Christmas and New Year services

Both Busway operators have published details of service changes during the Christmas and New Year period. This table covers both Stagecoach and Whippet operations.

• Mon 21-Wed 23: Saturday service
• Thu 24: Saturday service, but with an early shutdown (see below)
• Fri 25-Sat 26: No service
• Sun 27-Mon 28: Sunday service
• Tue 29-Wed 30: Saturday service
• Thu 31: Saturday service, but with an early shutdown (see below)
• Fri 1 Jan: No service

Normal services resume on 2 Jan.

Last buses on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve:

• A: 1833 ex-Marley Rd; 1857 ex-Trumpington P&R
• B: 1830 ex-Hinchingbrooke; 1907 ex-Trumpington P&R
• U: 1833 ex-Eddington; 1907 ex-Addenbrooke's

For more information (including Stagecoach's "V" series feeder services), consult the Stagecoach and Whippet announcements.

Whippet changes from 19 October

Whippet, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, have announced changes to the timetable for the U (Universal) service, which uses the southern section of Busway as part of its route between Eddington and the Biomedical Campus. The changes take effect on Monday 19 October.

Peak-hour services will operate Monday-Friday every 12 minutes. The frequency of services at other times of day and at the weekend are unchanged. Journey times are being extended to reduce late running. Weekend operation to/from the Biomedical Campus, introduced in late March, is retained.

The new timetable can be downloaded from the Whippet website.

Services have already returned to operating via Addenbrookes Outpatients, although this may not be stable, depending on future infection rates and Hospital needs.

According to the University's Travel Newsletter:

The University will be increasing funding for the Universal Bus service over the next four months which, combined with funding from the Government COVID-19 Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG) Restart package will enable the route to run every 12 minutes throughout the morning and evening peak periods, while maintaining the weekend services to CBC that we began running during the national lockdown in March. The additional funding will allow the level of service provided by the Universal to be maintained as the roads get busier again and the number of passengers carried on each service is reduced due to social distancing requirements on board.

Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August

Stagecoach will be running a Sunday service on the forthcoming August Bank Holiday Monday. Nothing unusual in that, of course. But do remember that new timetables will be in operation. For the most part the changes to the Sunday timetable are only minor. But that's not the case if you use Cambridge North, live in Orchard Park, or are accustomed to using the Godmanchester services (you'd be better to consider the Whippet X3 in future for this last if you want to travel into Cambridge).

Whippet will also be running a Sunday service, with the U continuing to extend to/from the Biomedical Campus (but note that the Outpatients stop remains suspended).

Bank Holiday Monday, 25 May

Busway services are operating to a Sunday timetable (using the current temporary timetables, of course) on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 May. Services B, D & U will be running, therefore, with the U extending to/from the Biomedical Campus. Essential travel only.

Bank Holiday Friday, 8 May

All Busway services are operating a Sunday timetable on the forthcoming Bank Holiday, Friday 8 May. Don't forget that temporary timetables are in operation as well. Services B, D & U will be running, therefore, with the U runnning to/from the Biomedical Campus. Essential travel only, of course.

Timetable links:

Stagecoach
Whippet

Whippet - temporary changes from 30 March

Whippet operate the Universal (U) service, whose route includes the Busway section between the main railway station and the Biomedical Campus. From today, 30 March, there are (temporarily) minor changes to the weekday timetable, to take account of the much emptier roads (which means taking the slack out of the timetable).

At weekends, the U will serve the Biomedical Campus on both Saturdays and Sundays - this will be the first time that any of the southern Busway has had regular Sunday services. In addition, weekend services will start earlier and end later.

Full information, including a link to the temporary timetable, is on the Whippet website.

Whippet leave the Busway (again)

It's been reported on the Anglia & Thames Valley Bus Forum that Whippet will be withdrawing their P service from 23 August. Apparently, it was only on "trial", and hasn't attracted enough custom to justify the three buses and drivers that it took to operate.

Busway closure/diversion period extended

My post of 17 June has been overtaken by events. Firstly, the County Council website did eventually get round to advertising the closure and associated diversion (but not until the day they started - so NO ADVANCE WARNING!). More importantly, what was previously two separate closure periods has now been transformed into one extended closure. But just when the closure ends is a matter of some confusion. According to the County Council the closure now carries on, uninterrupted, until 29 August. According to Stagecoach, the closure continues until the commencement of services on 1 September. According to the Cambridgeshire Live website, the closure is due to continue until 4 September. My interpretation of these varying dates is that the Highways Agency cannot be certain when the bridge works that are responsible for this closure will actually finish. All we know for certain is that they will continue for the next few weeks! Be prepared...

Forthcoming Busway closure/diversion - extended periods

The Busway will be completely closed between Histon and the Orchard Park "junction" (where the A/D and B/P usually diverge heading into the city) between the following dates:

22 June - 7 July inclusive
25 July - 3 September inclusive

Here's a link to the Stagecoach announcement which gives details of the necessary diversions and alternative stops. I presume the Whippet P will take the same diversion as the Stagecoach B.

There's nothing about this major closure on the County Council's Busway site.

Another diversion (possibly) - be prepared!

It's sometimes hard to know whether it's better to wait for "official" information (that may never be provided) or to put up something that may turn out to be wrong. This post is in the latter category - so be warned! On the other hand, if what I'm posting here is correct then it's the only place right now that you will have been able to read it...

There's another significant diversion, this time affecting the Stagecoach B and the Swavesey version of Whippet's relatively new P service.

Castle Street in Cambridge is due to be closed to all traffic shortly. Exactly when, and whether it's in closed in both directions is, to put it mildly, unclear.

The announcement on the Stagecoach website implies a complete closure in both directions. But that announcement covers only the Citi 5 and 6. There's nothing about the B (which uses the same route between All Saints Church in Jesus Lane and the junction at the top of Castle Street. It's hard to see how this closure could not affect the Busway service.

The diversion (as least for the 5 and 6) is via Chesterton Lane and Victoria Road. Whether any alternative to the Shire Hall stop will be served remains to be seen.

Then there's the question of just when the closure is taking place. Stagecoach say 15-29 April - i.e., as soon as Monday! The County Council website, on the other hand, suggests the permit has been issued only for 20-28 April. Who do you believe. Whenever it happens, both sites imply that this is a 24-hour closure. I would expect major delays on Victoria Road heading out of the city at certain times of day.

Finally, one might expect the County Council's dedicated Busway site to provide definitive answers. In your dreams! No mention at all.

All, some or none of the above may be accurate. But at least you're forewarned of possible problems ahead.

Whippet return to Busway

Whippet are returning to the Busway! With effect from 18 February the Swavesey-based operator will be running a new Monday-Friday service, "P", which provides 3 morning rush-hour journeys from Swavesey Busway stop to the Biomedical Campus - with corresponding return journeys in the evening - supplemented by a (generally) 4-per-hour "shuttle" between Drummer Street and the Biomedical Campus via the southern portion of the Busway. The shuttle operates to a slightly less frequent (and more irregular) schedule around the edges of the rush hour (rather like the "U" timetable), to take account of likely traffic conditions (in so far as traffic in Cambridge is ever predictable).

Elswhere there's been speculation that this is tied to the imminent opening of the new Royal Papworth hospital (hence the service "number"), but I've been unable to confirm that.

The route around the Biomedical Campus is the same as that taken by other Busway services - currently that's in an anti-clockwise loop. (That route is likely to change in the spring, I guess, when the new road in front of the Papworth hospital is open and there are new bus stops to serve.)

Not good enough, Stagecoach!

The busway is closed this weekend between Oakington and Girton Crossing, for maintenance, and buses are being diverted.

The notice published on Stagecoach’s website advises Oakington passengers wishing to travel to Cambridge to use the Citi 6, or to board at Histon Busway Stop or Longstanton Park & Ride.

This is not good enough.

Why can’t Stagecoach designate a couple of temporary stops in Oakington for the duration of the closure?

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-27/09/2018-16:00:31:934

Whippet, on the other hand, have very helpfully advised their passengers:  ‘If you wish to board at Oakington please wait on Station Road at a safe point close to The Busway.’

Stagecoach could easily do the same.

http://www.go-whippet.co.uk/diversions-and-known-disruptions/

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..

Whippet "C" special offer and competition

Between 28 May and 3 June, Whippet is offering unlimited travel on Route C for £10, covering the whole week.

And they're also running a competition, linked to that promotion. So if you want to win a bottle of Jack Daniels...

The whole thing runs under a "Tenner C" label ("Tennessee" - geddit??).

More details here.

Busway diversions - weekends in April

More diversions coming up! Starting tomorrow (Saturday 7 April)!!

This weekend: between Cambridge Railway Station and Trumpington Park and Ride
14-15 April: in Histon, between Park Road and Station Road (St Ives-bound buses will serve a stop in Station Road)

Further information (although there isn't much to be said) is available on the County Council website. (Annoyingly, there's no link to this announcement on the County Council's own dedicated Busway page - and the announcement itself appears, from the embedded metadata, to have been posted as late as 2115 on 6 April - contradicting the displayed date of 5 April, and leaving it rather late to warn passengers)

Busway diversions - weekends in March

Details have now been posted of this month's weekend diversions on the Busway.

In summary:

9-10 March: Between Longstanton and Oakington. But no changes to the stops served.
17-18 March: Between Histon and Milton Road, and with changes to pick up and set down locations
24-25 March: Between Histon and Milton Road, and with changes to pick up and set down locations

The maintenance track remains open at all times.

All services are affected. It's reasonable to assume that these diversions will involve extended journey times around the blockages, but as there's no mention of them on either the Stagecoach or Whippet websites, there's no further information about these. Unlike engineering works on the railways, the bus companies never issue revised timetables, so if you need to be somewhere at a specific time (a railway station, for example!), you're left to do the calculations yourself.

Further details are now available (at rather short notice) on the County Council website.

Cambridge Half Marathon - Sunday 4th March

Stagecoach has published an update on itsCambridge bus routes, many of which will be diverted on Sunday 4th March, due to road closures for the Cambridge Half Marathon.

 Bus B will be unable to serve Shire Hall, Jesus Lane/Round Church Street and New Square befor 1pm.

Towards St. Ives buses will serve the first stop on Histon Road (The Grapes). Customers in Central Cambridge should use Drummer Street bay 12. Towards Cambridge buses will serve the first stop on Victoria Road instead of Shire Hall

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-24/02/2017-14:31:57:474

Whippet bus route C will also be diverted. See http://www.go-whippet.co.uk/diversions-and-known-disruptions/

Busway diversions - weekends in February

A series of closures of the Busway has been announced for February. Details are as follows:

3/4 February - Fen Drayton Lakes Stop - Buses will be unable to serve this stop - No Alternative is avaliable

10/11 February - Swavesey - To be confirmed

17/18 February - Longstanton - Delays of 10-15 minutes - No stops missed

Further closures are expected, and details will be avaliable in due course

Apologies for the late notification.

One of the County Council's news releases (there were two, posted in different places) on this weekend's closure - and one which only went out on 3 February - refers to the "request stop Holywell Ferry" [sic]. Curiously, the corresponding announcement on the Busway web pages refers to it by its correct name. Puzzling.

The next two closures/diversions have yet to be confirmed by the County Council - so should, I guess, be marked "subject to alteration".

UPDATED 8 February: The County Council has now published its plans for the remainder of the month - and provided an explanation as to why the work is being carried out. Here's that information:
https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/weekend-guided-busway-repairs-planned/

Christmas and New Year Bus Services

Information about Stagecoach bus services running during the festive season in the Cambridge area can be found at https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/east/christmas-2017

Whippet will be running no services on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or 

New Year’s Day. Normal service on other days during the festive season.

http://www.go-whippet.co.uk/latest-news/news/

Changes to Whippet bus routes from 2 September

Whippet have announced the withdrawal of a number of their bus services and you can read the full details here:

http://www.go-whippet.co.uk/changes-local-bus-services-2-september-2017/

However, service C, which operates on the Guided Busway will be strengthened to half hourly between St Ives and Drummer Street, with some earlier and later journeys that at present.

Buses will continue to operate every hour on Sundays, but the gap at midday will be removed so the service is regular throughout the day.

Some service C journeys will start or finish at Fenstanton.

From 2 September, Service C will not serve Cambridge Railway Station , Somersham or Hill Rise/Ramsey Road in St Ives.