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[Trivia] Services From A Suburb To A Different Town/City (But Not The Nearest Town/City Centre)

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tbtc

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This might be a bit of a niche thread, but bear with me...

Lots of suburbs have a service into the nearest town/city centre (too many to list!). Some have a service beyond the town centre to a larger town (e.g. the majority of Glenrothes - Kirkcaldy services were/are a service from suburban Glenrothes - into the town centre and then on to Kirkcaldy... I think New Adventure Travel had a service that was a "local" route in Newport but also ran through to Cardiff...) as operators combine services it seems increasingly common to combine services like this to minimise resources and provide through journeys. First's operations around Glasgow have seen "town services" in Dumbarton/ Cumbernauld/ East Kilbride etc combined with routes into central Glasgow, so your bus into the local town centre is also the same bus that continues through to the "big city". These services tick multiple boxes (suburb into the local town plus town to the big city gives you the bonus of service from the suburb into the city).

But there have been some services in the past that ran from a suburb into a different town/city centre, without actually serving the local town centre.

For example, there have been services from Greasborough/Wingfield in northern Rotherham to Sheffield that didn't go anywhere near central Rotherham (there was a 44 in Sheafline days, there was a 36 recently with First - until they extended it into central Rotherham - now withdrawn). So a service starting/terminating in suburban Rotherham that ran to central Sheffield but crucially didn't serve central Rotherham.

The First service 208 links southern Rotherham to Sheffield, without going near Rotherham town centre - same as the 36 and 44 (but serving different suburbs of Rotherham).

The First service from Bradford to Leeds via Greengates/ Calverley/ Kirkstall (670) was cut to become the 35 from just Greengates to Leeds. So a service starting/terminating in suburban Bradford that ran to central Leeds but crucially didn't serve central Bradford.

When competition was at a peak in 1990s Fife, Fife Scottish introduced a 35A from Caskiberran in Glenrothes to Kirkcaldy. So a service starting/terminating in suburban Glenrothes that ran to central Kirkcaldy but crucially didn't serve central Glenrothes.

Are there any other examples you can think of? I appreciate that the boundaries between "suburb" / "town" / "city" can be a bit vague, but hopefully there are some examples we can agree on.

(to avoid doubt, I'm not talking about routes like the Arriva 410 which links suburban Castleford to Leeds, since this is a service from Pontefract to Leeds which skirts the edges of Castleford rather than serving the town centre - I'm talking about routes that have a terminus in the suburbs without serving the local town centre)
 
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Ianno87

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X84 from Delph (Oldham)to Manchester
162 from Norden (Rochdale) to Manchester
 

gingerheid

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There used to be an X11 that went from Central Irvine to housing estates in Stevenston, Saltcoats & Ardrossan, without serving the centres of any of those places (unlike the 11). It was a fairly long standing stagecoach route (from not long after A1 service days I think) until 2019, and Shuttle Buses attempted to run it for a few more months. The Shuttle Bus timetable is at https://www.facebook.com/OldIrvine/...december-this-will-be-free-/2592557447459875/

Stagecoach also used to have two routes from Fife to not central Edinburgh that would have fitted the bill in reverse; one around the north of Edinburgh terminating at Leith and another around the west terminating at Heriot Watt.
 
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If I'm on the right lines;

A3 Otley/ Leeds Bradford Airport to Bradford could be one. Starting in a Leeds postcode but not going into Leeds.

I'm having a think of any others in West Yorks.... bare with
 

Dai Corner

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NAT used to operate their X5 Ringland (East Newport Suburb)-Newport City Centre-Cardiff City Centre.

During the last few months of operation two of the three journeys each hour were curtailed to run Ringland-Newport-St Mellons only as the Five. St Mellons being an eastern suburb of Cardiff.
 

sk688

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First WoE 18/19 serves the Northern suburbs of Bristol from Bath , without getting anywhere near Central Bristol , while the A4 Air Decker gets through most of South Bristol, but avoids the centre completely , by using the ring road.

First WoE 17 also goes from Keynsham to North Bristol through South Glos , and avoids the city centre completely.
 

Dai Corner

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Stagecoach South Wales 86X operates between Caerphilly and the University Hospital of Wales (which isn't in the city centre) via the northern suburbs of Cardiff.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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First WoE 18/19 serves the Northern suburbs of Bristol from Bath , without getting anywhere near Central Bristol , while the A4 Air Decker gets through most of South Bristol, but avoids the centre completely , by using the ring road.

First WoE 17 also goes from Keynsham to North Bristol through South Glos , and avoids the city centre completely.
The 18/19 do not enter Bristol at any point.

The 17 is just one of many routes in many areas that are peripheral

If I'm on the right lines;

A3 Otley/ Leeds Bradford Airport to Bradford could be one. Starting in a Leeds postcode but not going into Leeds.

I'm having a think of any others in West Yorks.... bare with
I don't think that's what the OP was getting at. Otherwise you'd have any service that goes from a Leeds postcode (Otley, Wetherby) that doesn't go into Leeds city centre being in that category.

What I think is more like it was the, until it was withdrawn, 35 that ran from Leeds to the Bradford 'burb of Greengates
 

Deerfold

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If I'm on the right lines;

A3 Otley/ Leeds Bradford Airport to Bradford could be one. Starting in a Leeds postcode but not going into Leeds.

I'm having a think of any others in West Yorks.... bare with
The 903 has 1 journey a day to and from Addingham. This is a village 8 minutes from the town of Ilkley. The 903 travels 20 minutes in the opposite direction to the small town of Silsden. It's oddly timed, at 0910 and covers similar ground to the half hourly 62 which extends to Ilkley and, at the other end, to Keighley. There's an early afternoon return trip.
 

lxfe_mxtterz

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Not quite a suburb, but the first and last services on Compass Travel's route 32 between Guildford and Redhill don't go all the way into Guildford town centre and instead start/finish just outside of Guildford, on the edge of Chilworth, which is only about 10 minutes away.

I expect this is probably done solely for operational convenience, as it means a slightly shorter deadrun to/from the depot, but the consequence of this is that they're missing out the one location on the route where I assume most of the patronage comes from...
 

Dai Corner

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The HCT Group 55 runs from Bristol Airport via several North Somerset villages to Hengrove Park in Bristol. The Airport is in North Somerset. I think the same bus originates at Clevedon as the 54.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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The HCT Group 55 runs from Bristol Airport via several North Somerset villages to Hengrove Park in Bristol. The Airport is in North Somerset. I think the same bus originates at Clevedon as the 54.
Again, that's not really going from one town (centre) to another town but not the town centre.

There is the 636 that runs from Keynsham to Hengrove (and there was the supported, frequent 637 before that) that might fit the criteria. Back in the day, there was the Badgerline 337 (?) that ran from Bath to Hartcliffe (I think)
 

Dai Corner

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Again, that's not really going from one town (centre) to another town but not the town centre.

There is the 636 that runs from Keynsham to Hengrove (and there was the supported, frequent 637 before that) that might fit the criteria. Back in the day, there was the Badgerline 337 (?) that ran from Bath to Hartcliffe (I think)
I'd accept that Felton, Winford, Barrow Gurney and Dundry aren't large enough to be towns and therefore don't quite meet the criteria but not Clevedon. The airport certainly isn't a town centre.

Checking the website, most journeys operate Hengrove-Clevedon (albeit with a change of number at the Airport) and through fares are available.

 

CBlue

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Might not 100% meet the OP's criteria (although I'd argue Fulbourn is practically a suburb of Cambridge these days)

A2B Bus & Coach run the 18 market day service from Cambridge outskirts to Newmarket. https://bustimes.org/services/18-newmarket-fulbourn-teversham-newmarket-road-par

The Royston services Stagecoach operated also used to terminate at the park and ride in Trumpington for a while under the old 26 route, before it became part of the Busway services... although since covid it now operates under a separate route number again.


There was also Busway service N which used to run from St Ives to Cambridge North station.
 

Ianno87

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There was also Busway service N which used to run from St Ives to Cambridge North station.

No, the N (while it lasted) carried on after Cambridge North to terminate in Central Cambridge.
 

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First Hampshire 18 which runs from Paulsgrove to Southsea avoiding Portsmouth city centre, although I’m not sure this would count as both are technically within the Portsmouth urban area.
 

RustySpoons

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There was a tendered service in East Lancs that Holmeswood ran from Colne, through Nelson and into Burnley but terminated about half a mile from the town centre near the Hospital. As it didn't actually serve the hospital grounds it passed the hospital and terminated on a street nearby. Used to be service 95A, but as of today it's been taken over by Transdev, renumbered 69 and only runs from Nelson.
 

gingerheid

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No, the N (while it lasted) carried on after Cambridge North to terminate in Central Cambridge.
Thanks for the correction, I clearly misremembered that!

You were almost right - but it was the other direction that the original N was cut short. It started from Longstowe rather than St Ives.

It was a very enthusiastic but strange attempt at a route. It was the slowest Busway to Cambridge service, and it also had a different route in Cambridge to the other Busway services. As speed and people waiting at other bus stops for the establish services would knock out most customers it was a therefore service that appeared to be designed of use to people:
- in Cambridge who wanted to be at Cambridge North rather then the closer Cambridge railway station that had more services to all the same destinations
- in Northstowe (which hadn't at that point been built)
- who had driven to Longstowe P&R, who could have driven to stations with far better services than Cambridge North had at the time
- arriving at Cambridge North who wanted to be at the Science Park, who could walk to the Science Park in average waiting time for a 20m interval service (especially as the buses didn't match up with the few trains Cambridge North had when it first opened)

A less frequent St Ives to Cambridge North only service that matched with train times (as it would have been reliable, so it would have been able to match train times nicely) might have been more the thing, or even a service that came off the Guideway at Histon and did a little wander through the parts of the north of Cambridge that are far from the main station + a separate shuttle to the Science Park.
 

Ianno87

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You were almost right - but it was the other direction that the original N was cut short. It started from Longstowe rather than St Ives.

It was a very enthusiastic but strange attempt at a route. It was the slowest Busway to Cambridge service, and it also had a different route in Cambridge to the other Busway services. As speed and people waiting at other bus stops for the establish services would knock out most customers it was a therefore service that appeared to be designed of use to people:
- in Cambridge who wanted to be at Cambridge North rather then the closer Cambridge railway station that had more services to all the same destinations
- in Northstowe (which hadn't at that point been built)
- who had driven to Longstowe P&R, who could have driven to stations with far better services than Cambridge North had at the time
- arriving at Cambridge North who wanted to be at the Science Park, who could walk to the Science Park in average waiting time for a 20m interval service (especially as the buses didn't match up with the few trains Cambridge North had when it first opened)

A less frequent St Ives to Cambridge North only service that matched with train times (as it would have been reliable, so it would have been able to match train times nicely) might have been more the thing, or even a service that came off the Guideway at Histon and did a little wander through the parts of the north of Cambridge that are far from the main station + a separate shuttle to the Science Park.

It was intended to get people to connect with trains at Cambridge North, but without diverting the whole busway service.

Trouble was that passenger demand for the first year at Cambridge North was something of a slow burn, due to the slightly restricted initial timetable, and people taking time to change their habits.
 

Strathclyder

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I was going to cite West Coast Motors' No. 17 service (Glasgow Central - Duntocher via Maryhill & Bearsden) as a example, but I'm not sure that it strictly fits within the parameters of the thread.
 
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TXMISTA

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The 481 in West London serves Whitton, a suburb of Twickenham and Isleworth, a suburb of Hounslow. However, the 481 never travels through Twickenham or Hounslow town centres
 

TheGrandWazoo

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The HCT Group 55 runs from Bristol Airport via several North Somerset villages to Hengrove Park in Bristol. The Airport is in North Somerset. I think the same bus originates at Clevedon as the 54.

I'd accept that Felton, Winford, Barrow Gurney and Dundry aren't large enough to be towns and therefore don't quite meet the criteria but not Clevedon. The airport certainly isn't a town centre.

Checking the website, most journeys operate Hengrove-Clevedon (albeit with a change of number at the Airport) and through fares are available.

I know what you're suggesting. Clevedon (town) to Airport (not a suburb or town), and Airport (not a suburb or town) to Hengrove (suburb) but they are two separate services, albeit worked by the same vehicle.
 

hst43102

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Stagecoach Northamptonshire's peak only X44 links Brackmills Industrial Estate just outside of Northampton to Wellingborough, bypassing Northampton town centre - which is served by its own services.
 

RELL6L

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What about the Stagecoach Oxford H2, H4, H5 which run to John Radcliffe Hospital from Witney, Banbury, Bicester respectively? None go to the centre of Oxford.

And - not an area I am familiar with - but isn't there a Stagecoach route which runs from Glasgow to estates of Cumbernauld but not the centre? The X25A? I could be quite wrong here.

There's something somewhere nagging at my brain here but I can't think what it is. From a big centre to the estates of a neighbouring town but I just can't put my finger on it. Possibly Stagecoach as well. Senility creeping in...
 

PTR 444

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Sometime during the early 2010s, Stagecoach Hampshire’s 46 route which once ran between Winchester and Southampton city centre was cut back to the latter city’s General Hospital, falling into this category for a few years. Now it does not even enter Southampton, having been further cut back to the village of North Baddesley.

Another one in Southampton is the Xelabus X4 route from Eastleigh to Hedge End, which only makes it inside the city boundary between Wide Lane and Mansbridge.
 
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Rebel Viking

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Courtney Buses route 53 runs from Wexham Park Hospital on the edge of Slough to Maidenhead and Bracknell via the Slough suburb of Britwell without going anywhere near Slough town centre.
 

Roilshead

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Harrogate Coach Travel/Connexionsbuses 781 Meanwood-Otley and 940 Holt Park-Otley both run from north Leeds suburbs to a local market town.
 

Deerfold

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Courtney Buses route 53 runs from Wexham Park Hospital on the edge of Slough to Maidenhead and Bracknell via the Slough suburb of Britwell without going anywhere near Slough town centre.
I should have thought of that one - I used to live just off the route and have ended up working near the route a couple of times.

Harrogate Coach Travel/Connexionsbuses 781 Meanwood-Otley and 940 Holt Park-Otley both run from north Leeds suburbs to a local market town.
The 781 is a particularly odd one as for decades it ran into Leeds (with more journeys including peak express journeys as the X35).
 
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