New Coventry Bus Route Sets Euro Record

[OwlMan]

A new Coventry bus route (360) is the new holder of the longest city bus route in Europe (31.5 miles) beating the previous longest (Birmingham's no. 11) by just under six miles.

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/new-coventry-bus-route-longest-4045809

Timetable http://www.decourceytravel.com/pdf/Service360timetable.pdf

Coventry has a new claim to fame – the longest bus route of any city in Europe.

The new 360 service is a total of 31.5 miles long – and it will enable passengers to travel around the city without having to change bus in the city centre.

It means Coventry has deposed neighbouring Birmingham to claim the crown of having Europe’s longest continuous urban bus route.

The Coventry route is nearly six miles longer than that of the 11 outer circle route in Birmingham which is just under 26 miles and has held the title since 1926.

The 360 will link some of Coventry’s biggest employment sites, including University Hospital, Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Warwick.

The route has been launched by Centro, the region’s transport authority, and will be operated by Coventry bus firm Travel de Courcey.

Coun John McNicholas, the chairman of Centro, said the record-breaking route was a result of customer feedback during a review of bus services last year.

He said: “The review showed there was a need for a bus service that linked key areas of Coventry together yet without the need to travel into the city centre.

“I am delighted that as a result of our partnership working with Travel de Courcey this service is now available.

“Important destinations such as the hospital, the university and Jaguar Land Rover now have a direct link which will enable people to reach them with the minimum of inconvenience.”

The 360 runs via the hospital at Walsgrave, Willenhall, Jaguar Land Rover in Whitley, the University of Warwick , Tile Hill railway station, Whoberley, Whitmore Park, the Ricoh Arena in Rowleys Green and the nearby Arena Park shopping centre.

Operated by low-floor wheelchair friendly buses, the service runs up to two buses an hour seven days a week, including evenings and Bank Holidays.

The new service starts on Sunday June 9 and will run up to two buses an hour seven days a week, including evenings and bank holidays.

It will incorporate the current services 701 and 801, which will be withdrawn, and part of the current 703 and 704 routes.

The 703 route remains in operation.

Adrian de Courcey, director of Travel de Courcey, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Centro to operate the 360 service.

“As a Coventry business we take considerable pride in knowing that not only are we operating such an important service but one that also puts the city on the map.”

 

[theblackwatch]

I see what the article doesn't mention is that the service takes 2 hours 25 minutes. I imagine one or two people on here will be planning on doing the entire trip at some point!

 

[Blindtraveler]

I see what the article doesn't mention is that the service takes 2 hours 25 minutes. I imagine one or two people on here will be planning on doing the entire trip at some point!

well I have done the former record holder the 11 in Birmingham starting and ending at 6 Ways Erdington so may just have to do this one! I hope its something decent - the 11 At the time had a B7TL ALX400 on it. Knowing my luck it will be a solo!

 

[OwlMan]

I see what the article doesn't mention is that the service takes 2 hours 25 minutes. I imagine one or two people on here will be planning on doing the entire trip at some point!

Could be an idea for a forum meet

 

[Tomonthetrain]

well I have done the former record holder the 11 in Birmingham starting and ending at 6 Ways Erdington so may just have to do this one! I hope its something decent - the 11 At the time had a B7TL ALX400 on it. Knowing my luck it will be a solo!

I did it back in 2010 on a MCW Metrobus starting and finishing at NXWM AG depot

 

[SS4]

well I have done the former record holder the 11 in Birmingham starting and ending at 6 Ways Erdington so may just have to do this one! I hope its something decent - the 11 At the time had a B7TL ALX400 on it. Knowing my luck it will be a solo!

Did you have a Big John's to keep you going

 

[Blindtraveler]

Did you have a Big John's to keep you going

na, a 2 litre of water and the MP3 Player. Indulged in a beer when finished mind!

 

[34D]

I'm thinking about the record... longest urban bus service....

How is urban defined? Are there any other contenders elsewhere? What about the Uno Hatfield-Queensbury service?

 

[Eagle]

I see what the article doesn't mention is that the service takes 2 hours 25 minutes.

2h30, actually; it's just the point they break the timetable corresponds with a five-minute layover/recovery time. Also technically the article has got the route number wrong, it's not the 360, it's the 360A and 360C. That's going to be fun with the bus stop displays trying to cope with four-character route numbers.

And I should point out that being as it's replacing the part-university-subsidized 801, as a student I theoretically get free travel on it :P (assuming they don't limit it to the east side between the university and the hospital).

 

[radamfi]

I'm thinking about the record... longest urban bus service....

How is urban defined? Are there any other contenders elsewhere? What about the Uno Hatfield-Queensbury service?

According to

http://www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm

the 614 is 21 miles long, as is TfL route X26.

I would assume that an 'urban' route is defined as one that doesn't go through a significant amount of countryside, not necessarily one that stays within the same settlement, although the long routes in the West Midlands stay within the same settlements of Birmingham and Coventry respectively.

There used to be a long running 400 route from Bolton to Stockport via Rochdale, which got extended to Manchester Airport at certain times, which was almost entirely urban, and which would have been longer than 31 miles. But this route was withdrawn about 10 years ago.

 

[Blindtraveler]

2h30, actually; it's just the point they break the timetable corresponds with a five-minute layover/recovery time. Also technically the article has got the route number wrong, it's not the 360, it's the 360A and 360C. That's going to be fun with the bus stop displays trying to cope with four-character route numbers.

And I should point out that being as it's replacing the part-university-subsidized 801, as a student I theoretically get free travel on it :P (assuming they don't limit it to the east side between the university and the hospital).

any idea what vehicles will be used? Something ling like a Volvo B7RLE would be good or will it be deckers?

 

[Eagle]

any idea what vehicles will be used? Something ling like a Volvo B7RLE would be good or will it be deckers?

Same buses that currently run the routes being merged: 12-reg Optare Versas.

 

[sonic2009]

any idea what vehicles will be used? Something ling like a Volvo B7RLE would be good or will it be deckers?

I suspect it will be MCV Evolution B40F, Deckers are only really found running between Coventry and Leicester on the X6 service for Travel De Courcey

 

[tbtc]

The old 32/52 circular in Edinburgh used to be 2h30 round trip, but I've no idea of the distance.

(since split up into other routes, so am not suggesting it as a contender for any current "records").

 

[Ivo]

Is Coventry even big enough for an orbital route of that length?

Not to mention that 31.5 miles is right on the limit for single-registration bus routes according to EU legislation!

 

[ian1944]

There used to be a complete circle in Glasgow, which now seems to just run between Partick and Braehead as the 90, crossing the river only out east. End to end is about 2 h 15m, but I don't know the length. When I took it a few years ago as a complete loop it certainly felt like 30+ miles with the combination of Glasgow roads and First old banger.

 

[Eagle]

Is Coventry even big enough for an orbital route of that length?

Yes. Coventry is about eight miles across, times pi is 25 miles, add on some for all the wiggliness of the route and 31 miles seems about right.

The route is entirely within the city limits, too (although it grazes the boundary at Gibbet Hill and Eastern Green).

 

[westcoaster]

According to

http://www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm

the 614 is 21 miles long, as is TfL route X26.

I would assume that an 'urban' route is defined as one that doesn't go through a significant amount of countryside, not necessarily one that stays within the same settlement, although the long routes in the West Midlands stay within the same settlements of Birmingham and Coventry respectively.

There used to be a long running 400 route from Bolton to Stockport via Rochdale, which got extended to Manchester Airport at certain times, which was almost entirely urban, and which would have been longer than 31 miles. But this route was withdrawn about 10 years ago.

Did the 400 round one way via rochdale and the 500 the other via Stretford , now that was a long day

 

[MK Tom]

How many cities have circular routes like this? We have one in MK, the Vale Travel operated 24/25. I'd be interested to know the mileage of that for comparison. Here's the timetable: http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/bus/documents/25.pdf

 

[Eagle]

If we're going for small urban loops, the Damory Route One in Poole has a 30-minute journey time, and is anticlockwise only.

I do wonder how many bus companies use the A/C numbering system for circular routes? Obviously De Courcey do, and NXWM and NXCov do quite a bit (even routes where it's only a loop at one end)

 

[34D]

I do wonder how many bus companies use the A/C numbering system for circular routes? Obviously De Courcey do, and NXWM and NXCov do quite a bit (even routes where it's only a loop at one end)

In Leeds, it always used to be a pair of consecutive/near consecutive numbers, ie 8 and 9 were the Ring Road circular (since split into north and south), 58 and 60 were the Hyde Park circular, and 61 and 62 the 'city circle' taking in inner east/south east Leeds.

A suffixes were reserved for routes with a minor deviation (either en route, or at one end).

I wonder how long the 508 is? Leeds-south east Bradford-Halifax? Maybe around 20 miles?

 

[Pumbaa]

Same with Liverpool, ie 26/27 on the Sheil Road Circular.

 

[Eagle]

I suspect it will be MCV Evolution B40F, Deckers are only really found running between Coventry and Leicester on the X6 service for Travel De Courcey

It's more likely to be the new Versas, as these currently run the 801 which makes up more than half the 360 route.

Also TDC use deckers on the W1A/W1C (look, another A/C numbering ) and the various other peak-time W routes.

 

[Ivo]

I do wonder how many bus companies use the A/C numbering system for circular routes? Obviously De Courcey do, and NXWM and NXCov do quite a bit (even routes where it's only a loop at one end)

We have an A/C variant in Bath, the 20, although I tend to avoid it because it's run by Wessex and increasingly a University commuter service. It takes about 80 minutes to do the loop, but even then it doesn't take in the North-East of the City; by contrast, it does serve the City Centre - and also goes within literally three minutes' walk of it at another stage of the route - and is very slow in certain areas, especially the area around Weston in the North-West of Bath. Until May 2009, the route was run by First with financial support on certain journeys, but they abandoned it due to its poor financial performance - even with assistance. (They would do the same with another City route, the 12, later that same year.)

There is also an A/C route in Brentwood, the Sundays and Holidays only 80. I seem to recall the same applying to the 81 in years gone by as well, but cannot find any evidence of this - and the route no longer exists in the same form anyway.

The first time I saw a route numbered as such, I thought it was a strange thing to do. Now though, this opinion is not applicable - if anything, I wonder why the practice isn't more common.

 

[starrymarkb]

Exeter has the R/S (routes are lettered in the city)

 

[TrainfanBen]

It's more likely to be the new Versas, as these currently run the 801 which makes up more than half the 360 route.

Don't ever be sure with De courcey, they'll throw the most unlikely vehicles on... I'm sure I've seen at least one double decker allocated to 701 lately which seems completely absurd to me. -And I'm seeing MCV's back on Park and ride south, why I don't know with the electric buses...


Metrobus ROX666Y anybody?

EDIT: I wonder if any of the ex TWM Metro's operated the Birmingham 11... It'd be a nice icing on the cake for one to appear on this circular.

 

[SWTH]

Is Coventry even big enough for an orbital route of that length?

Not to mention that 31.5 miles is right on the limit for single-registration bus routes according to EU legislation!

Easy to get round these days - register the route in several sections with the same route number and it stays within GB domestic rules. Several Western Greyhound routes operate like this, the 547 Newquay to St. Ives (45ish miles), the 593 Newquay to Plymouth (55ish miles), and the 510 Newquay to Exeter (can't remember the distance but it is split into 4 sections! ).

 

[Ivo]

Oh we all know that one, but that requires separate registrations and thus a greater expense every time changes are introduced. That said however, I find it to believe that an orbital route could legitimately break the 50km barrier! This Coventy seems absurd enough...

 

[radamfi]

Just in case someone doesn't realise, it is possible to run routes longer than 50 km as long as you install a tacho.

 

[SWTH]

Oh we all know that one, but that requires separate registrations and thus a greater expense every time changes are introduced. That said however, I find it to believe that an orbital route could legitimately break the 50km barrier! This Coventy seems absurd enough...

The cost is minimal compared with the savings of not having to deal with tachographs, and the big advantage is having drivers work to GB rules which are much less restrictive, meaning one driver can do much more work than if they were on EC hours.