Durham Travel Services G390 PNV in Newmarket – 2 Nov 1993 (209-08)

Tuesday 2 November 1993 – The winter 1993-1994 National Express schedules began on 1 November 1993 and with that a new, but only short lived facility which ceased after Sunday 15 May 1994, linked Bury St. Edmunds and Glasgow via Corby and the East Midlands.

For many years there had been services between Corby and Scotland originally created after many Scottish families relocated to work in the Corby steel making industry. Some of these services had been extended in the south to Cambridge then further extended in 1993 with the section to Bury St. Edmunds (the latter probably just to make the duty an 11 hour duty!)

The northbound service numbered 752 departed Bury St. Edmunds at 0720 travelling via Newmarket (0740), Cambridge (0815) then onward via Kettering, Corby and the East Midlands with an arrival in Glasgow at 1820. The southbound service departed Glasgow at 1100 arriving in Bury St. Edmunds at 2155.

The contracted operator was Durham Travel Services based in Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham. Plaxton Expressliner bodied Volvo B10M G390 PNV was new in June 1990 to United Counties Omnibus Company and was seen in the morning light at Newmarket bound for Glasgow.

The crew and a spare driver probably learning the route had not taken down the destination label for the southbound journey the previous day which contained the mis-spelling ‘ BURY ST EDMONS’ nor had they put up ‘GLASGOW’ on the destination display which I reckon would have been included on the blind.

The unfamiliarity of Newmarket resulted in the driver missing the entrance to the town’s small bus station so he pulled up on the road outside. In response for this posed shot I gave them directions how to get out of town!

National Express had changed the Newmarket pick-up point from Fordham Road to the Bus Station effective Monday 1 November 1993.