A quirky rural bus route that’s a sell out success

Tuesday 20th August 2024

It was fifty years ago in 1974 Jeff Morss set up his one man bus company called Fareline. Based in Wingfield, Suffolk – a village close to the County’s border with Norfolk, eight miles east of Diss – the Company has made a speciality of running rural bus routes in north west Suffolk and is probably the only driver/owner bus operator still running.

Currently Jeff uses his 25 year old Wright Renown bodied Volvo B10BLE single deck bus on a morning and afternoon school journey from surrounding villages to Eye High School (route 319).

On Wednesdays he adds a shopping journey from Eye to Bury St Edmonds via various villages including Gislingham, Wyverstone and Norton (route 320) and on a Friday Jeff operates a short 15 minute journey from Eye to Diss via Brome immediately after the school run (route 475).

But it’s Jeff’s quirky rural route 170 that my colleague Julian Peddle drew to my attention as worthy of a ride. It only runs on Mondays during the six week summer school holiday providing a day return journey from Diss to Felixstowe via a whole host of delightful Suffolk villages as well as larger communities in Eye, Framlingham, Wickham Market and Woodbridge.

It’s a two hour run with the journey commencing at Stuston, just outside Diss, at 09:18, then Diss itself at 09:30 and arriving into Felixstowe at 11:25, terminating at the Pier at 11:29. The return journey leaves Felixstowe at 16:30 arriving back into Diss at 18:14.

The truly remarkable thing about route 170 is its consistency of operation summer after summer over many years and since Covid, despite dismal experiences elsewhere with concessionary pass holding passengers drifting away from routes of this kind, Jeff has hit upon a hugely impressive and successful formula making the 170 the most successful rural bus route I’ve ever ridden.

Julian took a ride on the route last Monday (12th) and reported an impressive loading of 47. Yesterday’s journey was even more impressive as I found out when I turned up at the rather nondescript bus station in Diss for the 09:30 departure.

Jeff arrived, in good time at 09:24, at the wheel of his Volvo which has seen previous service with Ambassador of Great Yarmouth and Lancashire United (part of Transdev Blazefield).

As he reversed on to the ‘stand’ the 14 passengers who I’d spotted when I arrived a couple of minutes earlier got up from the seats in the shelter…

… and very swiftly boarded as they all just flashed their concessionary passes at Jeff who, in the absence of a ticket machine, noted down the number boarding on a piece of paper. They’d joined two passengers already on board as the bus arrived from Stuston House.

I introduced myself to Jeff and he kindly gave me an article he’d written for the London Bus Magazine after the RT running day based at Barking garage as he’d spent his early working career with retailer W H Smith in the town and had befriended the staff at the garage back in the days of crew operation.

We set off on time at 09:30 and it wasn’t long before we reached the first queue of passengers waiting at a ‘bus stop’ – which was in fact lamppost 31 just on the exit of the roundabout just outside Scole on the A140 as described on the timetable on display inside the Volvo.

Six more passengers boarded…

… and off we continued picking nine more up in Eye.

Onwards towards Redlingfield but I was becoming concerned that we kept passing ‘Road Ahead Closed’ signs…

… including one placed at the end of a track to Flimworth Hall where two more passengers boarded but who couldn’t help with information about whether the road was closed or not.

I kept my fingers crossed road closed signs in Suffolk were as unreliable as I recently reported is the case in West Sussex as we ploughed on. A diversion back along the way we’d come would prove very time consuming.

Four minutes later as we entered the village of Reddingfield I thought my fears had been realised as I spotted barriers ahead…

…. but thankfully Jeff was able to steer a path through the chicane…

… and the road wasn’t fully closed at all. Welcome to the Misleading Road Signs Club, Suffolk.

After that excitement, it was onward via Worlingworth and more passengers boarding such that by the time we reached the main bus stop in Framlingham at 10:22 we only had 11 empty seats and I counted 17 waiting to board.

In the event three stood (well, two youngsters sat in the luggage tray over the front nearside wheel) and three passengers decided not to travel giving us 47 on board the 44 seater.

By now we were seven minutes behind schedule and arriving into Wickham Market at 10:46 found four more passengers wanting to board.

They all decided to join in the fun and stand and as they were only travelling as far as Woodbridge, 16 minutes away (unless they decided to curtail their planned journey there, perhaps).

Having reached 51 on board we were now back to 47, increasing to 48 with one more coming on board in Melton, for the remaining 34 minute journey to Felixstowe where we arrived ten minutes late at 11:39 with about two thirds of the passengers alighting in the town centre retail area and the rest continuing to the Pier and seafront.

I asked Jeff what he thought route 170’s secret ingredient was that made it such a success, particularly with concessionary passholders, who made up around 85% of the passengers.

He modestly observed the journey’s not often as busy as it had been yesterday, with numbers normally in the thirties.

Timetables were on display at many bus stops (such as exist in parts of this largely rural area) and sometimes on telegraph poles. Almost everyone seemed to know Jeff and I suspect he and the service’s durability, over the years leading to high local awareness, are the main driving forces behind its success. It’s quite something to realise that around 20 of the passengers (almost all concessionary passholders) sat on a 25 year old Volvo single deck bus for a two hour journey (with another 20 or so for an hour’s journey length) and all were obviously regular and committed route 170 passengers for the seven Mondays in the year that it runs.

If you fancy a rural bus ride that’ll be uplifting in seeing the numbers travelling as well as enjoying some lovely Suffolk scenery…

… there are just two more operational days left for route 170 – next Monday (even though it’s a Bank Holiday) and the following week, 2nd September.

I recommend boarding in Diss and not risking the bus being full further along the route – you can’t say that about many rural bus routes.

Anyone interested in the history of Fareline may like to know Jeff wrote a pamphlet a while ago about the company’s history and Julian tells me limited copies are available in the Bus Archive’s associated website for sales at busmart.org which contains an order form.

Roger French

Blogging timetable: 06:00 TThS with Summer Su extras.

Comments on today’s blog are welcome but please keep them relevant to the blog topic, avoid personal insults and add your name (or an identifier). Thank you.

32 thoughts on “A quirky rural bus route that’s a sell out success”

  1. What a cheerful and encouraging report! I note that, unusually, the 170 is not in Google Maps’ database, but it would certainly be the quickest way to get from Woodbridge to Felixtowe (and back), if you are travelling at the right times – and if there’s room on board!

    Liked by 2 people

  2. A big question is what will happen when he retires or the bus becomes uneconomic to keep on the road ?

    Like

    1. What a truly inspirational story & such a welcome tonic in these times of burning buses in Leeds. Many many thanks to Roger for sharing it with us all.

      Like

    1. I don’t think that would be possible, as his school runs are in the area around Eye, but when he goes to Felixstowe, he and his bus are miles away from Eye at the time when the schoolchildren want to go home. The only option would presumably be weekends and/or bank holidays, but then Jeff deserves a day off as well!

      Nigel Frampton

      Like

  4. My Suffolk bus experiences are rather limited: a Day Rider ticket to have bus rides before and after a match at Portman Road (Ipswich Town FC). It usually amounted to six buses and three pubs before kick-off and the same number of buses and pubs after the final whistle before going home to Surrey. I mainly did the town routes, but I did stray as far as Debenham once and Shotley Gate once where I had a very quick drink at The Bristol Arms. It was usually “haulage” for my railway ride from Ipswich to Liverpool Street after my Suffolk indulgences of football, buses and beer but I struck lucky on one journey. I boarded a Class 309 towards the rear of the train and then at some stage walked forward so as to be near the barriers at Liverpool Street. I got to the front of the train after it had done the Colchester stop only to discover that I really was at the front of the train, with the driver in his cab as he had failed to lock himself in via the gangway door. He gave me his key to lock us both inside for the balance of the journey. At night this was dull with station and signal lights flashing past as we sped towards London. I called at Diss on 15/07/1978 as part of day one of my annual motorcycle tour (L-plates on a Honda-CD175) and I chalked off Felixstowe on one of my several Anglia Day Ranger tours when one’s Network Card got one for £6.60 despite most of East Anglia being well beyond Manningtree the NSE Boundary Station.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. I’m reminded, in a positive way, of the Ealing Comedies, where the “small man” wins against the bureaucrats.

    I was also delighted to see all the passengers’ faces (presumably because they had given their permission?), rather than the grey blancmanges that usually cover passengers’ faces!

    Mike Ricketts

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I used to maintain the web pages of my church in Germany, and there is a legal requirement that people have to give their permission (in writing, with a signature) when a photo in which they appear is shown on a web page – but only if there are seven or less people in the photo. If there are more than 7, then the permission and signature are not required. Perhaps there is a similar rule in the UK?

      Nigel Frampton

      Like

      1. The UK operates under the principle of a “reasonable expectation of privacy”. If the subject you are photographing is in an area which is either accessible to the public, or easily seen from a location that is accessible (without telephoto lens), then no permission is required for adults.

        If the image prominently features children then parent’s consent is typically required. However, in a few locations (such as military sites) laws/regulations may restrict photography more highly.

        However, if you need to be on private property in order to take the photo/footage (as is the case for this article) you do need the permission of the land/bus owner.

        Like

  6. Thanks for the warning! I have a Cousin who lives about a two minute walk from the Felixstowe Leisure Centre, and year after year plan a Monday visit with the intention of coming home via Diss. But somehow is always later in the week.

    Better make it a rainy day if it ever happens, as at least stand a chance of getting on!

    Terence Uden

    Like

  7. Fantastic – though I wonder what happens if Jeff is ill, or when he eventually retires? Back in the 70s I remember travelling on a similar operation in the Fowey area down in Cornwall, whose bus was painted chocolate and cream. Can’t remember the name now. Graham L.

    Like

  9. Thanks to Roger for a rather very engaging report on a rather quirky service. It was a service that had been mentioned on Rail Forums with a discussion on one person, one bus operators.

    Hopefully Mr Morss will continue for a few more years yet. Should he seek to opt for a well earned retirement in the future, hopefully someone like Vectare (who have recently acquired Simonds of Botesdale near Diss) would be able to step into the breach.

    This type of operation really is a reminder of a simpler time!

    BW2

    Like

  10. These are the kinds of operators that franchising will leave behind, and we will all be poorer for it.

    Like

  11. Suffolk has several small bus operators

    fareline

    Belle Coachs

    Felix Coaches Beestons Coachea

    A2B

    Borderbus

    Dans Coach Travel

    Coach Services

    Mullys

    Ourhire

    Star cabs

    Like

    1. I was thinking of Borderbus, being fairly local to Diss, being in Beccles. They seem to be a fairly small operator who would probably welcome taking over such a route.

      MotCO

      Like

  12. On the topic of rural public transport, DRT news from Blaenau Gwent c/o Sep Buses Magazine.

    The trial Fflecsi DRT was modified in July last year to run as a fixed route service between approx 0915 and 1745 and DRT before and after starting at 0530 ending 2300. Feedback showed that elderly residents were deterred by having to book in advance. Patronage has increased by 14.5% in the first year of hybrid operation, compared to previous year.

    Perhaps this hybrid model is the solution.

    Peter Brown

    Like

  13. It’s good to see that RF was alerted to the existence of this route as it’s definitely one of a kind. Historically Jeff used elderly coaches but the current low floor requirements dictates the use of a bus which is a pity as it reduces the potential for private hire work.

    Another commentator mentioned BODS. This is the problem with deeply rural operations, they really can’t sustain the cost of real time travel information and the like. Another operator who uses pen and paper to record passenger numbers is J.W. Lodge & Sons of High Easter in Essex who have for the past 104 years worked in to Chelmsford through some very narrow lanes.

    Another Suffolk operator who deserves Roger’s close attention is Daniel Trent t/a Dan’s Coach Travel of Stowmarket. He started around six years ago with the usual private hire and school work but in the last couple of years he has started various shopping routes to places like Bury St. Edmunds. Dan is in some respects a modern day version of Jeff Morss, being very keen to promote his personal service and local background.

    A month ago Dan started a Monday to Friday route between Stowmarket and Bury St. Edmunds aimed at workers and schools traffic. To some extent this covers services which Stephensons/ Galloway had cut to schooldays only so it will be very interesting to see how this pans out. He also owns a Volvo / Wright bus from the same batch as Jeff’s vehicle so clearly they have turned out to be a good investment.

    Nigel Turner

    Liked by 1 person

    1. There used to be another summer only service using an historic bus, Cannot remember the service name,. The guy decided to retire so he service ceased

      Like

      1. | There used to be another summer only service using an historic bus,
        | Cannot remember the service name

        That’ll be Buckland, who Roger blogged about in those heady pre-Covid days of 2019.

        Another one on the list of opportunities I missed. 😦

        Like

  14. We have a thing over here called “Chatty Bus” and it is very popular apparently. But this story from Suffolk is off the scale. I bet for many passengers, it is the best social interaction they have all week.

    The NHS should commission a study on whether subsidising routes like this would help get pressures down on GPs – because maybe some illness can be avoided by lowering loneliness in today’s sometimes disconnected world.

    CH, Oxford

    Like

  15. What that service does show is a potential market for summer holiday services that could make use of buses that would otherwise be doing nothing during the school holiday’s

    Id you tale say the Norfolk and Suffolk and Essex area you could come up with a number of routes that would provide both a shopping service and a service to a coastal resort

    The only real costs are that of the drivers pay and the fuel and possibly a parking charge

    Like

    1. There are some absolutely bonkers versions of these in Scotland run by Fishers Tours.

      4 hour trips from places like Dundee and Arbroath to the west coast, amongst others. Look them up on Bustimes!

      Dave Harrison, Oxford

      Like

    2. There used to be an extensive network of Summer Sunday Specials that Suffolk County Council used to provide back in the 1990’s with a network ticket…

      Felixstowe – Lowestoft

      Clacton/Colchester – Ipswich – Great Yarmouth

      Ipswich – Cambridge to name but a few!
      They were in addition to the standard Ipswich – Felixstowe and Felixstowe Open Top service provided by Eastern Counties.

      There probably is still a market there for summer services (clearly from the 170) although it would need to strike the right balance between express routes and those that serve multiple villages etc.

      Ipswich Buses stopped doing summer excursions a couple of years ago and they used to send full double deckers twice weekly to Great Yarmouth in the school holidays plus multiple other destinations so I’m surprised no one has stepped in to try and fill the gap.

      Like

      1. O suspect the problem with providing summer excursion services lies with the accountants . They probably cost it as a normal service which probably makes then non economic. If you take a sensible view and say the bus will be sitting around doing nothing during he school holiday’s the costs will be a lot lower

        Liked by 1 person

        1. The bus may be (though operators do use ‘quieter’ periods like this to group MoTs, repaints & other refurbs) but the drivers may not be available. As a scheduler I always try to ensure I save a duty or two as demand for holidays from drivers tends to peak then so for larger operators (where ‘accountants’ may influence such decisions, the people in such positions are rarely involved in such decisions – I have never had such a discussion when reviewing networks with any financial team member – but the evaluations & discipline that come with a business of certain size will flag such routes as an issue) you won’t necessarily have spare drivers during holidays and anyway the work they do between schools is still there to be covered. For many coach operators who do schools you may find they are doing similar but it is excursions or tours that step up during the school holidays when they have more coaches & drivers available so rather than registered service work like this that is operated as their fleet is better suited to such operation. It is ‘smaller’ operators with buses like Fareline, who would less be influenced by pure financial decisions, who are likely to have a high proportion of vehicles & drivers dedicated to school related work who may have drivers as well as buses spare during the holidays.

          Dwarfer

          Like

  16. Until March this year another owner, driver was Jim Petty of Little Jim’s Buses who ran between Hemel Hempstead, Potten End and Berkhamsted 6 days a week. The extra costs that beurocracy required made it uneconomical to continue.

    Other counties providing summer summer networks were Devon, Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey to mention a few.

    John Crowhurst

    Like

    1. Agree little operators are been as before driven off the road. And its the communities who lose out as the Big Operators do it for a short time and then pull out or refuse.

      Here in Leicester the main operator Arriva won’t even do rural areas.

      Like

  17. Rural tourist hotspot overwhelmed by cars, council leader suggests visiting at less busy times, but look at the sparse (council supported) bus timetable (service 95). The bus serves Chippenham railway station, agencies (National Trust, Council, GWR, bus operator) should have the wherewithal to sort this out.

    https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/24535525.castle-combe-visitors-warned-not-overwhelm-car-park/

    https://faresaver.co.uk/current-timetables/

    Only directions for motorists below.

    https://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/towns-and-villages/castle-combe-p462723

    Peter Brown

    Like

Comments are closed.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑