Trivia: Local bus services that use bypasses

[PTR 444]

With buses generally sticking to built-up areas, I’d be genuinely interested to find out how many bus routes there are which use a bypass to avoid a built-up area. Some such routes I can think of are:

• Morebus routes 10 (Poole - Lytchett Matravers), 40 (Poole - Swanage) and X8 (Poole - Blandford) travel via the A350 Holes Bay Road and A35 Upton Bypass.
• Before it was revised, Morebus route 3 (Poole - Wimborne) traveled non-stop via the Broadstone Way between Poole and Broadstone. Its replacement, the 3x, still uses part of this route but the majority is now on a road lined with frontages and bus stops.
• Morebus routes X1/X2 (Bournemouth - Lymington), X3 (Bournemouth - Salisbury) and X6 (Bournemouth - Verwood - Poole) travel via the A338 Wessex Way.
• All bus routes serving Christchurch (1, 1a, 1b, X1, X2, 23, 24, 33) travel via the town’s bypass on Mondays when the high street is closed for the weekly market.
• Bluestar route 9 (Southampton - Langley) travels via the Totton, Marchwood and Hythe bypasses as far as Applemore. Route 8 (Southampton - Calshot) also uses the bypass between Marchwood and Applemore.
• Southern Vectis routes 2 and 3 approach Newport via its relief road rather than the old route into town from the south (Medina Avenue).

Any others?

 

[WM Bus]

X1 and X2 in Birmingham to Coventry/Solihull use the Small Heath Highway to bypass the Small Heath area which the 60 travels through.
Used to be non stop until recently a extra stop at Small Heath Station was added.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

With buses generally sticking to built-up areas, I’d be genuinely interested to find out how many bus routes there are which use a bypass to avoid a built-up area. Some such routes I can think of are:

• Morebus routes 10 (Poole - Lytchett Matravers), 40 (Poole - Swanage) and X8 (Poole - Blandford) travel via the A350 Holes Bay Road and A35 Upton Bypass.
• Before it was revised, Morebus route 3 (Poole - Wimborne) traveled non-stop via the Broadstone Way between Poole and Broadstone. Its replacement, the 3x, still uses part of this route but the majority is now on a road lined with frontages and bus stops.
• Morebus routes X1/X2 (Bournemouth - Lymington), X3 (Bournemouth - Salisbury) and X6 (Bournemouth - Verwood - Poole) travel via the A338 Wessex Way.
• All bus routes serving Christchurch (1, 1a, 1b, X1, X2, 23, 24, 33) travel via the town’s bypass on Mondays when the high street is closed for the weekly market.
• Bluestar route 9 (Southampton - Langley) travels via the Totton, Marchwood and Hythe bypasses as far as Applemore. Route 8 (Southampton - Calshot) also uses the bypass between Marchwood and Applemore.
• Southern Vectis routes 2 and 3 approach Newport via its relief road rather than the old route into town from the south (Medina Avenue).

Any others?

To be brutally honest, they'll be loads of them. Off the top of my head, using official bypasses, from my local area:

• X39 uses the Keynsham bypass
• m1 and t1 use the Stoke Gifford bypass
• X1 uses the Long Ashton bypass
• X34 uses Chippenham bypass
• 44K and 95/95A use a separate part of the Chippenham bypass to serve the Morrisons store
• 882 uses Gloucester Barnwood bypass
• 94X uses Gloucester Golden Valley bypass

If you then start to include other newer roads that run parallel, then 8/11 in Gloucester use Hempsted to avoid Bristol Road is just one off the top of my head.

 

[noddingdonkey]

The 501 and 503 Huddersfield-Halifax services use the Huddersfield end of the Elland Bypass. Regrettably not the full length, ironically it turns off into Elland, we used to have a direct service (X25 perhaps?) about 15 years ago.

 

[Bus9120UK]

E.M Horsburgh services 40 and X40 (St John's hospital in Livingston to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary) use the Edinburgh Bypass between Hermiston and Gilmerton. Not necessarily operating to bypass a built up area, but because it's the most direct route.

 

[darloscott]

Arriva NE’s X3A uses part of Brotton bypass as part of its terminus loop. Doesn’t really bypass the town though…

 

[JD2168]

Stagecoach X17 uses Dronfield Bypass between Bowshaw & Whittington Moor.

 

[RDP]

Stagecoach South East have the following.

3, X3: some journeys bypass either Harbledown or Boughton using the A2. X3 also bypasses Detling using the A249 as does Arriva 334.

12, 15, 16: these all bypass Bridge using the A2. 12 also bypasses Lydden using the A2

36: most journeys bypass St. Nicholas at Wade using the A299

 

[PTR 444]

Buses of Somerset route 30 (Taunton - Axminster) bypasses the villages of Hatch Beauchamp and Ashill which the old A358 road went through.

 

[mjc]

First Potteries 6A (and D&G 1/1A I think) use about a mile of the A50 from Normacot to Meir in Stoke on Trent cutting out a tortuous alternative, but as the A50 cuts through the middle of the city I’m not sure it counts as a by-pass…

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Arriva NE’s X3A uses part of Brotton bypass as part of its terminus loop. Doesn’t really bypass the town though…

Arguably, Arriva's X66 uses a succession of bypasses as it avoids Sadberge, Long Newton and Elton (that the 268/269 later 98/99 used to serve).

Not certain that the X3/X4 doesn't do the same when it follows the A66 to avoid North Ormesby, South Bank and Cargo Fleet, but that was built before my time.

 

[DunsBus]

Lothian Buses service 29 uses the Dalkeith western bypass for almost its entire length.

 

[Simon75]

First Potteries 6A Blyth Bridge uses part of the A50 , which bypassing Longton

 

[Statto]

All direct routes between Moreton & Bidston use Bidston By Pass

X2 Liverpool to Preston goes direct down the A59 between Tarleton & Preston, & part of the A59 the X2 uses is Longton By Pass.

TrawsCymru T3 uses the A483 in the Wrexham area

 

[darloscott]

Arguably, Arriva's X66 uses a succession of bypasses as it avoids Sadberge, Long Newton and Elton (that the 268/269 later 98/99 used to serve).

Not certain that the X3/X4 doesn't do the same when it follows the A66 to avoid North Ormesby, South Bank and Cargo Fleet, but that was built before my time.

Good shout and I’d also add Stagecoach’s 35 in Billingham which utilises a section of the ‘bypass’ road there.

 

[scotrail158713]

E&M Horsburgh x40 from Livingston to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary uses the Edinburgh City Bypass between Hermiston and Gilmerton

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Good shout and I’d also add Stagecoach’s 35 in Billingham which utilises a section of the ‘bypass’ road there.

Also in the North East, you can have...

• Hodgsons 34 that runs from Scotch Corner via the A1M, A66M to Darlington rather than the old A1 via Barton (as Arriva X26/X27 go)
• The A167 was rerouted to bypass the city centre from Nevilles Cross to Framwellgate Moor so you have:
  • GCT tendered routes 52/61 in Durham that use the A167 at Whitesmocks from County Hall to Nevilles Cross (ish)
  • Arriva 48 for a short distance from Nevilles Cross before heading to New Brancepeth
  • Arriva 7 uses the stretch from the Cock O'The North roundabout to Nevilles Cross
• Arriva X1 uses the Shildon bypass when heading from there to Tindale Crescent

Again just ones off the top of my head

 

[driver9000]

Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancs 2X uses the bypass between Heysham and the junction at White Lund with Morecambe Road to reach Lancaster city centre.

 

[Woolos 22]

Stagcoach x3 cardiff to Abergavenny by pass newport
Newport bus x30 newport to cardiff

 

[TB]

The 501 and 503 Huddersfield-Halifax services use the Huddersfield end of the Elland Bypass. Regrettably not the full length, ironically it turns off into Elland, we used to have a direct service (X25 perhaps?) about 15 years ago.

There was in Yorkshire Rider days an X37 that used the bypass, came off to serve Elland town centre and then came back on to continue it's journey.
There was also an X36 which may have stayed on the bypass and missed Elland.

Back to today, Keighley Bus Company 862 runs via the Aire Valley Road between Keighley and Silsden while the 60 uses it between Keighley and Crossflatts and between Bingley and Cottingley.

 

[Woolos 22]

Stagecoach x15 newport to Brynmawr
Stagecoach x24 newport to blaenavon
Stagecoach x4 cardiff to merthy
Phil anslow travel x1 Brynmawr to cwmbran bypass pontypool Town centre

 

[DunsBus]

Borders Buses services 67 (Galashiels - Kelso, connecting for Berwick) and 68 (Galashiels - Jedburgh) use the Melrose bypass, diverting from it to serve Tweedbank, the Borders General Hospital and Melrose itself.

 

[Cross City]

X1 and X2 in Birmingham to Coventry/Solihull use the Small Heath Highway to bypass the Small Heath area which the 60 travels through.
Used to be non stop until recently a extra stop at Small Heath Station was added.

The old 900 used to be nonstop to the Asda island at the bottom of Hay Mills and then run express limited stops all the way to Coventry.

I don't live out that way anymore so can't tell you have the current X1/2 do in Yardley and Sheldon

 

[Wolvercoter]

Thames Travel X32 and ST1 use A34 Abingdon by-pass between Oxford and Milton.

 

[Cambus731]

I believe Delaine's route between Peterborough and Bourne use an inner relief road in Peterborough to bypass some if the northern suburbs.
Also for the last few years the majority of First Essex buses between Chelmsford and Maldon (31B and 31X) use the Great Baddow bypass. Not sure if that's the case now since First Essex revised a lot of their services last year.

 

[Red Onion]

Some of Stagecoach Bluebird’s X67/X68 Aberdeen to Fraserburgh services use the A90 to bypass Ellon, stopping only to service the park and ride on the outside of the town.

 

[JamesC357]

First Essex’s service X71 (Chelmsford to Colchester) uses the A12 to bypass Boreham and Kelvedon villages, both of which are served instead by the slower 371

 

[ValleyLines142]

Most First buses coming to/from Bristol off the M32 (Metrobus, South Glos Lynx, etc).

 

[Hophead]

Metrobus 23 used to go via Findon village, but was diverted via the by-pass quite a few years back - the village roads are fairly narrow, with many parked cars, so it probably helped with reliability to divert. Stagecoach 1 still goes through.

 

[EnviroExplorer]

Was going to mention the Stagecoach 2X which I recently took a ride on from Heysham to Lancaster though just realised it’s already been mentioned. Not sure whether this one would fit the original poster’s criteria but Uno 635 from Hitchin to Watford misses out Welwyn entirely and much of Hatfield, by using the A1M.