Trivia: where indirect routes are more frequent between towns

[Redmike]

For example, the quickest route from Burnley to Accrington is the 9 which takes 25 minutes however there are only 4 journeys per day.
The M1 bus also links Burnley and Accrington every 30 minutes but goes via Padiham on a less direct route taking 47 minutes.
Are there other examples where a more indirect route between two towns is the main route between them?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

There will be quite a few where simply the direct route has fewer chimney pots and so heading the long way round simply serves more traffic objectives.

Hexham to Newcastle is one - the hourly 685 takes 51 mins whilst the half hourly 10 takes 1h 19 but it does serve much of the lower Tyne Valley (Prudhoe, Blaydon) and the Metro Centre.

Another example, just discussed on another thread, is the Ilfracombe to Barnstaple route. The direct route is the hourly and tendered 301 (takes 40 mins) whilst the main 21 route goes via Braunton and Chivenor taking 57 mins. Further on the same route (21), this takes the old road to Bideford via Bickington, Instow etc which is almost a continuous stream of housing taking 32 mins, whilst a few services that head from Barnstaple via Bideford into the wilds like Hartland, bypass them (literally) and take about 20 mins.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Guildford to Knaphill - two buses per hour on Stagecoach South routes 34/35 taking 58/51 minutes respectively via Woking, but Falcon Coaches hourly route 28 takes 34 minutes via Worplesdon, Pirbright and Brookwood. From next week, following Stagecoach service changes, it will be a half-hourly frequency on the main route 34 now taking 59 minutes, vs Falcon's hourly but quicker route 28's 34 minutes.

Some more minor ones...

Woking to Addlestone - hourly on Falcon Coaches/White Bus route 456 taking around 35 minutes, but Carlone's four per weekday route 455 takes 20 mins.

Woking to Brookwood - hourly on Falcon Coaches route 28 taking around 32 minutes, but White Bus' three per weekday route 48 takes 24 mins.

 

[gc4946]

Between Ringwood and Ferndown town centres.

Morebus 38, 5 each way Mons-Sats, none on Sundays, via St Leonards and A31, takes 34 minutes.
Morebus X6, hourly, Mons-Sats each way, 5 each way Sundays, via Verwood and West Moors, takes 48-55 minutes.

 

[iantherev]

Blackwood to Newport - Stagecoach 151 every 15 minutes taking 1 hour 4 minutes (using former Gold Dart MMCs and Enviro 300s) compared with the 56 which is hourly taking 50 minutes (using anything Caerphilly depot chucks out on it).

 

[SteveHFC]

Fareham/Portchester to Portsmouth - FirstGroup X4 every 40-45 minutes direct via A27 and M275, FirstGroup 3 every 10 minutes via Paulsgrove, Cosham and North End.

Luton to Milton Keynes - Stagecoach MK1 hourly direct via M1, Arriva F70/F77 combined every 30 minutes via Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley.

 

[asb]

Middlesbrough to Hartlepool - 41 mins on the half hourly 1 via Seal Sands, or 70 mins on the 36 via Stockton which is every 20 mins (but was every 15 for many years).

 

[Kuyoyo]

Middlesbrough to Hartlepool - 41 mins on the half hourly 1 via Seal Sands, or 70 mins on the 36 via Stockton which is every 20 mins (but was every 15 for many years).

The 36 is still every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime - full frequency on a Saturday isn't reached until late morning.

 

[asb]

The 36 is still every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime - full frequency on a Saturday isn't reached until late morning.

Thanks. The perils of hurriedly checking times via Google Maps on a Friday evening!

 

[Snex]

There's quite a few around Newcastle:

Ashington to Newcastle, X20 vs X21/X22
Throckley to Newcastle, X82 vs 22
Cobalt to Newcastle, X39/22X vs 309
Killingworth to Newcastle, X63 vs 62/63
Sunderland to Newcastle, X24 vs 56
Chester Le Street to Newcastle, X12/X21 vs 21
Burnopfield to Newcastle, X71 vs 6
Whickham to Newcastle, X30/X31 vs 1 (was 97)
Blaydon to Newcastle, 12 vs 10

 

[noddingdonkey]

Huddersfield to Marsden 184 vs 185. (184 has a better peak service and runs after 2000)

 

[PTR 444]

More frequent route on left, faster route on right

Bournemouth to Wimborne, 13 vs 6
Bournemouth to RB Hospital, m1 vs X1/X2/X3/X6
Poole to Upton, 8/9 vs 10/40
Southampton to Lordshill, 17/19 vs 4
Salisbury to Durrington, X4 vs X5
Newport (Isle of Wight) to Sandown, 2 vs 8
Tolworth to Kingston, 281 vs 406/418

 

[61653 HTAFC]

One from the past- Huddersfield to Halifax had the frequent 503 (all stops via Elland) and the half-hourly at best X36 (limited stop via the Elland bypass). Think I read somewhere on the bus section that there's talk of reintroducing an express service between Huddersfield and Halifax.

 

[Deerfold]

One from the past- Huddersfield to Halifax had the frequent 503 (all stops via Elland) and the half-hourly at best X36 (limited stop via the Elland bypass). Think I read somewhere on the bus section that there's talk of reintroducing an express service between Huddersfield and Halifax.

The X36 used to be 4bph in the peaks, matching the 502/3/4 of the time but half the frequency off peak with no later evening service with the 503 increasing to 6-8 bph when it was withdrawn.

The current plan is for the 501/503 to be 8bph combined (it's not clear how that will be split and the 501 is a longer route) and a new X3 at an unspecified frequency to be introduced.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The X36 used to be 4bph in the peaks, matching the 502/3/4 of the time but half the frequency off peak with no later evening service with the 503 increasing to 6-8 bph when it was withdrawn.

The current plan is for the 501/503 to be 8bph combined (it's not clear how that will be split and the 501 is a longer route) and a new X3 at an unspecified frequency to be introduced.

Will the 'new' 501 be the same as the one that used to run in the evenings, running via the A640 and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary rather than direct up the A629 as per the 503? Makes sense in a lot of ways, the route via the hospital through Marsh and Lindley is much more densely populated compared to the leafy mansions along Halifax Road.

 

[Deerfold]

Will the 'new' 501 be the same as the one that used to run in the evenings, running via the A640 and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary rather than direct up the A629 as per the 503? Makes sense in a lot of ways, the route via the hospital through Marsh and Lindley is much more densely populated compared to the leafy mansions along Halifax Road.

That's what it does now, though there's only 4 in each direction most evenings. It was withdrawn Sunday daytimes but there are more on a Sunday evening.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That's what it does now, though there's only 4 in each direction most evenings. It was withdrawn Sunday daytimes but there are more on a Sunday evening.

Is it still just an evening thing then? It should really be an all-day service as it links two hospitals which are part of the same trust.

 

[Deerfold]

Is it still just an evening thing then? It should really be an all-day service as it links two hospitals which are part of the same trust.

As I said, the 343 did that during the day on weekdays, but by a much longer route. Leaving Sunday daytime the only time they're not linked.

The NHS trust used to run a bus linking the two (well, if still does, but now it's NHS staff only).

I suspect the delayed plans will see more 501s than we have now

 

[61653 HTAFC]

As I said, the 343 did that during the day on weekdays, but by a much longer route. Leaving Sunday daytime the only time they're not linked.

The NHS trust used to run a bus linking the two (well, if still does, but now it's NHS staff only).

I suspect the delayed plans will see more 501s than we have now

I did notice that none of the Huddersfield to Halifax routes were included in Saturday's service updates published on the Metro website.