Every route 99. 5 of 25*

Saturday 21st March 2026

(*What started off as a fortnightly series looking at all Britain’s 23 bus routes numbered 99 was soon corrected to 24 such routes when a reader kindly pointed out my summary of what was to come had missed Arriva’s 99A/C in Telford and in another update we’re now up to 25 routes to be featured as another reader recently pointed out I’d overlooked East Yorkshire’s seasonal route 99 in Scarborough which coincidentally makes a return appearance on the seafront next weekend. I’m fairly confident 25 is the definitive number which in a nice mathematical coincidence as it’s just one less than the 26 routes numbered 100 I featured in 2024.)

After that preamble let’s get on with the fifth of Britain’s 25 bus routes numbered 99 and after featuring the first four all in the south east, it’s time to head south west for the next five.

And the first route we come to is a rather interesting long rural route across Wiltshire linking Chippenham with Swindon via the delightful market town of Malmesbury.

This route 99 is one of the longest of the 25 to be featured at 39 miles with an end to end journey time of an hour and 45 minutes. It’s effectively two separate routes – Chippenham to Malmesbury and Malmesbury to Swindon but by joining the two together ‘cross Malmesbury’ journeys are easily marketed and possible.

Unless you’re writing a blog about all Britain’s routes numbered 99, or just like travelling on a meandering rural bus route, you’d be unlikely to use the 99 to make an end to end journey as Stagecoach’s route 55 shaves 30 minutes off the journey by taking a more direct route via Calne and even better for time conscious travellers, GWR will take you between the two towns in just 12 minutes.

Nettleton (north east of Chippenham) based family run Coachstyle operates the service. Although it’s predominantly a coach business the family run firm does operate school journeys and around a dozen vehicles on four scheduled bus routes on behalf of Wiltshire Council including four vehicles deployed on the 99.

The bus I travelled on last week was a 12 year old Optare Solo but we passed a new Volvo eVoRa on the route – one of four the company has recently bought as part of a policy of replacing its Solos with such vehicles.

The Solo looked smart in its stylish livery and logo and first impressions of the interior were also very favourable…

… although as soon as I sat down I realised I was in for a rather uncomfortable hour and three quarter ride.

With minimal cushion it soon becomes hard on the bum. It’ll be so much better when the Volvos have ousted all the Solos.

The timetable provides for an hourly (06:30-1939) Mondays to Saturdays (no Sundays) service between Chippenham, Malmesbury and Swindon with two alternate route variations giving a two-hourly frequency to certain villages east of Malmesbury.

I’m guessing there are good peak movements including scholars on the route as the frequency is certainly generous and attractive during the off peak for the market it’s serving.

I caught the midday departure from Chippenham on Thursday last week with just one passenger boarding with me in the town’s bus station but three more came on board at the main bus stop in the town centre.

Some remedial work was going on in the bus station leading to buses departing from different stands so to be sure not to miss out, my fellow passenger and I kept a close eye out for the bus arriving – which it did at 11:59 and off we set at midday.

Of the four passengers on board, one alighted on the northern outskirts of Chippenham, the next on the edge of a village called Lower Stanton St Quinton, where two students boarded, who in turn, alighted with the other two passengers in Malmesbury.

It takes around 45 minutes to reach Malmesbury where Coachstyle also run a local town service and I don’t know whether that’s connected to the fact the driver got off the bus when we stopped at the main bus stop for a scheduled five minute pause telling me there would be a change of driver.

After a couple of minutes the new driver came and joined me as did a new passenger travelling to Swindon.

As you can see from the above map the route involves a circuit of Malmesbury which takes a bit of time but did bring forward two passengers, one of whom also travelled to Swindon and the other to Royal Wootten Bassett. We followed the blue routing via Milbourne and Lea but alternate journeys follow the red route via Burton Hill and also serve Little Somerford as a small deviation off the B4042 towards Royal Wootten Bassett.

As you can see Royal Wootten Bassett offers another opportunity for a deviation around the houses but the final approach into Swindon is relatively straight forward as the bus crosses the M4 for the third time on the journey.

It’s a lovely route with a variety of rural roads and faster dual carriageways.

Arriving into Swindon’s recently revamped Fleming Way bus station, there were six passengers waiting to board for the journey back at 13:50, giving the driver just five minutes layover.

Inside the shelter it was good to see departure times listed for the 99 on display albeit almost hidden by a wonky promotional notice…

… but it was disappointing to see no reference to the departure on the electronic sign.

However, all in all, a thoroughly enjoyable one hour and 45 minutes bus journey.

Roger French

Did you catch the previous blog in this series? 1 of 25 Eastbourne-Hastings, 2 of 25 Petworth-Chichester, 3 of 25 Woolwich-Bexleyheath, 4 of 25 Tilbury Town to Tilbury Ferry Terminal.

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