[Trivia] Longest rail replacement bus journey

[infobleep]

What is the longest rail replacement bus journey?

I see there is a 0.10 from Brighton to Bedford tonight. It gets into Bedford at 7.06 tomorrow morning. That's 6.06 old time, making it a journey time of 5 hours 56 minutes.

I realise no one is likely to do the whole journey but I wonder if there are any others as long or even longer?

I will allow multiple buses being required but I'm interested in single buses too.

 

[westcoaster]

What is the longest rail replacement bus journey?

I see there is a 0.10 from Brighton to Bedford tonight. It gets into Bedford at 7.06 tomorrow morning. That's 6.06 old time, making it a journey time of 5 hours 56 minutes.

I realise no one is likely to do the whole journey but I wonder if there are any others as long or even longer?

I will allow multiple buses being required but I'm interested in single buses too.

It gets to Bedford 15 minutes before the first northbound arrival, will that journey not be over the legal driving hours for a coach driver.

 

[Bungle965]

It gets to Bedford 15 minutes before the first northbound arrival, will that journey not be over the legal driving hours for a coach driver.

I wonder what they would do if you rocked up wanting to go to Bedford at Brighton.
Sam

 

[MarlowDonkey]

I see there is a 0.10 from Brighton to Bedford tonight. It gets into Bedford at 7.06 tomorrow morning. That's 6.06 old time, making it a journey time of 5 hours 56 minutes.

Non-stop via M23, M25, M1 could probably be done in under three hours at the dead of night. Perhaps National Rail enquiries isn't telling the entire story and the bus just runs to Three Bridges or East Croydon.

Some of the longest (and quickest) replacement buses would have been during the Dawlish closure. From Tiverton Parkway to deepest Cornwall was and is often quicker by M5 and A30/A38.

 

[Expression357]

What is the longest rail replacement bus journey?

I see there is a 0.10 from Brighton to Bedford tonight. It gets into Bedford at 7.06 tomorrow morning. That's 6.06 old time, making it a journey time of 5 hours 56 minutes.

I realise no one is likely to do the whole journey but I wonder if there are any others as long or even longer?

I will allow multiple buses being required but I'm interested in single buses too.

That 00:10 (GMT) Brighton-Bedford appears to be set down only north of Haywards Heath, so it should on stop at the stations that people on at Haywards want to go to. So it could theoretically end up express and get in much much earlier than 07:06 (BST).

 

[MarlowDonkey]

That 00:10 (GMT) Brighton-Bedford appears to be set down only north of Haywards Heath, so it should on stop at the stations that people on at Haywards want to go to.

If it has to detour via Central London and Thameslink stations both south and north of London, it could well in theory at least take a long time over the journey.

 

[Lrd]

It gets to Bedford 15 minutes before the first northbound arrival, will that journey not be over the legal driving hours for a coach driver.

They've either accounted for a 45 min break or its double manned.

 

[causton]

On Google Maps the first part of the journey is not achievable (as far as St Pancras, which is as much as it lets me add in one journey ) but after all the stops are added, I make it 396 minutes, so 6 and a half hours, which gives it half an hour padding, compared with the slower speed of a coach vs the default Google Maps settings (which won't be that much with the way many coach drivers drive and the suburban routing!)...

 

[sk688]

i think the London Midland late night rail replacement services are pretty long

EUS - MKC is 4-5 hrs I think , for the ones replacing the late night stopping services

I dont know if some Northampton services have a rail replacement

 

[OwlMan]

For this year's Mayday Holiday weekend RRBs are running from Crewe to Glasgow/Edinburgh (changing coach at Preston & Carlisle) an example - Leave Crewe 0830 arrive Preston 0955. Depart Preston 1015 arrive Carlisle 1230. Leave Carlisle 1250 arrive Glasgow 1505. A total of 6 hours 35 minutes

 

[Mag_seven]

For this year's Mayday Holiday weekend RRBs are running from Crewe to Glasgow/Edinburgh (changing coach at Preston & Carlisle) an example - Leave Crewe 0830 arrive Preston 0955. Depart Preston 1015 arrive Carlisle 1230. Leave Carlisle 1250 arrive Glasgow 1505. A total of 6 hours 35 minutes

No S&C or G&SW diversions? Or is that all too difficult now?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The S&C would have been closed owing the Eden Brows carry on then wouldn't it? I can't speak for the G&SW, but it does seemed to have slipped off the radar as a planned diversionary route in recent years, though it is revived on the odd occasion.

 

[Mag_seven]

The S&C would have been closed owing the Eden Brows carry on then wouldn't it?

This is for this May - the S&C will be open!

I can't speak for the G&SW, but it does seemed to have slipped off the radar as a planned diversionary route in recent years

Then its about time it slipped back on to the radar then.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

This is for this May - the S&C will be open!




Then its about time it slipped back on to the radar then.

In fairness I am certain there were similar bus substitutions on the WCML last May! I suspect the S&C will by now have well and truly fallen off anyone's route card at Virgin and it would be a question of whether they have sufficient resources to get it back on in time for the diversions, if they so wish. As for the G&SW, I believe four Voyagers live in Polmadie overnight, but I have no idea what how much of a hit their maintenance would take using them back and forth constantly over the weekend, nor how much you'd have to mess about with the local timetable through Crossmyloof and over the lengthy singles around Dunlop.

I agree trains should be utilised to the maximum in order to avoid lengthy bus substitution, but sometimes there is no other way.

 

[Carlisle]

In fairness I am certain there were similar bus substitutions on the WCML last May! I suspect the S&C will by now have well and truly fallen off anyone's route card at Virgin and it would be a question of whether they have sufficient resources to get it back on in time for the diversions, if they so wish. As for the G&SW, I believe four Voyagers live in Polmadie overnight, but I have no idea what how much of a hit their maintenance would take using them back and forth constantly over the weekend, nor how much you'd have to mess about with the local timetable through Crossmyloof and over the lengthy singles around Dunlop.

I agree trains should be utilised to the maximum in order to avoid lengthy bus substitution, but sometimes there is no other way.

So clearly all the mumbo jumbo that's come from the industry over recent years about diverting trains where possible rather than reverting to busses is just that, otherwise Virgin would not have been allowed simply to let their crews diversionary route/ traction knowledge lapse

 

[embers25]

i think the London Midland late night rail replacement services are pretty long

EUS - MKC is 4-5 hrs I think , for the ones replacing the late night stopping services

I dont know if some Northampton services have a rail replacement

I've done Euston-Northampton calling at all stations including Harrow very early one sunday morning and I was the only passenger the whole way and we got lost at almost every station! It's always odd boarding the coach next to the platform at Euston.

 

[Kite159]

I think last night there was a rail replacement bus from Woking to Southampton departing around 2am which was due to call at all stations (on a set-down only) basis.

Getting out of Woking towards the M3 takes long enough, but to come off to visit the likes of Winchfield/Hook/Shawford probably would add time if any passengers were on board.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

So clearly all the mumbo jumbo that's come from the industry over recent years about diverting trains where possible rather than reverting to busses is just that, otherwise Virgin would have not been allowed simply to let their crews route/ traction knowledge lapse

I believe it used to conducted via a regular 57 running over the full line (via Blackburn and in at Hellifield), but obviously that's been precluded for the past year! Unless someone had a suitable recording of it (if VT allow such a manner of refreshing) then I'm not sure what they realistically could have done to negate loss of knowledge. You may get a more telling answer when the line's back up and running...

 

[Old Yard Dog]

I believe the rail replacement bus no 94 (latterly T3) between Wrexham and Barmouth has been running since 1965 when the line closed. It was about 60 miles in length.

The line is unusual in having two different heritage railways on its former track bed of different gauges (the Llangollen and Bala Lake railways).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've done Euston-Northampton calling at all stations including Harrow very early one sunday morning and I was the only passenger the whole way and we got lost at almost every station! It's always odd boarding the coach next to the platform at Euston.

That (the 0200 from Euston, no longer having a LO connection) now appears to actually be 5 buses with various stopping patterns, which look a bit odd but make sense when you consider the road layouts. Quite a lot more useful than it was.

 

[Groningen]

In my eyes there should be a Bedford - London - Croydon - Gatwick - Brighton only replacement bus.

 

[PHILIPE]

I believe it used to conducted via a regular 57 running over the full line (via Blackburn and in at Hellifield), but obviously that's been precluded for the past year! Unless someone had a suitable recording of it (if VT allow such a manner of refreshing) then I'm not sure what they realistically could have done to negate loss of knowledge. You may get a more telling answer when the line's back up and running...

Virgin West Coast ceased to provide refreshing for Preston Drivers about 2 years ago. Reading into this, they don't want to divert that route.
The G&SW was used by VT on a daily basis while Lamington Viaduct was closed with trains worked by 221 Voyagers..

 

[mm333]

There's been a 5hr19m bus service each weekday evening while the S&C has been closed: the 1814 Carlisle-Leeds, set down only after Appleby.

Rumour has it though that it's been getting into Ribblehead well before its booked time of 2112, so passengers have been able to get the 2100 train to Leeds instead. If you fancy giving it a go, it runs for the final time on Thursday.

 

[Crossover]

Regarding diversions over the GS&W, doesn't that also presume that there isn't work between Carlisle and Gretna Junction? (I don't know what work is actually taking place that weekend)

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Regarding diversions over the GS&W, doesn't that also presume that there isn't work between Carlisle and Gretna Junction? (I don't know what work is actually taking place that weekend)

I checked that before I replied I think it's Motherwell resignalling where the work lies.

 

[infobleep]

I think last night there was a rail replacement bus from Woking to Southampton departing around 2am which was due to call at all stations (on a set-down only) basis.

Getting out of Woking towards the M3 takes long enough, but to come off to visit the likes of Winchfield/Hook/Shawford probably would add time if any passengers were on board.

What would happen if someone was to turn up for a bus that is set down only having checked the live departure boards in the National Rail Enquiries App, which don't state whether a stop is set down only or not? Would one be due compensation if they don't get the bus because to left early?

 

[Muzer]

What would happen if someone was to turn up for a bus that is set down only having checked the live departure boards in the National Rail Enquiries App, which don't state whether a stop is set down only or not? Would one be due compensation if they don't get the bus because to left early?

...it wouldn't show up under "departures" in said app.

 

[infobleep]

...it wouldn't show up under "departures" in said app.

Good point. It does show up when you select Waterloo and click on the route. in that it doesn't state set down or pick up at all.

Someone might then think every stop is set down and pick up. I take it, it would be there fault to think that of course.

 

[Muzer]

This does seem like something not many people would do. If you wanted to get a train from, say, St. Deny's, why would you decide to look at live departures for London Waterloo? And what do buses have to do with this anyway? It's like saying "if a person at Clapham Junction decided to look for train times from Weymouth and saw that there was a train to Waterloo that called at Clapham, then he got on it and got charged with a single from Winchester, would they be able to claim that back?".

National Rail Enquiries has plenty of terrible things, but I can't honestly say that this is one of them.

 

[infobleep]

This does seem like something not many people would do. If you wanted to get a train from, say, St. Deny's, why would you decide to look at live departures for London Waterloo? And what do buses have to do with this anyway? It's like saying "if a person at Clapham Junction decided to look for train times from Weymouth and saw that there was a train to Waterloo that called at Clapham, then he got on it and got charged with a single from Winchester, would they be able to claim that back?".

National Rail Enquiries has plenty of terrible things, but I can't honestly say that this is one of them.

I was thinkibgw more someone travels from Waterloo often and knows the service exists as it is on the National Rail Enquiries app. The one evening they are out in Surbtion and don't think to look up the departure from there, as they know the train runs.

Maybe people wouldn't do such a thing.

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