England and Wales interurban bus map

[Ken H]

Between Leeds and Otley there is also the 33/34 operated by First Leeds. Go through Horsforth, Rawdon and Guiseley, so to the south of the X84. Takes a little longer but handier for certain parts of Leeds centre and also parts of West Leeds. I was in 2 minds whether to suggest these routes cos they are less quick, but I thought the OP should decide. GThe map is getting a little busy round there!

You have the 72 Skipton - Grassington (Transdev). There is a 72A and 72B that run north from Grassington to Buckden. They are part of the same timetable (it was a through service till about 10 years ago). OK Buckden is a one horse town...

I think some selected railways would help. There is a huge hole in bus provision. Harrogate - Skipton - Kendal - Keswick - Penrith - Carlisle - Newcastle - Darlington - Harrogate. But the Lancaster - Carlisle line and the Settle - Carlisle line offer a short cut through that area. Also the Cumbrian Coast line fills in the gap Barrow - Workington. I am not suggesting overlaying the whole rail network over your map. Just where they do the job of a local bus where there is no bus.

 

[GusB]

Without wanting to appear rude, if your latest version is the one at https://preview.redd.it/9aqvsyqkhek...ed&s=d12645be82528981d9f3e31dab44c880761f7949
then these are not yet correct:

I think we should allow some time for any suggested improvements to be implemented!

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Devon, the 21 terminates at Westward Ho! not Bideford. There's also a 21A, same as the 21 except that west of Bideford, it goes to Appledore instead of Westward Ho!

Oxfordshire, you're missing the 23 from Didcot to Henley on Thames.

West Sussex, you're missing the 271/273, the more direct links from Crawley to Brighton

 

[Parebunks]

Argh, this is piling up a bit, thanks for the interest! To clarify, when I say I've fixed something, I mean I've done it on my private version. There's enough suggestions now that it will probably take me till tomorrow or Tuesday to get though them, so please do check back in the thread if you're suggesting something to check that it hasn't come up already.

 

[Bread & cheese]

Reading to Bracknell should be 4, X4 not 3.

 

[Ken H]

@Parebunks
One for your 'nice to have' list. Can you make the route numbers a hot spot to a timetable. Maybe bustimes.org, or maybe the bus companies website.
maybe worry about it at 3am!

 

[billio]

Argh, this is piling up a bit, thanks for the interest! To clarify, when I say I've fixed something, I mean I've done it on my private version. There's enough suggestions now that it will probably take me till tomorrow or Tuesday to get though them, so please do check back in the thread if you're suggesting something to check that it hasn't come up already.

You are doing a fantastic job.

This should be done nationally with funding. If bus journeys are going to cost £2 for a few months at least some of the subsidy could be spent on providing information about bus services.

@Parebunks
One for your 'nice to have' list. Can you make the route numbers a hot spot to a timetable. Maybe bustimes.org, or maybe the bus companies website.
maybe worry about it at 3am!

All of the larger bus companies should be using the same user interface with timetables as web pages not PDFs and if possible real time bus locations. As an example the Transdev's app is very useful.

 

[Parebunks]

One for your 'nice to have' list. Can you make the route numbers a hot spot to a timetable. Maybe bustimes.org, or maybe the bus companies website.
maybe worry about it at 3am!

Unfortunately not, as that would require me to expand my technological prowess beyond dragging circles around on a screen!

All of the larger bus companies should be using the same user interface with timetables as web pages not PDFs and if possible real time bus locations. As an example the Transdev's app is very useful.

Hard disagree on that - although bustimes.org and similar were useful for this, I find PDFs much better for actually using, largely as they don't need a connection.

 

[JKP]

Well done. Very impressive.

Could I point out that Dolgellau is spelt wrong.

Could I also suggest that the 131 Newcastle to Jedburgh is included. Whilst this route only runs once per day each way, there are some others shown eg 236 Launceston to Liskeard that are also infrequent.

It is of course your map and your criteria.

 

[Deerfold]

I think we should allow some time for any suggested improvements to be implemented!

I wasn't trying to rush the OP, but as they said they'd fixed them (except for ones they have an explanation for) I thought they might have overlooked them.

All of the larger bus companies should be using the same user interface with timetables as web pages not PDFs and if possible real time bus locations. As an example the Transdev's app is very useful.

I much prefer a PDF. Fortunately the Transdev sites can also deliver that.

To clarify, when I say I've fixed something, I mean I've done it on my private version.

Fair enough.

 

[Parebunks]

Right, implemented most suggestions - not Surrey, as I couldn't fit routes there on, or Uno's Cranfield routes, as I forgot they take so much longer than the X5. Light version, dark version. I'll also go back and change past links, to make that easier.

 

[30907]

This is fascinating stuff, so just a couple of corrections.
Bromley-Croydon 119 is every 12min not every 30-60.
Bromley-Orpington, the direct routes are 208 (every 12) and 61 (every 15 but a couple of minutes quicker). The 358 you mention is rather more roundabout.

I agree with showing the 24 from Ripon - hardly an interurban route, but there's space enough in the Dales...

And pedants like me say there are fewer buses, not less buses

 

[Parebunks]

This is fascinating stuff, so just a couple of corrections.
Bromley-Croydon 119 is every 12min not every 30-60.
Bromley-Orpington, the direct routes are 208 (every 12) and 61 (every 15 but a couple of minutes quicker). The 358 you mention is rather more roundabout.

I agree with showing the 24 from Ripon - hardly an interurban route, but there's space enough in the Dales...

And pedants like me say there are fewer buses, not less buses

Bromley routes are too frequent to put on if that's the case, I think I'll just expand the void a bit. Have added the 24, not sure why I didn't before.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

More Devon corrections to make @Parebunks

- The 885 terminates at a village after Seaton called Beer.
- The 164 extends from Kingsbridge to Salcombe
- The 377 extends to Chulmleigh from Creidton
- Exmoor Sunseeker between Ilfracombe and Lynton is also missing, as is the 301 from Barnstaple to Combe Martin via Ilfracombe.
- The 12 extends from Paignton to Brixham, and you're missing the 18 Brixham Kingswear too

And in Somerset, the 96 goes via Crewkerne, which the 54 doesn't. Also missing from the map is the 99 from Taunton to Chard, which goes via a completely different way to the 30

 

[Parebunks]

More Devon corrections to make @Parebunks

- The 885 terminates at a village after Seaton called Beer.
- The 164 extends from Kingsbridge to Salcombe
- The 377 extends to Chulmleigh from Creidton
- Exmoor Sunseeker between Ilfracombe and Lynton is also missing, as is the 301 from Barnstaple to Combe Martin via Ilfracombe.
- The 12 extends from Paignton to Brixham, and you're missing the 18 Brixham Kingswear too

And in Somerset, the 96 goes via Crewkerne, which the 54 doesn't. Also missing from the map is the 99 from Taunton to Chard, which goes via a completely different way to the 30

Almost all of those are intentional - not enough room to put all of those smallish places on. I have added a few, along with other suggestions and some legibility improvements up North, to this new version: light, dark.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Almost all of those are intentional - not enough room to put all of those smallish places on. I have added a few, along with other suggestions and some legibility improvements up North, to this new version: light, dark.

Ah fair enough makes sense

 

[PTR 444]

And in Somerset, the 96 goes via Crewkerne, which the 54 doesn't. Also missing from the map is the 99 from Taunton to Chard, which goes via a completely different way to the 30

Crewkerne doesn’t appear on the map. The 96 is shown as paralleling the 54 for nearly all of its length despite this not being the case in real life. It would be better to move this line roughly halfway between the 54 and X51/X53 (or shift the latter further south) so that it is clear that the 96 runs on its own route. It would make sense to add Crewkerne on the map if you parallel this line with the 6 south of Yeovil before turning left.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Crewkerne doesn’t appear on the map. The 96 is shown as paralleling the 54 for nearly all of its length despite this not being the case in real life. It would be better to move this line roughly halfway between the 54 and X51/X53 (or shift the latter further south) so that it is clear that the 96 runs on its own route. It would make sense to add Crewkerne on the map if you parallel this line with the 6 south of Yeovil before turning left.

Which is what I just said right now lol. and I agree with you

 

[tbtc]

Some minor suggestions in this neck of the woods… (as ever, huge credit to the OP, phenomenal work, and good feedback about some of the limitations when it comes to some of the suggested changes, I’d suggest places like South Shields but there’s simply not space to include everywhere):

Hulleys run an hourly 257 from Sheffield to Bakewell (Castleton on summer Sundays), if there was space to show Bamford, that’s where it crosses the 272 route in the Hope Valley (or Grindleford/ Eyam where it crosses the 65)

Denby Dale is on the X1 from Holmfirth to Wakefield but has the 94 (94a, 94b) to Barnsley too, plus the infrequent 353 from Holmfirth to Barnsley passes through Denby Dale

In West Yorkshire, the 163 is every fifteen minutes from Leeds to castleford, running similar to the 164 (on the map) as far as Garforth. I know that not every urban route can be showed but there seems to be space north of Castleford so I hope it’s not too unrealistic to suggest

Further up the Pennines, is there space for Crook (X46 to Durham, X1 to Bishop Auckland/ Darlington, quite a few buses for somewhere that remote)?

 

[Ken H]

7 and X70 do the same route Wetherby - Harrogate

You need the A1 Leeds - Leeds Airport.you could put a 'town' where the A2 and A3 diverge, call it Leeds Airport and terminate the A1 there.

Do you care some buses are limited stop. The X84 does not observe many stops in Headingley. Or is that too complicated?

 

[Parebunks]

Some minor suggestions in this neck of the woods… (as ever, huge credit to the OP, phenomenal work, and good feedback about some of the limitations when it comes to some of the suggested changes, I’d suggest places like South Shields but there’s simply not space to include everywhere):

Hulleys run an hourly 257 from Sheffield to Bakewell (Castleton on summer Sundays), if there was space to show Bamford, that’s where it crosses the 272 route in the Hope Valley (or Grindleford/ Eyam where it crosses the 65)

Denby Dale is on the X1 from Holmfirth to Wakefield but has the 94 (94a, 94b) to Barnsley too, plus the infrequent 353 from Holmfirth to Barnsley passes through Denby Dale

In West Yorkshire, the 163 is every fifteen minutes from Leeds to castleford, running similar to the 164 (on the map) as far as Garforth. I know that not every urban route can be showed but there seems to be space north of Castleford so I hope it’s not too unrealistic to suggest

Further up the Pennines, is there space for Crook (X46 to Durham, X1 to Bishop Auckland/ Darlington, quite a few buses for somewhere that remote)?

Added Denby Dale and the 163! Crook would fit in by itself, but it would bloat Durham too much to add X46, annoyingly.

7 and X70 do the same route Wetherby - Harrogate

You need the A1 Leeds - Leeds Airport.you could put a 'town' where the A2 and A3 diverge, call it Leeds Airport and terminate the A1 there.

Do you care some buses are limited stop. The X84 does not observe many stops in Headingley. Or is that too complicated?

Altered 7/X70 - A1 would take up too much room. Limited stop routes would be too complicated to do, especially as the point of the map is to show routes between town centres.

If there aren't any/many more suggestions, I'll post a 'finished' version tomorrow, any ideas on anything else I could do with it?

 

[SCH117X]

7 and X70 do the same route Wetherby - Harrogate

Not neccessarily - a number of X70s run almost as shown (not all the way on the A661).Given however other differing routes are shown the same elsewhere (Skylink Nottingham and Skylink Express for examle) it would make sense to simplify them.

NB Its Pateley Bridge no Pateley Bridge that the 24 runs to from Harroagte. If you moved Harrogate and Ripon northwards as previsouly suggetsed there should then be roo mto show Leeds Bradford Airport which otherwise seems an odd omission given for example East Midlands Airport is shown.

 

[Andyh82]

I’d include both the 576 & 681 between Halifax and Bradford, both are reasonably seen as the direct route between the two places

I’d probably change that 508 line to be more of a straight diagonal line between Halifax and Leeds, the fact it looks to be going through the heart of Arriva country looks a bit strange


The Pontefract Selby bus is also the 476 not the 176 by the way

 

[Parebunks]

NB Its Pateley Bridge no Pateley Bridge that the 24 runs to from Harroagte. If you moved Harrogate and Ripon northwards as previsouly suggetsed there should then be roo mto show Leeds Bradford Airport which otherwise seems an odd omission given for example East Midlands Airport is shown.

Thanks, corrected spelling - key takeaway from this has been that I can't spell British town names at all. I've already moved Harrogate and Ripon north once so hesitant to do it again, but will play around and see what works.

I’d include both the 576 & 681 between Halifax and Bradford, both are reasonably seen as the direct route between the two places

I’d probably change that 508 line to be more of a straight diagonal line between Halifax and Leeds, the fact it looks to be going through the heart of Arriva country looks a bit strange

The Pontefract Selby bus is the 476 not the 176 by the way

Thanks, all fixed.

 

[Andyh82]

Your 590/1/2 is the wrong way round, it’s the 590 to Rochdale, the 591/592 to Burnley

I’d possibly add the 444 for Leeds to Wakefield and 163 from Leeds to Castleford but remove the 186 (it’s an hourly round the houses service)

Elsewhere, I’m not sure Derby to Nottingham being marked as ‘Various’ is that necessary, in constrained formats such as this map, it’s common place for the three services to be marked as “RA, IGO & i4” (TrentBarton’s Red Arrow, Indigo and i4 services)

Bristol to Weston is the X1, ‘excel’ was just a brand name, it never lost its actual service number and ‘excel’ is defunct in any case, it’s branded Badgerline now

Redruth Falmouth in Cornwall is the U2 not U3

Penzance to St Ives should also have LAND run by First (it’s every 2-3 hours at this time of year but hourly in summer).

If you want to include summer only services Newquay to Padstow also see hourly ATLA services (run by First)

And finally if you want to future proof, it’s pretty much nailed on that the Sunseeker in Somerset will be an extension of the Coaster (“EXMO” when it returns in a few months

 

[Parebunks]

Your 590/1/2 is the wrong way round, it’s the 590 to Rochdale, the 591/592 to Burnley

I’d possibly add the 444 for Leeds to Wakefield and 163 from Leeds to Castleford but remove the 186 (it’s an hourly round the houses service)

Elsewhere, I’m not sure Derby to Nottingham being marked as ‘Various’ is that necessary, in constrained formats such as this map, it’s common place for the three services to be marked as “RA, IGO & i4” (TrentBarton’s Red Arrow, Indigo and i4 services)

Bristol to Weston is the X1, ‘excel’ was just a brand name, it never lost its actual service number and ‘excel’ is defunct in any case, it’s branded Badgerline now

Redruth Falmouth in Cornwall is the U2 not U3

Penzance to St Ives should also have LAND run by First (it’s every 2-3 hours at this time of year but hourly in summer).

If you want to include summer only services Newquay to Padstow also see hourly ATLA services (run by First)

And finally if you want to future proof, it’s pretty much nailed on that the Sunseeker in Somerset will be an extension of the Coaster (“EXMO” when it returns in a few months

Thanks, changed most of those! I'm not including summer services where there's a year-round equivalent, so missed out ATLA and LAND. Any source on the Coaster/Sunseeker? Have changed it, but curious to see how it will work.

 

[chiltern trev]

Cumbria.

X4/X5 add Cockermouth to give Workington - Cockermouth - Keswick.

Then add 600 Cockermouth - Wigton - Carlisle.

599 is Bowness - Windermere - Ambleside - Grasmere.
Bowness - Windermere is shared with the 6.
Windermere - Ambleside - Grasmere is shared with the 555.

508 is Windermere - Ullswater - Penrith of which the Ullswater - Penrith is all year.


Lancaster
40/41 is Lancaster - Garstang - Preston
42 is Lancaster - Garstang - Blackpool.

Southport.
The 300 does not route share with 44/47/X2.
The 300 is a completely different route between Southport and Liverpool.

Hexham
685/684/10 all do Hexham - Corbridge then separate.
10 is a south of the Tyne route into Newcastle
685/684 are North of the Tyne routes into Newcastle.

Newcastle
308/309 being North of the Tyne do not route share with X24 which is south of the Tyne.

 

[gc4946]

You're filling a gap in bus passenger information, I've never seen a nationwide comprehensive map of interurban bus routes presented before.
I believe the former National Bus Company pre-deregulation produced a summary booklet of key routes nationwide in addition to their specific operator timetables and maps.

 

[daodao]

@Parebunks

Thanks for taking on board some of my suggestions. However, it will be an enormous task keeping this map up-to-date. Within 2 months, the Cheshire area will need re-drawing with removal of Arriva's services 31, 37, 38 and 84. There will probably be some sort of replacement for route 31, Northwich-Winsford-Leighton Hospital-Crewe, but probably not for the other routes. Route 38 is already (as shown) also operated by D&G.

 

[Parebunks]

Cumbria.

X4/X5 add Cockermouth to give Workington - Cockermouth - Keswick.

Then add 600 Cockermouth - Wigton - Carlisle.

599 is Bowness - Windermere - Ambleside - Grasmere.
Bowness - Windermere is shared with the 6.
Windermere - Ambleside - Grasmere is shared with the 555.

508 is Windermere - Ullswater - Penrith of which the Ullswater - Penrith is all year.


Lancaster
40/41 is Lancaster - Garstang - Preston
42 is Lancaster - Garstang - Blackpool.

Southport.
The 300 does not route share with 44/47/X2.
The 300 is a completely different route between Southport and Liverpool.

Hexham
685/684/10 all do Hexham - Corbridge then separate.
10 is a south of the Tyne route into Newcastle
685/684 are North of the Tyne routes into Newcastle.

Newcastle
308/309 being North of the Tyne do not route share with X24 which is south of the Tyne.

All probably a bit too much detail to put on/change, sadly, though might see if Cockermouth fits.

@Parebunks

Thanks for taking on board some of my suggestions. However, it will be an enormous task keeping this map up-to-date. Within 2 months, the Cheshire area will need re-drawing with removal of Arriva's services 31, 37, 38 and 84. There will probably be some sort of replacement for route 31, Northwich-Winsford-Leighton Hospital-Crewe, but probably not for the other routes. Route 38 is already (as shown) also operated by D&G.

Yeah, I saw that - please do keep putting changes like this in the thread, I'm unlikely to pick up on them else.