Most circuitous bus route

[Deerfold]

I've come across some buses with unusual routes before, but was surprised just how many roads are served in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding by this school bus! It has just one journey each day and presumably covers multiple schools.

P99 - Addingham - Ilkley

The Keighley Bus Company

bustimes.org

Are there any more circuitous routes?

 

[NorthOxonian]

Not quite as circuitious as that, but the 10/11 between Jarrow and South Shields follows a horseshoe like path and diverts into various estates. It takes 70 minutes, compared with the direct bus which takes less than half that (or the Metro which is an hour quicker).

 

[Wolvercoter]

Y bus in Exeter is pretty mad... although I believe its a staff bus that runs in service.

Y - Alphington - Matford

Stagecoach South West

bustimes.org

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Between Redruth and Camborne, the main T1/T2 route takes 23 mins. The 46/47 though have an odyssey of mid Cornwall and take 47 and 49 mins respectively. I know as I did make that mistake!

 

[Ostrich]

There used to be a NXWM route - part of which now sort of exists as the 19 - which used to start in the Birmingham City Centre, travel the back way out to Five Ways, then continue down suburban roads past the University Halls of Residence, then up to the QE Hospital, down Metchley Lane to the Green Man, through Harborne Village, down War Lane, toured the Welsh House Farm Estate (if it could get through), then a passage of various minor roads in Quinton's Worlds End Estate (often on the pavement to get round the corners!) and finished either somewhere around Four Dwelllings School or possibly went on to Halesowen. From memory it was operated by single-deckers from Liverpool Street? I'm sure more local posters will know of it. Excellent tour of western Birmingham if you had a good hour to spare ....

 

[Statto]

Wirral has a couple

413 Woodside-Seacombe
414 Woodside-New Brighton
418 Birkenhead-New Ferry
423 Seacombe-Liverpool

Woodside to Seacombe, Liscard & New Brighton is quicker on the 409/410/411 which take anything from 15 to 35 minutes, 413/414 takes 60 to 70 minutes,
it's often quicker getting the 423 to Liscard & changing to the 432/433 than staying on via Moreton, 423 takes about 80 minutes, 423 is the evening & Sunday route to the 413, main purpose of the 413/414/423 is to link Leasowe, Moreton, Upton with Arrowe Park Hospital, Liscard, Birkenhead, Liverpool New Brighton & Seacombe

Birkenhead-New Ferry takes 10 minutes on the direct route 1, or 15 minutes on the 41/42, 418 takes 60 minutes, main purpose of the 418 is to connect Arrowe Park Hospital with Prenton-Beechwood & Beechwood with Birkenhead

 

[fgwrich]

The Damory operated Lyme Regis town service (Route 71) is pretty circuits!

Damory Coaches

bustimes.org

Whereas here in Basingstoke we have a few - The Route 4 for example taking 50 minutes and running around half of the town.

4 - Town Centre - Chineham Centre

Stagecoach South

bustimes.org

 

[Alex 2901]

There used to be a NXWM route - part of which now sort of exists as the 19 - which used to start in the Birmingham City Centre, travel the back way out to Five Ways, then continue down suburban roads past the University Halls of Residence, then up to the QE Hospital, down Metchley Lane to the Green Man, through Harborne Village, down War Lane, toured the Welsh House Farm Estate (if it could get through), then a passage of various minor roads in Quinton's Worlds End Estate (often on the pavement to get round the corners!) and finished either somewhere around Four Dwelllings School or possibly went on to Halesowen. From memory it was operated by single-deckers from Liverpool Street? I'm sure more local posters will know of it. Excellent tour of western Birmingham if you had a good hour to spare ....

The old 99, Birmingham - QE Hospital - Harborne - Quinton - Halesowen. Went in 2017, with the branded Enviro200s for it scattering across depots. Replaced by extending the 244 (Dudley - Halesowen & Hayley Green) to the QE Hospital, and revising the X64 to operate through Vale Village, rather than along Bristol Road.

The current 48 is a pretty good contender now, West Bromwich - Bearwood - Harborne - QE Hospital - Bournville - Cotteridge - Hawkesley - West Heath - Northfield - Weoley Castle.

Passes only 2 and a half miles from Weoley Castle at the QE Hospital, then continues south for nearly an hour...

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The current 48 is a pretty good contender now, West Bromwich - Bearwood - Harborne - QE Hospital - Bournville - Cotteridge - Hawkesley - West Heath - Northfield - Weoley Castle.

That's a very good call.

Also nominate the 60 in Coventry.... 75 mins grinding through the 'burbs!

 

[Alex 2901]

That's a very good call.

Also nominate the 60 in Coventry.... 75 mins grinding through the 'burbs!

Used to love doing the 60 end to end when deCourcey put one of their deckers on there. Shame it's Stagecoach E200s now.

Another contender, NXWM 25 -
Wolverhampton - Goldthorn Park - Bilston - Willenhall - Wednesfield - Wood End - The Scotlands - Bushbury Hill - Wobaston - i54 - Pendeford or Pendeford Business Park.

Wolverhampton to Pendeford is about 4 miles, and takes about 20 minutes direct on the 4 (30 minutes on the less direct 6.), vs nearly 90 minutes on the 25, which is about a 15 mile trip end to end. Even historically, this route was a bit of a circuitous route (until 2007, the 525 was Wolverhampton - Stafford Road - Bushbury Hill - The Scotlands - Wood End - Wednesfield - Willenhall - Bilston - Roseville - Wrens Nest - Dudley, before being cut back to Bilston.)

 

[Megafuss]

I'd nominate the the Penrith town service https://bustimes.org/services/646-penrith-penrith#map

Not quite as bad as some, but quite interesting

 

[PG]

Not sure if the Stagecoach 35 Elgin-Aberdeen qualifies at an hour and a half longer than the more direct service 10.

https://bustimes.org/services/35-elgin-aberdeen#map

https://bustimes.org/services/10-inverurie-interchange-aberdeen-bus-station#map

 

[aliceh]

More have a couple!

On the direct service, Bournemouth to Poole takes about 35 - 40 minutes. The 32 takes 1 hour 40, going via Corfe Mullen, Merley, Kinson and Winton, and the X6 takes 2 hours, going via Bear Cross, Verwood and Ringwood.

You can see from the map just how much of a diversion it is...


*Mod note* Please ensure you include a caption to describe your image please.

 

[Contains Nuts]

D&G Bus 14W is the longest route wholly within Stoke-on-Trent. Surprisingly there are passengers that travel end-to-end as it’s quicker than changing in Hanley.

14W - Adderley Green - Newstead Industrial Estate – D & G Bus – bustimes.org

 

[tbtc]

In this neck of the woods, the First 18 takes around two hours to get from central Sheffield to Hillsborough (around two miles away) - https://bustimes.org/services/18-sheffield-meadowhall#map - Sheffield has had various versions of an "outer circle" but generally without a western side to the circle, meaning the service ended up becoming more like a spiral (same with the old 2/59) due to the city's geography.

We've also had services from Sheffield to Rotherham via High Green (e.g. the current 135 takes around ninety minutes, when the crow could fly it in around six miles), Dinnington (First's old X5/X23) and Killamarsh (First's old X26/X56).

There was also the 201 from Sheffield to Meadowhall via Stocksbridge (First/ Stagecoach tendered service).

(I'm ignoring services that are effectively circulars but don't quite complete the entire loop, e.g. where the two city centre termini are only a street apart)

 

[andy1571]

I recall travelling on the H13 in London, which starts at Ruislip Lido, wiggles around Ruislip, Pinner and Northwood Hills before terminating at the other side of the park from which it started.

 

[PG]

First Aberdeen's 23 (Heathryfold - Sheddocksley) passes within about a mile of itself, and yes some folk would stay on rather than walking though the former service 13 pretty much filled in the gap.
https://bustimes.org/services/23-heathryfold-sheddocksley-circular#map

The old 22 was even better (Heathryfold - Mastrick), looked similar to the 23 map I've linked above but with even less distance between the two termini!

 

[Deerfold]

Not sure if anyone noticed the bus in my OP goes from Ben Rhydding to Ilkley to Ben Rhydding to Ilkley to Ben Rhydding to Ilkley to Addingham.

There's been plenty of indirect routes mentioned on this thread but not many that keep doubling back on themselves.

The Damory operated Lyme Regis town service (Route 71) is pretty circuits!

Damory Coaches

bustimes.org

That's quite mad.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

More have a couple!

On the direct service, Bournemouth to Poole takes about 35 - 40 minutes. The 32 takes 1 hour 40, going via Corfe Mullen, Merley, Kinson and Winton, and the X6 takes 2 hours, going via Bear Cross, Verwood and Ringwood.

You can see from the map just how much of a diversion it is...
View attachment 86983

*Mod note* Please ensure you include a caption to describe your image please.

That's a long standing hangover from when Hants & Dorset's Bournemouth depot closed and it had to be run from Poole.

 

[Roverebbw]

Cardiff bus 1/2 have a circular service around Cardiff taking 86 minutes

 

[kez19]

Xplore Dundee

Proudly serving as our city's largest public transport provider. We run a comprehensive network and offer a flexible ticket range to suit your travel needs.

nxbus.co.uk

(image below shows Xplore Dundee Network map)

Take your pick from Xplore.... from 24 January 2021 its all change for most routes that will either merge or use routes used by one service or another...

As I digress, for me one route is the 9/10 takes I believe 2 hours all round.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Not quite as bad as some of those above, but the current iteration of the Yorkshire Tiger 262 (Huddersfield to Brighouse via Hopton and Mirfield) is pretty circuitous. Originally the 262 ran to Dewsbury bus station after Mirfield, but a few years ago was altered to fill gaps left by the axing of service 278 between Dewsbury and Halifax. The timetable allows 57min from end to end which pre-COVID would be rather optimistic as the service has to navigate Cooper Bridge roundabout. By comparison, the direct X63 (First, to Bradford) will get from Huddersfield to Brighouse in 18mins, albeit not to the bus station.

 

[Dai Corner]

How about the 777 in the Forest of Dean which calls at Lydney bus station twice before terminating there after its third circuit of the town?

777 - Milkwall - Parkend - Bream - Lydney - Naas Lane - Lydney - Railway Station - Lydney

Forest Community Transport

bustimes.org

 

[route101]

First Glasgow Braehead to Partick, big circle around Glasgow, used to be a full circle with the route going through the Clyde Tunnel.

Xplore Dundee

Proudly serving as our city's largest public transport provider. We run a comprehensive network and offer a flexible ticket range to suit your travel needs.

nxbus.co.uk

(image below shows Xplore Dundee Network map)

Take your pick from Xplore.... from 24 January 2021 its all change for most routes that will either merge or use routes used by one service or another...

As I digress, for me one route is the 9/10 takes I believe 2 hours all round.

Interesting, never really done the Dundee routes, did fancy some of the circle ones, will look at whats changing

 

[Bletchleyite]

amory 71>

That's quite mad.

I assume that is the sort of tendered route (are town routes ever commercial?) that came about due to a tender that stated "the route must serve all points in this list at least N times a day", and that was the cheapest way they could do it? Doesn't exactly encourage usage, but Lyme Regis is tiny, so the service will be pretty much only used by passholders with limited mobility who will tend to tolerate that sort of service provided they know what it is from their local stop and the town centre.

 

[Roger1973]

A couple from the past in London -

Route 82 (Stepney East - Rotherhithe)

Route 62 (particularly the 1958 incarnation when it ran Ilford - Little Heath via just about everywhere else)

 

[kez19]

First Glasgow Braehead to Partick, big circle around Glasgow, used to be a full circle with the route going through the Clyde Tunnel.



Interesting, never really done the Dundee routes, did fancy some of the circle ones, will look at whats changing

I remember when Xplore had ran the smaller ones the 7 and 8s (never used them), then on the other it was 11 and 12s - can’t remember if 11/12s varied or followed same route as 9/10s

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Certainly not as extreme as some of the others is the Stagecoach bus 4 in Basingstoke, which goes from the Town Centre to the Chineham Centre, but leaves the town in completely the opposite direction to its destination.

4 - Town Centre - Chineham Centre

Stagecoach South

bustimes.org

 

[Ken H]

I've come across some buses with unusual routes before, but was surprised just how many roads are served in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding by this school bus! It has just one journey each day and presumably covers multiple schools.

P99 - Addingham - Ilkley

The Keighley Bus Company

bustimes.org

View attachment 86962

Are there any more circuitous routes?

the 962 is pretty round the houses. seems to be several requirements stuck together - https://bustimes.org/services/962-otley-ilkley-circular#map

 

[Deerfold]

the 962 is pretty round the houses. seems to be several requirements stuck together - https://bustimes.org/services/962-otley-ilkley-circular#map

It is. It replaced the previous 960, 961 (local Ilkley services), 962 (Otley - Ilkley the long way round) and part of the 967 (Otley - Menston).