Trivia: Most frequent bus routes for each major section of the UK?

[150249]

The Longest bus route thread gave me this idea.
I know of the 192 in Manchester being every 5 minutes but are there any other routes in the UK that are of a similar frequency?

 

[miklcct]

Bus U1 in Bournemouth can run up to every 3 minutes in peak hours. As a result frequent bunching happens.

Any routes in UK seeing frequency up to every 1-2 minutes in peak hours with buses full and standing?

 

[Roger1973]

Reading Buses route 17 (the main cross town service from Tilehurst to Wokingham Road) still has a headline 'up to every 8 minutes' headway.

Before Covid, there was a headline 'up to every 5 minutes' although this was a very short spell in one direction in the morning peak, and the peak headway was every 7 / 8 minutes.

 

[SSmith2009]

only ones I can think of in the Leicester area are:

FrequentFourteens 14/14A - buses up to every 6 mins to/from New Parks then split off

Saffron 88/88A - buses are branded as every 5 mins along Saffron Lane but they currently are timetabled at every 6 mins (every 12 mins each service)

 

[43055]

Kinchbus 'Sprint' runs up to every 5 mins within Loughborough University during term times.

 

[Whiggism]

The Longest bus route thread gave me this idea.
I know of the 192 in Manchester being every 5 minutes but are there any other routes in the UK that are of a similar frequency?

One of the most frequent bus routes in London is 38 which goes from Clapton Pond to Victoria Station. I believe that it its every 3 mins during the peak and 5 mins off peak.

Although this was pre covid, im not sure if the frequency has changed.

 

[HST43257]

In York the 66 service to the University was previously “Every 7-8 minutes” or something I believe

 

[Roger1973]

One of the most frequent bus routes in London is 38 which goes from Clapton Pond to Victoria Station. I believe that it its every 3 mins during the peak and 5 mins off peak.

Although this was pre covid, im not sure if the frequency has changed.

Route 38 seems to be every 5 minutes in the peaks at the moment.

One of the 'Red Arrow' routes (507 or 521) was something like every 2 minutes at peak before Covid, but they are now every 7 and every 5 minutes respectively.

W7 may possibly be the most frequent in London now - every 3 - 4 minutes in the peaks.

 

[Busaholic]

Route 38 seems to be every 5 minutes in the peaks at the moment.

One of the 'Red Arrow' routes (507 or 521) was something like every 2 minutes at peak before Covid, but they are now every 7 and every 5 minutes respectively.

W7 may possibly be the most frequent in London now - every 3 - 4 minutes in the peaks.1

The W7 is the most frequent, the next most is the 18 every 5 mins in peak, but with extra a.m. peak journeys towards Euston. Overall, the EL1 with a 5 to 6 minutes frequency Mon to Sat daytime may be in the running.

 

[dgl]

Along Dorchester Road in Weymouth up to the littlemoor turning was every 5 mins at one point when both the 2 and the 10 were every 10 minutes and the number 1 bus to portland used to be every 7/8 mins until recent driver shortages. During the height of the bus wars down here Dorset Transit operated Plaxton Beavers on a 5 minute interval for a little while until the low-floor Wright's cane along.

 

[NorthOxonian]

Oxford has the 1/5 route which is jointly operated by Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach, which runs every 5 minutes Mon-Sat daytimes (and used to run even more frequently iirc). The extremely high frequency is viable because it connects many areas with low car ownership rates (including heavily student areas around Cowley Road and the deprived Blackbird Leys estate) with the city centre and railway station - nearly every bus on the route is busy, and often standing room only between the city centre and Templars Square in Cowley.

 

[Simon75]

Between Hanley (Stoke-on-Trent) and Stoke (including the station) at least10 buses per hour (First and D&G)

 

[A S Leib]

In west Herts the best I can think of are the 142 Watford Junction - Brent Cross, 258 to South Harrow, W30 from Watford to Croxley Business Park and the 84 Potters Bar - St. Albans (up to every 12 minutes, maybe slightly more frequently for the two London ones).

 

[markymark2000]

The Longest bus route thread gave me this idea.
I know of the 192 in Manchester being every 5 minutes but are there any other routes in the UK that are of a similar frequency?

192 is generally every 3 minutes with some gaps of 4 minutes.

 

[vla50]

Route 38 seems to be every 5 minutes in the peaks at the moment.

One of the 'Red Arrow' routes (507 or 521) was something like every 2 minutes at peak before Covid, but they are now every 7 and every 5 minutes respectively.

W7 may possibly be the most frequent in London now - every 3 - 4 minutes in the peaks.

Morning peaks seem to fluctuate between 3-5 minutes on the 38

 

[stuu]

Brighton has a number of routes which run at 8 minute frequencies, a few of those combine along Western Road/Church Road between the city centre and Hove to run at a bus every couple of minutes. Lewes Road towards the universities is almost as high, and runs at very high frequencies 24 hours a day in term times

 

[WM Bus]

The Longest bus route thread gave me this idea.
I know of the 192 in Manchester being every 5 minutes but are there any other routes in the UK that are of a similar frequency?

A lot of main routes out of Birmingham City Centre run at high frequencies:
94/95 City Centre to Ward End every 5/6 minutes.
50 City Centre to Druids Heath every 5/6 minutes.
23/24 City Centre to Harborne every 5/6 minutes.
33/51 City Centre to Perry Barr every 6 minutes.
82/87 City Centre to Cape Hill every 6 minutes.
74 City Centre to West Bromwich every 6 minutes.

 

[Typhoon]

A lot of main routes out of Birmingham City Centre run at high frequencies:
...
50 City Centre to Druids Heath every 5/6 minutes.
...

The 50 is also operated by Diamond as far as The Maypole (its terminus when I first lived nearby), every 10 minutes so the combined frequency will be better than that at times.

 

[Statto]

Oxford has the 1/5 route which is jointly operated by Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach, which runs every 5 minutes Mon-Sat daytimes (and used to run even more frequently iirc). The extremely high frequency is viable because it connects many areas with low car ownership rates (including heavily student areas around Cowley Road and the deprived Blackbird Leys estate) with the city centre and railway station - nearly every bus on the route is busy, and often standing room only between the city centre and Templars Square in Cowley.

Speaking of joint routes, Stagecoach & Arriva operate the 14 Liverpool - Croxteth under quality bus partnership, now every 6 minutes, was every 3 to 4 minutes before covid.

 

[PTR 444]

The Longest bus route thread gave me this idea.
I know of the 192 in Manchester being every 5 minutes but are there any other routes in the UK that are of a similar frequency?

Are you referring to individual bus routes or a collection of routes along a single corridor?

Most of the highest frequency routes in Southampton have been reduced mainly due to Covid, but combined they still provide a high-frequency bus service along key corridors, particularly along Shirley High Street and over the Itchen Bridge to Woolston.

 

[Statto]

Are you referring to individual bus routes or a collection of routes along a single corridor?

Most of the highest frequency routes in Southampton have been reduced mainly due to Covid, but combined they still provide a high-frequency bus service along key corridors, particularly along Shirley High Street and over the Itchen Bridge to Woolston.

Think he means individual routes rather than a corridor of routes, plenty of corridor routes that have high frequency but routes divert to outer terminuses.

 

[route101]

Are you referring to individual bus routes or a collection of routes along a single corridor?

Most of the highest frequency routes in Southampton have been reduced mainly due to Covid, but combined they still provide a high-frequency bus service along key corridors, particularly along Shirley High Street and over the Itchen Bridge to Woolston.

I find with the Southampton bus services that they are not particularly frequent after 7pm.

 

[johnnychips]

I am sure you could find corridors out from a city centre with a very high frequency, but I am sure individual routes is what the OP meant. For example, there are 16 buses an hour from Doncaster city centre to Balby, but they have many route numbers then all split off.

 

[peterblue]

What bus corridor would be the busiest then? Including multiple routes, and perhaps with the stipulation that said corridor must be at least 1 mile long.

Oxford Road in Manchester between the City Centre and the MRI hospitals get to around ~45 buses per hour.

 

[delt1c]

It's a historic, but the 253 in London had headway in peaks of 2 mins.

 

[Mal]

Speaking of joint routes, Stagecoach & Arriva operate the 14 Liverpool - Croxteth under quality bus partnership, now every 6 minutes, was every 3 to 4 minutes before covid.

Quite right and even on Sunday there are buses every 7/8 minutes after 11am until about pm!

 

[miklcct]

What bus corridor would be the busiest then? Including multiple routes, and perhaps with the stipulation that said corridor must be at least 1 mile long.

Anywhere with more than 100 buses per hour?

 

[43055]

What bus corridor would be the busiest then? Including multiple routes, and perhaps with the stipulation that said corridor must be at least 1 mile long.

Oxford Road in Manchester between the City Centre and the MRI hospitals get to around ~45 buses per hour.

Nottingham between the city and QMC is probably not far off 40-45 per hour.

 

[vla50]

What bus corridor would be the busiest then? Including multiple routes, and perhaps with the stipulation that said corridor must be at least 1 mile long.

Oxford Road in Manchester between the City Centre and the MRI hospitals get to around ~45 buses per hour.

Pre 2004 there was a bus every 11 seconds down Oxford Street (combined in both directions)

 

[Busaholic]

Pre 2004 there was a bus every 11 seconds down Oxford Street (combined in both directions)

If my maths is right that equates to c165 bph in each direction, presumably at peak times, and west of Oxford Circus only. If I'd been asked to estimate a figure I'd probably have plumped for one slightly below that, but I'm happy to accept you're right. It was one reason (among many) why I was so agin the tram plan for Oxford Street, despite my championing light rail in the right urban setting.