X bus route numbers

[cnjb8]

Arriva Derby used to have a F1, fast to Alvaston to compete with Yourbus, not sure if it still runs as YB went bust.
Arriva Derby and TrentBarton also operate the X38 from Derby to Burton-upon-Trent.
Stagecoach Yorkshire’s X17 is from Matlock to Barnsley via Chesterfield and Sheffield.
Other than that there are not many around my area. TrentBarton don’t number services much (except for i4 and 6.x) and NCT have no need for X numbers

 

[Bayum]

Are there any rules about what makes an X number. First in Yorkshire seem to apply it to any services that limit stops for part of the journey, which does not seem 'Express' to me. The X84 to Ilkley does not seem very 'Express' to me.
Should there be a rule and what should any minimum non stopping requirement be?

The X84 is limited stop into Leeds and then out of Leeds as far as Lawnswood IIRC, only stopping to drop passengers off.
The X98/99 are similar, only stopping at certain stops to drop off as far as Oakwood Clock before serving all stops.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

X84 used to have stopping restrictions in Inner Leeds, the first alighting stop/last boarding stop being a few miles out, and then observing all stops thereafter

The X63 between Bradford and Huddersfield uses the same concept at both ends of the route, observing all stops in the middle

The annoying thing about West Yorkshire is that it doesn't seem that easy to know which stops are served by the X services. In the past, the stops served by the old X6 and X36 carried "Fastaway" branding but that died out some time ago.

On a related point, Metro's bus stop flag design winds me up. A while ago they redesigned them to list the destinations served from that stop, but these aren't always updated when services are altered.
Even more annoying, when one flag serves both sides of the road for example in restricted or rural areas, the flag says "Buses towards: both sides of the road" which conjures up images of Austin Powers on an electric cart! Surely it can't be THAT hard to change to "This side: xxx. Other side: yyy".

 

[Bayum]

The annoying thing about West Yorkshire is that it doesn't seem that easy to know which stops are served by the X services. In the past, the stops served by the old X6 and X36 carried "Fastaway" branding but that died out some time ago.

On a related point, WYITA's bus stop flag design winds me up. A while ago they redesigned them to list the destinations served from that stop, but these aren't always updated when services are altered.
Even more annoying, when one flag serves both sides of the road for example in restricted or rural areas, the flag says "Buses towards: both sides of the road" which conjures up images of Austin Powers on an electric cart! Surely it can't be THAT hard to change to "This side: xxx. Other side: yyy".

Bus stops in Leeds particularly are usually pretty good at telling you which buses serve each stop, as are the timetables on First and WyMetro.

 

[Ianno87]

In an unregulated bus environment,'X' (or any other letter) is just a branding tool. Unless prospective passengers know the difference that specific letters convey, they shouldn't assume anything. Regulation would obviously be able to fix that - and many other problems created by a lack of regulation.

Bus numbers full stop are a branding tool. AIUI, operators are free to propose whatever number/name takes their fancy.

 

[geoffk]

I've always thought that the X prefix should mean Limited Stop over at least part of the route but am aware that Manchester City Transport years ago used an X suffix to mean "extra". In my previous home area, the long-standing 28/528 Halifax - Rochdale was renumbered X58 when taken over by Yorkshire Tiger. While it was the quickest service between those towns, there was nothing "limited stop" about it. It's now the 587. In the deregulated system, operators can use what letters they like, and don't even need to use numbers, but colours, planets or a silly name, often difficult to reproduce on a map or bus stop plate. You've probably gathered that I regard these as gimmicks but then my earliest bus memories are from the 1950s!

 

[LucyP]

It is no different on the trains. Transpennine Express for example. That is anything but express. Leeds station to Manchester Piccadilly is 45 miles by road and it takes on average 1 hour 15 mins and they call that express. It should be called Transpennine Snail! A bus with an X branding is no more misleading.

The X99 Leeds to Wetherby is pretty laughable. 48 minutes on average to complete a 13 mile journey.

The X70 Wetherby to Harrogate is more accurate. 25 minutes to complete a 9.5 mile journey.

 

[Grumpus63]

Here in Wales we have an X75 run by Celtic Travel from Rhayader or Llangurig or Llanidloes to Shrewsbury. Equally it is not actually an express service but the routeings are fairly direct. For example between Welshpool and Shrewsbury, a distance of 18 miles only one scheduled service runs on a detour around a village housing estate, the rest of them follow the direct A road until the outskirts of Shrewsbury. Eighteen miles in forty six minutes from Welshpool to the bus station in Shrewsbury, almost a third of that taken up by negotiating the built-up area in Shrewsbury; the rest of the time it pummels along quite satisfactorily. Only six a day, though, and none on Sundays so timetable awareness is essential.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It is no different on the trains. Transpennine Express for example. That is anything but express. Leeds station to Manchester Piccadilly is 45 miles by road and it takes on average 1 hour 15 mins and they call that express. It should be called Transpennine Snail! A bus with an X branding is no more misleading.

An express train is simply one that does not call at all stations. Though TPE is just a brand and they do operate a few stopping services too.

 

[Bayum]

It is no different on the trains. Transpennine Express for example. That is anything but express. Leeds station to Manchester Piccadilly is 45 miles by road and it takes on average 1 hour 15 mins and they call that express. It should be called Transpennine Snail! A bus with an X branding is no more misleading.

The X99 Leeds to Wetherby is pretty laughable. 48 minutes on average to complete a 13 mile journey.

The X70 Wetherby to Harrogate is more accurate. 25 minutes to complete a 9.5 mile journey.

The X99 is only limited stop from/to Oakwood as pointed out earlier rather than ‘express’. It used to be the ‘99’ and was then changed to match the X98 and then the limited stop section aforementioned. Don’t forget either that the X99 doesn’t follow the route ‘as the crow flies’ and takes its time trundling round East Keswick, Harewood Road and Linton.

 

[43055]

Arriva Derby used to have a F1, fast to Alvaston to compete with Yourbus, not sure if it still runs as YB went bust.
Arriva Derby and TrentBarton also operate the X38 from Derby to Burton-upon-Trent.
Stagecoach Yorkshire’s X17 is from Matlock to Barnsley via Chesterfield and Sheffield.
Other than that there are not many around my area. TrentBarton don’t number services much (except for i4 and 6.x) and NCT have no need for X numbers

The F1 still runs but only every 30 min Monday to Friday. Daytime it creates a 15 min service with the P&R.

 

[Simon75]

PMT/First Potteries had the X18 at one time Hanley to Sheffield (all stops)
PMT/First Potteries and Midland Red/Arriva Midlands had the X64 Hanley to Shrewsbury (all stops),
X64 was split (to UK drivers regulations) in 64/164 although they are a through service

 

[Ken H]

Thanks for the comments.
X19 Stratford upon Avon - Redditch (Stagecoach). An ordinary bus service that wends its way between the 2 towns while serving estates in Alcester and Studley. It was renumbered as an x number about 4 years ago.
Stagecoach have painted a double decker in Stratford blue colours. I saw it yesterday.

 

[Deerfold]

Bus stops in Leeds particularly are usually pretty good at telling you which buses serve each stop, as are the timetables on First and WyMetro.

Metro's timetables and maps don't mention the limited stop section on the X84 and 85. If you manage to find the map for the X84 and 85 on First's website it is mentioned. Bus stops don't warn you that a bus that picks up there may not drop you off at the stop you want.

ConneXions buses seem to like using Xs. They have the X6, X52 and X70 in Harrogate, none of which are limited stop

They may want to show the X52 is just as fast as the X84 between Ilkley and Otley compared with the round the houses 962.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Arriva used to run a once-a-day service from (I think) Holmfirth into Leeds, in the early morning and back out in the evening. I don't recall the number but X41 rings a bell. This ran along the A637 and A636 via Denby Dale and Scissett, so I caught it in Scissett once years ago when working a temp job in Leeds. Because it had an X and ran just a single journey, I had assumed it would join the M1 at Calder Grove and used the motorway all the way into Leeds... Big mistake! It actually ran into Wakefield centre then took a ridiculously circuitous route from Wakefield to Leeds with no limited stop sections other than the final stretch into Leeds where it did use the M621 for a few junctions... however this was around 8am and the M621 is basically a car park at that point.

 

[mb88]

Back in the late 2000s First Glasgow had services FX4 and FX5 running from Cumbernauld to Glasgow, the FX denoting (fast Express), clearly as opposed to slow express. The mind boggles.

 

[Deerfold]

When launched, Trentbarton's 6.X was numbered XR6, which I believe is a reasonably fast car.

 

[6Gman]

Where I grew up the X route was a limited stop version of the normal service working, so theoretically quicker than the non X route. Generally speaking though passengers don’t understand limited stop when the bus is from the same double decker fleet and will flag it down on every stop. Some drivers will work the limited stop to the letter, others would stop for anyone flagging them down anywhere which defeated the object of the limited stop fast service. I understand those drivers point of view that they never drive past a passenger hailing the bus at a stop.

And where I grew up X was an express coach route; Limited Stop services were L-prefixed.

 

[318266]

McGill's 210X (Law Village-Wishaw Hospital) runs Monday to Friday once a day in one direction from Law village non-stop to Wishaw hospital.
The 906X curiously goes slower past Wemyss Bay than the 906 (Glasgow-Largs) as it winds through Largs Estate.
The X7 (Glasgow-M8-Linwood-Kilmacolm) is the express version of the old 7 (Glasgow-Paisley-Linwood) which split into 2 at one point so the 7 is now Paisley-Linwood, which means that the X7 only touches the 7 in Linwood.
The X21 (Glasgow-Paisley, 1bpd) and XP21 (Paisley-Glasgow, 1bpd) both run on the same route but one is in a different fare range which is The same as another one but allows you to travel on that bus as well, which runs once a day in one direction.
The X22 (Clydebank-Greenock) is not an "express" bus by any means - indeed it is being run currently by a Mellor Strata!
The X23 (Erskine-Glasgow) actually makes sense, being an express version of the 23 (Erskine-Glasgow).

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

There is nothing "express" about the Sanders Coaches X44 between Norwich and Sheringham - despite what the destination board tells you. I don't believe the route skips any stops and the full journey still takes over an hour and a half!

The only difference between the X44 and the 44A is the omission of a diversion to serve a couple of villages. The time difference is less than 10 minutes.

Heck, you'd probably be lucky to even make it to Sheringham - the bus I was on the other week had to be the most poorly-maintained bus I've ever been on!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Reading into some of these posts, it also raises the issue of how express does an express need to be to warrant an X designation. The X in express could mean just missing out a few stops rather than some end-to-end thrill ride!

And of course, should it be a prefix or a suffix!!!

(On a tangential note but it's been mentioned on here about the use of M prefixs. They were used for a while for the Midlands Metro on destination screens to show connectivity but not on timetables or route registrations, and they do appear for Minibus as well as Metro in other areas. However, seem to recall West Yorkshire Road Car had an M suffix on some of their routes but I could never work out what it signified)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Reading into some of these posts, it also raises the issue of how express does an express need to be to warrant an X designation. The X in express could mean just missing out a few stops rather than some end-to-end thrill ride!

The example about the 44 doing villages but the X44/44X doing the main road past them seems a totally reasonable one. In the end it's being used to aid understanding of what the service does, not to conform to a strict Germanic set of rules (much as I like those normally!)

The context of usage is "get the 44, the X44 doesn't go into the village" or "you can get the 44 or the X44" or "you can get anything with 44 in it" (the latter being in common usage in south Manchester, e.g. "anything with 42 in it" for Didsbury).

 

[johncrossley]

Bus Éireann prefer to put the X at the end for PSO (public service obligation) routes in the Greater Dublin region, to denote faster versions of the route without the X. For example the 100, 100X, 101 and 101X are the routes on the Dublin - Drogheda - Dundalk corridor, with the X versions using the M1 motorway. Similarly 109 and 109X for routes between Dublin and Kells/Cavan, with the 109X using the M3. However, for Expressway (commercial) routes, they put the X at the beginning, for example X2 Dublin - Wexford and X8 Dublin - Cork.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Bus Éireann prefer to put the X at the end for PSO (public service obligation) routes in the Greater Dublin region, to denote faster versions of the route without the X. For example the 100, 100X, 101 and 101X are the routes on the Dublin - Drogheda - Dundalk corridor, with the X versions using the M1 motorway. Similarly 109 and 109X for routes between Dublin and Kells/Cavan, with the 109X using the M3. However, for Expressway (commercial) routes, they put the X at the beginning, for example X2 Dublin - Wexford and X8 Dublin - Cork.

In some Council areas E at the end means/meant tendered - Milton Keynes Council tended to do this. Typically these were slight variants on the commercial daytime service, usually taking out a diversion to reduce the number of vehicles required, but sometimes adding them or extensions to the normal route. I believe it means "evening" but it was used for all tendered services at one point, even ones that didn't have a daytime equivalent, e.g. 26E, (being half of a 2 and half of a 6, roughly).

 

[Deerfold]

Later, prefix Ms were used for the local minibus routes around the Keighley area (M1-M6) from the early 80s to late 90s - these then became the the 915-918 run by one bus between them and are now the K14/15/16.

 

[83G/84D]

Back in the mid 1990’s Western National had services numbered 36D and 38D which used to make me chuckle especially if there was a woman driver at the wheel!

 

[GusB]

Back in the mid 1990’s Western National had services numbered 36D and 38D which used to make me chuckle especially if there was a woman driver at the wheel!

Thankfully we've gone beyond 1960s smutty humour...

 

[gingerheid]

Are there any rules about what makes an X number. First in Yorkshire seem to apply it to any services that limit stops for part of the journey, which does not seem 'Express' to me. The X84 to Ilkley does not seem very 'Express' to me.
Should there be a rule and what should any minimum non stopping requirement be?

To me that seems to be the most important case in which an X prefix must be used; to warn potential passengers who would normally expect to be able to alight at the missed stops!

(My mind is going back to many journeys on the Lothian X37. Every time someone gets on - "I don't stop between X and Cameron Toll". Announcements every stop "I don't stop between X and Cameron Toll". "The next stop is my last stop before Cameron Toll". "This is the last stop before Cameron Toll. If you stay on the bus you're going to at least Cameron Toll!". *ding*. *whoosh*. *ding ding ding* "You missed my stop!!!")

 

[Statto]

Reading into some of these posts, it also raises the issue of how express does an express need to be to warrant an X designation. The X in express could mean just missing out a few stops rather than some end-to-end thrill ride!

And of course, should it be a prefix or a suffix!!!

(On a tangential note but it's been mentioned on here about the use of M prefixs. They were used for a while for the Midlands Metro on destination screens to show connectivity but not on timetables or route registrations, and they do appear for Minibus as well as Metro in other areas. However, seem to recall West Yorkshire Road Car had an M suffix on some of their routes but I could never work out what it signified)

At one time Crosville had both X & L, for designation of express & limited stop routes, as i said earlier most of the X routes passed to National Express.

Crosville had an M prefix, which was Rhyl, Llandudno, Denbigh & Llanrwst.

Arriva North West X30 Chester-Warrington is a weird one it serves all stops, & stems from the old Crosville C30, the X30 does go down the Runcorn expressway for a short bit of the route, but there's a bus stop on the expressway were the X30 serves

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

At one time Crosville had both X & L, for designation of express & limited stop routes, as i said earlier most of the X routes passed to National Express.

Crosville had an M prefix, which was Rhyl, Llandudno, Denbigh & Llanrwst.

Arriva North West X30 Chester-Warrington is a weird one it serves all stops, & stems from the old Crosville C30, the X30 does go down the Runcorn expressway for a short bit of the route, but there's a bus stop on the expressway were the X30 serves

I enjoyed the X30 just a few weeks ago. It's not exactly quick at any point even round Runcorn.

Of course, we've not yet at the next logical extension of.... if it's an Express, then surely it must be operated by a) something with high back seating or b) a coach (rolls grenade)...