Decided to use the 07.25 Service B from St Ives Bus Station. As was common with the old 55 route, buses arriving in from Huntingdon were often a few minutes late. And so it was today. We left at 07.25 reaching Orchard Park East at 07.54 (6 minutes late). Another 3 minutes were dropped in a traffic queue in Histon Road, waiting to get out onto Huntingdon Road. Arrival time at New Square (08.11) was 9 minutes late. Counting the walk at each end, that's 50 minutes door to door.
Leaving St Ives, I noticed that the Whippet's 07.35 Service 5, was sitting in the bus station. Despite using the old route via Fenstanton, the A14 and Bar Hill, this bus beat us to Cambridge by a few minutes. I saw it whizz across the junction at Histon Road/Huntingdon Road as we waited in the queue.
There was a Whippet Service D ahead of us. Can anyone explain why Service D exists? It offers two early morning trips via Histon Road, but no corresponding evening trips. So they're clearly not looking for any two-way passengers.
Evening. Succeeded in getting the Service A from Parkside, which it left at 1705. Departure from New Square was at 17.07 (6 minutes late) but we didn't manage to make up time. I alighted at St Ives Park & Ride at 17.40 (due 17.33). Again 50 minutes door to door.
Thats now 6 journeys I've made - and only one was on time.
You may find it a little odd that I'm commenting on a post from nearly 3 years ago but I've just found your blog and am starting from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the 'D' service, as you may know by now, is not unlike whippets guided 'C' service but takes a slightly different route and is therefore named differently to avoid confusion. The evening return is simply the 'C' service from the same company.
Glad you've discovered the blog. My question about the D was really why Whippet run it at all, especially as it was only in one direction and all the Cs go via a different route. Maybe Whippet have ideas to establish a regular service via Histon Road at some time in the future?
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