Trivia: What bus routes still make use of a ferry?

[chesterred16]

They've got no authorised operating centre on the mainland, so the vehicles should be travelling across every day.

 

[mb88]

They've got no authorised operating centre on the mainland, so the vehicles should be travelling across every day.

Interesting. I mean it’s doable as the service only runs from 07:35 to 17:18 and the ferries 07:00 to 20:15. Must be a long old day for the driver!

 

[RELL6L]

The two big ones that spring to mind are:
More 50 from Bournemouth to Swanage via the Sandbanks Ferry
Plymouth Citibus 70 via the Torpoint Ferry
Both regular services using the ferry on all journeys.

 

[mb88]

The two big ones that spring to mind are:
More 50 from Bournemouth to Swanage via the Sandbanks Ferry
Plymouth Citibus 70 via the Torpoint Ferry
Both regular services using the ferry on all journeys.

Of course I should have known about the Sandbanks Ferry as I used to holiday in that area as a child and remember our car sharing the ferry with a Bristol VR.

 

[43055]

Interesting. I mean it’s doable as the service only runs from 07:35 to 07:18 and the ferries 07:00 to 20:15. Must be a long old day for the driver!

With a break in the service between 1205 and 1305 could allow the bus to go back to Largs for a driver change?

 

[Gloster]

There used to be (ten or more years ago) a Southern Vectis service that ran from Ryde (I think) to Brockenhurst College via the Lymington Ferry. It wasn’t publicly advertised, but other passengers could use it: I boarded it several times while it was on the ferry. I think it was supported by the college and only lasted a year or two. If I remember, it parked up during the day at Lymington garage or bus station.

 

[AB93]

If I remember, it parked up during the day at Lymington garage or bus station.

Yes, that's right and the driver went back on the ferry to man the information hut at Yarmouth bus station during the tourist season IIRC.

 

[Stan Drews]

Interesting. I mean it’s doable as the service only runs from 07:35 to 17:18 and the ferries 07:00 to 20:15. Must be a long old day for the driver!

I believe the bus lives on the mainland, but as has been pointed out, they don’t have an Operating Centre listed, other than on the island!

Oh, and the island of Cumbrae is off the North Ayrshire coast. East Ayrshire doesn’t have a coast!

 

[mb88]

I believe the bus lives on the mainland, but as has been pointed out, they don’t have an Operating Centre listed, other than on the island!

Oh, and the island of Cumbrae is off the North Ayrshire coast. East Ayrshire doesn’t have a coast!

Thanks for the info. And the geography lesson

 

[Smethwickian]

I think National Express operates London to Paris, including a Dover-Calais Channel crossing.

No, it does not. National Express has not operated to Europe (via ferry or chunnel) since it dropped out of Eurolines several years ago. Any European tickets you might have seen on its website in the years since then (until dropped during the pandemic) were for other operators such as OuiBus and BlaBlaBus, while tickets to/from the Republic of Ireland (also withdrawn since the start of the pandemic) were for services operated by Bus Eireann - all clearly identified as third-party operators.

 

[neilmc]

So if you have an ENCTS pass do you pay the foot passenger fare on the Sandbanks ferry or is it free as long as you are on the bus?

 

[Bungle158]

The Argostoli (Kefalonia) - Athens bus uses the Sami - Patras ferry to get to the mainland

Services from Corfu to various points on the Greek mainland, including Athens, use either the Corfu Town to Igoumenitsa ferry, or the smaller Lefkimmi to Igoumenitsa ships. Passengers have to leave the bus during the ferry transit.

 

[Flying Snail]

No, it does not. National Express has not operated to Europe (via ferry or chunnel) since it dropped out of Eurolines several years ago. Any European tickets you might have seen on its website in the years since then (until dropped during the pandemic) were for other operators such as OuiBus and BlaBlaBus, while tickets to/from the Republic of Ireland (also withdrawn since the start of the pandemic) were for services operated by Bus Eireann - all clearly identified as third-party operators.

Not quite.

The 871 London - Dublin and (withdrawn in 2019, replaced by Nat Ex connection from 871) 880 Leeds - Manchester - Dublin were operated by Bus Eireann and both UK and IRL based contractors to them.

The 890 Cork - Waterford - Rosslare - London service was a Nat Ex operation, contracted in it's latter years to Bernard Kavanagh coaches. Despite NX's break from Eurolines this service remained Eurolines branded until it's demise in Feb 2020.

All of those were through services with the coaches boarding the ferries. However for many years the 880 had an odd arrangement with the Bus Eireann coach loading at Dublin, driving onto the ferry at Dublin Port, exiting at Holyhead as far as the passenger terminal/Rail station and the passengers transferred to a UK based operator's coach for the onward journey to Leeds. The Dublin bound passengers meanwhile would be transferred the other way on to the Bus Eireann coach which would return back on the same ferry some 3 hours later.

Officially the 871 is still suspended due to covid but there is no sign of it returning, considering Bus Eireann/Expressway's finances were tanked during the pandemic I imagine they aren't too enthused about starting it back again with unknown ability to gain enough custom back to cover costs quickly.

 

[2192]

It's not quite a ferry, but Stagecoach 1 Hartlepool - Middlesborough uses the transporter bridge.

I vagely remember that when as a pedestrian I used the transporter bridge out and back my ticket said "Stagecoach route 900". This was about 2005. Funny kind of bus!

 

[Bread & cheese]

I vagely remember that when as a pedestrian I used the transporter bridge out and back my ticket said "Stagecoach route 900". This was about 2005. Funny kind of bus!

Also not a ferry, but still a journey from the mainland to an island, Border Buses 477 runs from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) via a causeway. Usually runs two days a week, usually Wednesday and Saturday, the timings of the two return bus trips depend on when it is low tide!

 

[Deerfold]

Also not a ferry, but still a journey from the mainland to an island, Border Buses 477 runs from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) via a causeway. Usually runs two days a week, usually Wednesday and Saturday, the timings of the two return bus trips depend on when it is low tide!

To be joined this Summer by the H1, running pretty much random days - typically 2 or 3 days a week but up to a week between buses.

https://www.northumberlandcoastaonb.org/files/Downloads/418-Holy-Island-Service.pdf

 

[Strathclyder]

Whilst browsing through bustimes.org I noticed that Millport Motors, based on the island of Cumbrae off the East Ayrshire coast, operates the service from the ferry terminal to the town of Millport on the island. However they also operate the service 578A on behalf of SPT on the mainland. This got me thinking about the logistics of this. Does the bus travel across on the ferry each morning and then back again in the evening? Or is a bus permanently parked up somewhere on the mainland?

They've got no authorised operating centre on the mainland, so the vehicles should be travelling across every day.

Interesting. I mean it’s doable as the service only runs from 07:35 to 17:18 and the ferries 07:00 to 20:15. Must be a long old day for the driver!

I believe the bus lives on the mainland, but as has been pointed out, they don’t have an Operating Centre listed, other than on the island!

Interesting, wasn't at all aware (or had completely forgetten about) of Millport Motors running a SPT-supported service on the mainland. Wonder if there are any other similar examples in the UK?

 

[Open top 80]

Are chain ferries included if so the Number 50 Bournemouth to Swanage (Sandbanks to Shell Bay )

 

[Man of Kent]

Are chain ferries included if so the Number 50 Bournemouth to Swanage (Sandbanks to Shell Bay )

As mentioned in the very first message...

 

[GusB]

As mentioned in the very first message...

That post was moved from another to this thread to this one, which was locked at the time.

 

[Fundee on Tay]

I imagine there are a few on Shetland and Orkney (as already mentioned Yell and Unst are served by buses that use ferries.)

As far as I know at the moment that’s it in terms of local buses in Scotland.

 

[Brooke]

As far as I know at the moment that’s it in terms of local buses in Scotland.

I was on Bute the other day and I think I saw that the West Coast Motors through bus between Tighnabruich and Rothesay is back (ferry at Colintraive).

A quick scan on bustimes suggests it is the 477, running once per day: https://bustimes.org/stops/60707404

 

[matchmaker]

I imagine there are a few on Shetland and Orkney (as already mentioned Yell and Unst are served by buses that use ferries.)

As far as I know at the moment that’s it in terms of local buses in Scotland.

As far as I can see, only one Shetland services uses a ferry - the 24 from Cullivoe (Yell) to Lerwick and return uses the Yell Sound ferry.

 

[Fundee on Tay]

I was on Bute the other day and I think I saw that the West Coast Motors through bus between Tighnabruich and Rothesay is back (ferry at Colintraive).

A quick scan on bustimes suggests it is the 477, running once per day: https://bustimes.org/stops/60707404

So there is… thought it’d been cancelled but it’s now Monday, Wednesday and Friday only. Seems a little silly that they no longer operate Rothesay to Dunoon.