TRIVIA: Bus routes over 30 miles(not inc. NX, Green L, Oxf-Lon, TrawsCymru, Citylink)

[Bletchleyite]

How many of these are run under EU driving hours regs, and how many skirt them through that "connect for" dodge?

Stagey X5 (Oxford-Cambridge) uses the "dodge". I hope one positive effect of Brexit is to sort this one out - it's either safe enough to run UK style hours (in which case it should be allowed regardless of route length) or it isn't (in which case it needs to be tightened up to block the "dodge"). Putting a false destination on the display does not do anything for safety, it just confuses people.

 

[anti-pacer]

Erm i had a look at AA route planner & that says 48 miles via Burnley.

I meant it's over 30 miles.

 

[Statto]

X74 Dumfries-Glasgow
X95 Carlisle-Edinburgh
X99 Inverness-Wick-Thurso-Scrabster

 

[Tetchytyke]

How many of these are run under EU driving hours regs, and how many skirt them through that "connect for" dodge?

Up here AFAIK the only one left under EU regulations is the X9/X10 Newcastle-Middlesbrough express buses. It'll be interesting to see what Go North East do with those routes going forward as they are a killer for the buses, the buses they have now are clapped out and they're only four years old.

The 685 (both Stagecoach Cumberland and Arriva North East) uses the dodge twice, in Hexham and Brampton and the X15/X18 use the dodge in Morpeth and Alnwick.

 

[SCH117X]

Coastliner services from Leeds to Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington
E Yorkshire between Hull and York
Transdev Yorks very indirect York to Harrogate service via Ripon and all know villages

 

[221129]

In Stagecoach SouthWest land you have;

The Falcon - Plymouth - Bristol
155 - Exeter - Barnstaple Via Tiverton & South Molton
5B - Exeter - Barnstaple Via Crediton, Hatherleigh, Bideford.
1 - Exeter - Tiverton Via Bradninch, Cullompton, Uffculme, Samford Peverell.
46 - Exeter - Paignton Via Torquay
X64 - Exeter - Dartmouth Via Newton Abbot & Totnes

 

[Robertj21a]

Centrebus 19 Nottingham - Peterborough

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Coastliner services from Leeds to Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington
E Yorkshire between Hull and York
Transdev Yorks very indirect York to Harrogate service via Ripon and all know villages

Surprised you've not mentioned the other long Scarborough services

• Arriva X93 to Middlesbrough
• EYMS 121 to Hull

Both around the 50 mile mark! Sadly, it's been 35 years since the Scarborough to Ripon (128) was dislocated at Helmsley and so is only a mere 30 miles or so now!

 

[Bookd]

Up here AFAIK the only one left under EU regulations is the X9/X10 Newcastle-Middlesbrough express buses. It'll be interesting to see what Go North East do with those routes going forward as they are a killer for the buses, the buses they have now are clapped out and they're only four years old.

The 685 (both Stagecoach Cumberland and Arriva North East) uses the dodge twice, in Hexham and Brampton and the X15/X18 use the dodge in Morpeth and Alnwick.

A slight diversion, but what does the length of the route have to do with the buses being clapped out? The old United / Northern route 55 ran from Newcastle to Middlesbrough for donkeys years without problems.

 

[enrag2000]

The 253 (Edinburgh - Berwick - operated by Perryman's/West Coast Motors)) must clock in at over 50 miles.

Mention of West Coast Motors:

423 Oban-Ardrishaig.
449 Lochgilphead-Campbeltown.

 

[Statto]

Coastliner services from Leeds to Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington

Already mentioned in the OP

X41 Red Express Blackburn-Manchester is just short of 30 miles at 29.1 miles.

 

[danpick]

X18 Newcastle-Berwick via Morpeth, Widdrington, Acklington, Alnwick, Seahouses and every village up the coast must be lengthy. Takes a good 4hrs.

Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Well its split 3 times, so I think its well over 60 miles.

131 Newcastle - Jedburgh/Kelso (68.2 miles)
808 Newcastle - Bellingham (32.9)
21 X21 Newcastle - Bishop Auckland (30.1)
x10 Newcastle - Middlesbrough (41 miles) express route

Not sure on the following in terms of how it's registered but it picks up at local stops
B66 Newcastle - Blackpool (153.8 miles)

The current X7 which ends tomorrow is split at Peterlee.

 

[ivanhoe]

X5 Llandudno to Caernarfon , connecting at Bangor. Just over 30 miles, I think

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A slight diversion, but what does the length of the route have to do with the buses being clapped out? The old United / Northern route 55 ran from Newcastle to Middlesbrough for donkeys years without problems.

I don't know how "clapped out" the current X9/10 fleet is. However, it's not the mileage but the type of service. The 55 was a leisurely trip across Co Durham whilst the X9/10 spends a fair time with high speed running bombing up and down the A19.

 

[anti-pacer]

Centrebus 19 Nottingham - Peterborough

That's a revelation. I remember this service only going as far as Oakham.

So now it's possible to travel all the way from Nottingham to Norwich by normal service buses with just one change.

 

[johnnychips]

So now it's possible to travel all the way from Nottingham to Norwich by normal service buses with just one change.

Nottingham to Great Yarmouth, if it's the X1.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

until it was withdrawn in august I think the 701 Aberystwyth-Carmarthen- Cardiff would have been a contender for the longest local bus service in the UK.. certainly in Wales at an eye watering 127 miles... luckily although it was a bus service it was operated with coaches!

 

[randyrippley]

Isn't there still a Manchester-Lake District via M61/M6 bus which bypasses Preston and Lancaster? I'm sure I saw it on the motorway a couple of weeks ago

 

[anti-pacer]

Nottingham to Great Yarmouth, if it's the X1.

I could be wrong but I think the X1 operates in 2 sections now, with a change of bus in Norwich.

 

[Dai Corner]

until it was withdrawn in august I think the 701 Aberystwyth-Carmarthen- Cardiff would have been a contender for the longest local bus service in the UK.. certainly in Wales at an eye watering 127 miles... luckily although it was a bus service it was operated with coaches!

It's back in the guise of the TrawsCymru T1C (so doesn't count) operated by First under contract to the Welsh Government. They will use a Volvo B7RLE .

More details in this thread
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53747&page=83

 

[johnnychips]

I could be wrong but I think the X1 operates in 2 sections now, with a change of bus in Norwich.

You are absolutely right.

 

[507021]

Not a current route, but the Arriva North West 700 (Liverpool John Lennon Airport-Manchester City Centre) was over 30 miles long.

 

[Flying Snail]

X99 Inverness-Wick-Thurso-Scrabster

Also in that part of the country;

X97 Dunbeath-Wick-John O' Groats-Gills Bay

And depending on how you look at it, 77 Wick-John O' Groats - 80 John O' Groats-Thurso. Different route numbers but most operate through as one sevice.

Plenty of routes in Northern Ireland also would qualify, although nearly all would be operated with coaches.

 

[johnnychips]

Plenty of routes in Northern Ireland also would qualify, although nearly all would be operated with coaches.

Opposite happened to me. I was waiting for a bus at Chimney Corner expecting the destination of Ballymena but when it turned up it had Portrush as its destination and I was pleased as I was just travelling randomly. It arrived in Ballymena bus station, picked a load of kids up and dropped them off at a school, then I was the only person left on. It went back to Ballymena bus station, and I got sworn at by the driver! ("You were meant to f****** change!")

 

[PermitToTravel]

X26 has to be.

Definitely not. No TfL routes use tachographs, and there are certainly none using "connect for"

 

[AnonymousUser1]

How many of these are run under EU driving hours regs, and how many skirt them through that "connect for" dodge?

I believe the X53 Poole to Exeter is in the former category!

yet according the the lorry steering wheel operatives the British driving hours regs are safer as are log books / running boards vs tachos ...

 

[backontrack]

888 Newcastle-Alston-Keswick has to be up there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Any of the Durness Bus services would count too, I think.

 

[Tetchytyke]

A slight diversion, but what does the length of the route have to do with the buses being clapped out? The old United / Northern route 55 ran from Newcastle to Middlesbrough for donkeys years without problems.

Reliability has dropped off a cliff. Internally they're good buses in good nick, but they keep breaking down. And they are not an unreliable model of bus.

Its not the length, it's the fact the route is fast along the A19, meaning the bus is running flat-out at high speed for most of the 100-minute journey. Not really suited to an urban bus.

 

[route101]

888 Newcastle-Alston-Keswick has to be up there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Any of the Durness Bus services would count too, I think.

Never heard of Newcastle to Keswick bus , how often does it run?

 

[ARN556B]

Never heard of Newcastle to Keswick bus , how often does it run?

Operated by Wright Bros Coaches of Nenthead, Alston, Service 888 one return journey per day from July to September. Please see the following link

http://www.wrightbros.co.uk/timetables.html