81A bus timetable
Looking for the 81A bus? 6 different bus routes are numbered 81A across the UK and Ireland, run by 6 operators in 4 areas. They are separate services that happen to share a number — pick yours below for its timetable, stops, live map and fares.
A letter on the end usually marks a variant of the plain-numbered route — a different terminus or a peak-hour extension — and what it stands for is up to the operator. What bus route numbers mean
81A bus in South East England
2 routes
- Deal — Deal to Sandwich via Mill Hill, Eastry Stagecoach South East · weekdays only · 07:35–15:33 · 2 buses a weekday
- Manningtree — Manningtree to Colchester via Ardleigh, Mile End Central Connect · not Sundays · 07:13–19:20 · 8 buses a weekday
81A bus in North West England
1 route
- Bootle — Bootle to Liverpool via Walton, West Derby Arriva North West · not Sundays · 04:32–19:35 · 51 buses a weekday
81A bus in North East England
1 route
- Bishop Auckland — Bishop Auckland circular via South Church, Auckland Park Hodgsons · weekdays only · 08:01–15:10 · 2 buses a weekday
81A bus in Scotland
2 routes
- Clydebank — Clydebank to Duntocher via Kilbowie, Hardgate McGill's · not Sundays · 19:41–21:09 · 4 buses a weekday
- Dunfermline — Dunfermline Stagecoach East Scotland · 19:15–23:15 · 5 buses a weekday
Frequently asked questions
Where does the 81A bus run?
6 buses are numbered 81A, in Dunfermline, Bootle, Clydebank, Bishop Auckland, Manningtree & Deal. Each one is listed above by area, with its timetable, stops and live map.
Why are there so many different 81A 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 81A, and 6 of them do. The 81A in Dunfermline has no connection to the 81A in Bootle: different operator, different road, different timetable.
How do I find the right 81A bus timetable?
Find your part of the country in the list above and open the 81A 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 81A bus the same route in every town?
No. These are 6 unrelated services that happen to share a number, run by 6 different operators. Fares, timetables and accessibility differ on each one, so always open the specific 81A for your area.
What does the “81A” in the bus number mean?
A letter on the end usually marks a variant of the plain-numbered route — a different terminus or a peak-hour extension — and what it stands for is up to the operator. It is a convention operators choose to follow rather than a national rule, so check the specific 81A for your area in the list above. See our guide to what UK bus route numbers mean for the letters that are reliable and the ones that are not.
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.