Trivia: Bus routes that cannot use double decker vehicles

[RELL6L]

Wright do- the Streetdeck (and predecessors) come at 10.57m and 11.5m heights. Arriva mostly seem to go for the low height ones for some reason.

I’m six foot and I have to stoop when I’m on the top deck of the low height ones, but not on the full height ones.

Not so much use if First Essex only have the taller buses in their fleet.

You would not have to stoop on a bus that is 10.57m high….!

 

[Tetchytyke]

You would not have to stoop on a bus that is 10.57m high….!

Damn, you caught me before the edit
I’m getting feet and metres confused here I think. Though I would love to see a 11.5m high bus.

 

[Statto]

All buses that on the Runcorn Busway between, Halton Hospital & Windmill Hill via Murdishaw.

Also all buses on the Runcorn Busway between Halton Lea & Windmill Hill via Castlefields.

Most of these bridges are pedestrian bridges [most pedestrians ignore the pedestrian bridges & cross over the busway anyway] they could be demolished so deckers can be used, but theirs only one bridge, under the expressway between Halton Lea & Castlefields, which would be tricky to rebuild to allow the use of deckers.

 

[RELL6L]

Damn, you caught me before the edit
I’m getting feet and metres confused here I think. Though I would love to see a 11.5m high bus.

I think they are lengths. I don’t think a 36 foot high bus would get very far!

 

[JGurney]

The 268/269 that used to operate from Darlington to Lingdale (via Marske and Saltburn) and that used deckers for many years

Interesting, thanks. Presumably they became the 98/99 later. I knew the Darlington - Saltburn - Lingdale routes as those, but only as single deckers by then.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Interesting, thanks. Presumably they became the 98/99 later. I knew the Darlington - Saltburn - Lingdale routes as those, but only as single deckers by then.

Indeed, when they did the big peace pact after Transit sold out to Stagecoach, the 2** routes were renumbered and they became the 98/99. This photo from Paul Claxton shows it

United Automobile 223 AEF 223Y

United Automobile 223 AEF 223Y Darlington based Leyland Olympian ECW arrives in Middlesbrough on its hour long journey from Darlington but still has another 90 minutes left before it reaches Lingdale its final destination via Redcar, Marske and Saltburn on service 268 late 80s. Services...

www.flickr.com

Those routes were also joined by the 270 (later 20/21) that ran from Stokesley and Yarm then followed the same route to Marske before heading to New Marske so definitely ok for deckers.

 

[Mark L]

White Bus 458 (Staines - Kingston) passes under a low bridge on Laleham Road, Staines.

White Bus 446 (Hatton X - Woking) and Falcon 456 (Staines - Woking) pass under a low bridge on Chertsey Kane, Thorpe. Until a couple of years ago this had triangular warning signs with a 13’3” limit. These were changed to circular mandatory ones meaning that RLHs, which can pass under without any issue would now be barred - they are about a quarter inch too high!

 

[stuu]

Also the 28 (if that's the number and I'm not misremembering) from Taunton to Minehead, due to the bridge under Taunton station, and at least one further low bridge under the West Somerset Railway along the A358.

That's true, although it's the bridges on the A358 that are the bigger issue, which is unfortunate as it's the busiest route from Taunton

 

[WM Bus]

I'd be interested to find out some examples of bus routes that cannot use double decker vehicles due to the fact that the route involves passing under a low bridge or due to something like a weight limit on a road.

I know this applies to the X8 Bristol to Nailsea route, the 273 route between Devizes and Urchfont and Service 3 between Hanley and Crewe but I'm sure there are other examples

28 Great Barr to Heartlands Hospital. 96 Kingstanding to Chelmsley Woood. Summer Road erdington bridge.
66 Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham. Erdington Station bridge.
71 Chelmsley Wood to Sutton Coldfield. 64 Nechells to Minworth Peddimore. X64 Birmingham to Minworth Peddimore. Park Lane Castle Vale bridge.
27 Frankley to Yardley Wood. Bournville Station Bridge.
Apparently the Bournville Bridge is too low even for electric single decks so one day will be likely have to be rerouted away from it.
17 Birmingham to Tile Cross. The Radleys bridge.
39 Walsall to Stowlawn. Bridgeman Street Bridge.

 

[ReeceD1993]

First Solent 3 (Fareham - Southsea South Parade Pier) due to the railway bridge at Portchester .

Den

Include First Solent Route 1 as that interworks with the 3 on a 3-1-1-3 Diagram

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That's true, although it's the bridges on the A358 that are the bigger issue, which is unfortunate as it's the busiest route from Taunton

The 28 used to be operated by deckers - just not highbridge ones but Bristol VRs

 

[AlastairFraser]

800/850 Reading to High Wycombe, low bridge at Danesfield between Henley and Marlow on the A4155.
121/128 (Wokingham local bus and Reading to Wokingham via Woodley, Twyford and Hurst) operated by Thames Valley Buses cannot use double deckers, due to the low bridge on Finchampstead Road heading south out of Woky town centre to Tescos.

 

[Bread & cheese]

Reading Buses 19 a/c have to be single deckers because of the low bridge under the Reading to Wokingham line in Loddon Bridge Road.

 

[JonathanH]

800/850 Reading to High Wycombe, low bridge at Danesfield between Henley and Marlow on the A4155.

Another route that saw 13ft 8in Bristol VRs in the past. I'm not convinced that is the restriction in any case as it doesn't have a height advisory https://www.google.com/maps/@51.556...VNUqB9hQY3ljJ4rQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

 

[Bristol LHS]

Go North East 4, Heworth Metro to Houghton, has always been limited to single decks due to a low railway bridge at Fatfield. I think this was more of an constraint historically when it was the 194/294, but in recent years the X1 (which takes a different route and is double decked) has taken a lot of the longer distance passengers off it.

 

[RELL6L]

800/850 Reading to High Wycombe, low bridge at Danesfield between Henley and Marlow on the A4155.
121/128 (Wokingham local bus and Reading to Wokingham via Woodley, Twyford and Hurst) operated by Thames Valley Buses cannot use double deckers, due to the low bridge on Finchampstead Road heading south out of Woky town centre to Tescos.

Sorry, quite wrong on the 800/850. That bridge is not low. The routes can and do use double deckers. They weren’t used for a while due to trees near Binfield Heath.

 

[Djb1]

I don’t think it’s been listed. The 280 in Altrincham. 9”0 canal bridge restricts to selected single deckers.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Another route that saw 13ft 8in Bristol VRs in the past. I'm not convinced that is the restriction in any case as it doesn't have a height advisory https://www.google.com/maps/@51.556...VNUqB9hQY3ljJ4rQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Sorry, quite wrong on the 800/850. That bridge is not low. The routes can and do use double deckers. They weren’t used for a while due to trees near Binfield Heath.

I'm surprised it can fit deckers - yes, the trees in Binfield Heath are low, but since the route has been changed away from Dunsden and BH, I haven't seen any (I have relocated away from the Thames Valley, but do occasionally visit and use the 800 regularly during those visits).

 

[150249]

Not sure if it counts but Exeter's Green P&R can't take double deckers when operating the route fully. Double deckers have operated half the route before but never all the way to Matford due to a low bridge in Marsh Barton.

 

[Joshua_Harman]

One route that should not be able to take double-deckers, but does is Stagecoach 51 from Bedford to Oakley, the signs on the bridge, going into Oakley and our duty boards warn of a low bridge (13’6) but they dug the road out a while ago and a decker (13’10) will go under there (while the height alarm screams like crazy!)

 

[Deerfold]

800/850 Reading to High Wycombe, low bridge at Danesfield between Henley and Marlow on the A4155.

You sure?

Arriva “glows up” in High Wycombe

fvDouble-deckers are now able to run on the High Wycombe to Reading...

www.keybuses.com

The simplified network offers improved frequencies on some corridors, while Oxfordshire County Council has funded later evening journeys on routes 800/850 to Reading. Tree cutting on these routes now allows the operation of doubledeckers, while Arriva says that there are “bigger buses on busy routes”.

 

[AlastairFraser]

You sure?

Arriva “glows up” in High Wycombe

fvDouble-deckers are now able to run on the High Wycombe to Reading...

www.keybuses.com

Ah, must have been very recent for me to miss that

 

[geoffk]

An interesting one in Exeter is Tan Lane bridge, Marsh Barton, with just 10'6" headroom under the GW main line. It's a private road restricted to buses, cycles and authorised vehicles. The Green Park & Ride buses use it and it's a tight squeeze all round.

 

[A0wen]

There are a few services routed along Station Road in Harpenden, which has a bridge under the MML (Midland Main Line) with a 12' 6" clearance, too low for double deckers.

 

[150249]

An interesting one in Exeter is Tan Lane bridge, Marsh Barton, with just 10'6" headroom under the GW main line. It's a private road restricted to buses, cycles and authorised vehicles. The Green Park & Ride buses use it and it's a tight squeeze all round.

That's the one I was on about. Sometimes deckers operate from the bus station to Sowton and back though. Albeit very rarely

 

[geoffk]

That's the one I was on about. Sometimes deckers operate from the bus station to Sowton and back though. Albeit very rarely

Oh yes. Sorry missed your post. Never seen a decker on it going part-way. Not sure if even the whole single deck fleet can negotiate the bridge.

 

[150249]

Oh yes. Sorry missed your post. Never seen a decker on it going part-way. Not sure if even the whole single deck fleet can negotiate the bridge.

All single decker buses have been seen on it so I'd imagine they're fine with the bridge. I've definitely seen 10503 on the Green a couple of times

 

[northwichcat]

Surely there must be loads - even more if you include routes with a tree canopy. There's a low bridge near Macclesfield station which must affect a number of routes. If demand is too high for single deckers and there's an alternative route then it's likely the bus route will follow the safe route for deckers. If the operator only has single deckers, then it won't even be a factor that's been considered. The exception being the canal underpass in Dunham, near Altrincham that's on the 280 route (as mentioned above).

 

[Thames99]

Do buses still travel through North Bar Gate in Beverley? They used to use specially shaped deckers with the sides of the top deck curving inwards to allow them to pass through. If it's still used I imagine it is saloons only now.

 

[joieman]

Trentbarton's Skylink Nottingham between Nottingham and Coalville cannot use double-deckers due to low bridges in both Long Eaton and Coalville, but they have opted out of 'deckers since the early noughties. Arriva's service 29 between Leicester and Swadlincote also was formerly confined to saloons due to the latter bridge before it was diverted through an industrial estate, through which the 16 between Coalville and Loughborough, which shares the route of the Skylink between Coalville and Shepshed, now runs to avoid the low bridge, the 16 and the 29s having swapped parts of their routes around 2022.
Last year or so the 127 between Shepshed and Leicester was briefly confined to single-deckers due to low branches on a diversion rute.