University consultation on the "U" service - closes 26 May

It's just been brought to my attention that the University has launched a consultation in connection with a review of the "U" (or "Universal") service. This is in preparation for the signing of a new contract, due to take effect in July 2021 [sic].

Of particular interest to those who follow this blog will be options around frequency of service (including reducing the frequency, compared with the pre-pandemic timetable) as well as a suggestion that some of the journeys between the Railway Station and the Biomedical Campus might revert to using Hills Road rather than the Busway. Also the possibility of extending the service to Babraham Road and/or Trumpington Park & Ride sites.

Anyway, please have a look at the consultation documentation. And pay particular attention to the closing date for submissions - it's May 26th.

Extended hours (Mon-Fri) on Busway's southern section

From 8 October, there are significant changes to the University's "U" service (operated by Whippet). What this means for the Busway specifically is that there are earlier and later departures on the Busway southern section - between the Railway Station and Addenbrooke's Hospital - on weekdays (i.e. Monday to Frinday).

Currently, Stagecoach's earliest departures are 0636 (outbound) and 0631 (inbound), with the latest at 1959 and 2017 respectively. The new Whippet timetable offers slightly earlier departures in both directions (0620 and 0631), and much later final departures in the evenings (2156 and 2207). Sadly, the "U" still doesn't serve Addenbrooke's at the weekend.

The new timetable is available for download here..

Accident south of Cambridge railway station

A Whippet single decker, operating the University's "Universal" contract, was involved in an accident earlier this afternoon on the Trumpington stretch of Busway, just after the entrance to the guided section south of Cambridge railway station. Reports are still coming in - you might want to follow this Cambridge News link for more information (and for more up-to-date information). It seems no other vehicle was involved.

Update 22:15, 21 June
Latest information from Whippet is that the driver swerved to avoid two cyclists. What they were doing in a location that such action was required is not immediately clear from reports.

Update, 11 July
The BBC reports that the Whippet driver involved in this incident has been sacked for speeding. The report doesn't indicate whether speeding was the sole cause of the accident. Follow this link for more information:

Additional journeys, Railway Station to/from Addenbrooke's

With effect from today, Monday 5 December, the Whippet-operated service U has been rerouted to use the Busway between the Railway Station and Addenbrooke's Hospital (instead of operating via Hills Road). This greatly increases the number of journeys between these two points, although it's worth noting that it only operates Monday-Friday on this section of the route. The service operates roughly every 15 minutes from early morning to early/mid-evening (depending on your definitions!).

The U (officially called the "Universal") is sponsored by the University of Cambridge.

To download a timetable, follow this link.