Bus stops without access from/to the surrounding roads – for interchange only

[geoffk]

Elsewhere on the Forum, we’ve discussed railway stations with no access to/from the road network – Dovey Junction, Smallbrook Junction, Manulla Junction and several closed examples, notably Riccarton Junction. That they all are or were junctions is a clue to their existence. So what about bus stops?

Fairly near me is Drumbridges Roundabout, a large grade separated interchange between the A38 south of Exeter and the A382 Newton Abbot – Moretonhampstead (- Okehampton) road, along with a minor road towards Ashburton, which is the “old” A38.

There are two bus stops in laybys on the roundabout, served by three year-round bus routes (plus two summer-only ones) as well as the Falcon coach between Plymouth and Bristol. There’s no habitation nearby and it would be a challenge negotiating the slip roads etc. to reach the stops on foot. On several occasions I’ve seen passengers waiting and I assume the main use is by people from Newton Abbot changing to/from the Falcon. Depending on the route, drivers may have to drive all the way round the roundabout to check whether anyone is waiting. I haven’t yet worked out why there are two bus stops and which services stop at each.

Are there any other similar examples of an interchange-only bus stop like this?

 

[The exile]

Not quite the same but many years ago when living in Germany a regular journey involved changing buses at a tiny bus shelter in the middle of a forest at about 7pm. I’m sure there were houses somewhere in the vicinity but never saw any, nor anyone else on any occasion I had to do it. The fifteen minute wait was quite unnerving (no mobiles back then and the next bus was Monday morning). It was always a great relief to hear the elderly Mercedes bus grinding up the hill to then take me (usually in splendid isolation) the final 10 miles or so.

 

[Teapot42]

There are a few on the A19 in Co Durham - such as this one where you have to cross a 70mph dual carriageway on foot to get to it. Not quite the same as you are asking for, but hardly accessible to anyone who isn't very nimble on their feet!

I'm not actually clear if that is served any more as it isn't showing up on Google Maps as being a bus stop.

 

[geoffk]

There are a few on the A19 in Co Durham - such as this one where you have to cross a 70mph dual carriageway on foot to get to it. Not quite the same as you are asking for, but hardly accessible to anyone who isn't very nimble on their feet!

I'm not actually clear if that is served any more as it isn't showing up on Google Maps as being a bus stop.

There are some like that on the A38 and A380 in Devon, both 70 mph dual carriageways with crash barrier. There are a few properties adjacent but each stop is only really usable in one direction.

 

[embers25]

Elsewhere on the Forum, we’ve discussed railway stations with no access to/from the road network – Dovey Junction, Smallbrook Junction, Manulla Junction and several closed examples, notably Riccarton Junction. That they all are or were junctions is a clue to their existence. So what about bus stops?

Fairly near me is Drumbridges Roundabout, a large grade separated interchange between the A38 south of Exeter and the A382 Newton Abbot – Moretonhampstead (- Okehampton) road, along with a minor road towards Ashburton, which is the “old” A38.

There are two bus stops in laybys on the roundabout, served by three year-round bus routes (plus two summer-only ones) as well as the Falcon coach between Plymouth and Bristol. There’s no habitation nearby and it would be a challenge negotiating the slip roads etc. to reach the stops on foot. On several occasions I’ve seen passengers waiting and I assume the main use is by people from Newton Abbot changing to/from the Falcon. Depending on the route, drivers may have to drive all the way round the roundabout to check whether anyone is waiting. I haven’t yet worked out why there are two bus stops and which services stop at each.

Are there any other similar examples of an interchange-only bus stop like this?

The stops at Drumbridges are rarely used for interchange now although you can connect from the 39 to the 38 and vice versa. I've also changed from the 38 to the bus to Haytor before. Their main use is by people who drive to the stops and drop passengers for the Falcon. Also, people arrange taxis to pick them up and take them to Newton and Bovey. The ones on the A38/A380 @geoffk mentions are more fun as it's one thing getting off at them, but getting a bus to pick you up from them is really challenging and crossing over the crash barrier is 'fun'.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

There are a few on the A19 in Co Durham - such as this one where you have to cross a 70mph dual carriageway on foot to get to it. Not quite the same as you are asking for, but hardly accessible to anyone who isn't very nimble on their feet!

I'm not actually clear if that is served any more as it isn't showing up on Google Maps as being a bus stop.

I think that's Elwick and isn't served anymore.

 

[richard13]

On a different scale, how about Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station. Airport staff may use it for work, but everyone else uses it for interchange in very many different combinations. Whether the pedestrian access tunnel is still open I don't know - you can get a free bus.

 

[Teapot42]

I think that's Elwick and isn't served anymore.

Next village up, Hutton Henry. The X10 passes, but doesn't stop between Peterlee and Billingham. Elwick doesn't seem to have any service at all now.

Actually, that's thrown up another oddity, as Hutton Henry has two stops in the village itself, one on either side of the road, but served by different services. One is a circular so not so much of a problem, but one is the 58 from Hartlepool to Durham, so you can get from Hutton Henry to Durham but not vice-versa.

 

[JD2168]

Not sure if these are valid:

There are some bus stops on the A1 north of Doncaster near Skellow that were used when Arriva ran services along there, not the easiest for passengers to get to on a dual carriageway.

There is a bus stop on the A614 opposite Rufford Country Park that has no footpath to it, is a wooden shelter & has a 50mph road passing with a crest just before it. The only way to get to it is to either run across the road or use the crossing at the nearby junction & walk down a grassy area that is uneven & has a large slope to the side.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

In Northern Ireland, Goldliner services using the M1 motorway call at Tamnamore Park and Ride site (near Dungannon) - no habitation nearby and no footpaths.

In Norway connections between bus routes are quite often made at junctions / cross-roads in the middle of nowhere - in pre-mobile days it could be quite nerve-wracking and a bit more reassuring if at least somebody else was making the same move!

 

[Andyh82]

There are some stops on the A64 dual carriageway between Leeds and York that Coastliner use, but like other examples in this thread, I’m not sure how you’d make the return journey and get dropped off at the other side of the road with no safe way to cross

The ones at Hazelwood Castle were even a specified stop for the Cityzap service, but I think it was only there so the stops had the required distance between them to be classed as a local bus service. Looking on street view there aren’t even any stop flags

 

[Jimmi]

Next village up, Hutton Henry. The X10 passes, but doesn't stop between Peterlee and Billingham. Elwick doesn't seem to have any service at all now.

Actually, that's thrown up another oddity, as Hutton Henry has two stops in the village itself, one on either side of the road, but served by different services. One is a circular so not so much of a problem, but one is the 58 from Hartlepool to Durham, so you can get from Hutton Henry to Durham but not vice-versa.

There's a few bus stops along the A19 in that area, although they haven't been served for a very long time with the GNE X10 not serving them.

Elswick doesn't have a service as such (discounting Tees Flex) although the 3 days a week service 65 does appear to use this stop on the A19.

There's also a few along the A66 around Sadberge, this one not having any footpath leading to it, although this one is slightly more accessible, not that it matters as the Arriva X66/X67/831 don't serve them, although strangely the Moorsbus M3 to/from Darlington did used to use these stops for a while, can't say I'd have fancied my chances of getting it to actually stop there mind!

 

[GatwickDepress]

There are some stops on the A64 dual carriageway between Leeds and York that Coastliner use, but like other examples in this thread, I’m not sure how you’d make the return journey and get dropped off at the other side of the road with no safe way to cross

Looks like there were pedestrian crossings that were removed at some point after 2017, as can be seen in this Google Streetview snapshot of the Hazelwood Castle Hotel bus stop.

I suppose you now have to either take the long way round or recreate Frogger by dashing across the carriageway and hopping the barrier, hoping you don't get squished by a lorry.