Bus services that enter private property (except shopping centres/supermarkets/works only)

Simon75 · 25 Jul 2026

Recently traveled on D&G 87 (Monday to Friday)Macclesfield to Knutsford and it entered Barclays at Radbrook Park, near Knutsford.
What other examples are there of buses entering private property (except Shopping centres/supermarkets/works only)

RailUK Forums

syorksdeano · 26 Jul 2026

252 Sheffield - Halfway goes around Morrisons at Halfway

pokemonsuper9 · 26 Jul 2026

Do buses to football stadiums count? There's quite a few routes on match days only that run to Middlebrook stadium (near Bolton), presumably they drop off in the car park which I assume is private by the big gate usually blocking access.

Not sure what we're counting as Private so I'd also like to nominate the bus route that runs through a military base near Southend (which you can only use if you have actual purpose to go to the town it serves), and most bus stations.

Sir Felix Pole · 26 Jul 2026

Buses from Exeter to the Airport & Sidmouth serve the Met Office estate (with lifting entrance and exit barriers). A government agency, to be pedantic however.

izvor · 26 Jul 2026

Well, most bus stations, railway station forecourts, airports, hospitals etc. are private property but I guess the OP was not including these either.

Metrobus 100 passes through a barrier to access the Perimeter Road at Gatwick Airport.

Metrobus 430/435 used to pass along a private road and through a lifting gate to access a new estate in Earlswood, but the surface of said road got so bad the service was pulled about 4 years ago.

pokemonsuper9 said:
Not sure what we're counting as Private so I'd also like to nominate the bus route that runs through a military base near Southend (which you can only use if you have actual purpose to go to the town it serves), and most bus stations.

Yes, Foulness Island is certainly very private, as are other MoD establishments around the country served by bus.

Taunton · 27 Jul 2026

The whole Canary Wharf estate, including its road network, is private, with security guards at each entrance, and multiple London bus routes pass through it. The security will stop and check cars, and certainly goods vehicles, but don't seem to trouble buses, although they may get held up in the queue.

Acathater · 27 Jul 2026

Many campus-based universities such as Lancaster or Loughborough will have buses using the internal road network. At Lancaster the underpass under the main square is now a de facto bus station with other traffic barred from using it.
On a smaller scale the 555 Lancaster - Keswick turns into the Pine Lake resort just north of Carnforth. At Ingleton buses terminate in the town hall car park (next to the remains of the old rail station).

Magrar · 27 Jul 2026

Many business and retail parks will also be private property, but large enough that it would be crazy not to serve them with a bus route, so requiring bus priority measures to ensure cars behave like they're in a giant car park, not a rat run passing through.

Oh, and surely every single Park and Ride facility ever built, is private property?

ACBest · 27 Jul 2026

Nottingham City Transport’s 49 enters the Boots Head Office site, and Stagecoach East Midland’s 2/2A services enter Southview Holiday Park.

daodao · 27 Jul 2026

Simon75 said:
Recent11ly traveled on D&G 87 (Monday to Friday)Macclesfield to Knutsford and it entered Barclays at Radbrook Park, near Knutsford.
What other examples are there of buses entering private property (except Shopping centres/supermarkets/works only)

On westbound journeys, this service also enters the grounds of Macclesfield Hospital, as does route 130. Route 130 on Mon-Fri also runs via Alderley Park.

The exile · 27 Jul 2026

Magrar said:
Oh, and surely every single Park and Ride facility ever built, is private property?

Not if they were built and are owned by the Local Authority, surely? That will account for most of them.

Dai Corner · 27 Jul 2026

Many Cardiff buses go through the grounds of the University Hospital of Wales or Llandough Hospital, if they count.

Newport Transport C4 enters Beachley Barracks near Chepstow, which is a 'Prohibited Place within the meaning of the Official Secrets Act" according to the sign at the entrance. I must try to use it one day to see if there are any security precautions, or indeed whether I'm allowed in at all.

Djgr · 27 Jul 2026

Acathater said:
Many campus-based universities such as Lancaster or Loughborough will have buses using the internal road network. At Lancaster the underpass under the main square is now a de facto bus station with other traffic barred from using it.
On a smaller scale the 555 Lancaster - Keswick turns into the Pine Lake resort just north of Carnforth. At Ingleton buses terminate in the town hall car park (next to the remains of the old rail station).

Ditto Keele

asb · 27 Jul 2026

Dai Corner said:
Many Cardiff buses go through the grounds of the University Hospital of Wales or Llandough Hospital, if they count.

Newport Transport C4 enters Beachley Barracks near Chepstow, which is a 'Prohibited Place within the meaning of the Official Secrets Act" according to the sign at the entrance. I must try to use it one day to see if there are any security precautions, or indeed whether I'm allowed in at all.

Travelling on the C4 was fine when I went on it

psmith2023 · 27 Jul 2026

141 stagecoach Mansfield goes in to the council offices

TheGrandWazoo · 27 Jul 2026

Simon75 said:
What other examples are there of buses entering private property (except Shopping centres/supermarkets/works only)

syorksdeano said:
252 Sheffield - Halfway goes around Morrisons at Halfway

Magrar said:
Many business and retail parks will also be private property, but large enough that it would be crazy not to serve them with a bus route, so requiring bus priority measures to ensure cars behave like they're in a giant car park, not a rat run passing through.

C'mon guys - read what the OP said :oops:

Avoiding the obvious ones like hospitals and universities and, indeed, distribution parks like East Midlands Gateway, I think the OP was looking at the quirkier ones?

That said, many of these have been covered on this thread before - https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-buses-in-the-past.296552/page-8#post-7612052 - it mentions several like Shoeburyness, Leeming, Binbrook and Blandford that all used to involve MOD premises.

There are also plenty that serve holiday camps and holiday and residential caravan parks.

Steve440 · 27 Jul 2026

Stagecoach 755 goes in to Ocean Edge caravan site at Heysham and I'm sure there will be many similar ones.

CyrusWuff · 27 Jul 2026

National Express West Midlands routes X1 and X12 run along a private road between Birmingham Airport and the Airport Travelodge.

For part of the route you have the A45, said private road and an airside road running parallel to each other.

Tetchytyke · 27 Jul 2026

The 104 from Carlisle goes in to Center Parcs Whinfell Forest near Penrith, and the 689 from Hexham to Consett pays a visit to Slaley Hall hotel.

PeterC · 27 Jul 2026

Steve440 said:
Stagecoach 755 goes in to Ocean Edge caravan site at Heysham and I'm sure there will be many similar ones.

Red Rose 397 terminates in a park home site near Tring.

According to Bustimes routes 55A and 55B supposedly drive past the entrance without stopping although on the one time that I used the route the driver did divert via the bus stop.

TheGrandWazoo · 27 Jul 2026

Ok, here's some of my submissions off the top of my head...

291 between Bewdley and Wyre Forest serves a residential caravan park
44 terminates within Travalgan Holiday Park
19 serves Lelant Downs (St Ives Holiday Village) between St Ives and Penzance
Sherwood Arrow serves the Visitor Centre at Edwinstowe
Lands End buses serve the god awful "attraction" there
319 serves Clovelly visitor centre

TBH, they'll be hundreds of examples

py_megapixel · 27 Jul 2026

Motorway services are private. Of course long distance coaches often use them but what about local buses?

Sheffield-Rotherham route X6 serves the new service station on the M1. I imagine there are other examples elsewhere in the country.

Mike99 · 27 Jul 2026

In the late 90's amongst other routes I drove the 10 out of Ashford Depot from Maidstone to Folkestone, a few journeys diverted into Port Lympne Safari Park and Zoo north of Hythe which I always presumed was private land. We had a holiday up near Filey at Haven Primrose Valley and bus route, currently numbered 13, I think it was a 3 figure number back in maybe 2016ish, came right into the camp, and it was very well used each morning towards Scarborough

mb88 · 27 Jul 2026

Lothian Country X18 enters the Royal Bank of Scotland compound at Gogarburn at peak times.

YorkRailFan · 27 Jul 2026

Transdev Keighley operates Nidderdale DalesBus 821 on Summer Sundays & Bank Holidays which uses a Yorkshire Water access road to serve Scar House Reservoir. The bus terminates in the car park by the reservoir and cafe.

James H · 27 Jul 2026

Morebus 70 terminates inside Hoburne Park Holiday Park

There's also the Campsite Connect 35 which runs off the public highway within two campsites

PeterC · 27 Jul 2026

No longer the case but in London Transport days a number of routes terminated at public houses using the pub's land to turn and lay over. Probably impractical with the longer and wider modern buses even if landlords didn't want the land for parking or outdoor seating

steamybrian · 27 Jul 2026

The Bournemouth to Swanage bus service travels on the Sandbanks ferry.

BuhSnarf · 27 Jul 2026

The S6 briefly enters the Defence Academy for a stop at the Beckett Gate.

James H · 27 Jul 2026

steamybrian said:
The Bournemouth to Swanage bus service travels on the Sandbanks ferry.

The ferry company owns a long stretch of the road to Studland - so could be a contender for longest distance travelled on a private road.

Bus services that enter private property (except shopping centres/supermarkets/works only)

On Moderation

RailUK Forums

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

On Moderation

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member