Trivia: Bus routes that cannot use double decker vehicles

[dpsilverba]

Include First Solent Route 1 as that interworks with the 3 on a 3-1-1-3 Diagram

Aye - didn't think about that bit! Cheers


Den

 

[nw1]

Stagecoach routes 34/35 between Guildford and Camberley aren't able to be operated by double deckers due to the low railway bridge in Woking. Slightly frustrating as this is an incredibly busy route during the peaks, with full and standing loads not uncommon.

I seem to recall the bridge height was changed as I remember back when the routes were run by Arriva, they sometimes sent out double deckers (usually Volvo Olympians).

Indeed, I remember in the late 80s - Alder Valley days - a good number of 34s (around 50%) were double deckers.

 

[satisnek]

Trentbarton's Skylink Nottingham between Nottingham and Coalville cannot use double-deckers due to low bridges in both Long Eaton and Coalville, but they have opted out of 'deckers since the early noughties.

So it's quite academic, but the V3 service is restricted by the brick arch railway bridge at Willington (presumably dating back to the line's construction in the 1830s). Even single deck buses have to drive in the middle of the road to go under it.

 

[Malaxa]

TfL 276 and 488 in East London are especially recommended to connoisseurs of low bridge routes each passing beneath several on their tortuous journeys. Both Bow and West Ham garages are sited inconveniently next to some of those obstructions. The busy West Ham station is only served by the former route.

 

[Statto]

Because of the castle walls around the Town Centre all routes going through Conwy don't have deckers allocated (the 5, 5D could do with deckers) although low height deckers have been used in the past as the clearance is 12 feet.

 

[PG]

Do buses still travel through North Bar Gate in Beverley? They used to use specially shaped deckers with the sides of the top deck curving inwards to allow them to pass through. If it's still used I imagine it is saloons only now.

I don't believe that buses have been through Beverley Bar for over 50 years after a bypass was built.
source: A pictorial tribute to the National Bus Company 1981 by D.R. & A.J. Kennedy

 

[RDP]

Stagecoach South East have the following.

638 Faversham-Whitstable and 666 Faversham-Ashford due to a low bridge at Faversham railway station although until the road was raised as it was prone to flooding deckers did run that way.
G Ashford town service due to a low bridge in Newtown Road.
Thanet Loop due to a low bridge in Margate.

 

[SoloSR334022]

McGill's Midland Bluebird run the X38 Edinburgh to Falkirk via Linlithgow, and it can only use single deckers due to the Linlithgow Railway Station bridge and Union Canal bridge futher up the road towards Edinburgh

 

[dvboy]

28 Great Barr to Heartlands Hospital. 96 Kingstanding to Chelmsley Woood. Summer Road erdington bridge.
66 Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham. Erdington Station bridge.
71 Chelmsley Wood to Sutton Coldfield. 64 Nechells to Minworth Peddimore. X64 Birmingham to Minworth Peddimore. Park Lane Castle Vale bridge.
27 Frankley to Yardley Wood. Bournville Station Bridge.
Apparently the Bournville Bridge is too low even for electric single decks so one day will be likely have to be rerouted away from it.
17 Birmingham to Tile Cross. The Radleys bridge.
39 Walsall to Stowlawn. Bridgeman Street Bridge.

8A and 8C Inner Circle is always single deckers, I believe it's because of the rail bridge over Highgate Road.

 

[WM Bus]

8A and 8C Inner Circle is always single deckers, I believe it's because of the rail bridge over Highgate Road.

BYD E400 and E400 MMC are passable under the bridge.
So it is possible that when Perry Barr receive the new electric decker's some of these may be used on the 8A/8C in the coming months.
The whole of the current decker fleet as well as a number of omnilinks at Perry Barr are apparently due to be replaced. So there will no longer be any chance of risk mistakes.

Only B7/ALX400 or E400MMC are allowed under bridge. Trident, Gemini, E400 and Scania are too tall, so ON will have a total ban for safety

Bordesley Garage - Page 28

Bordesley Garage - Page 28

wmbusphotos.com

It has probably been 2 decades since the 8 last saw a decker at least, as from it opening in 2005 the 8A/8C was at Bordesley Green Garage until it closed in 2020, where the garage itself was unable to operate double decker's I think.

I believe diamonds Kidderminster Garage are unable to operate double decker's as well.

 

[SSmith2009]

So it's quite academic, but the V3 service is restricted by the brick arch railway bridge at Willington (presumably dating back to the line's construction in the 1830s). Even single deck buses have to drive in the middle of the road to go under it.

Similar to the Barkby Road bridge in Leicester where buses tend to drive towards the middle of it, when First's electric buses (GB Kites) were introduced to the fleet last year questions were raised over their height but luckily they fit.

 

[JD2168]

Stagecoach East Midlands:
97 Retford to Gainsborough can’t use deckers.

Arriva 42 between Selby & York can’t use anything bigger than an Enviro 200 due to I believe a bridge weight restriction.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Anything serving Sandwell and Dudley station due to the Traffic Regulation Order on the rail bridge.

Service 11/11A Dudley - Walsall due to low trees.

I believe diamonds Kidderminster Garage are unable to operate double decker's as well.

although Redditch might send a decker or two in the Kiddy direction when they do their Sunday duties/Rail Rep that way. Access for buses into the depot at Kiddy is via the roundabout (the low bridge access under the roundabout is one for cars). First, when they ran it, had Olympians 31455, 34287 and 34289 allocated to Kiddy at one stage. (Source - midlandred.net)

It has probably been 2 decades since the 8 last saw a decker at least, as from it opening in 2005 the 8A/8C was at Bordesley Green Garage until it closed in 2020, where the garage itself was unable to operate double decker's I think.

Yeah. IIRC the roof was a low one as it was also the offices for NX Bus.

 

[Statto]

Route 487 on the Wirral (Liverpool to Neston), has a low bridge in the Neston area.

Funnily enough most routes in Neston back in the day used to be allocated deckers, the predecessors to the 487 (87, 88) & the 22 Chester - West Kirby (C22, C23 later 22, 23) often had Bristol VR, & VRTs & Leyland Olympians allocated, but all the buses were low height deckers.

 

[WM Bus]

although Redditch might send a decker or two in the Kiddy direction when they do their Sunday duties/Rail Rep that way. Access for buses into the depot at Kiddy is via the roundabout (the low bridge access under the roundabout is one for cars). First, when they ran it, had Olympians 31455, 34287 and 34289 allocated to Kiddy at one stage. (Source - midlandred.net)

Were those Olympians allocated to Kidderminster maintained at Kidderminster or at Redditch/Worcester?

Redditch normally allocate 2 Streetlites to the Sunday Kidderminster 3/52. Normally the 68 plates 32224 and 32228.

I don't think they've ever allocated a decker, though I don't know of anything that would prevent them doing so.

 

[davehsug]

There were many routes in Stoke & North Staffordshire that could only operate single deckers, some years ago even the deckers had to be low roof varieties. For many years, there were no double deckers at all operated by First Potteries, it's only been in the last few years that they've made a comeback. Mostly because there are hardly any routes left now anyway!

 

[anfieldmods]

I'd be interested to find out some examples of bus routes that cannot use double decker vehicles due to the fact that the route involves passing under a low bridge or due to something like a weight limit on a road.

I know this applies to the X8 Bristol to Nailsea route, the 273 route between Devizes and Urchfont and Service 3 between Hanley and Crewe but I'm sure there are other examples?

168 castleford to Leeds due to low bridge in Swillington.
135/6 chequerfield round service again due to low bridge.

 

[jumble]

I'd be interested to find out some examples of bus routes that cannot use double decker vehicles due to the fact that the route involves passing under a low bridge or due to something like a weight limit on a road.

I know this applies to the X8 Bristol to Nailsea route, the 273 route between Devizes and Urchfont and Service 3 between Hanley and Crewe but I'm sure there are other examples?

In Harrow and Wealdstone there is a bridge under the WMCL just north of the station which is on the H10 H9 route
it is 13ft 3 inches high
It used to have RLH busses as Route 230
in 2007 Timebus had a running day and we were lucky enough to go under it on the top deck of an open topper routemaster and the bridge ceiling was very close
So does this bridge qualify for your trivia question?

I wonder if having a bus do this in service would be allowed nowadays)

Timebus' 20th Anniversary, 2007- News

timebus.co.uk

 

[mikeg]

I believe Arriva Yorkshire 42 can't due to the nature of the old bridge in Cawood.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Pretty sure everything operating in Dumbarton Town centre has to be single deck as the railway rings the North and East sides of the town with low bridges. Dumbarton garage only operates single dockers.