Great Britain interurban bus map

[gingerheid]

I think Whippet used to run their X3 to Thrapston and Kettering, and withdrawing that left that gap in the network? In fairness you do have two fairly frequent and busy corridors to the north and south (Peterborough - Oundle - Corby and St Neots - Bedford) but that specific journey between Huntingdon and Kettering is weirdly awkward, realistically needing two changes (you can do it in one, but then you're on the X4 for a while).

They did for a short time, and it was a very admirable attempt because (although it did come at the same time as they got a council contract in the Kettering area) it was so innovative that afaik it was the first commercial service in that area for at least a decade. It also didn't last, despite having quite a decent (but certainly not flawless) timetable. I guess that Huntingdon and Kettering have been entirely under different spheres of influence for so long that it just didn't occur to people to cross the gap between them!

 

[Parebunks]

Nottingham
- 'the threes' label is missing Nottingham-Mansfield
- Would it be possible to display Loughborough-Nottingham 1/9 as two lines in different colours, like what you do with the others, instead of just NCT colour, since the current format could confuse people.

Diamond eastmidlands (rotola)

service 19 - the 19 as well as the 9 goes to ashby-de-la-zouch whereas your map shows it going as far as swadlincote but the 19 goes ashby via measham unlike the 9 so may need redrawing to show a deviation continuing to ashby like the 9

Also you have 19,9 from burton to swadlictote however as the 8 and 9 are nearly the exact same route with the 8 terminating in swadlincote and the 9 continuing, I think I would be better to change 19,9 to 8,9 or have 8,9,19 with the 19 having the deviation from swadlictote to ashby drawn similar to how the arriva LC16 is from loughborough to ashby.

Also
Stagecoach eastmidlands

Service 53 - you showing as it being more frequent between Lincoln and market rasen with a few continuing to grimbsy, however unless I'm mistaken all 53/53a buses go from Lincoln to grimsby

Thanks both - East Midlands may need a rework anyway but have made those fixes as well as some others round Belper. Leaving out the latter part of the 19 is intentional as the route is so much slower - see my previous comments on having done the same elsewhere

Saw this today - a map of all bus services in the UK and Ireland

View attachment 187765
Image shows a map of the UK and Ireland with bus routes shown as bright colours radiating out of cities and towns.

This is a very impressive piece, and quite useful for me to spot anything I've missed! Perhaps some room to improve the legibility of route labels but I suppose only so much can be done with an automatic process.

 

[ian1944]

I've just seen that North Berwick is missing its w.

 

[Galaxy]

There's also the 399 between Doncaster and Scunthorpe, two-hourly Mondays to Fridays

https://hornsbytravel.co.uk/timetables/20250407_Timetable_399.pdf

 

[Starmill]

By the way, the HANNON Coach service from Glasgow, I think it may be that it goes to Lurgan.

 

[bv52_eno]

Worcester
- 144 now runs half-hourly(-ish, the AI timetable is being a pain)

Wolverhampton
- 16 now runs every 20 mimutes
- 876 now runs hourly

 

[Buzby]

By the way, the HANNON Coach service from Glasgow, I think it may be that it goes to Lurgan.

Yes, just after it stops off at Lisburn.

 

[ian1944]

I've just seen that North Berwick is missing its w.

I mean its r, it has its w.

 

[Zamracene749]

A couple of updates for the North East- between Peterlee and Sunderland the Arriva service is shown as 23 rather than 22. The 23 is half hourly Hartlepool to Peterlee, forming a 15 minute service with the 24.

Also, the core direct service between Darlington and Bishop Auckland is shown as service 5- it is in fact service 1 (one of the longest standing unchanged route numbers in the country IIRC!).
Service 5 should be showing as linking Darlington and Bishop Auckland via Newton Aycliffe.

Keep up the great work!

 

[Parebunks]

I've just seen that North Berwick is missing its w.

There's also the 399 between Doncaster and Scunthorpe, two-hourly Mondays to Fridays

https://hornsbytravel.co.uk/timetables/20250407_Timetable_399.pdf

Worcester
- 144 now runs half-hourly(-ish, the AI timetable is being a pain)

Wolverhampton
- 16 now runs every 20 mimutes
- 876 now runs hourly

A couple of updates for the North East- between Peterlee and Sunderland the Arriva service is shown as 23 rather than 22. The 23 is half hourly Hartlepool to Peterlee, forming a 15 minute service with the 24.

Also, the core direct service between Darlington and Bishop Auckland is shown as service 5- it is in fact service 1 (one of the longest standing unchanged route numbers in the country IIRC!).
Service 5 should be showing as linking Darlington and Bishop Auckland via Newton Aycliffe.

Keep up the great work!

By the way, the HANNON Coach service from Glasgow, I think it may be that it goes to Lurgan.

Thanks all.

 

[Intercity_225]

March and Wisbech is missing their 46, runs via Guyhirn and Wisbech St Mary so takes a different route to the 56.

 

[38291018]

Edit: original post was incorrect
Thought centrebus group was orange for a second

 

[bv52_eno]

Deleted

 

[Starmill]

Thanks all.

A hugely impressive piece of work now. Really really well done.

 

[gingerheid]

Flixbus no longer runs the UK006 from Cambridge to Stevenage and London. It has been replaced by a route that may have been specifically designed to make life miserable for the designers of really useful maps: Cambridge to Luton, Heathrow and Swindon! https://bustimes.org/services/uk990-no-longer-planned-cambridge-heathrow-southam
Also, whichever FlixBus service went to Peterborough no longer does.

 

[Starmill]

Flixbus no longer runs the UK006 from Cambridge to Stevenage and London. It has been replaced by a route that may have been specifically designed to make life miserable for the designers of really useful maps: Cambridge to Luton, Heathrow and Swindon! https://bustimes.org/services/uk990-no-longer-planned-cambridge-heathrow-southam
Also, whichever FlixBus service went to Peterborough no longer does.

That's weird, the route title says 'no longer planned'.

 

[gingerheid]

That's weird, the route title says 'no longer planned'.

It also says Southampton but it actually goes to Swindon, so I guess someone left a note for themselves while changes were happening! For a technology company they're very bad at technology. I was amazed to see that the delay value on the app is the result of the driver calling a call centre and telling them what to up date it with! It may also just be me, but to me it's one of the stranger coach routes I've ever seen.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Thames Valley (Reading Buses subsidiary) now offer an hourly Mon-Sat 20 between Maidenhead and High Wycombe, running a slightly different routing to the Carousel 37 at each end but, at the scale of your map, the 20 would probably just get away with being shown as a parallel line to the 37 between Maidenhead and High Wycombe if you wanted to show it.

 

[Parebunks]

Flixbus no longer runs the UK006 from Cambridge to Stevenage and London. It has been replaced by a route that may have been specifically designed to make life miserable for the designers of really useful maps: Cambridge to Luton, Heathrow and Swindon! https://bustimes.org/services/uk990-no-longer-planned-cambridge-heathrow-southam

I noticed this and was indeed not a very happy person. But will feature on the new year update - have been working on other projects and don't quite have the time to keep this going year round, but will be back towards the end of December!

Thames Valley (Reading Buses subsidiary) now offer an hourly Mon-Sat 20 between Maidenhead and High Wycombe, running a slightly different routing to the Carousel 37 at each end but, at the scale of your map, the 20 would probably just get away with being shown as a parallel line to the 37 between Maidenhead and High Wycombe if you wanted to show it.

See above!

 

[ian1944]

Still shows North Bewick.

 

[Parebunks]

Still shows North Bewick.

Are you looking at the most recent version in post #310? That one is definitely correct.

 

[ian1944]

Are you looking at the most recent version in post #310? That one is definitely correct.

No, my mistake.

There is another route between North Berwick and Haddington, the Prentice 122 further west than the ECB 121.

 

[TrenHotel]

I should have spotted this one before, but in London the SL3 runs to Thamesmead, which is east of Woolwich. It meets the 96 at Bexleyheath.

There have been some changes in northwest Kent:

- the Arriva 480 now runs via Bluewater between Dartford and Gravesend; the 490 no longer runs Bluewater to Gravesend.
- Arriva no longer runs the 477 between Dartford and Orpington. Instead, there is a 477 run by Kent Country (Go-Ahead) between Dartford and Orpington running hourly. (Confusingly, there is also another 477 between Dartford and Swanley, run by Go-Bus, which is half-hourly Mon-Sat.)

If you ever wanted to link Bromley and Orpington on the map, the 61 (Stagecoach), 208 (currently Go-Ahead, due to move to Stagecoach in July) and 358 (Go-Ahead) all link those places for TfL. Appreciate that might add clutter, though.

 

[bv52_eno]

Chaserider's 826 now runs to Lichfield again following the completion of roadworks in Stafford

 

[overthewater]

Does that map not have Midland blue bird No72 from Falkirk to Glasgow? also F2 no longer goes to Caldercruix, and of course there is some minor changes in two weeks in Fife.

 

[JKP]

Borders Buses 253 no longer runs between Dunbar and Edinburgh.

There are a number of new routes in Cumbria to add.
7/X7 Barrow, Millom, Whitehaven.
400 Carlisle to Silloth via Wigton.

Dumfries and Galloway
246 is Dumfries to New Cumnock.

 

[yorkie]

Reopened for @Parebunks to post an update

 

[Parebunks]

Attached is an updated version of the map to August 2026. I thought I had posted a new version in January but as I was starting to review the map in preparation for September changes realised this was not the case, so my apologies for the delay.
As ever, please point out any errors or omissions - the gap means there's been quite a long time for me to miss things.
Of note, I have overhauled the side Flixbus diagram completely to reflect their considerable expansion, feedback on its legibility would be particularly appreciated.

 

[38291018]

The Nottingham to Grantham route is LC9 not LC6

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2026 ==

I know Wales changed alot of its routes a few months ago and may be wrong as live nowhere near the area but is the X44 to Hereford considered transport for Wales? Think that's now independent (Sargent bros)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2026 ==

Same with the Brecon - Abergavenny x43 is that considered tfw? I don't really know the area so not sure but it's not a T route and don't think it uses tfw branded vehicles

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2026 ==

Dartford to orpington isn't right colour as its goahead not arriva and a independent also uses the same number and jointly operates on some not all of the same route too

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2026 ==

47 Newark- Lincoln is now independent/local not centrebus group

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2026 ==

Does the 2 between Lincoln and retford still run? Think I read somewhere it stopped around march and not seen buses track on it for a while and saw alot of its darts have disappeared

 

[Parebunks]

The Nottingham to Grantham route is LC9 not LC6
Dartford to orpington isn't right colour as its goahead not arriva and a independent also uses the same number and jointly operates on some not all of the same route too
47 Newark- Lincoln is now independent/local not centrebus group

Thanks, all good spots.

Does the 2 between Lincoln and retford still run? Think I read somewhere it stopped around march and not seen buses track on it for a while and saw alot of its darts have disappeared

Also can't find any evidence that this still runs so have removed, thanks - although haven't seen it announced as stopping either.

I know Wales changed alot of its routes a few months ago and may be wrong as live nowhere near the area but is the X44 to Hereford considered transport for Wales? Think that's now independent (Sargent bros)
Same with the Brecon - Abergavenny x43 is that considered tfw? I don't really know the area so not sure but it's not a T route and don't think it uses tfw branded vehicles

The colouring in mid-Wales went a bit out the window with the Powys retender, everything included in that got the pink as it was pitched as a precursor to franchising. Not sure how the reality on the ground has matched to this though, might revisit.