Rail replacement buses making longer diversions to change driversvon route.

[infobleep]

This is something I have never experienced before.

I am on a direct rail replacement bus from Guildford to Gatwifk Airport. Rather than go down the M23, it has taken a route off the M25 through Redhill. Once in Redhill it stopped to change drivers. It's a mini-coach.

The timetable of course hasn't allowed for this so we will be around 25 minutes late into Gatick Airport.

Traffic on these roads in the evening rush hour, isn't exactly light.

I appreciate the need to change drivers, of course, just never experienced this type of diversion before. They could have even taken Redhill passengers on this service. Once I get to Gatwick Airport I will leg it, as I have a train to catch.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

 

[boiledbeans2]

Well, I guess it's really the driver's discretion which route he wants to take.
Most of the time, the non-stop Gatwick - Guildford RRB uses M23 - M25 - A3. But I've had a few who used the A25, passing all the intermediate stations non-stop.

Usually, the Guildford - Basingstoke RRBs use A31 - A331 - M3. But I rode one who did A3 - M25 - M3.

I've also had RRBs stop at the petrol (diesel!) station to refuel.

 

[JonathanH]

The timetable of course hasn't allowed for this so we will be around 25 minutes late into Gatick Airport.

Going via Redhill shouldn't add 25 minutes on its own, as the route via the M23 is longer. Did it also get delayed in traffic?

 

[sjoh]

This is something I have never experienced before.

I am on a direct rail replacement bus from Guildford to Gatwifk Airport. Rather than go down the M23, it has taken a route off the M25 through Redhill. Once in Redhill it stopped to change drivers. It's a mini-coach.

The timetable of course hasn't allowed for this so we will be around 25 minutes late into Gatick Airport.

Traffic on these roads in the evening rush hour, isn't exactly light.

I appreciate the need to change drivers, of course, just never experienced this type of diversion before. They could have even taken Redhill passengers on this service. Once I get to Gatwick Airport I will leg it, as I have a train to catch.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Possibly an unplanned driver change due to running out of hours or some other unforeseen issue.

 

[infobleep]

Going via Redhill shouldn't add 25 minutes on its own, as the route via the M23 is longer. Did it also get delayed in traffic?

It did as it is rush hour but I suspect it would have been delayed less on the M23. I can't prove this though.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Feb 2025 ==

Possibly an unplanned driver change due to running out of hours or some other unforeseen issue.

That is entirely possible, but it was unusual, none the less.