Rail Replacement Driver

Drives rail replacement bus services all over London without getting lost 🚍🌎

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@J0HN0_O @Bemsee_Racer @British_Airways Definitely. BA have confirmed a third party was taking the vehicle away. This party knew that airside vehicles have no MOT so have used the reg of a similar looking bus with tax and MOT, resulting in the enforcement notice to the registered keeper.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

Dear @British_Airways ,

Why was this vehicle displaying a cloned numberplate that is assigned to me? It has your colours and branding, seen in Heathrow? The real identify is likely a bus you numbered BU0461 with the real reg LL07 HPE, previously FLY 747T.

Please get in contact.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@JoshRsC10 @British_Airways The bus was new in 2007. While operating for British Airways, it didn't need tax or MOT for its airside duties and under its real reg would have been exempt on airport roads to access the maintenance facility. However a third party collecting it would need tax and MOT or a tow.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@toiletduck23 @TravellinTrukka @British_Airways There are a few 2011 Citaros operated by a different company with full BA staff shuttle branding. The 2007 Citaros like the one in the post were owned and operated directly by BA, some still are.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@ken20132 @awfulstrawful @British_Airways I did previously reach out to them directly through their customer services, so they had a fair chance.

The bot response asked if I needed help with bookings, baggage, flight disruption, claims & refunds or BAEC. I don’t think any of these would help with a query of this nature.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@Roblossentossen @R3venantO @British_Airways Thanks. Try searching the vehicle registration on Flickr or Google. There are also Facebook enthusiast groups for many operators and different geographic areas.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@R3venantO @British_Airways It’s a bit different with this type of bus. Unlike cars, pretty much every single one has a fan following and a catalogue of photos online. Irregularities are very easily spotted. The real bus has a different bonnet and indicator lights.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@Bemsee_Racer @British_Airways Southern Perimeter Road is landside.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@TravellinTrukka @British_Airways They had a batch of 38 Mercedes Citaros doing airside shuttle work, all except one had numberplates starting with BU07. Anyone who’s flown from gate A10 at Heathrow T5 may have come across them. It looks like they are gradually being replaced with new Cobus vehicles.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@British_Airways Only got a bot reply. None of the options offered are relevant to the nature of this query.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@AnthraxOnTampax @TfL Please tell me that bus turned left there 🫣

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@StephenTaylor70 @RMTunion Rail replacement is never brought in to cover strikes. If anything, the train operators cancel the rail replacement if engineering works fall on a strike day. I own a bus company that pretty much exclusively does rail replacement

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@gatsbynextdoor BAD protocol should be applied in cases like this - block and delete after the first request and keep it stepping.

Why would a woman want a man who is desperate enough to give a handout before a first date?

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@AndyBraben @CoyModemKnight The instruction for serving Welwyn Garden City frequently changes between underneath the Howard Centre and stop G in the bus station.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@SouthernRailUK @stewstealey Always happy to help!

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@JoeMKetchum2 @SouthernRailUK Usually normal sized buses stop at either Cooksbridge or Plumpton, but not both. If doing both it has traditionally been a minibus.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@astupidnumber +1 you wasn’t wrong!

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@lolam00nx @tfwrail It’s meant to be by the statue towards Cardiff. That’s where I stop. And there are always people waiting at the stop by the bridge which is the wrong side, but I stop and call them over.

[Rail Replacement Driver @RovingRJ]

@nationalrailenq @ianshepherd That’s the last train of the day to Cambridge North. The railway has a contractual obligation to provide onward transport. See clause 28.2 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel. Staff at Cambridge would have been best placed to assist.