Steepest gradient on a bus route in UK

[Ken H]

Just been on the 10:15 Dalesbus 881 from Settle to Malham (and walked back!) operated by Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire

It goes up the hill out of Langcliffe which the signs say 1:5 but parts are much much steeper IMHO.

It went down the road that runs to the east of Malham Cove because the west cove road is closed for roadworks, which is quite steep.

Is this the steepest route in the UK?

I reckon its steeper than the Kirkstone Pass (Stagecoach 508)

What about the Dales bus services between Hawes and Muker over Buttertubs? Dalesbus 830

There is also the 77/77a over Honister Pass

Which is steepest?

And to make it fair, what is the steepest that runs on a weekday in February (i.e not a tourist bus) -none of the above run in feb.

Dalesbus timetables here https://www.dalesbus.org/

 

[dgl]

Well the x53 that runs from Weymouth to Axminster has exceptionally steep hills at Abbotsbury, Chideock, and Lyme Regis.
The abbotsbury hill getting steeper half the way up, and the gps on my phone gets into single digits.

 

[Cowley]

Well the x53 that runs from Weymouth to Axminster has exceptionally steep hills at Abbotsbury, Chideock, and Lyme Regis.
The abbotsbury hill getting steeper half the way up, and the gps on my phone gets into single digits.

There’s quite a few steep ones down this way.
I assume whatever bus covers the Countisbury and Porlock route in North Devon must be up there?

 

[Ken H]

Well the x53 that runs from Weymouth to Axminster has exceptionally steep hills at Abbotsbury, Chideock, and Lyme Regis.
The abbotsbury hill getting steeper half the way up, and the gps on my phone gets into single digits.

That makes me look a wazzock. I never thought of steep hills away from the northern hills.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Around Whitby, there are a few. The 840 climbs up Cow Wath Bank out of Goathland and Blue Bank at Sleights. All having 1:4 climbs.

However, Lythe Bank at Sandsend has quite a bit near the bottom which is a proper 1:4 and is served every 30 minutes.

All three had warning signs and bus drivers had to compulsorily stop before ascending or descending, see https://flic.kr/p/juVFAgb
https://flic.kr/p/XeHp7h

 

[Ken H]

Around Whitby, there are a few. The 840 climbs up Cow Wath Bank out of Goathland and Blue Bank at Sleights. All having 1:4 climbs.

However, Lythe Bank at Sandsend has quite a bit near the bottom which is a proper 1:4 and is served every 30 minutes.

All three had warning signs and bus drivers had to compulsorily stop before ascending or descending, see https://flic.kr/p/juVFAgb
https://flic.kr/p/XeHp7h

hole of horcum too. think still a sign on the one at Goathland.

what do drivers of automatic gearbox buses do on a steep hill?

 

[Mwanesh]

There is Slack Hill between Chesterfield and Matlock. You can run faster than the bus when its going uphill. Sheffield has quite a few routes that go uphill .

 

[RustySpoons]

Not sure of the exact gradient, but the run up into Heptonstall out of Hebden Bridge is pretty steep. Used to be a regular killer of buses for one operator a few years back.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

hole of horcum too. think still a sign on the one at Goathland.

what do drivers of automatic gearbox buses do on a steep hill?

Brake like hell! You don’t get brake fade as in olden days.

Here’s Lythe Bank
https://flic.kr/p/aejK5M
https://flic.kr/p/5nqoBj

 

[Ken H]

Brake like hell! You don’t get brake fade as in olden days.

Here’s Lythe Bank
https://flic.kr/p/aejK5M
https://flic.kr/p/5nqoBj

can you not put an automatic bus in 1st gear, same as you can in an automatic car?

 

[westcoaster]

hole of horcum too. think still a sign on the one at Goathland.

what do drivers of automatic gearbox buses do on a steep hill?

Do some buses not have D 1 2 N R so not fully automatic. Sorry can't remember the term they use when using 1 or2. Some of the hills on the Isle of Wight are steep especially around ventnor or the climb from shanklin esplanade

 

[alchemy]

Berriedale braes in North Scotland are very steep with an escape lane on one side of the hill and a hairpin bend on the other. Used by stagecoach X98 and X99 daily twelve months of the year. Other services and operators also use it.
Dont know the gradient.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Berriedale braes in North Scotland are very steep with an escape lane on one side of the hill and a hairpin bend on the other. Used by stagecoach X98 and X99 daily twelve months of the year. Other services and operators also use it.
Dont know the gradient.

Apparently 13%

The bus to Applecross used to cross via the Bealach Na Ba - 20% and 2053ft!

 

[Ploughman]

Does the Mountain Goat in the Lake District have any regular services that qualify?

Seem to remember that they were sometimes seen on the Wrynose pass route.

 

[Mak1981]

Cleveden road in Glasgow has a 14% gradient on it and a bus stop on the steepest part going up, old first 4a route now M4

 

[Robertj21a]

What was that route around Bargoed (?) many years ago, run by West Monmouthshire Board with specially adapted buses. Does anything still get around there ?

 

[gazthomas]

I wonder if the Great Orme in Llandudno would qualify?

 

[martinsh]

What was that route around Bargoed (?) many years ago, run by West Monmouthshire Board with specially adapted buses. Does anything still get around there ?

Aberbargoed Hill. Not only a steep hill, but a low bridge too. I seem to recall it being a 1 in 3 gradient, but I can't find confirmation anywhere of the actual gradient. Later eased when bridge was removed.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/30794964@N03/3068061930

 

[Bus Lightyear]

The A760 coming out of Largs is quite steep but it's also very twisty and turny. These days it's the McGill's 904 which only runs from Largs to Paisley but for a long time it was the 17 all the way to Glasgow under Western, Clydeside then Arriva.

The A749 between Cathkin and Whirlies Roundabout heading for East Kilbride is also very steep as is Carmunnock Road on the other side between Croftfoot and Castlemilk. Both roads are used by various First Glasgow services.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Aberbargoed Hill. Not only a steep hill, but a low bridge too. I seem to recall it being a 1 in 3 gradient, but I can't find confirmation anywhere of the actual gradient. Later eased when bridge was removed.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/30794964@N03/3068061930

1 in 5 according to Streetview

 

[Cowley]

I’ve just been looking through this section of the Sabre site about the steepest roads in Britain:

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31246

I unfortunately don’t know much about which bus routes cover the roads listed, but it’s an interesting read.

Edit - Just to add, our local Crediton to Exeter (Stagecoach 5) route has recently started taking double deckers via West Garth Road near us which is pretty steep.
Sitting upstairs at the front as it dips its nose down the hill is quite an unnerving moment!
And these modern vehicles have decent brakes...

 

[Busaholic]

Has Vale Street in Totterdown, Bristol ever had a bus service? I lived half a mile or so away from it for about six months. I believe its gradient is near 22%.

 

[randyrippley]

Does the Mountain Goat in the Lake District have any regular services that qualify?

Seem to remember that they were sometimes seen on the Wrynose pass route.

they used to run a Renault minibus over Wrynose and Hardknott, both are 1 in 3, single track with blind bends.
Don't know if they still do

 

[adrock1976]

In the West Midlands, I would like to mention Highbridge Road in Dudley (used to be bus routes 282/283/285, then 226, then 581, now the 81).

See https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4854917,-2.0977104,17z/data=!5m1!1e4

The section between the roundabout and the canal bridge the buses are in first gear for that stretch, and again for the change in gradient past Knowle Hill Road to the church.

Also, City Road that links Oakham Road and the Birmingham - Wolverhampton New Road is very steep throughout with the buses mainly staying in first gear going uphill (formerly bus route 120, now 12 I believe).

 

[GusB]

The Grantown-on-Spey to Tomintoul route (Moray Council 364) goes along the A939 which has some pretty steep gradients along the way, although the worst are at the eastern end of the road. I drove over it yesterday and encountered a couple of tourist coaches along the way. It's hair-raising enough in a car, without being higher up off the road in a coach! I found a video of a section to the west of Tomintoul:

 

[philthetube]

Lynton to Lynmouth is 1 in 3, not sure if any regulat services use it but the RRB does when the cliff lift is out of action.

 

[Slower Travel]

Special mention to Chywoone Hill in Newlyn, too. It won't be the steepest, but it's narrow, long, lined with houses and inevitably has a load of cars parked on it. Great views over Mounts Bay as well, but terrifying on the way down

 

[embers25]

Lynton to Lynmouth is 1 in 3, not sure if any regulat services use it but the RRB does when the cliff lift is out of action.

The 309 does Lynton to Lymouth regularly and also the 300 from Lynmouth to Minehead does Porlock Hill which is 1 in 3 with a regular service operated by vintage bus.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The 309 does Lynton to Lymouth regularly and also the 300 from Lynmouth to Minehead does Porlock Hill which is 1 in 3 with a regular service operated by vintage bus.

Does the 300 still run?

 

[Typhoon]

Does the 300 still run?

Traveline gives a start date of 15 July & a finish date of 6 September in 2019.