538 bus timetable
3 different bus routes are numbered 538 across the UK and Ireland, run by 3 operators in 3 areas. They are separate services that happen to share a number — pick yours below for its timetable, stops, live map and fares.
538 bus in South West England
1 route
- 538 Totton — Rushington ↔ Applemore College Bluestar 4 weekday journeys first 07:40 · last 15:10
538 bus in West Midlands
1 route
- 538 Princethorpe — Princethorpe Hilltop Park ↔ Leamington Spa Upper Parade Flexibus 2 weekday journeys first 09:25 · last 12:45
538 bus in Northern Ireland
1 route
- 538 Belfast — Grand Central Station ↔ Newry Bus Station Ulsterbus 19 weekday journeys first 06:25 · last 19:35
Frequently asked questions
Why are there so many different 538 buses?
Route numbers in the UK are chosen locally — by the operator, or by the local transport authority that tenders the service — not from any national list. Nothing stops two towns hundreds of miles apart both running a 538, and 3 of them do. The 538 in Belfast has no connection to the 538 in Totton: different operator, different road, different timetable.
How do I find the right 538 bus timetable?
Find your part of the country in the list above and open the 538 that starts or finishes near you — each one links to its full timetable, every stop, a live map and its fares. If you know the stop you'll be waiting at, searching for the stop name instead gives you the next departures from that exact stop, which is more reliable than any timetable.
Is the 538 bus the same route in every town?
No. These are 3 unrelated services that happen to share a number, run by 3 different operators. Fares, timetables and accessibility differ on each one, so always open the specific 538 for your area.
Looking for the next bus rather than a timetable? Stops near you shows live departures. Browse all bus routes, every operator or timetables by town. Data from operators via the DfT Bus Open Data Service — see all sources.