Trivia: Longest bus diversions

[MotCO]

Over a period of a few months, I've noticed TfL route 464 get diverted away from Salt Box Hill in Biggin Hill, presumably due to road works. Instead of a journey of 1.7 miles (and 5 minutes according to Google maps, so not a bus journey time), the diversion route goes via Leaves Green, Keston, Hayes Common and New Addington, a journey of 8 miles (and 18 minutes not as a bus journey time).

This has got to be one of the longest bus diversions, at least in TfL land, unless you know differently?

I recall that Stagecoach route 599 in the Lake District was diverted via the M6 a few year's back - was that the longest non-TfL diversion?

 

[busesrusuk]

Another long TfL diversion that was an annual thing was that of the X26. When the surrey bike ride takes place and numerous roads around Kingston are closed off for the cycle race, the X26 gets diverted around the M25 - that's got be a good few extra miles!

 

[LAIRA]

Over a period of a few months, I've noticed TfL route 464 get diverted away from Salt Box Hill in Biggin Hill, presumably due to road works. Instead of a journey of 1.7 miles (and 5 minutes according to Google maps, so not a bus journey time), the diversion route goes via Leaves Green, Keston, Hayes Common and New Addington, a journey of 8 miles (and 18 minutes not as a bus journey time).

This has got to be one of the longest bus diversions, at least in TfL land, unless you know differently?

I recall that Stagecoach route 599 in the Lake District was diverted via the M6 a few year's back - was that the longest non-TfL diversion?

When the road was closed at Hawell some time ago the service 91 to Totnes from Dartmouth was diverted via Modbury.
Normal bus journey time 37mins for 14.1mls
Diverted mileage 30.5 mls car journey time 64mins
I am sure the bus took longer than 64 mins on quite narrow roads

 

[175mph]

When the Humber Bridge has been completely closed to all vehicles for whatever reason, the 350 route has gone down via Goole and the A63 instead. I'm not sure if the 250 from Grimsby does the same in such cases or if they just terminate short on either side until the bridge reopens again.

 

[Roger1973]

TFL 108 can divert via Tower Bridge when Blackwall Tunnel (in one or both directions) gets closed for overnight maintenance (there was a spate of this being quite regular a few years ago, to the extent that special schedules were put together.) Photo (not mine) here.

Think there was one occasion when Tower Bridge was also out of action, or had a restriction on it, so 108 had to divert via London Bridge.

 

[Strathclyder]

Back in 2017, a mineshaft collapse-induced sinkhole closed Kilbowie Road in Clydebank between the Hardgate & Kilbowie Roundabouts for roughly 5 months (January to May).

For the majority of that time, First Glasgow's 2 had to (inbound services only), from Kilbowie Roundabout, travel west along Great Western Road as far as Mountblow, turn off to the left and head up to join Mountblow Rd, cross the bridge carrying it over GWR, rejoin it eastbound to double back along it as far as the turnoff into Duntocher village, thread it's way through the village itself until reaching Hardgate Roundabout, and instead of turning right onto Faifley Rd as normal, continue straight on along Glasgow Road (known locally as 'the back road' in relation to Faifley Road) until turning left onto Faifley Rd and directly into the terminus; this 'one way loop' system was implemented to try and recover some of the time lost at the cost of not serving the usual inbound stops within Faifley. Passengers needing to get off anywhere within Faifley were allowed to stay on the outbound services and alight at their closest outbound stop, the outbound services having to undertake the above journey in reverse minus the parts involving Mountblow and most of Glasgow Road, regaining the normal route at Kilbowie Roundabout.

First Glasgow's 81 & Avondale's 300 (Duntocher local services) were also affected by this debacle, but not quite to the same extent, while West Coast Motors' 17 (run under the Glasgow Citybus brand) was caught up in the resultant traffic issues in and around Duntocher itself, but wasn't affected route-wise.

 

[rcro]

Stagecoach Wales’s 172 Aberdare-Bridgend is diverting via the A470 whilst the mountain road to Maerdy is shut - and it feels like it’s a long way round even if actually quicker to Tonypandy.

 

[woolos]

When the Heads of the Valleys road is closed between Brynmawr and Gilwern the division the 16 miles via Llangattock. The normal route is 4 miles.

 

[43055]

Normally when the level crossing at Tutbury and Hatton is closed trentbarton's the villager and Midland Classic 401 will divert via Sudbury crossing and Scropton which adds about 15 mins to the journey.

Once when looking at bus times one of trentbarton's the swift buses to Derby got diverted between Ashboune and Derby due to a accident on the A52. After Ashboune it took the A515 to Sudbury and A50 to the A6 to come into Derby from the Nottingham direction.

I believe the Transpeak has been via Ashboune once or twice before.

 

[markymark2000]

I've got 2 x 3 mile diversions.
When the Birkenhead Tunnel is shut, cross river buses divert 3 miles to use the Wallasey tunnel.

Also an upcoming diversion due to road works on the A51, the Arriva 84 Chester to Crewe will divert 3 miles via the A534 and A49 to Tarporley.

 

[6Gman]

I've got 2 x 3 mile diversions.
when the Birkenhead Tunnel is shut, cross river buses divert 3 miles to use the Wallasey tunnel.

Also an upcoming diversion due to road works on the A51, the Arriva 84 Chester to Crewe will divert 3 miles via the A534 and A49 to Tarporley.

Lasting 4 months!

 

[cnjb8]

Normally when the level crossing at Tutbury and Hatton is closed trentbarton's the villager and Midland Classic 401 will divert via Sudbury crossing and Scropton which adds about 15 mins to the journey.

Once when looking at bus times one of trentbarton's the swift buses to Derby got diverted between Ashboune and Derby due to a accident on the A52. After Ashboune it took the A515 to Sudbury and A50 to the A6 to come into Derby from the Nottingham direction.

I believe the Transpeak has been via Ashboune once or twice before.

That TransPeak diversion seems a bit daft, couldn’t it go up the A38 and then join Trents sixes route from Belper onwards?

 

[Deerfold]

A couple of weeks ago there was an accident on the A58. The 586 bus which would usually travel from Halifax to Ripponden (6.1 miles) along the A58, instead travelled 7.5 miles through West Vale and Greetland, rejoining the normal route at Ripponden for the last 2.1 miles of the route to the hamlet of Commons.

 

[randyrippley]

If the A6 gets blocked between Lancaster and Preston the diversion involves M6 J32-33
If the block is north of Garstang the Lancaster-Blackpool 42 has to run down the motorway to Preston, then either back up the A6 to Garstang, or if that's impossible due to traffic then west on the M55, finally rejoining the route via the A585.
The Preston-Lancaster 41 & 42 have to try to get to Garstang, turn round, back south to the M55, then onto the M6 and north. Not unknown for them to cut out Lancaster city centre and run to J34 to try and save time, abandoning Lancaster-Garstang

 

[Scotrail314209]

Stagecoach's X36 takes a lengthy diversion should anything go down on the A737/M8 Motorway.

Comes out of Beith, backtracks down the bypass before turning off to head towards Lugton, before following the A736 along to Barrhead, crawling through Barrhead, Nitshill and Pollok, passing Silverburn and joining the M77 into the City Centre.

 

[Whistler40145]

Once had a Keswick to Lancaster 555 service diverted from Windermere Railway Station to Kendal via Bowness Pier and Crook due to a serious crash at Ings on the main route

 

[43055]

That TransPeak diversion seems a bit daft, couldn’t it go up the A38 and then join Trents sixes route from Belper onwards?

No idea where it was diverted from/to but it is a long way from the A6. Maybe diverted from Belper to Matlock/Buxton?

 

[M60lad]

Not sure if it counts as a long diversion but in the past when part of the A6 has been closed from New Mills-Hazel Grove High Peak's Skylink 199 service has run via New Mills, Strines & Marple to get back onto A6.