A thought the other day about the implications of integrated bus and rail travel got me thinking: How many rail services are there in the UK which also have a bus route running alongside it for its entire length? To qualify, the bus route must run in the same general direction as the rail route, although it does not exactly have to serve every single settlement that the train serves.
The best example in my area is the Island Line, as not only do Southern Vectis routes 2 and 3 serve all the settlements that the railway does, but the buses even stop right next door to the majority of the stations and the rest (except Smallbrook Junction) are within walking distance.
Currently the bus and train compete against each other, although there has been a lot of talk on the forum suggesting that the Island Line should be integrated with the Southern Vectis bus network. While this is good in theory, I do wonder whether such a move would make the bus service unviable between Ryde and Shanklin, as it would not be serving anywhere different to the train.
The best example in my area is the Island Line, as not only do Southern Vectis routes 2 and 3 serve all the settlements that the railway does, but the buses even stop right next door to the majority of the stations and the rest (except Smallbrook Junction) are within walking distance.
Currently the bus and train compete against each other, although there has been a lot of talk on the forum suggesting that the Island Line should be integrated with the Southern Vectis bus network. While this is good in theory, I do wonder whether such a move would make the bus service unviable between Ryde and Shanklin, as it would not be serving anywhere different to the train.