should have a team of shrinks on every Oxford Tube/Espress
coach into London then? Most users seem to be commuters not students.

No doubt including you otherwise how would you know?

Well George does get around but not sure he's done London - Oxford or
even Oxford - London on a regular basis.

I doubt they travel all the way into central london unless they like
sitting in traffic jams. Sometimes paying extra for the train really
is worth it.

If people don't commute then I wonder why Stagecoach - not exactly known
for unnecessary largesse - provide wifi, free newspapers and breakfast
on board morning departures from Oxford to London. *They also offer
season tickets and will combine them with a London Travelcard for
regular travellers. I don't see that being a regular student purchase.

Far be it for me to correct an esteemed poster such as yourself...
well, actually I'm afraid that's exactly what I'm going to have to do!
The free breakfast unfortunately got dropped sometime last year (I
think) - the free newspapers remain (Independent only - but I dunno if
there was ever any choice?), as of course does the free wifi (the
competing Espress has that these days too) - see http://
www.oxfordtube.com/benefits.html.

I dunno about arrangements in the past for a combo Oxford Tube and
London Travelcard season ticket, but if that was once on offer it
ain't any more these days - but of course, these days most regular
commuters coming in to London on the Oxford Tube/Espress would in all
likelihood find Oyster PAYG more suitable for their onward LU journey
across London

Though none of that undermines you underlying point - the £1,160
annual or £2,120 biennial season tickets offered by Oxford Tube aren't
likely to be a regular student purchase (though I guess a postgrad or
two might have bought them).


While I don't disagree with you that train commuting may be more viable
or that the M40 / A40 might resemble hell in the rush hour that doesn't
mean people do not use the coaches. * Oxford - London is a rare example
of coaches having really grown the market for travel and where
competition does seem to keep both operators on their toes. *I'm not
sure that First Great Western care one jot because they're there to run
the franchise the government has specified come what may.

Agree with the essence of all that. I think, looking at the respective
coach and rail fares, it's possible to detect a subtle degree of
acknowledgement on the part of FGW to the existence of the coach
services in the way the rail fares are priced.

One interesting question that springs to mind (and I'm sure it's not
original) is whether or not the existence of the coach services might
have actually held back the development of the train service from
Oxford to London - on the one hand I can see an argument that it might
have done so (e.g. there would otherwise have been a greater clamour
for a better train service), whilst on the other hand one can
postulate that it wouldn't really have made much if any difference.

However I think one can certainly make an argument about the impact of
the coach link on Oxford - these ultra-frequent services have no doubt
been a factor when it comes to people making decisions about where to
live and work... which is where this thread began! (Though I rather
suspect we've all managed to scare off the OP!)

A couple of final thoughts... one (again hardly original) is to wonder
whether (and if so how) the new Chiltern Railways link from London to
Oxford might affect the viability of the coach services (some way off,
but ultimately I doubt it'd present a major challenge to the business
model). Second thought is to wonder whether the positive impression of
a really decent coach service might have rubbed off on a few of the
Oxbridge alumni who have (and yet will) go on to assume positions of
influence later in life, and whether there might be any 'Oxford Tube
effect' in the decisions they might help mould and make. Though
perhaps their memory is just of puking out the door at Lewknor Turn.