Buses are one of the most popular methods of public transport in the world. Still, they are renowned for moving slowly and backing up traffic.
If you’re wondering what the fastest buses and bus services in the world are, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve compiled a list of the fastest buses in the world and the fastest bus services to get you to your destination on time.
1. Fastest Luxury Bus: Superbus
- Top Speed: 155 mph (250 km/h)
When you think of a luxury bus, the first thing that jumps to your mind probably isn’t the Superbus designed by engineers from the Netherlands.
Hitting an astonishing 155 miles per hour, the 23-seater luxury bus trumps any operational bus on the market, even many cars, by a fair margin. This bus was designed to make long trips much shorter.
The bus has yet to be implemented as the Dutch government is hesitant to spend money to build the required highway. In the Emirates, however, the Superbus has garnered some interest. There is some interest in using it to shorten the commute from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
The Superbus offers more than just incredible speed. It has 16 gullwing doors and is made primarily of lightweight carbon. It was designed to be a luxury liner that emulates the environment of first-class comfort for its 23 passengers.
Air conditioning and heating are standard vehicle features, but what about Wi-Fi and TV? The Superbus is equipped with both, allowing you to work or sit back and enjoy your favorite show.
It’s an electric vehicle that runs on lithium polymer batteries and can travel around 130 miles when fully charged. Despite not having the longest range, getting between cities would be fine in most countries.
It can drive on regular roads when traveling within the speed limit, so while moving around a busy city may be a waste of its potential, it is possible. If the special highway lanes are built, the Superbus could slip out of the standard lanes and speed away, leaving all other vehicles in the dust.
Traveling at such high speeds may sound dangerous. However, the Superbus has several safety features that substantially decrease the risk. It has a powerful braking system that lets it go from its top speed to zero in less than 660 feet.
On the special highways, the Superbus would go into autopilot and use state-of-the-art obstacle detection to keep passengers and others safe. While it’s still expensive, it remains a cheaper alternative to building more railways for trains.
2. Fastest Modified Bus: School Time Jet-Powered School Bus
- Top Speed: 367 mph (590 km/h)
Have you ever wondered what a school bus with a jet engine would be like? If you have, then look no further. Paul Stender and his colleagues created the ‘School Time Jet-Powered School Bus’ to break the record for the fastest school bus ever.
The bus’s body was rebuilt with strong metals to withstand the incredibly high speeds, and rightly so. The bus can reach up to 367 miles per hour with the help of a Phantom fighter jet engine protruding from the back.
According to Paul, the metals used to reinforce the body of the bus are more likely to be found in aircraft than on land vehicles.
The GE J-79 jet engine provides enough power to get the bus from zero to unspeakably fast in no time at all. The flames being produced by the engine reached an astonishing 80 feet long.
Paul and his team built the bus as a way to motivate kids to pursue hobbies and stay away from drugs. Another reason they decided to build it because having a jet bus may be the coolest thing ever.
The bus’s engine carries 42,000 horsepower and burns up 150 gallons of fuel in only a quarter of a mile, making it one of the fastest – and shortest – rides you’d ever have. Most of the original parts were removed to make the necessary adjustments to withstand the force of the jet engine.
The ‘School Time Jet-Powered School Bus’ broke the record for the fastest bus ever and will probably hold the title for years to come.
3. Fastest Alternative Fuel Source Bus: Bus Hound
- Top Speed: 76.785 mph (123 km/h)
To promote alternative, more eco-friendly fuel sources, Reading Buses removed the speed limiter on one of their biomethane CNG (compressed natural gas) buses to break the record for the fastest in-service bus. The speed limiter usually restricts the bus to 56 miles per hour, as required by law when operating.
Reading Buses has 34 buses like Bus Hound in its fleet that use an alternative fuel source of biomethane CNG. Compressed biomethane is produced from organic materials such as food waste and cow manure.
The Bus Hound officially broke the record by reaching 76.785 miles per hour, though it has broken 80 miles per hour.
Each of the 34 buses can store just under 320 gallons of gas, which can get them pretty far. The gas is taken from the gas grid, placed into oxygen-free tanks, and broken down into a usable fuel source for the buses.
The buses using the alternative fuel source produce fewer harmful gases and keep the buses running at a carbon-neutral level.
A few other public transport services have started using biogas as a fuel source in their vehicles, and the trend seems to be spreading.
4. Fastest In-Service Bus In The USA: Missouri
In many states, buses are limited by law to stay below certain speeds. They also have speed limiters on them to ensure they do not break the speed limit, as doing so can be dangerous for others and the children on board.
Most buses are limited by road laws, not by their maximum speed. Many states limit buses to a maximum of 55 miles per hour. Missouri, however, only limits buses to 60 miles per hour, making Missouri buses – legally – the fastest in-service buses in the United States.
School buses are not restricted by separate legislation, so they can also go up to 60 miles per hour when not in school zones.
