Wikipedia

Yorkshire Coastliner bus routes 840 and 843

Coastliner is the brand name of bus routes 840 and 843 operating in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. It links Leeds, Tadcaster, York and Malton with the coastal towns of Whitby (840) and Scarborough (843).

Yorkshire Coastliner
Routes 840 & 843
A Wright Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TL in York, operating service 843 in September 2024
Overview
Operator
DepotMalton
Vehicles
Route
LocaleNorth Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
StartLeeds
Via
End
Length75 miles (840, Leeds to Whitby)[1]
Service
FrequencyEvery 20–60 minutes[a]
Journey time
  • 3 hours 55 minutes (840)
  • 3 hours 25 minutes (843)
  • 2 hours 25 minutes (X43)[2]
Timetable
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This article is about the bus routes. For the bus company that operates these routes, see Yorkshire Coastliner.

The routes are considered to be some of the longest in England,[3] and the 840 was voted to be the "most scenic bus route in Britain" in a nationwide poll.[4][5][6][7]

History

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In June 2000, a fleet of Alexander Royale bodied Volvo Olympian double-deck vehicles were delivered and entered service on the routes. This has been regarded to be the final step-entrance double deckers ordered by a UK operator.[8]

In 2004, an order was placed for six Wright Eclipse Commuter bodied Volvo B7RLE single-deck vehicles,[9] however this order was later modified for the buses to feature Wright Eclipse Urban bodies instead.

In Summer 2011, four Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL double-deck vehicles were delivered and entered service on the routes.[10]

Following the partial collapse of Tadcaster Bridge in December 2015, North Yorkshire County Council committed up to £20,000 to establish a shuttle bus service, named Tadfaster, to connect Tadcaster and York during the bridge’s reconstruction. The service commenced in February 2016.[11][12]

In 2016, a fleet of ten Wright Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TL double-deck vehicles were unveiled, representing an investment worth £2.34 million. These buses featured a new two-tone blue livery, and were launched at an event at York Minster in December. The vehicles entered service in early 2017,[13][14][15] with an additional three joining the fleet in September 2018.[16]

In 2018, the 845 service from Leeds to Filey and Bridlington was withdrawn, with the company claiming staff wages and low passenger numbers during winter had made running the service unsustainable.[17]

In May 2018, the 840 service, which runs between Leeds and Whitby, was voted as the "most scenic bus route in Britain" in an online poll.[4][5][6][7]

In 2022, the X43 Coastliner Express limited-stop service was introduced between York and Whitby via Scarborough, reducing travel time from York to Scarborough from 2 hours to 90 minutes.[18][19] The route only runs during the summer season (July–September) and makes one return journey a day. In 2023, the route was extended to start from Leeds, and was cut to terminate at Scarborough.[20][21]

In April 2023, the 840 was among eighty bus routes in North Yorkshire facing potential cancellation due to rising fuel prices, increased wage bills, higher costs for engineering materials and low passenger numbers which had rendered running the route unprofitable.[22] However, the route was subsequently saved due to the success of the UK government's newly introduced financial support scheme for buses, which capped all single fares at £2.[23][24]

In October 2024, the frequency of buses between Leeds and York was increased from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes.[25]

Routes

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Both routes 840 and 843 start at Leeds City bus station, before following the A64 until reaching the Leeds suburb of Seacroft. They then rejoin the A64, heading northeast to Tadcaster and arriving into Copmanthorpe. Continuing to York, they pass through York Station and the city centre, before proceeding northeast through the York suburb of Heworth and the village of Stockton-on-the-Forest, before rejoining the A64 and arriving into Malton.

At Malton, the routes diverge. Route 840 turns north towards Pickering, briefly detouring to Kirby Misperton (for Flamingo Land Resort). It then heads east along the A170 to Thornton-le-Dale, and north into the North York Moors along the A169 towards Goathland, before heading northeast to Whitby, where it terminates at the bus station.[26]

Meanwhile, route 843 continues northeast through Norton-on-Derwent, rejoining the A64 and following it north at Staxton. It passes through Seamer and Crossgates before reaching Scarborough, where it terminates at Peasholm Park.[27]

Fleet

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A selection of historic buses and liveries

The routes are currently operated by a fleet of thirteen high-specification Wright Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TL and four Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL double-deck vehicles, branded in a two-tone blue livery. These vehicles include modern comfort-orientated amenities such as free WiFi connectivity, USB charging capabilities, audio-visual next stop announcements, high back coach-style seats upstairs and a luggage rack next to the doors. The Gemini 3s also include tables with wireless charging capabilities at a select few seats upstairs.[28][29]

Notes

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  1. ^ Buses run up to every 20 minutes from Leeds to York, and up to every 60 minutes for further journeys to Thornton-le-Dale/Whitby and Scarborough.

References

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  1. ^ "exploring Coastliner 840". www.transdevbus.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  2. ^ Sheridan, Daniel (28 June 2023). "Coastliner Express: New summer rapid service to cut one hour off Leeds to Scarborough bus route". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  3. ^ Issue 1145. Coach & Bus Week. 9 July 2014. p. 68.
  4. ^ a b Wearn, Rebecca (27 May 2018). "Britain's 'most scenic' bus route revealed". BBC News. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Yorkshire bus route is named the most scenic in Britain". Yorkshire Post. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b Kirby, Dean (28 May 2018). "Passengers say this Yorkshire bus route to Whitby is the most scenic in Britain". i. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  7. ^ a b "'Britain's Most Scenic Bus Route' named". Routeone. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  8. ^ "History of 437". South Yorkshire Transport Trust. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Blazefield orders six Eclipse Commuters". busandcoach.com. 28 May 2004. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  10. ^ Issue 1011. Coach & Bus Week. 9 November 2011. p. 28.
  11. ^ "New Tadcaster to York bus service for flood-hit town". BBC News. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Tadfaster bus service to provide speedy links". Harrogate Advertiser. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  13. ^ Smith, Jade (13 December 2016). "£2.34m investment in Coastliner". CBW. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  14. ^ Cole, David (13 December 2016). "Coastliner upgrades". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Transdev ups Coastliner standards". www.keybuses.com. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  16. ^ WebSupport (11 September 2018). "Yorkshire Coastliner high specification Gemini 3s". CBW. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  17. ^ Newton, Grace (12 December 2022). "840 Coastliner: Pickering Antiques owner launches Change.org petition against 'unthinkable' withdrawal of bus that links Leeds and York to Whitby". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Coastliner Express reveals new services from York". York Press. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  19. ^ alexandramarechal (25 July 2022). "Transdev in the UK launches new Coastliner Express". Transdev, the mobility company. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  20. ^ Sheridan, Daniel (28 June 2023). "Coastliner Express: New summer rapid service to cut one hour off Leeds to Scarborough bus route". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Coastliner Summer Service Sees Changes". This is the Coast. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Eighty bus routes in North Yorkshire under threat". BBC News. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Threatened North Yorkshire coastal bus route is saved". BBC News. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  24. ^ Minting, Stuart (19 September 2023). "Coastliner: £2 fares scheme has been such a success that all 80 of North Yorkshire's under-threat bus routes have been saved - and some are 'too popular'". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Extra bus services announced for popular North Yorkshire route". York Press. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Route 840 Timetable". Yorkshire Coastliner. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Route 843 Timetable". Yorkshire Coastliner. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  28. ^ Cole, David (13 December 2016). "Coastliner upgrades". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  29. ^ "High-spec' boost for Britain's 'most scenic' local bus route". Routeone. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
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