TRIVIA: Direct bus services that have competitive journey times with direct train services

FenMan · 22 Aug 2026

I'm looking for examples of direct bus services that have competitive journey times with direct train services, so no changes when using either mode.

One I can think of is Farnham - Guildford:

- SWR run a 2tph service Mon - Sat with a journey time of 23 minutes.
- Stagecoach bus 65 runs hourly between the two with a journey time of 24 minutes.

RailUK Forums

SECR 65 · 22 Aug 2026

The T2 is much faster to get from Porthmadog to Caernarfon than the Welsh Highland Railway is!

SuspectUsual · 22 Aug 2026

Inverness to Wick (and other places en route)

TheGrandWazoo · 22 Aug 2026

Middlesbrough to Whitby!

Plagiomnium · 22 Aug 2026

Beverley to York - the Northern train and the X46/47 bus take around the same time (1 hr 20-1hr 30 for both). Driffield to York likewise, on the same train and the X45 bus.

If coaches count as buses, Glasgow to Fort William - both Citylink and Ember are quite a bit faster than the train.

Omnidekkalover · 22 Aug 2026

Nottingham to Derby as the Red Arrow and Cross Country/EMR services between the two are comparable at around 30-40 minutes I'd say

aliceh · 22 Aug 2026

Liskeard to Looe - 26-33 minutes by train depending on stopping pattern, 22-24 minutes on the bus

Magrar · 22 Aug 2026

FenMan said:
I'm looking for examples of direct bus services that have competitive journey times with direct train services, so no changes when using either mode.

One I can think of is Farnham - Guildford:

- SWR run a 2tph service Mon - Sat with a journey time of 23 minutes.
- Stagecoach bus 65 runs hourly between the two with a journey time of 24 minutes.

You failed to mention the competitive advantage of the shortest turn up and go overall journey time.

I can think of several cases where including the average wait for a low frequency train, completely negates the faster journey time over a more frequent bus service, even when it's a standard all stops double decker.

This is no more obvious than on sparsely served rural rail lines, where with some stations not served by every train, you can possibly be waiting maybe 2 hours, so on average an hour, but where decent A roads and with far more decent sized villages that can be served with central stops, are allowing buses to be run at a frequency as good as 15 minutes.

It's so stark, it's as if Beeching never even happened, and the railway is still the absurd, anachronistic, throwback mode from a different era, where you expect to be sharing a carriage with milk churns or even livestock, and closure is expected any day now.

The fact the train is often the budget option too, preferred by commuters and shoppers but not travellers or tourists, is just absurd as well.

NCT · 22 Aug 2026

Glasgow’s 18 to East Kilbride, Edinburgh’s 29 to Gorebridge.

Also pretty sure the bus between Dover and Canterbury (I forget the number) is journey time competitive against the train.

alex397 · 22 Aug 2026

NCT said:
Also pretty sure the bus between Dover and Canterbury (I forget the number) is journey time competitive against the train.

I came on here to mention this route, which is the 15. The train from Canterbury East to Dover Priory takes 24 minutes, and the bus takes 28 minutes (or up to 35 in the peaks). The difference with most other interurban bus services is that the 15 is direct (and fast down the A2) and doesn’t really deviate (though it does follow the old A2 through Lydden but I don’t think that adds much time).

The service is considerably better than the train as well, running every 20 minutes compared to the hourly train. The 15 also stops in the city/town centres whereas the trains do not (though Canterbury East isn’t exactly far from the centre, but the Bus Station is closer).
I’d say the bus is (most of the time) quicker if you include a longer walk to the railway stations in the timings, and also more reliable. I usually get the bus between these places, but the last time I tried the train it was cancelled meaning no train for 2 hours.

mattb7tl · 22 Aug 2026

Huddersfield to Halifax and Bradford.

May be quicker on paper but due to the infrequency of the trains you are usually better off taking the bus.

SalopBuses · 22 Aug 2026

X10 Telford to Shrewsbury, quite a popular service everytime I use it aswell despite the longer travel time, only £3 on the X10 compared to the train being anywhere between £5.50 and £7.70
I've been on it a few times where there is standing space only as it a popular service, and most times I use it is fairly busy.

py_megapixel · 22 Aug 2026

One I encountered recently, at off peak times the 66 bus takes 50 minutes from Cheltenham to Stroud while the train takes 30-35 mins (slightly different timings in different hours).

This is close enough that, if travelling from Cheltenham town centre, it's quicker to get the bus than to go all the way to the station (which is quite far out) for the train. And plenty of people do seem to travel the full route.

markymark2000 · 22 Aug 2026

SECR 65 said:
The T2 is much faster to get from Porthmadog to Caernarfon than the Welsh Highland Railway is!

It's also faster than the train for Porthmadog/Minffordd - Machynlleth journeys (1h 30 on the bus vs 2h on the train). Albeit I am referring to national rail rather than Welsh Highland Railway.

zwk500 · 22 Aug 2026

Northampton to MK is 16 minutes on the train, and 32 mins on the X6 bus. However, it's very possible for many door-to-door journeys that using the bus will be competitive against having to get to MKC in the first place and then back from Northampton station to your ultimate destination.

JKP · 22 Aug 2026

NCT said:
Glasgow’s 18 to East Kilbride, Edinburgh’s 29 to Gorebridge.

Also pretty sure the bus between Dover and Canterbury (I forget the number) is journey time competitive against the train.

The 29 takes 45 minutes, the train 28 minutes from Edinburgh to Gorebridge.

NCT · 22 Aug 2026

JKP said:
The 29 takes 45 minutes, the train 28 minutes from Edinburgh to Gorebridge.

You only need to be 3 stops north of Gorebridge station for the 29 to make sense. Plus the 29 runs a more frequent service.

stevieinselby · 22 Aug 2026

Would it be cheating to say that the Coastliner bus between York and Leeds takes 1h15, which is the same time as the direct train (via Harrogate) ?

zwk500 · 22 Aug 2026

The Brighton and Hove buses no. 12 takes 37-40 mins from Brighton station to Newhaven Town station, and a further 14-15 on to Seaford town centre (so 51-55 mins total).

The Train takes 35 mins from Brighton to Newhaven Town, and a further 8 on to Seaford (so 43 mins total). Given the first 10 mins of the bus journey is from Brighton station to the Seafront, if your ultimate destination is on the seafront, the bus would be appreciably quicker.

Although the 12 does continue on to Eastbourne, it ceases to be competitive against direct trains from Brighton.

erskinebus · 22 Aug 2026

Glasgow to Oban -
Ember 2hr53
Citylink 3hr3
ScotRail 3hr6 (although it sits at Crianlarich for around 10 minutes while the Mallaig portion divides)

A S Leib · 22 Aug 2026

The Heathrow to Harlow 724 is scheduled to do Watford Junction to St. Albans Abbey, against sixteen minutes by train, in nineteen minutes (at two in the morning. Otherwise around 26 minutes, but with the bus likely being quicker if going between a station and a centre).

I think Edinburgh Gateway to Waverley / equivalent stops may come close, at 15 minutes by train and around 23, current fire-related disruption aside, by the more frequent tram or bus (plus a ten minute walk from Gateway station for the latter).

Middlesbrough to Billingham also comes down to where exactly the origin and destination are, at 18 minutes by train and 25 minutes by bus.

The bus and metro are both around ten minutes in good conditions from Regent Centre to Newcastle Haymarket; from 19 minutes by bus and 23 by metro from Airport to Haymarket.

Edgware Road (sub-surface lines) to London Victoria is 21 minutes via Notting Hill Gate and scheduled for 17+ minutes and a five-minute walk by the 36 bus.

Man of Kent · 22 Aug 2026

Southampton to Woolston -
10 minutes by bus, 10 minutes by train.

Flange Squeal · 22 Aug 2026

Mortlake to Barnes Bridge

419 bus - 4 mins

SWR train - 35-40 mins

Bit of a cheeky one though as it’s just after the fork on what is a circular train service that, since Covid, only runs weekday peaks (was half hourly Mon-Sat). Although even taking the logical train route changing at Barnes would still take longer than the bus, even with a quick connection.

FenMan · 23 Aug 2026

Magrar said:
You failed to mention the competitive advantage of the shortest turn up and go overall journey time.

I can think of several cases where including the average wait for a low frequency train, completely negates the faster journey time over a more frequent bus service, even when it's a standard all stops double decker.

This is no more obvious than on sparsely served rural rail lines, where with some stations not served by every train, you can possibly be waiting maybe 2 hours, so on average an hour, but where decent A roads and with far more decent sized villages that can be served with central stops, are allowing buses to be run at a frequency as good as 15 minutes.

It's so stark, it's as if Beeching never even happened, and the railway is still the absurd, anachronistic, throwback mode from a different era, where you expect to be sharing a carriage with milk churns or even livestock, and closure is expected any day now.

The fact the train is often the budget option too, preferred by commuters and shoppers but not travellers or tourists, is just absurd as well.

Yes, the convenience factor also comes into play. Using the Farnham - Guildford example, the bus stops in Farnham town centre whereas travelling by train involves a good 10 minute walk to Farnham station.

Some good replies here. Interesting!

TheGrandWazoo · 23 Aug 2026

A S Leib said:
Middlesbrough to Billingham also comes down to where exactly the origin and destination are, at 18 minutes by train and 25 minutes by bus.

There's quite a few in the North East that are better faster centre to centre by bus because, quite simply, the railway stations are not well located.

For example, Darlington to Middlesbrough is 28/29 mins by train and 49/50 by bus. Yet the bus can sustain a 15 min headway as Darlington train station is peripherally located, and serves main residential areas to the north and east of the town. In Middlesbrough, the bus station is right next door to the shopping and commercial area whereas it's a bit of a walk to the train station (although not so bad). So for most journeys, it's easier and less hassle to get the bus.

Same with Cramlington to Newcastle where the bus take 30 mins but the train takes 13/14 mins. However, the station is well away from major residential areas, the town centre is not far but there's busy roads that separate them. Of course, not helped by ECML train path considerations limiting frequency (I imagine?) but when allied with the fact that Newcastle Central station ain't that central, it makes the train less attractive.

satters · 23 Aug 2026

time is not the prime factor for most of us, cost is, bus I can afford, train is far too expensive, and I work for the railway !

TheGrandWazoo · 23 Aug 2026

satters said:
time is not the prime factor for most of us, cost is, bus I can afford, train is far too expensive, and I work for the railway !

I think it IS the main factor for a lot of people.

We've had numerous rail reopenings and whilst the train fare has often been higher, it's usually impacted the bus services markedly. It just depends on the circumstances - how big is the price differential vs. time differential?

Gareth1990 · 23 Aug 2026

Omnidekkalover said:
Nottingham to Derby as the Red Arrow and Cross Country/EMR services between the two are comparable at around 30-40 minutes I'd say

Are you counting city centre to city centre? As Derby Station is a long way out, with surprisingly few buses

Stan Drews · 23 Aug 2026

Glengarnock <> Largs
Bus 26 mins; Train 35 mins

KHCT · 23 Aug 2026

The once a week 74 does Harrogate to York in 45 mins. The train can take up to 44 mins.

The twice weekly 144 gets from Beverley to Ferriby in 32 minutes. The direct train (a couple a day) takes up to 33 mins.

TRIVIA: Direct bus services that have competitive journey times with direct train services

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