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Trivia: Which bus route is the best performing express route in the UK?

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miklcct

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Which express bus route performs the best to carry large amount of commuters into and out of a city in the UK? The criteria include:
* A significant portion of the route travels on 40+mph grade-separated dual carriageways without stopping, preferably on motorways.
* The loading on weekday peak hours should be high, with standing passengers on most of the departures on the express section in commuting direction.
* The frequency should be high, preferably with headway under 10 minutes in peak hours.

In Hong Kong, there are many routes fitting these criteria that every bus is crush-loaded on the motorway on a headway with 5 minutes or less in peak hours, because such routes run directly between a major residential area and the central business district (CBD) where there are no direct railway links. Where in the UK can we find the most such routes?
 
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MCR247

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Interesting question, but I think it’s worth noting that a bus that meets that criteria in the UK may not be considered to be best performing. Crush loading on a motorway on a daily basis would get you a load of publicity - not necessarily the good kind however
 

PTR 444

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Which express bus route performs the best to carry large amount of commuters into and out of a city in the UK? The criteria include:
* A significant portion of the route travels on 40+mph grade-separated dual carriageways without stopping, preferably on motorways.
* The loading on weekday peak hours should be high, with standing passengers on most of the departures on the express section in commuting direction.
* The frequency should be high, preferably with headway under 10 minutes in peak hours.

In Hong Kong, there are many routes fitting these criteria that every bus is crush-loaded on the motorway on a headway with 5 minutes or less in peak hours, because such routes run directly between a major residential area and the CBD where there are no direct railway links. Where in the UK can we find the most such routes?
m1 between Bristol and Cribbs Causeway?

I doubt there’s many others in the UK that fully fit your criteria though, and like MCR247 said, standing on a bus is generally advised against whilst on the motorway.
 

GrimsbyPacer

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I'm always around the English midlands and northern England, can't speak for the South or the other nations, but I find the 10-minutely Red Arrow bus from Nottingham to Derby with only one stop is the best I've seen.
 

daodao

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The only service in NW England that comes anywhere close to meeting the OP's criteria is the Witchway X43 from Manchester to Burnley.
 

Megafuss

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If you count a guideway as a segregated piece of infrastructure then the pre covid Cambridge Guided Busway used to run every 5 mins at peak times. Buses were rammed, to the point of leaving folk behind hence and it's limited stop for the most part.
 

WM Bus

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Which express bus route performs the best to carry large amount of commuters into and out of a city in the UK? The criteria include:
* A significant portion of the route travels on 40+mph grade-separated dual carriageways without stopping, preferably on motorways.
* The loading on weekday peak hours should be high, with standing passengers on most of the departures on the express section in commuting direction.
* The frequency should be high, preferably with headway under 10 minutes in peak hours.
Birmingham to Sutton via Aston Expressway and Erdington X3/X4/X5 is high frequency and non stop along the Aston Expressway motorway. Not sure if Aston Expressway counts though. (Once they come of the motorway they serve all stops to the outer Lichfield (X3)/Falcon Lodge & Asda Minworth (X4) & Roughley (X5) terminuses ).
Will be a busy main corridor into the city (probably not crush loaded).

Also the X51 Birmingham to Walsall section (then continues all stops to Cannock) maybe. Timetable shows frequent throughout peak times.
 
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Dai Corner

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There's the H59 which runs every ten minutes between the Cardiff East Park & Ride site and the University Hospital of Wales non-stop via the A48 Eastern Avenue which is a grade-separated dual carriageway with a 50mph limit. I don't know what the peak loadings are like.
 

miklcct

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I think it’s worth noting that a bus that meets that criteria in the UK may not be considered to be best performing.
Aren't such routes mean huge profit for bus companies? Theoretically, the most efficient bus routes are the routes which is fully loaded not far from the terminus, and run non-stop to the destination area.

In Hong Kong, there was a debate whether standing space should be abolished after a bus accident on the motorway, but it was deemed impractical because it would mean an immediate 50% fleet expansion in a place where recruiting enough drivers to even keep the stated headway was difficult.
 

Ianno87

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I'd second the X43 and the Cambridgeshire Busway.

Perhaps an honourable mention for the 905/X5 Cambridge-Bedford-Oxford.
 

hst43102

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X4 between Wellingborough and Northampton is mostly 50-60 mph running on the A45, and can get to most seats full at peak times.
 

johncrossley

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The most obvious high frequency commuter coach route corridor is between North Kent, Docklands and central London. I haven't looked at these routes for years but were probably at least 10 services per hour in rush hours pre-Covid with no service any other time of day. The Oxford to London route also used to have two companies running at least every 15 minutes each at peak times but only the Oxford Tube remains now.
 

Deerfold

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Aren't such routes mean huge profit for bus companies? Theoretically, the most efficient bus routes are the routes which is fully loaded not far from the terminus, and run non-stop to the destination area.

In Hong Kong, there was a debate whether standing space should be abolished after a bus accident on the motorway, but it was deemed impractical because it would mean an immediate 50% fleet expansion in a place where recruiting enough drivers to even keep the stated headway was difficult.
Usually you'd expect any flows that were that busy to have a rail option which would usually be quicker than such a bus link.

There's quite a network of express routes into cities in Scotland run mostly by Stagecoach, but not at the frequencies you're talking about.

There is the Citylink 900 every 15 minutes (every 30 minutes to hourly overnight) between Edinburgh and Glasgow, mostly along the M8 with only half a dozen stops.
 
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Cesarcollie

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Aren't such routes mean huge profit for bus companies? Theoretically, the most efficient bus routes are the routes which is fully loaded not far from the terminus, and run non-stop to the destination area.

In Hong Kong, there was a debate whether standing space should be abolished after a bus accident on the motorway, but it was deemed impractical because it would mean an immediate 50% fleet expansion in a place where recruiting enough drivers to even keep the stated headway was difficult.

Not necessarily. Every scenario is different but the most profitable routes can well be ones where there is intermediate boarding and alighting, so effectively you can sell the same seat more than once.
 

Dai Corner

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Not necessarily. Every scenario is different but the most profitable routes can well be ones where there is intermediate boarding and alighting, so effectively you can sell the same seat more than once.
The mix of passengers can also make a difference. For example children pay a lower fare than adults and operators are typically reimbursed for the use of concessionary passes at a lower rate than the cash fare.
 

MotCO

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Although it doesn't meet the 10 minute frequency, nor indeed does it run on any motorways, but is the Excel X1 Norwich - Peterborough in with a shout?
 

sk688

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not quite every 10 mins , but the X39 Bristol to Bath tends to do quite well , and runs down the A4 for most of it , including the Keynsham bypass
 

Diplodicus

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X36 Ripon - Harrogate - Leeds

Only used the northern sector but reliable, comfortable and very convenient bus stand adjacent to rail station.
 

Deerfold

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X36 Ripon - Harrogate - Leeds

Only used the northern sector but reliable, comfortable and very convenient bus stand adjacent to rail station.
Do you mean the 36?

This doesn't run along any motorways at all and has dozens of stops. It's high quality but at peaks takes over an hour to travel 18 miles from Harrogate to Leeds. From Ripon it's only every 20 minutes.
 

Deerfold

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I did mean the 36 and stand corrected. Thank you... but I still like it ;)
I like it, it's a good quality, frequent route, but it's not what is being asked about here.

Although it doesn't meet the 10 minute frequency, nor indeed does it run on any motorways, but is the Excel X1 Norwich - Peterborough in with a shout?
This doesn't seem to have been the X1 for a while. Nor very fast,or frequent and it seems to go through every little village on the way. How does it meet any of the OP's criteria?


There is the X6, every 10-12 minutes between Leeds and Bradford with about half the route on dual carriageway with infrequent stops.

This has increased in frequency from the half hourly service in the early 90s, though several longer routes between the two cities have vanished.
 
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WM Bus

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Not necessarily. Every scenario is different but the most profitable routes can well be ones where there is intermediate boarding and alighting, so effectively you can sell the same seat more than once.
Something like the 11 Birmingham Outer Circle maybe, where people make short local trips on there so by the time you get from say Acocks Green/Yardley to Ward End (Fox & Goose) on it you can have a largely new load of passengers on it perhaps.

I saw this comment a few years back as well
Cannock Garage (wmbusphotos.com)
A route that takes two hours to do a round trip where a lot of the passenger travel long distances (eg Diamonds 56) will need a lot more passengers on each bus to break even than a route like NX's 335 where the bus can do 4 round trips in the same time. There are lots of other factors which decide whether a route is profitable including the ratio of pass holders to cash payers
 
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CN04NRJ

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There's the H59 which runs every ten minutes between the Cardiff East Park & Ride site and the University Hospital of Wales non-stop via the A48 Eastern Avenue which is a grade-separated dual carriageway with a 50mph limit. I don't know what the peak loadings are like.

It's a free service. Drove it many times when I worked there - it was double deck operated then usually so had no problem with capacity. It's only a 10-15 minute journey at most each way anyway.
 

miklcct

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Thanks all for your suggestions. It seems that high quality bus services which run as fast as a car at high frequencies do exist in big cities. Maybe the town I live is too small (Bournemouth) that doesn't even warrant a frequent express (the X3 operates at half an hour interval on weekdays and an hour interval on weekends, but the late evening trips are subsidised) to the nearest city (Salisbury) despite lacking rail connection.

Something like the 11 Birmingham Outer Circle maybe, where people make short local trips on there so by the time you get from say Acocks Green/Yardley to Ward End (Fox & Goose) on it you can have a largely new load of passengers on it perhaps.

I saw this comment a few years back as well
Cannock Garage (wmbusphotos.com)
A route that takes two hours to do a round trip where a lot of the passenger travel long distances (eg Diamonds 56) will need a lot more passengers on each bus to break even than a route like NX's 335 where the bus can do 4 round trips in the same time. There are lots of other factors which decide whether a route is profitable including the ratio of pass holders to cash payers
I don't largely believe the quoted text. A route that takes two hours to do a round trip, if it is an express travelling long distances, it can generally charge a high fare (e.g. £7) compared a short local trip where a single is only £1-£2.
 

Deerfold

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I don't largely believe the quoted text. A route that takes two hours to do a round trip, if it is an express travelling long distances, it can generally charge a high fare (e.g. £7) compared a short local trip where a single is only £1-£2.
Not many prices in the UK scale like that.

If I get a single 5 minutes into town that's £2.40. but I can get a day ticket for £3.90 to anywhere my local bus company runs, £5 for any company in the county or £8.50 for any bus run by the group of companies my local company is part of, going almost cost to coast.
 

miklcct

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Not many prices in the UK scale like that.

If I get a single 5 minutes into town that's £2.40. but I can get a day ticket for £3.90 to anywhere my local bus company runs, £5 for any company in the county or £8.50 for any bus run by the group of companies my local company is part of, going almost cost to coast.
Then people will avoid taking buses for a short trip, and those who have a car at home will drive out to make the town congested.

By reducing single fares for short distances and abolishing day / week / season tickets, bus companies can attract car users to leave their car at home because the fuel cost itself will be greater than the bus fare, while charging more for frequent long-distance riders because fuel cost is a lot more expensive than public transport for a longer distance. Also, bus companies can attract more passengers taking the bus for short distances such as under 1 km for convenience.

For example, if a single fare for a 900 m 2-stop trip is 50p, I will happily pay the bus fare and ride it as a convenience, but if it is £2.4 then there is no way I will pay this ridiculous fare.

In fact, in places where the fares are single-only, I generally pay more in fares compared to the UK because I need to pay for every ride and there is no capping, and the low level of single fares act as a stimulus for extra discretionary travelling.

P.S. The £2.4 for a single 5 minutes to town is a reasonable fare if it is an express service which runs on a 50 mph road non-stop for 5 km.
 
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philthetube

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One thing needed for a money spinning route is a destination people want to travel to at each end ot the route, makes it pay in both directions
 

Deerfold

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Then people will avoid taking buses for a short trip, and those who have a car at home will drive out to make the town congested.

By reducing single fares for short distances and abolishing day / week / season tickets, bus companies can attract car users to leave their car at home because the fuel cost itself will be greater than the bus fare, while charging more for frequent long-distance riders because fuel cost is a lot more expensive than public transport for a longer distance. Also, bus companies can attract more passengers taking the bus for short distances such as under 1 km for convenience.

For example, if a single fare for a 900 m 2-stop trip is 50p, I will happily pay the bus fare and ride it as a convenience, but if it is £2.4 then there is no way I will pay this ridiculous fare.

In fact, in places where the fares are single-only, I generally pay more in fares compared to the UK because I need to pay for every ride and there is no capping, and the low level of single fares act as a stimulus for extra discretionary travelling.

P.S. The £2.4 for a single 5 minutes to town is a reasonable fare if it is an express service which runs on a 50 mph road non-stop for 5 km.
You may want to read up a bit on bus services here.

There's few authorities provide the bus priorities needed for buses to travel at that sort of speed.

The UK is, generally, a lot less dense than Hong Kong so there's a lot fewer pairs of destinations where your ideal would work.

Single fares are artificially high as these are a major factor in the amount they recurrence l receive from the use of concessionary passes.

I'm not sure companies would want to abolish season tickets. Many passengers like to know what they're paying for their travel in advance.
 
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route101

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X11 Motherwell to Glasgow. Not every ten mins but gets good passenger loads. Runs on M74 and M8.
 

daodao

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The Stagecoach X4/T4 route between Merthyr and Cardiff via the A470, calling just at Pontypridd, is fairly frequent (every 20 minutes daytime Mon-Sat) and fast.
 
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