[TRIVIA] Longest Dead Runs

Flange Squeal · 20 Sep 2019

I just wondered what some of the longest (mileage) dead runs out there are, be it between the start/end of routes and the depot, or between journeys on interworked routes.

RailUK Forums

Great_Western · 20 Sep 2019

Back when Rotala's Wessex in Bristol was a thing, they used to have a park and ride contact in Bicester Village. Avonmouth to Bicester must be up there in terms of empty miles I should think.

bussnapperwm · 20 Sep 2019

Great_Western said:
Back when Rotala's Wessex in Bristol was a thing, they used to have a park and ride contact in Bicester Village. Avonmouth to Bicester must be up there in terms of empty miles I should think.

They had a local base in Bicester which is now administratively part of Hallmark connections

alangla · 20 Sep 2019

Bound to be some Edinburgh to Blantyre (Parks) or Cumbernauld (Stagecoach) runs on the Citylink 900. That’s 40 miles plus.

Welshman · 20 Sep 2019

Llew Jones International provides 2 coaches in Nat.Express livery for Service 375 - Bangor to Great Yarmouth.

The positioning move from Llanrwst to Bangor works in service as No.6B at 0655 Fridays and 0705 Not Fridays. I doubt there are many passengers at that time of day, but wonder what the occasional one would think when a fully-liveried National Express Coach turns up!

There's no return 6B - I suppose the return arrival of the service from Great Yarmouth is too unreliable to work an advertised service run back to depot. Also, I suppose if there are no passengers on for Bangor, the coach could use the A470 as a short-cut from Llandudno Junction to Llanrwst.

The dead mileage in that case is about 12 miles - but if the coach has to go right to Bangor, it would be 24.

transmanche · 20 Sep 2019

Arriva's peak time X85 from Newcastle to Hexham runs back empty, presumably either to Haymarket Bus Station or to Jesmond depot - about 24 miles.

robk23oxf · 20 Sep 2019

Stagecoach West have some vehicle run empty between Stroud and Bath (30 miles).

Simon75 · 20 Sep 2019

Arriva North West
First 130 East Didsbuy to Macclesfield
Last 130 Macclesfield to East Didsbury
15 miles (Gaw End Lane outstation to/From East Didsbury)

First 38 Crewe to Macclesfield
Last 38 Macclesfield to Crewe
Gaw End Lane outstation to/From Crewe) 20 miles

RustySpoons · 20 Sep 2019

Transdev CityZap between Manchester and Leeds could have been a contender? Ran from Queensgate in Burnley, but some buses had to run to/from Ainley Top or Leeds to start/end service.

Eyersey468 · 20 Sep 2019

East Yorkshire'longest dead mileage run is Elloughton depot to Eastoft in Lincolnshire.

Yorks185 · 21 Sep 2019

GNW (former First) route 100 has one dead run from Cheetham to Hollins Green on a morning,at around just under 14 miles

First Hunslet Depot has dead runs on a morning to Huddersfield & Emley for the contracted runs on 232 at about 20 & 17 miles (later running dead from Wakefield to Middleton)

When Connexions take back on the Otley local network,that will involve dead milage of around 20 miles

Stagecoach Preston has a dead run from Preston depot to Crosby & Liverpool on X2,at about 30 & 37 miles (unless they outstation vehicles at Gilmoss?)

jamesontheroad · 21 Sep 2019

In terms of an entire fleet, rather than one route, KonectBus in Dereham must clock up a shed load of dead heading miles. At least 15, maybe 20 of their buses run empty to/from Norwich every day to run the Park & Ride and city routes, which is a 30 mile round trip. Not all of them can be booked onto the 8, which seems to have its own fleet. You sometimes see two or three of them dead heading in convoy on the A47.

Do that six days a week and you’re adding 9,000 miles a year to each vehicle.

scosutsut · 21 Sep 2019

Every member of First's Bright Bus Tours fleet is doing 40 miles round trip dead mileage from Livingston Depot to Waverley Bridge in Edinburgh and back every day. Not sure how many make the run daily though.

mm333 · 21 Sep 2019

Does the PC Coaches Louth Nipper come in from Lincoln every morning? That's 26 miles from depot to bus station.

cnjb8 · 21 Sep 2019

Yourbus have multiple buses that go dead to Matlock, Ripley, Ashbourne, Belper, Ilkeston, Derby and Nottingham from Heanor.
Littles buses go dead to Alfreton, Belper, Matlock, Ripley, Sutton, Crich and Clay Cross from Ilkeston.
I realise only a few of you will know were these places are but they a quite far away from each other.

James0804 · 21 Sep 2019

My local the Compass bus 99 does a dead run from Worthing to Petworth everyday, which is 20 miles in each direction.

Simon75 · 21 Sep 2019

High Peak run some services around Macclesfield, which is about 15 miles from Dove Holes garage

causton · 21 Sep 2019

I realise that this doesn't happen every day but Uno frequently seem to swap buses between their Hatfield and Northampton depots - at 53 miles probably straight down the M1 and A414 (ex-M10) that must be a fun ride for the drivers!

On a normal day, the 724 I believe is resourced only from Harlow depot and starts one run eastbound at St Albans - that is some dead run of 23 miles!

ag51ruk · 21 Sep 2019

D&G have a couple of Sunday contracts in Chester and Wrexham, which are well over 20 miles from the depots at Crewe or Wincham

175mph · 21 Sep 2019

Hornsby Travel, based in Scunthorpe and generally run services in Scunthorpe, Brigg and some rural areas the other side of the Trent, however, they also run a town service around Barton-Upon-Humber, and they don't have any outstations, plus I've seen an out of service Hornsby bus go down the A15 and M180 before.

Statto · 21 Sep 2019

Stagecoach have a couple of X2s that run dead from Preston to Liverpool, some run dead Preston to Crosby/Ainsdale & Southport

randyrippley · 22 Sep 2019

Statto said:
Stagecoach have a couple of X2s that run dead from Preston to Liverpool, some run dead Preston to Crosby/Ainsdale & Southport

Morecambe depot has several school service positioning and return runs between Lancaster and Preston each day, while Kendal depot has one morning school positioning run to Morecambe/Lancaster and I believe others to Barrow

SCH117X · 22 Sep 2019

Yorks185 said:
When Connexions take back on the Otley local network,that will involve dead milage of around 20 miles

Connexions have existing workings their on the 940 and they are not taking back the whole network - the 962 and 965 still its seem being Transdev. Transdev have empty workings between Knaresborough or Boroughbridge and York which they did originally timetable as service workings which add up to a significant amount each day simply through a service using vehicles solely based at York rather than running it also from Starbeck, Harrogate.

Andyh82 · 22 Sep 2019

Maybe not in the current timetable but Yorkshire Coastliner have had dead runs from Leeds to Malton in the past, and do still have dead runs from Tadcaster to Malton.

MotCO · 22 Sep 2019

Not many entries from London, which might be expected. However, the last X26 of the day, which arives at Heathrow at 00.31, appears to run dead back to Croydon, a distance of between 20 and 23 miles depending on the route taken. Can any London routes beat that?

MotCO · 22 Sep 2019

MotCO said:
Not many entries from London, which might be expected. However, the last X26 of the day, which arives at Heathrow at 00.31, appears to run dead back to Croydon, a distance of between 20 and 23 miles depending on the route taken. Can any London routes beat that?

I may be able to beat that myself! If the X68 does not return as a scheduled plain 68, then Russell Square to Camberwell Garage is 21 miles.

Alexbus12 · 22 Sep 2019

First Oldham run the evening 2 service, with the dead run from Oldham to Bolton, which according to Google maps is about 18- 20 miles

Man of Kent · 22 Sep 2019

MotCO said:
I may be able to beat that myself! If the X68 does not return as a scheduled plain 68, then Russell Square to Camberwell Garage is 21 miles.

Something not right here. Russell Square-Camberwell is 4 miles; and 8 miles from that garage to West Croydon.
21 miles would enable Arriva to run it out of their Dartford depot!

MotCO · 22 Sep 2019

Man of Kent said:
Something not right here. Russell Square-Camberwell is 4 miles; and 8 miles from that garage to West Croydon.
21 miles would enable Arriva to run it out of their Dartford depot!

Doh! I used Google maps and quoted the minutes, not the miles :oops:

. The distance is 4 miles.

Busaholic · 22 Sep 2019

MotCO said:
Doh! I used Google maps and quoted the minutes, not the miles . The distance is 4 miles.

With bus regulation and traffic conditions, it just feels like 21 miles. :lol:

[TRIVIA] Longest Dead Runs

Established Member

RailUK Forums

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

On Moderation

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Member

On Moderation

Established Member

Member

On Moderation

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member