56 bus timetable

28 different bus routes are numbered 56 across the UK and Ireland, run by 25 operators in 12 areas. They are separate services that happen to share a number — pick yours below for its timetable, stops, live map and fares.

56 bus in London

1 route

56 bus in South East England

3 routes

56 bus in South West England

4 routes

56 bus in East of England

1 route

56 bus in East Midlands

5 routes

56 bus in West Midlands

1 route

56 bus in Yorkshire & the Humber

3 routes

56 bus in North West England

2 routes

56 bus in North East England

2 routes

56 bus in Scotland

3 routes

56 bus in Wales

2 routes

56 bus in Northern Ireland

1 route

Frequently asked questions

Why are there so many different 56 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 56, and 28 of them do. The 56 in Nottingham has no connection to the 56 in Leicester: different operator, different road, different timetable.

How do I find the right 56 bus timetable?

Find your part of the country in the list above and open the 56 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 56 bus the same route in every town?

No. These are 28 unrelated services that happen to share a number, run by 25 different operators. Fares, timetables and accessibility differ on each one, so always open the specific 56 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.