TRIVIA: Bus routes in the UK serving at least 3 or more counties

[howittpie]

Midland Classic airline 9 East Midlands Airport to Burton. Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire.
Trentbarton Nottingham Skylink Nottingham, Derbyshire Leicestershire.

 

[PeterC]

X5 doesn't count as it is a coach route. It would be like saying National Express or Megabus have services serving at least 3 or more counties or local authorities.

My understanding was that, despite the high quality vehicles, it was registered as a bus route or, to be pedantic, several bus routes.

Do we take a route as the end to end journey by a vehicle or the 50km or less sections that are registered separately?

 

[Daniel740]

One I can think of in my area: the Coastliner 700 between Portsmouth and Brighton serving Hampshire, West Sussex and the City of Brighton & Hove

I wouldn’t count the 700 seeing as it’s now three self contained routes

 

[SouthEastBuses]

My understanding was that, despite the high quality vehicles, it was registered as a bus route or, to be pedantic, several bus routes.

Do we take a route as the end to end journey by a vehicle or the 50km or less sections that are registered separately?

I take a route as end to end.

 

[DunsBus]

Surely unitary authorities e.g. such as Bath do not count and we should use official counties only.

In Scotland, we don't really have official counties as such. All of the historic counties were abolished in 1975 and replaced by regions and districts. The districts largely corresponded to the counties they replaced, but there were exceptions - the post-1975 Midlothian, for instance, was much smaller than the county which it replaced. In 1996, this was in turn superseded by the current system of unitary authorities, some based on the previous regions and others on the district councils - so we haven't really got much of a choice!

 

[GusB]

See, the whole "what is a county?" question is what prompted me to ask the OP for clarification.

I'd say that routes which are registered as bus services, and in several segments would also count. Therefore, Stagecoach Bluebird's 10 goes through Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City. It doesn't matter whether coaches are used on it or not.

 

[Redmike]

Stagecoach Manchester 358 serves Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Derbyshire.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Surely unitary authorities e.g. such as Bath do not count and we should use official counties only.

You mean ceremonial counties?

 

[DunsBus]

Borders Buses X95 is registered in five segments but the route itself, when it ran straight through end to end, served five local authority areas. City of Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Cumbria.

 

[johnnychips]

Isle of Axholme coaches 291: Doncaster to Owston Ferry. South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire (briefly) and Lincolnshire.

 

[MedwayValiant]

Unfortunately the route disappeared a couple of years ago, but the 9 (Peterborough to Stamford via A1) did Peterborough - Cambridgeshire - Peterborough - Northamptonshire - Rutland - Lincolnshire in the space of eight miles at the north end of the route. (Under the OP's stipulation of current local authorities. In pre-1965 counties, read Soke of Peterborough - Huntingdonshire - Soke of Peterborough for the first three.)

Can I question whether the 331 (Uxbridge to Ruislip) goes into Hertfordshire. It certainly goes into Buckinghamshre for a few miles around Denham, but unless the routing has changed since I last went that way it doesn't venture as far north as the Hertfordshire border at West Hyde.

For three "proper" counties in the fewest miles, a journey on the 41 (Bedford to Northampton) from Turvey to Yardley Hastings goes from Bedfordshire (Bedford UA) to Northamptonshire via an angle of Buckinghamshire (Milton keynes UA) in the space of seven miles. It was even shorter in the days when it didn't deviate to serve Olney, since Lavendon too is in Buckinghamshire.

 

[175mph]

Stagecoach 250: Cleethorpes/Grimsby/Laceby (North East Lincolnshire), Keelby/Brocklesby (East Lindsey District), Ulceby/Wootton/Thornton Curtis/Barrow Upon Humber/Barton Upon Humber (North Lincolnshire), Hessle (East Yorkshire), Hull (Hull City Council).

 

[Boo_]

My understanding was that, despite the high quality vehicles, it was registered as a bus route or, to be pedantic, several bus routes.

Do we take a route as the end to end journey by a vehicle or the 50km or less sections that are registered separately?

I can confirm the X5 is a Express service bus route not a Express coach

Buckingham Oxford X5d

Vehicle Operator Licensing - GOV.UK

www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk

Milton Keynes Buckingham X5c

Vehicle Operator Licensing - GOV.UK

www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk

St Neots Milton Keynes X5b

Vehicle Operator Licensing - GOV.UK

www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk

Cambridge St Neots X5a

Vehicle Operator Licensing - GOV.UK

www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk

Now the Stagecoach The Falcon Bristol to Plymouth tis a coach service between
Wellington to Brent Knoll the bits on the M5 but is a Limited Stop service route when it not on M5

With it numbered FLCN 1/2/3/4

Vehicle Operator Licensing - GOV.UK

www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk

Vehicle Operator Licensing - GOV.UK

www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk

Vehicle Operator Licensing - GOV.UK

www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk

Vehicle Operator Licensing - GOV.UK

www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk

Bristol to Plymouth

 

[JMcD99]

Trentbarton’s my15 extension to East Midlands Airport covers Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire

 

[FlambeGarlic14]

Can I question whether the 331 (Uxbridge to Ruislip) goes into Hertfordshire. It certainly goes into Buckinghamshre for a few miles around Denham, but unless the routing has changed since I last went that way it doesn't venture as far north as the Hertfordshire border at West Hyde.

For around 200 yards near Mount Vernon hospital it does. There’s a border sign.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

I can't think of any that currently run around West/ North Yorkshire (apart from Kirkby Lonsdale Skipton to Lancaster which has already been mentioned), but I can think of a couple which ran up until fairly recently.

X43 Skipton - Burnley - Manchester
(North Yorks. Lancs. Greater Manchester)

845 Leeds - Tadcaster - Bridlington
(West Yorks. - North Yorks. - East Yorks.)

 

[Statto]

Oh and at least one of Arriva's Wigan to Warrington services go via Newton-Le-Willows, so that's Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire

That's number 360

X43 Skipton-Manchester, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, & Greater Manchester
X30 Chester-Warrington, West Cheshire & Chester, Halton, Warrington
7 Liverpool-Warrington, Merseyside, Halton, Warrington[the section through Farnworth is in Halton]

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Time for a niche one...

Frome Bus operate a couple of tendered market day runs with the 80/81 Gillingham (Dorset) - Mere (Wiltshire) - Frome (Somerset) - Trowbridge (Wilts - 81 only)

Also, Stagecoach operate the 35 which not only traverses three counties but two countries: Ross on Wye (Herefordshire) - Coleford (Gloucestershire) - Monmouth (Monmouthshire)

There is also Stagecoach Cymru X3 (which I think is split across three registrations) and did run as a through service though I am again unclear if it is at the moment because of Covid timetables, and depends which era of counties you wish to apply:

Pre 1974 - Cardiff (Glamorgan) - Pontypool (Monmouthshire) - Hereford (Herefordshire)
1974-1996 - Cardiff (South Glamorgan - Pontypool (Gwent) - Hereford (Hereford and Worcester)
1996 - Cardiff (Cardiff) - Newport (Newport) - Pontypool (Torfaen) - Abergavenny (Monmouthshire) - Hereford (Herefordshire)

 

[MedwayValiant]

For around 200 yards near Mount Vernon hospital it does. There’s a border sign.

Thanks, and I must apologise to the earlier poster for questioning. The county border appears to run down the middle of White Hill, which means that the stops at the back entrance to Mount Vernon are in Hertfordshire on the Northwood-bound side and Greater London on the Uxbridge-bound side. The next pair of stops Northwood-wards are entirely in Hertfordshire. Is this the only TfL route which leaves and then re-enters Greater London twice?

The route's main function is to be the main service for Harefield. Given that it leaves Greater London when travelling towards Harefield in both directions, perhaps Harefield should have been placed in Buckinghamshire rather than Greater London all along.

 

[Daniel740]

Thanks, and I must apologise to the earlier poster for questioning. The county border appears to run down the middle of White Hill, which means that the stops at the back entrance to Mount Vernon are in Hertfordshire on the Northwood-bound side and Greater London on the Uxbridge-bound side. The next pair of stops Northwood-wards are entirely in Hertfordshire. Is this the only TfL route which leaves and then re-enters Greater London twice?

The route's main function is to be the main service for Harefield. Given that it leaves Greater London when travelling towards Harefield in both directions, perhaps Harefield should have been placed in Buckinghamshire rather than Greater London all along.

Most people who live in Harefield will catch the much faster bus U9 when travelling to Uxbridge which doesn’t leave Greater London and runs at the same frequency (at least on Monday to Saturdays)

 

[peters]

Current local authorities.

Buxton-Stockport-Manchester Airport 199: Derbyshire, Cheshire (at Disley) and Greater Manchester.

I'm not sure of the criteria based on this. There is no longer a Cheshire County Council or a Greater Manchester County Council, so on the basis of the 199 would it count as 4 - Derbyshire, Cheshire East, Stockport & Manchester?

A 199 style route which briefly enters one local authority area between two others is a good example in any case.

 

[adrock1976]

How about the Trawscymru T1C between Aberystwyth and Cardiff?

Aberystwyth (Dyfed), Swansea/Abertawe (West Glamorgan), and Cardiff (Mid/South Glamorgan). Based on when I first looked at an atlas in geography class at primary school many years ago.

 

[4cryingoutloud]

Mainline M4 Burnley to Keighley - Lancashire, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire

 

[Deerfold]

I can't think of any that currently run around West/ North Yorkshire (apart from Kirkby Lonsdale Skipton to Lancaster which has already been mentioned), but I can think of a couple which ran up until fairly recently.

X43 Skipton - Burnley - Manchester
(North Yorks. Lancs. Greater Manchester)

845 Leeds - Tadcaster - Bridlington
(West Yorks. - North Yorks. - East Yorks.)

There was, until recently, the 589 Rochdale to Burnley, which ran Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Lancashire.

This has been partially replaced between Burnley and Todmorden by short 592s.

 

[DunsBus]

Stagecoach Western's 100-102 between Edinburgh and Dumfries - City of Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, Dumfries & Galloway.

 

[Pit_buzzer]

Stagecoach East Midlands 53, Sheffield to Mansfield, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

 

[Polarbear]

Arriva Wales service 11, Chester - Rhyl (Cheshire West, Flintshire & Denbighshire).

 

[Westcountryman]

X3 Salisbury - Bournemouth. Wiltshire, Hampshire, Bournemouth.

Not quite right. Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset, and Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

 

[scotrail158713]

First Scotland East x22 from Edinburgh to Shotts - City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, and North Lanarkshire.
EDIT - also add FSE 38/x38 from Stirling to Edinburgh - Stirling, Falkirk, West Lothian, and City of Edinburgh.

 

[route101]

First Glasgow

• 1B Helensburgh to Glasgow (Argyll & Bute, West Dunbartonshire, City of Glasgow)
• 6 Clydebank to East Kilbride (West Dunbartonshire, City of Glasgow, South Lanarkshire).

Services like the old 267 Newmains to Glasgow would have served three (North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, City of Glasgow) but I’m not sure if that’s still the case since they split the routes.

The 6 serves East Renfrewshire too, between Muirend and Busby.