swt class 450
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The route QUAYCONNECT bus service in Southampton (operated by Go Ahead South Coast) is another very short one taking just 7 minutes total.
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[Trivia] Shortest Bus Routes In The UK
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NeilWatson
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Route 389: Barnet The Spires to Western Way
London's shortest bus route
Length of journey: 1.65 miles (<10 minutes)
Courtesy of www.diamondgeezer.blogspot.com, who blogged a very interesting series about London’s ten shortest bus routes over the first week in January.
London's shortest bus route
Length of journey: 1.65 miles (<10 minutes)
Courtesy of www.diamondgeezer.blogspot.com, who blogged a very interesting series about London’s ten shortest bus routes over the first week in January.
Rosso service 13 between Rawtenstall and New Hall Hey is a 6 minute round trip
http://www.rossobus.com/service.shtml?serviceid=7678
http://www.rossobus.com/service.shtml?serviceid=7678
tbtc
Veteran Member
The Stagecoach Fife 92 takes fourteen minutes to do a round trip - https://bustimes.org/services/92-david-russell-hall-st-andrews-circular (one bus, every twenty minutes)
The Moffat & Williamson (ex Stagecoach Fife) 68A does a round trip in sixteen minutes, the 68B takes seventeen minutes for a round trip - both are from the Crossgate to suburban Cupar and back again - https://moffat-williamson.co.uk/timetable/service-68
(not in the same league as the various interesting answers on this thread but I wanted to contribute to an enjoyable discussion)
Bradford Traveller used to have a very short service used as a staff shuttle from Bradford Interchange to the bus depot but I can't find details of it now. Can't have been much more than half a mile, and probably not used by many members of the public (but cost effective to register the staff shuttle as a regular service to claim fuel duties at the time?)
The Moffat & Williamson (ex Stagecoach Fife) 68A does a round trip in sixteen minutes, the 68B takes seventeen minutes for a round trip - both are from the Crossgate to suburban Cupar and back again - https://moffat-williamson.co.uk/timetable/service-68
(not in the same league as the various interesting answers on this thread but I wanted to contribute to an enjoyable discussion)
Bradford Traveller used to have a very short service used as a staff shuttle from Bradford Interchange to the bus depot but I can't find details of it now. Can't have been much more than half a mile, and probably not used by many members of the public (but cost effective to register the staff shuttle as a regular service to claim fuel duties at the time?)
Zamracene749
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From Four Lane Ends Interchange in Tyneside, these two services are both a brief four minutes end to end. https://nexus.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/bus/218-gct-030918.pdf , https://nexus.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/bus/068-sin-020918.pdf
Tetchytyke
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Stagecoach Newcastle's 68 takes four minutes to go from Four Land Ends to DSS Tyneview Park, a distance of 0.8 miles.
There used to be the S1 MetroCentre circular, which went from the bus station to Ikea then back through the car park, with a tital running time of 7 minutes (including padding!) but Go recently added the loop to their X66 service.
There used to be the S1 MetroCentre circular, which went from the bus station to Ikea then back through the car park, with a tital running time of 7 minutes (including padding!) but Go recently added the loop to their X66 service.
DavidGrain
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Going way back in history to the 1950s, I think Midland Red route 224 from Bearwood to Warley must have been one of the shortest routes. It was only about 2 miles. I don't know how long the journey actually took because there were never any services listed in the timetables. I did see it running however many times. I think it just ran to supplement the 124, 214, 229, and 233 routes which covered the same route
LancasterRed
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Technically free but technically not: Lancaster has a registered 'Sugar Bus' that runs direct from the nightclub to the university underpass. You need a stamp otherwise you have to pay to board. The 1:50 and 2:30 only stop at Bowerham on request so this can take as quick as 6/7 minutes. Definitely not the shortest in length though, but time - maybe?
I don't know what Preston Bus/Lancaster City Council(?) are doing with their park and rides nowadays but these could also be contenders.
I don't know what Preston Bus/Lancaster City Council(?) are doing with their park and rides nowadays but these could also be contenders.
Slower Travel
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That's some dedication! Takes me forever to write anything up (blatant plug alert: https://slowertravel.co.uk/).
...and we have a new co-champion. Didn't think we'd get below about 7 or 8 minutes, but under 5 mins is great going.
No-one mentioned Keighley's K8?
https://bustimes.org/services/k8-keighley-bus-station-keighley-asda-circular
It rarely takes the allowed 7-8 minutes. It serves only 3 stops including the start and end points. It usually has fewer than 6 passengers on a double decker. It's 0.4 miles.
https://bustimes.org/services/k8-keighley-bus-station-keighley-asda-circular
It rarely takes the allowed 7-8 minutes. It serves only 3 stops including the start and end points. It usually has fewer than 6 passengers on a double decker. It's 0.4 miles.
A little longer is Huddersfield's 200 which mostly operates as a staff shuttle from the Depot to the middle of Huddersfield, just over 2 miles away.
https://bustimes.org/services/200-huddersfield-old-fieldhouse-lane
https://bustimes.org/services/200-huddersfield-old-fieldhouse-lane
peterblue
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I wonder if this is the shortest route that requires a fare (i.e. not a free shuttle service to the nearest supermarket/rail station)
That's almost hilarious given large chucks of many towns have bus services that require passengers to walk further to get to a bus stop.
The R9 (quoted by the Diamond Geezer) is a circular route, but does have a 'destination' of Ramsden Estate. From Orpington Station to Ramsden Estate, the journey can be as little as 6 minutes (out of peak, avoiding Orpington High Station).
The historical route could refer to the 854 (Orpington Station to Chelsfield Station, with variations).
AlastairFraser
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Reading Buses Connect Henley services 151 and 153 both fit the bill at 19 and 9 mins each respectively. Though the 152 doesn't by a few minutes. All Henley-on-Thames town services that are quite necessary,given that Henley is very spread out.
swt class 450
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I think i may have found a winner (if it is allowed). The Crawley Asda Free Bus service (operated by Go Ahead Metrobus) has a journey time of just 3 minutes from one end to the other. It basically just shuttles back and fourth between the two bus stops of Crawley Bus Station and Crawley Asda all day (which is only a five minute walk). Now i know you said that supermarket free bus services were not allowed however this is a fully registered bus service and the full range of normal Single/Return/Day tickets are sold. Officially it is a paid service but passengers travelling to or from Asda for the purpose of visiting this supermarket travel for free on it. If you are using it but not shopping at Asda then you are meant to pay. Of course this is never enforced (it would be impossible to anyway as how would the driver know if an alighting passenger was going to go in to Asda or if a boarding passenger had just came out of Asda) and everyone just walks on without any questions from the driver. But it is still officially a paid service with the ticket machine fully programmed to issue the full range of Single/Return/Day tickets for passengers who are not using it to visit the Asda supermarket (even though it is not enforced and they have probably never sold a ticket on it in its entire twenty plus years of operation).
Seems to be about the same distance as the K8. Coincidence they're both Transdev.
It seems to be longer by road than either the 13 or the K8 above.
Slower Travel
Member
It is allowed, but I'm afraid it's not a winner.
https://bustimes.org/services/asda-asda-crawley-town-centre-asda
It's timetabled as a circular, so its total route time is 9 minutes. Anything under 10 mins is a great find (I can feel a list coming on), but 4 mins is still the time to beat!
Slower Travel
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Just found another 4 minute route, this time the 763 in Consett:
https://bustimes.org/services/763-consett-consett
https://bustimes.org/services/763-consett-consett
Dai Corner
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If being a registered local bus service is going to allow inclusion then there's the A1 Blackwood Interchange - Asda at 5 mins and about a mile.
A mile? Massive!
Busaholic
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A couple from the past which aren't record breakers, but both provide interesting 'extras'. The details I've gleaned from the recent book 'Green All Over' by Peter Aves. an excellent coverage of London Transport's Country (green) Bus operation from the mid 1950s until the end with the dawn of 1970. The mostly black and white photos complement the text well, and few have been seen before in print.
The 476B was a Crawley local route introduced in 1956 to provide works journeys to the Manor Royal industrial area from Tilgate, but in 1963 was diverted away to the newly developing Furnace Green. A photo in the book shows a crew operated double deck RT reversing at Furnace Green, ready for its 5 minute journey to Crawley Bus Station, an all day 30 minute service, so one bus running for 10 minutes per round trip with 20 minute terminus time! The photo shows only bare fields 'ripe for development', with one lone tree and a pylon a few hundred yards away: any housing actually built must be behind the photographer! I suspect, however, that the route still provided a peak extension to Manor Royal, so couldn't be included in any record attempt.
A T class AEC Regal single decker is pictured in the same book operating the 7 minute peak journey from Rainham Crossing to the Emox works at Tilbury Ferry sometime in the 1950s. This apparently required FOUR buses! It had to be converted back to crew operation with Ts from the more modern omo RFs because it took too long to collect the fares. The route was withdrawn in 1959 after Emox flatly refused to pay for LT's losses on the route: just showing that providing four full (in one direction) buses requiring eight personnel for a limited period of time did not equate with profitability.
The 476B was a Crawley local route introduced in 1956 to provide works journeys to the Manor Royal industrial area from Tilgate, but in 1963 was diverted away to the newly developing Furnace Green. A photo in the book shows a crew operated double deck RT reversing at Furnace Green, ready for its 5 minute journey to Crawley Bus Station, an all day 30 minute service, so one bus running for 10 minutes per round trip with 20 minute terminus time! The photo shows only bare fields 'ripe for development', with one lone tree and a pylon a few hundred yards away: any housing actually built must be behind the photographer! I suspect, however, that the route still provided a peak extension to Manor Royal, so couldn't be included in any record attempt.
A T class AEC Regal single decker is pictured in the same book operating the 7 minute peak journey from Rainham Crossing to the Emox works at Tilbury Ferry sometime in the 1950s. This apparently required FOUR buses! It had to be converted back to crew operation with Ts from the more modern omo RFs because it took too long to collect the fares. The route was withdrawn in 1959 after Emox flatly refused to pay for LT's losses on the route: just showing that providing four full (in one direction) buses requiring eight personnel for a limited period of time did not equate with profitability.
DavidGrain
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I have also read a book about London Country Buses but it was about the services post LT during the National Bus era. Although I now have, since moving house, all my books on shelves, I have not got them in order so I cannot look this up. Apparently there was a bus which ran each lunch time from the company's head office to a local pub. This was only ever used by employees although it was licensed as a public service with its own route number. Sorry I can't provide any more details.
Slower Travel
Member
I'm heading for a day in the hills over the weekend, and stumbled across a bus which I don't think can be beaten for brevity:
https://bustimes.org/services/flx-hebden-bridge-railway-stn-hebden-bridge-hope-s
It's the FLX, which only runs once per night from Hebden Bridge railway station to Hope St, just 2 minutes away.
There's a major caveat in that it will carry on for a few more miles on request, but as none of those stops are timetabled, it looks like this could be our winner. Or, at least it is for now
https://bustimes.org/services/flx-hebden-bridge-railway-stn-hebden-bridge-hope-s
It's the FLX, which only runs once per night from Hebden Bridge railway station to Hope St, just 2 minutes away.
There's a major caveat in that it will carry on for a few more miles on request, but as none of those stops are timetabled, it looks like this could be our winner. Or, at least it is for now
This doesn't run every night, just Friday and Saturdays.
https://www.wymetro.com/media/3078/flx-new-timetable-20-may-2018.pdf
I'm not sure the other spots not having timetabled times makes this the shortest route. Does it ever not run past Hope Street? It may win for most difference in route length between different days.
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