Trivia - Rail Replacement Buses or diversions that are quicker than the normal route

[causton]

When the St Albans Abbey line is shut buses usually extend to St Albans City. It's faster than the walk, or the usual train route via London

 

[Mag_seven]

Amersham to Chesham - 30 mins via a change at Chalfont and Latimer, 10 mins via RBB (which starts at Amersham and calls at Chesham first)

 

[sd0733]

Stoke to Rugeley ends up about 20 mins faster when the route via Stafford is shut and they digert via Hixon.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

When the St Albans Abbey line is shut buses usually extend to St Albans City. It's faster than the walk, or the usual train route via London

Just get a return from Abbey to City when you CBA to walk!

 

[Ianno87]

First North Western used to run RRBs from Bolton to Manchester Airport direct via the M60 if there was a block on at Manchester Airport. Usually around 10 munutes faster than the train would be (and is quicker for pax from further north than heading into M'cr City Centre and out again - even if they were totally bemused as to why they were being told to change for Manchester Airport at Bolton)

 

[abn444]

I'm sure I saw replacement bus at Chessington South once (I think they were doing platform extensions) going to Worcester Park, something that would normally require changing at Motspur Park or walking from either Malden Manor or Motspur Park.

 

[Class 170101]

Ok so there's thread on the most ridiculous through trains, and I thought I wonder how many rail replacement routes or diversions that are quicker than the normal routes, but only run now and again as it only runs because of engineering work.

A couple I can think of:

Rail Replacement bus from Newbury Park to Ingatestone/Wickford. There's no direct rail service and by train would normally involve taking the Central to Stratford then GA up to Ingatestone/Wickford.

To add to this area

Witham / Chelmsford to Billericay direct buses instead of train via Shenfield.

Billericay to Laindon
Wickford to Pitsea
Both instead of via London

Ipswich to Stansted Airport rather than via Cambridge

Great Yarmouth to Lowestoft instead of via Norwich (or occasionally Reedham)

Harlow Town to Epping.
Newbury Park / Gants Hill to Ilford
Woodford to Chingford
All instead of via Stratford / Liverpool Street
Central Line did this when the 1992 stock was withdrawn for repairs.

 

[CarltonA]

I have never seen the timetable but it wouldn't surprise me if the Slough to Windsor and Eton Central was quicker by rail replacement bus.

The train takes six minutes. Even when Windsor Bridge was open to motor traffic (not since 1970) I doubt the bus would have got near to that. Nowadays there is a substantial detour via the relief road and then several sets of lights/roundabouts to negotiate. It would have been a good Top Gear challenge. Hammond may have won on his motorbike via the old bridge, though he would need to push it across to avoid being illegal.

 

[Taunton]

I have never seen the timetable but it wouldn't surprise me if the Slough to Windsor and Eton Central was quicker by rail replacement bus.

It's the opposite, not only is the rail service quick and direct, but due to the convoluted nature of the road network it's a very long way round by bus to get over the Thames bridge and would take far longer. In fact, the non-competitiveness of the regular bus service is a significant part of how this rail service remains. It must be one of the busiest short shuttles in the country, sometimes 3-car units with standing passengers.

 

[306024]

Ingatestone to Newbury Park is quicker by coach if the A12 is OK. Just 30 minutes this morning. Highlights were Chocolate Easter eggs being given to passengers, and our coach driver wearing pink bunny ears! Seemed to be appreciated by most.

 

[notadriver]

Ingatestone to Newbury Park is quicker by coach if the A12 is OK. Just 30 minutes this morning. Highlights were Chocolate Easter eggs being given to passengers, and our coach driver wearing pink bunny ears! Seemed to be appreciated by most.

That's a very big if. I think passengers appreciate rail replacement as they get to travel for free because tickets aren't checked !

 

[Bungle965]

That's a very big if. I think passengers appreciate rail replacement as they get to travel for free because tickets aren't checked !

That was not true for my journey yesterday between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale, RPI`s were waiting at Rochdale and our tickets got checked also before we boarded the bus. Although i do agree in the vast majority of cases, tickets are not checked.
Sam

 

[61653 HTAFC]

During blocks of the Swindon-Chippenham-Bath-Bristol TM line, diversions often run Swindon-Bristol Parkway-Bristol TM. It's appreciably faster.

Is it still planned to make this a regular route for Bristol to London services once the wires are up?

 

[Old Yard Dog]

The X6 bus is about 8 minutes faster between Bradford and Huddersfield than the train. This is because of the ludicrous amount of time the train waits in the platform at Halifax. Not sure whether this will improve with the new franchises or will stops at the new stations at Low Moor and Elland simply take up the slack?

 

[D1009]

Is it still planned to make this a regular route for Bristol to London services once the wires are up?

Yes, I think it's 80 mins to Temple Meads with a stop at Parkway. May happen before the wires are up all the way.

 

[30907]

The X6 bus is about 8 minutes faster between Bradford and Huddersfield than the train. This is because of the ludicrous amount of time the train waits in the platform at Halifax. Not sure whether this will improve with the new franchises or will stops at the new stations at Low Moor and Elland simply take up the slack?

But also a matter of geography. The rail route is desperately indirect.

 

[Taunton]

The reciprocal of what is discussed here, but the most ludicrously extended bus replacement journey has to be that when the DLR in London from Poplar to Canning Town is closed for weekend works. The replacing bus has to go round a whole string of indirect back streets to serve each intermediate station in turn that it is genuinely quicker to walk end-to-end.

 

[PHILIPE]

The opposite of the topic title for interest:-

My daughter and family were travelling from Preston to Chester this morning, changing at Warrington Bank Quay and posted on Facebook they were awaiting a ghost train at Warrington. The train in question was ATW 1D30 0956 Manchester Picc to Chester, dept WBQ at 1028 and as confirmed by E-Mail from ATW on Booking on line. Story is that this train was replaced by bus due Engineering Work and due to depart WBQ at 1116. Now the ironic part - this was the last train before normal service resumed and, on checking, the bus was due to leave Manchester at 0956 (train time) and arrive Chester at 1216. The first through train was the 1052 Manchester Picc due arrive CTR at 1154 BEFORE the 0956 bus. Quicker by train !!!

 

[D6975]

There's a similar situation for Bristol - Brum on Sunday mornings coming up. The 11:30 service is a train to Gloucester for a bus to Birmingham arriving 13:40. The 12:30 is a train all the way and is booked into New St at 13:48, just 8 mins after the bus.
If you're traveling beyond Brum, there's a chance (probability even) you could be leaving Bristol a full hour earlier than necessary.

 

[urpert]

When (as today) the Catford Loop is closed there is a connecting bus twice an hour from Beckenham Jn to Ravensbourne, taking 2-3 minutes. Normally that journey involves a change at Shortlands and takes 19 minutes (not that anybody would do it under normal circumstances).

 

[heart-of-wessex]

When (as today) the Catford Loop is closed there is a connecting bus twice an hour from Beckenham Jn to Ravensbourne, taking 2-3 minutes. Normally that journey involves a change at Shortlands and takes 19 minutes (not that anybody would do it under normal circumstances).

Interesting!! As you say you wouldn't normally do it but it does count, as it's an otherwise indirect connection, irrelevant to if you could taxi/walk/bike it or take normal service buses.

The Bath closure has another one too, a rather early Bristol to Portsmouth via Swindon, which actually means you can do Bristol Temple Meads to Melksham direct, which would usually involve a change at Chippenham or Trowbridge. (It leaves Bristol at 5am though, not sure how many would actually do Bristol to Melksham at that time!)

 

[backontrack]

How about Helmsdale to Thurso?

 

[notlob.divad]

Sheffield to Liverpool on EMT was was a journey I did quite regularly. Once the station at Warrington Central was closed due to a security incident, and the train diverted via Chat Moss. It still stopped at least at St.Helens Junction I believe, but it felt quite a bit quicker. I don't know if it is supposed to be but I often found the normal route often seemed to crawl behind a stopping service all the way.

 

[mbreckers]

If theres problems on the Ayrshire Coast Line, ScotRail sometimes run direct RRB's between Prestwick International Airport and Glasgow Central, a lot quicker that the the X77 and about 10 minutes quicker than the AYR-GLC stoppers.

 

[bunnahabhain]

Sheffield to Liverpool on EMT was was a journey I did quite regularly. Once the station at Warrington Central was closed due to a security incident, and the train diverted via Chat Moss. It still stopped at least at St.Helens Junction I believe, but it felt quite a bit quicker. I don't know if it is supposed to be but I often found the normal route often seemed to crawl behind a stopping service all the way.

If the Liverpool - Norwich gets diverted via Chat Moss at short notice it won't (usually) call anywhere, however if its diverted for engineering works, then Newton-le-Willows is used as a railhead for buses to Warrington Central and thence onto Widnes.