Trivia: Long or unusual route numbers

[py_megapixel]

1, 2 and 3 character route numbers are of course common. There are also a few 4-digit route numbers, usually a 3-digit number with an added letter (e.g. X123 or 123A, as variations of a route numbered 123)

Are there any routes with more than 4 characters in the route number?

Is there anywhere that has a routed numbered 0, or routes numbered only in letters (I think Cheltenham does this - anywhere else?)

Any other route numbers that come across as unusual?

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I've always thought AD122 (five characters!) as a bit strange for a route number - though admittedly a rather nice nod to the history of Hadrian's Wall.

 

[Magdalia]

Is there anywhere that has routes numbered only in letters?

Cambridge has Stagecoach running A, B and C on the busway, also Whippet run the U.

First Group's Peterborough-Norwich service was XL for a while but is now A, B, C and D.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Cambridge has Stagecoach running A, B and C on the busway, also Whippet run the U.

First Group's Peterborough-Norwich service was XL for a while but is now A, B, C and D.

To further that, Stagecoach's local routes in Exeter are also numbered as letters - namely A, B, E(1/2), F(1/2), H(1/2), I, J, K, L, P, R, S, T, X, Y and Z.

Then you've also got G operated by Greenslades, as well as M and U operated by Country Bus.

 

[JonathanH]

TrentBarton is the operator with the most routes given names instead of numbers. Even some of the numbers take different forms - eg 'the sixes' which are numbered 6.0, 6.1 etc. However, there are five routes for which it seems the marketing department have never been able to give a catchy route name.

https://www.trentbarton.co.uk/bus-information/route-list

our routes
amberline
allestree
black cat
the calverton
connect
comet
the cotgrave
H1
harlequin
i4
ilkeston flyer
indigo
the keyworth
mainline
mickleover
my15
nines
rainbow one
red arrow
royal derby
rushcliffe villager
sixes
skylink express
skylink Derby
skylink Nottingham
spondon flyer
swift
threes
two
villager
V3
X38
1A
20
21
27
90
141
U1 unibus
U2 unibus

 

[Dai Corner]

Caerphilly has A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,J,K,L and X

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

To further that, Stagecoach's local routes in Exeter are also numbered as letters

As are Cheltenham's

 

[Dai Corner]

New Adventure Travel briefly ran a Newport-outskirts-of Cardiff service 'five'.

 

[Roger1973]

The Luton - Dunstable busway routes have letters rather than numbers. Grant Palmer's routes include the CX (think it's a variation on the C) and Hi

Dartford / Gravesend Fastrack route are A and B, with more recent route AZ for the Amazon site.

post deregulation, United Counties minibus 'Street Shuttle' networks had route letters rather than numbers in some towns at least - these seem to have reverted to route numbers.

In NBC years and earlier, Crosville used to have routes in sequences A1, B1 and so on - the initial letter being an area (C was Chester, L Liverpool, K Crewe) - this led to occasional variants with a prefix and suffix.

United Counties at one time had MX1 etc as 'Motorway Express' routes.

King Alfred, Winchester did have some journeys with blind displays showing 4/5 (or similar) - I assume this was a composite of routes 4 and 5, possibly on Sundays or something like that.

 

[py_megapixel]

TrentBarton is the operator with the most routes given names instead of numbers.

Are you sure about that? I'd have thought Blazefield beats them, though I haven't counted.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

King Alfred, Winchester did have some journeys with blind displays showing 4/5 (or similar) - I assume this was a composite of routes 4 and 5, possibly on Sundays or something like that.

I'm pretty sure White Bus Services used to display "C5/605" which I never really understood the meaning of - not sure if they still do it.

 

[vlad]

D&G used to have a route called "the orange one". It's now just numbered as route 1, although the dedicated buses are still painted orange.

 

[Andyh82]

Are you sure about that? I'd have thought Blazefield beats them, though I haven't counted.

The vast majority of branded Blazefield services still carry route numbers

 

[Roger1973]

I'm pretty sure White Bus Services used to display "C5/605" which I never really understood the meaning of - not sure if they still do it.

Some operators show the council contract number rather than a route number of their own - Lincolnshire County Council had contract numbers in style like like S12S which some operators use/d as a route number. Wonder if it was something like that?

 

[py_megapixel]

The vast majority of branded Blazefield services still carry route numbers

Yes, good point. I hadn't quite registered the "instead of" bit in JonathanH's post.

 

[WM Bus]

002 Merry Hill to Weoley Castle.

 

[sussexbythesea]

Worthing has the PULSE bus route: I'm assuming its named due to serving the hopistal, but can anyone confirm the thinking behind the name?

 

[Peter Philips]

Stagecoach South West uses GOLD, now only for one route: Torbay-Plymouth but originally also for the associated Torbay-Dartmouth route. Both were launched in direct competition with First X80/81.

 

[Roger1973]

On the subject of White Bus Services, their Windsor - Ascot service is route 01, not just route 1. I'm not quite sure why.

 

[Simon75]

Plenty of night buses in London have 4 digits numbers

Historical in the 80s Crosville Macclesfield had A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,J on local services

 

[Flange Squeal]

Stagecoach South’s Aldershot Depot has routes registered as four letter ‘KITE’ (Aldershot to Guildford) and ‘YOYO’ (Farnborough to Prospect Estate). These were formerly routes 20 and 6 respectively. The brands date back to when the Blackwater Valley area network of routes got branded after children’s toys, with the change from numbers to names coming later, but the other routes kept their conventional route numbers and the brands themselves have since been dropped. That said, even these routes aren’t branded in practice anymore beyond the route number as larger buses now operate the reduced frequency YOYO (while it’s branded buses explore the rest of the network advertising a frequency that hasn’t run I think since COVID hit), while the KITE’s most recent batch are now branded for Uni routes 1/2 in Guildford.

Winchester depot has an even longer route, ‘SPRING’.

 

[Bovverboy]

Lancaster City Transport (specifically, the pre-1974 incarnation) had a route numbered '0'. It was one of the principal services, Beaumont to Scotforth/Hala, I think.

 

[SSmith2009]

Leicester has the UHL hospital hopper service named after University Hospitals of Leicester.

Centrebus also operate school service 1005 to Hamilton.

 

[Deerfold]

For many years the Stapleford to Beeston Rylands service was the D2000, through a few changes of operator. I suspect the D came from when Dunns ran it, but I wasn't aware of any other D-prefixed numbers or any reason for such a high number to be chosen (it ran close to the routes of the NCT 13, Barton 18 (which has been diverted to replace part of it), 32 (now withdrawn) and R4 (now i4)).

 

[SSmith2009]

Leicester has the UHL hospital hopper service named after University Hospitals of Leicester.

Centrebus also operate school service 1005 to Hamilton.

The UHL is being changed in June to HH when it gains electric Yutong buses.

 

[CBlue]

Not far from me, Whippet of Fenstanton (as it was then) used to combine route numbers with a "/" to signify the bus was working both routes combined, one following on from another. Unfortunately most of their fleet had manual blinds without the "/". The few buses with electronic blinds displayed it properly, however.

For example, the 1 from Cambridge to Papworth and the 3 from Papworth to Huntingdon would be combined as the "1/3" - or on manual blinds, "1 3". I seem to remember there was a "2/8" which always seemed odd as the 2 and 8 were both out-and-back circular services from Cambridge via a bunch of villages along the A14.

Cambridge has Stagecoach running A, B and C on the busway, also Whippet run the U.

Whippet originally ran Cambridge-St Ives on the Busway operating services C and D.

Stagecoach also ran short workings between the hospital and Cambridge "Hauptbahnhof" via the Busway as Service R, alongside a St Ives - Cambridge North service lettered N!

Another historical oddity from Stagecoach Cambridge was the 26 / X27. The X27 was a twice a day peak time service that ran over exactly the same route as the 26 as far as Royston, only extending a short distance away to the village of Guilden Morden. Never really understood what the X was all about, and before long it was renumbered to plain old 27.

 

[miklcct]

Yellow Buses is now running a route called BBB, which is the former 11 and 12 combined.

Stagecoach is running a route called Loop in Eastbourne, which I find confusing as there are two directions of the loop.

Also, morebus has a route ONE in letters.

 

[BingMan]

1, 2 and 3 character route numbers are of course common. There are also a few 4-digit route numbers, usually a 3-digit number with an added letter (e.g. X123 or 123A, as variations of a route numbered 123)

Are there any routes with more than 4 characters in the route number?

Is there anywhere that has a routed numbered 0, or routes numbered only in letters (I think Cheltenham does this - anywhere else?)

Any other route numbers that come across as unusual?

High Peak Buses have TP2 and TP3 running from Buxton to Derby

 

[Typhoon]

002 Merry Hill to Weoley Castle.

That reminds me. When Ludlow's operated Merry Hill services they also had the 004 to Harborne and the 007 to Bromsgrove, as well as 006 Halesowen local.

As 'bus' is not mentioned, National Express services in the south towards London have leading zeroes including the 007 from Dover.

 

[43055]

High Peak Buses have TP2 and TP3 running from Buxton to Derby

Although on the pdf timetables and buses themselves it is just 'TP'.