Trivia : Examples of orbital bus routes in the UK

[MaidaVale]

Not a full circle, but the 46 does cover 2/3 to 3/4 of a loop!

46 bus route

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tfl.gov.uk

Ah yes, Completely forgot about the 46, It's more of just a very long detour, similar to the 521.

 

[DunsBus]

I remember that in Edinburgh as well as the 32 outer circle, there was the 1 Inner Circle.
I went to see the last crew operated 1 but it didn't turn up. I may not have waited long enough, but I believe it broke down and presume the crew were given the usual Atlantean!

It suffered a clutch problem and had to be subbed by an Atlantean whilst repairs were effected. The bus was fixed in time for the final trip from Easter Road to the Tron.

 

[MotCO]

Not a full circle, but the 46 does cover 2/3 to 3/4 of a loop!

The 61 is also a horseshoe shape - no one in the right minds would go from Chislehust to Bromley via Orpington on the 61 when there are direct routes.

Also another circular - Southdown routes 422 and 424 do an orbital loop at each end of their routes (around Crawley and Redhill) https://www.southdown.net/422-424 Previously routes 424 and 524 worked a circular route in both directions around Horley and Smallfield

 

[HST43257]

I’m not sure if it made a full loop, but the number 20 in York used to avoid Central York and connect the suburbs with the major out of town shopping areas, but now only does some of the route

 

[WM Bus]

probably the most example is the 11A in Birmingham

If orbital means making a full loop then it wouldn't count anymore I think. No sign of it returning to making a full loop anytime soon.

A7/A8 make a full loop of Solihull as well but go into the Town Centre.

 

[cadder toad]

The Glasgow city centre circular 77/88 introduced 1975/6? was never busy but it became the station-station service (398) which although I've never seen it jammed full, has been an apparently popular city centre feature for rail passengers since. Other non-complete orbital routes in Glasgow are the busy 34 (Govan -Shawlands) and not so busy but useful 46(Easterhouse-Castlemilk) and 8(Partick - Springburn - Parkhead). There was a service 22 many years ago that sort of paralleled the 46.

 

[MaidaVale]

The 61 is also a horseshoe shape - no one in the right minds would go from Chislehust to Bromley via Orpington on the 61 when there are direct routes.

Also another circular - Southdown routes 422 and 424 do an orbital loop at each end of their routes (around Crawley and Redhill) https://www.southdown.net/422-424 Previously routes 424 and 524 worked a circular route in both directions around Horley and Smallfield

Similar situation with the 31 and the 39, a long detour of a horseshoe

 

[gazmark]

The 18 is probably the nearest orbital route that Sheffield has. It starts in town then does a very convoluted route through Heeley, Meersbrook, Graves Park, Gleadless, Manor Top, Darnall, Meadowhall, Grimesthorpe, Firth Park, Northern General Hospital and Wadsley Bridge before arriving into Hillsborough.

All it would take would be a 15 minute trip down Langsett Road after that and you'd be back in town!

Journey time by direct tram: 10 minutes.
Journey time by 18: best part of two hours!

Forerunner of the 18 was the 2 + 59 outer circle which used to run Sheffield - Hallamshire hospital, which at peak times famously took 3 hours to run end to end

 

[DunsBus]

Sunderland had several orbital routes which touched the city centre out of necessity. These were the 18/19 Grindon & Seaburn circle, the 135/136 Hylton circle and the 139/140 Ryhope & Herrington circle. Of these, the 135/136 still survives today, with a revised route, as a Nexus tendered service running at nights and on Sundays.

 

[KGGXXXY]

The Glasgow city centre circular 77/88 introduced 1975/6? was never busy but it became the station-station service (398) which although I've never seen it jammed full, has been an apparently popular city centre feature for rail passengers since. Other non-complete orbital routes in Glasgow are the busy 34 (Govan -Shawlands) and not so busy but useful 46(Easterhouse-Castlemilk) and 8(Partick - Springburn - Parkhead). There was a service 22 many years ago that sort of paralleled the 46.

What about First Glasgow 90, which is an almost complete loop (most evening journeys 189/90 are)

 

[Ken H]

Leeds has the 91 pudsey - Halton Moor. Only a half circle but was running as the 44 in 1937.
It has the 9 ring road bus. But its split now so you need to change to do the whole circle.

But many of the orbital routes that ran in the 60's have gone. 57 -64 inner circulars, the 45, 46 and 38.

 

[cadder toad]

What about First Glasgow 90, which is an almost complete loop (most evening journeys 189/90 are)

Think 90 was already mentioned above. Would the First Glasgow 43 from Easterhouse to Parkhead count? Its got a loop at either end - so a dogbone shape. However it doesn't encompass, or partially surround the city centre, so is it really orbital?

 

[DanNCL]

Stagecoach routes 3/4 and 7/8 in South Tyneside are circulars. Routes 3/4 operate South Shields - Harton Nook - Whiteleas - Chichester - South Shields, and routes 7/8 operate South Shields - Westoe - Horsley Hill - Marsden - Harton Nook - Chichester - South Shields.

A historic example in Newcastle was Stagecoach routes 32/32A, which operated City Centre - RVI - General Hospital - Elswick - Benwell - Fenham - Cowgate - Blakelaw - Kenton Bar - Fawdon - Gosforth - Freeman Hospital - High Heaton - Byker - City Centre. The route was noteable for serving all three NHS hopsitals in Newcastle, the only route to do so. These routes ceased to be a circular in 2017 when they were merged with routes 15/15A, and now operate Walker - Kenton Bar via Newcastle City Cente and the Western half of the original 32/32A loop.

Gateshead is a good place for circular routes, although not strictly orbitals as they serve the town centre. The 93/94 are true circles within the town, the 53/54 are circles serving both Gateshead and Newcastle and crossing the Tyne twice, and the 51/52 (replacements for the old QuayLink Q1/Q2) run in a circle around Gateshead but then slightly break the pattern by crossing into Newcastle to terminate.

The Q1/Q2 were themselves replacements for the 51/52 in 2015. The current 51/52 revived the Orbit name used by the original 51/52, which were true circles entirely within Gateshead.

 

[JD2168]

There are quite a few in South Yorkshire. These being:
61/62 Bradfield Circulars same route from Hillsborough to Malin Bridge then a loop each way round via High & Low Bradfield.
55/56 Doncaster to Rossington circulars 55 goes Doncaster - Racecourse -Parrotts Corner - Rossington - Lakeside - Doncaster. The 56 is the reverse of this.
57a/57c Doncaster - Cantley - Airport - Doncaster circles.
58a/58c Doncaster - Cantley - Manor Farm - West Bessacarr - Hyde Park - Doncaster circles.
72/73 Doncaster - Hexthorpe - Woodfield - Lakeside - Dome - Racecourse - Doncaster circles.
43/44 Barnsley - Kingstone - Pogmoor - Barnsley circles

Some others in South Yorkshire are:
139/140/141/142 Rotherham- Kimberworth Park circles.
10/10a Manor Top - Arbourthorne - Newfield Green - Heeley - Nether Edge - Hallamshire Hospital- Crookesmoor - Sheffield City Centre - Skye Edge - Manor - Manor Top circles.