Trivia: Short Lived Bus Routes

[aliceh]

Not to put a downer on things, but a fair few of these happened in Yellow Buses' dying days, especially with the 2017 route recast that lasted just over a year. While some simply got renumbered, routes like the R1, R2, P2, P3, V3 and V4 were new routes with no identical predecessor, and no identical replacement.

Post that, the Sunday only 1x didn't make a year, and the 3x wasn't a year old when the company went into administration, with no replacement from More.

 

[pitdiver]

Not a bus but a coach route by NX. The MK1 from Milton Keynes "Old" Coachway to Canary Wharf.

 

[Statto]

Not to put a downer on things, but a fair few of these happened in Yellow Buses' dying days, especially with the 2017 route recast that lasted just over a year. While some simply got renumbered, routes like the R1, R2, P2, P3, V3 and V4 were new routes with no identical predecessor, and no identical replacement.

Post that, the Sunday only 1x didn't make a year, and the 3x wasn't a year old when the company went into administration, with no replacement from More.

I believe that 2017 network recast was largely the cause of the Yellow Buses decline, Yellow Buses posted financial losses that Autumn, & the MD who introduced the new network resigned, the network was changed back in spring 2018, but that didn't stop the decline.

 

[Teapot42]

Prime examples
X57 Sheffield - Manchester, introduced by Hulleys in 2020, but barely lasted a year before quietly being withdrawn

The withdrawal wasn't that quiet. Announced widely and with complaints from management that part of the reason was that they'd not been properly renumerated for mileage within Greater Manchester. The impression I got is that it would have lasted longer had GM been a bit more helpful.

The Hulleys X1 from Ashbourne to Machester for I think 3 days from sept 6th to 8th 2021.

Certainly less than a week. I'm not sure if the X72 which was supposed to be introduced at the same time ever actually ran at all.

Both services had merit, but resources were simply not there. Partly beyond their control, but possibly just too much for such a small company to take on.

Stagecoach Yorkshire X1 from Chesterfield (or Sheffield not totally sure) to Nottingham via East Midlands Designer Outlet

Only from Chesterfield. Killed by Covid - surprised they haven't tried it again as it was quite popular. McArthur Glen is not really a viable destination from Chesterfield by public transport these days.

 

[Statto]

This might fit into my criteria, in summer 1991 Merseybus abandoned Liverpool Pier Head Bus Station & because of lack of space for a terminus merged a lot of routes, routes like the 79 Netherley - Pier Head was extended to Croxteth replacing the 14C, however these changes were short lived, all the routes that merged were split by January 1995 after Paradise Street Bus Station opened, which was rebuilt from Central Bus Station.

 

[route101]

Not a bus but a coach route by NX. The MK1 from Milton Keynes "Old" Coachway to Canary Wharf.

A recent example of a short lived NX route is the 184 from Edinburgh to Liverpool. April to October 2023.

 

[kez19]

Xplore Dundee (National Express at the time), 15A and 15C - Whitfield to City Centre the only plus for it, was from my end of Whitfield bus was quicker to town! (15A)

X5 Barnhill to Ninewells via Dock Street is another.

The 9/10 circular route when it was re-routed via Balunie Drive (another I can’t remember if both went that way or it was split ie 9 Balunie Avenue, 10 via Balunie Drive)

Final one from Xplore under NX:

28 or 29 Douglas to Ninewells

 

[route101]

Not sure if it really counts, but McGills tried a 902 from Gourock to Edinburgh. In one sense it was an attempt to rekindle (albeit once a day Tuesday to Saturday) what was previously a historical Western Scottish / Clydeside Scottish / Scottish Citylink hourly service. In another sense though it was a short lived service that ran for less than 6 months in 2017.

In the same area but earlier, Arriva Scotland West tried an hour 600 service from East Kilbride to Glasgow Airport via Paisley. It was a brave attempt but was perhaps stymied by not really running normal airport bus hours - the earliest arrival at the airport was 8am and the latest departure 7pm.

I remember that 600 route. It was limited stop too. At the same time there was a limited stop 601 from Braehead to East Kilbride operated by first.

 

[JD2168]

The withdrawal wasn't that quiet. Announced widely and with complaints from management that part of the reason was that they'd not been properly renumerated for mileage within Greater Manchester. The impression I got is that it would have lasted longer had GM been a bit more helpful.


Certainly less than a week. I'm not sure if the X72 which was supposed to be introduced at the same time ever actually ran at all.

Both services had merit, but resources were simply not there. Partly beyond their control, but possibly just too much for such a small company to take on.


Only from Chesterfield. Killed by Covid - surprised they haven't tried it again as it was quite popular. McArthur Glen is not really a viable destination from Chesterfield by public transport these days.

I remember the X1, they branded some of the 64 plate Gold Scania’s for it. The 54 extension from Clay Cross didn’t last much longer as well.

 

[m79900]

I remember the X1, they branded some of the 64 plate Gold Scania’s for it. The 54 extension from Clay Cross didn’t last much longer as well.

It's still written on some bus stop flags in Alfreton and Shirland

 

[Murray J]

I remember the X1, they branded some of the 64 plate Gold Scania’s for it. The 54 extension from Clay Cross didn’t last much longer as well.

This reminded me of Arriva Southern Counties short-lived X1, an express service linking Guildford to Horsham. Started in May 2017 with Volvo B9R coaches but within months it was relegated to being run by Merc Sprinter breadvans, before ending in March 2018.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The 85/85A from Huddersfield to Barnsley for Centrebus/Huddersfield Bus Company (prior to the Tiger rebrand) only lasted a couple of years. Consisted of one return trip from Huddersfield bus station to Barnsley Interchange (85) with the vehicle doing a return trip back from Barnsley to the depot at Waterloo (as 85A) in between.

In the late 2010s First Leeds experimented with extending some daytime journeys of one of their routes (I forget which number, but may have been the 55 from Morley) to Batley bus station which is deep in Arriva territory. These only lasted around a year, if that.

 

[Teapot42]

I remember the X1, they branded some of the 64 plate Gold Scania’s for it. The 54 extension from Clay Cross didn’t last much longer as well.

I don't recall the Scanias being branded, but they did get three 59 plate Gold E400s (from Oxford I believe) to supplement the 64 plate ones which had been cascaded from the X17 to the 50.

I guess another local one to add to the pile would be the Hulleys incarnation of the 80 which has just ceased. The route was different from the preceeding Stagecoach 80 and the First replacement.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I don't recall the Scanias being branded, but they did get three 59 plate Gold E400s (from Oxford I believe) to supplement the 64 plate ones which had been cascaded from the X17 to the 50.

They did have some https://www.flickr.com/photos/18186...7eXv-2irChED-2ihCPAF-2hC7hTL-2hLUajJ-2imgKya/ photo: Tony Wilson

 

[Statto]

X5 Liverpool - Widnes, Stagecoach launched this express service September 2018, however loadings were never great & this was withdrawn November 2019

 

[buscoaster]

The service 50 Portsmouth and Southsea open top by First only lasted a couple of years

 

[Deerfold]

First Halifax ran the 565 on Summer Sundays for one year in the late 90s May - September. It ran one journey Halifax - West Vale - Ainley Top - Denshaw. There was no return journey. I would have fancied catching it, but there was no reasonably priced way of me getting into Halifax in time for it at the time. I lived at the time on the normal route between Halifax and Denshaw.

 

[Teapot42]

The service 50 Portsmouth and Southsea open top by First only lasted a couple of years

Of course that highlights another one, the Hulleys Breezer from last year which didn't even survive the full season. Driver shortages led to frequent cancellations, then the only open top bus they had suffered suspension failure and the route got quietly pulled a few weeks before the service was meant to end for the year. The bus is (was) up for sale so there appears to be no intention to try again, and Stagecoach have moved in to take over the route with their expanded Peak Sightseer.

 

[Clydeflyer]

Stagecoach Glasgow G1/G2

G1 - Southern General Hospital, Glasgow to Ruchill Student Village, Partick, Glasgow
G2 - Southern General Hospital, Glasgow to Glenfinnan Road, Maryhill, Glasgow

Started August 2015, gone by April 2016


Also... can't remember much about it but at one point did Arriva Scotland West not have a coach service running from Monklands to Glasgow via the Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre and the M8?

 

[miklcct]

morebus 80 (Alum Chine - Mudeford)

only in operation in the 2023 season, no longer operate this year, replaced by extended super long 70 (Rockley Park - Mudeford) instead.

Post that, the Sunday only 1x didn't make a year, and the 3x wasn't a year old when the company went into administration, with no replacement from More.

Where did the 1x go?

I was a regular of the 3x in Yellow Buses' final year for travelling between town centre and the leisure centre, due to its longer service hours compared to morebus's X1/X2/X3/X6, but for most journeys I took there were only 1 or 2 passengers on board including me.

 

[m79900]

The hulleys 'Breezer' lasted just one year as well

 

[Flange Squeal]

The service 50 Portsmouth and Southsea open top by First only lasted a couple of years

2022 and 2023 as per post #23.

Of course that highlights another one, the Hulleys Breezer from last year which didn't even survive the full season. Driver shortages led to frequent cancellations, then the only open top bus they had suffered suspension failure and the route got quietly pulled a few weeks before the service was meant to end for the year. The bus is (was) up for sale so there appears to be no intention to try again, and Stagecoach have moved in to take over the route with their expanded Peak Sightseer.

This was also briefly covered in post 23, along with the fact Hulley’s bus was previously used in Southsea. Not on First’s short lived 2022/2023 service, but Aldermaston Coach Lines’ original 2021 seafront service which is another contender for this thread as it only lasted one summer.

The hulleys 'Breezer' lasted just one year as well

As mentioned several times already.

 

[aliceh]

Where did the 1x go?

It was Bournemouth to Poole via Lower Parkstone. I seem to remember it ran to Poole Quay and rail station as well, just before the 1 started doing the same. I think it was created to maintain some kind of Sunday frequency between Bournemouth and Poole, but it ended up running something weird like every 40 minutes.

 

[leedslad82]

The 85/85A from Huddersfield to Barnsley for Centrebus/Huddersfield Bus Company (prior to the Tiger rebrand) only lasted a couple of years. Consisted of one return trip from Huddersfield bus station to Barnsley Interchange (85) with the vehicle doing a return trip back from Barnsley to the depot at Waterloo (as 85A) in between.

In the late 2010s First Leeds experimented with extending some daytime journeys of one of their routes (I forget which number, but may have been the 55 from Morley) to Batley bus station which is deep in Arriva territory. These only lasted around a year, if that.

The first leeds extension was a tendered service between batley & morley that they won and tacted onto an existing service. I know arriva had it at one point too and station coaches have it now

 

[dgl]

First Wessex also had the Slowcoaster which ran only for one or two summers that did Weymouth to Bridport via Portland Bill and Littlesea Holiday Park.

 

[leedslad82]

There was a rural bus grant service back in, I think, 2004. In the Otley area they served places like East Carlton and Askwith.

 

[joieman]

In July 2014, Arriva Midlands introduced a service X80 from Loughborough to Oadby Halls of Residence via Leicester, running once in the morning to Oadby and then in the other direction in the evening. Given its infrequency and awkward times, I was never able to see it in person and find out if Arriva were using their bendybuses on it! Service got canned in August 2015.

PF0007085/190 – bustimes.org

Received
2 Jul 15
Effective
30 Aug 15
Cancelled
cancelled

Operating between LOUGHBOROUGH and OADBY, MANOR ROAD given service number X80 effective from 30-Aug-2015.

Received
2 May 14
Effective
7 Jul 14
Registered
Monday to Friday

From: LOUGHBOROUGH
To: OADBY, MANOR ROAD
Via: Birstall, University of Leicester
Name or No: X80
Service Type: Limited Stop
Effective Date: 07-Jul-2014
Other Details: Monday to Friday

 

[SSmith2009]

In July 2014, Arriva Midlands introduced a service X80 from Loughborough to Oadby Halls of Residence via Leicester, running once in the morning to Oadby and then in the other direction in the evening. Given its infrequency and awkward times, I was never able to see it in person and find out if Arriva were using their bendybuses on it! Service got canned in August 2015.

PF0007085/190 – bustimes.org

Introduced as a peak fast service for the University and IIRC did use the bendy buses.

Think this was when Skylink was running only every 30 mins?

 

[AB93]

Abellio Surrey's 461T (Staines - Thorpe Park), started in 2015 as competitive venture against Sullivan Buses' long established 950 service.
Started 27th June, finished on Day 2, on 28th June, never to run again. Short notice refusal of access to Staines Railway Station forecourt being the reputed reason.

 

[joieman]

Introduced as a peak fast service for the University and IIRC did use the bendy buses.

Think this was when Skylink was running only every 30 mins?

Yes, until around October 2014 from looking at photos of Kinchbus's 767, only the very last of which has the branding advertising a 20-minute frequency.