Busway diversion extended YET AGAIN!

Some of those who read this blog may be old enough to remember the time before the Busway was closed between Histon and Orchard Park whilst Highways England worked on the A14 overbridge. Others will simply be too new/young to remember that time.

Well, guess what? The closure (and resulting diversion) is set to continue. According to Highways England: "The new anticipated re-opening date is early March." Keep that date in mind, and we can all return to it in, say, 3 weeks time.

Whilst it's Highways England that is responsible for the never-ending closure - and for preventing Stagecoach introducing new timetables (originally planned for 1 March, but presumably delayed until the diversion is removed) - the County Council hardly covers itself in glory either. At the time of writing, the Council's dedicated Busway website still maintains the fiction that the Busway will reopen in "mid-January". Don't passengers deserve better information than that (the relevant page doesn't seem to have been updated since late-October)? What's happening to money that large-scale developers (e.g. of the Eddington site) are required to pay the County Council for Busway operation/promotion/management?

Full details of the further delay, and Highways England's sort-of-apology ("high-level discussions are taking place on a daily basis"...), can be found in a Cambridge Independent news item.

New closure of cycle track

The busway cycle track between Histon and Orchard Park will close for a month while repairs are carried out. This is the section of busway affected by the A14 widening works, and has been closed to buses for half a year, with buses diverted meanwhile.
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/cyclepath-guided-busway-a14-closure-17508409

Busway diversion extended - softly, softly

Those with good memories will recall that, at the last count, the Busway between Histon and Orchard Park was due to reopen next Monday, 4 November.

Well, guess what? That's not going to happen! I bet that took readers by surprise. Or not.

Yesterday, the County Council quietly updated their online "News" item on the closure to announce that the track will now reopen in "mid-January". Will it? Only time will tell...

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.

Unplanned diversion - overrunning works?

The Busway was closed during this morning's rush hour south of Cambridge Railway Station. Does anyone have any further information? I've checked the County Council, Stagecoach and Whippet Twitter feeds, Facebook and web pages, and none report any problems. The driver of one bus was clearly unaware, so it seems like a last-minute thing.

My guess is that it's "overrunning engineering works" (a disease transmitted by the neighbouring railway line, perhaps...).

Closure this weekend - Groundhog Day?

Just three months after the last weekend closure of the Busway between St Ives and Swavesey (see the 14 June post if you need a reminder!), the same stretch is again to be completely closed this coming weekend, according to Stagecoach. As on the last occasion, "extra buses and drivers will be used to minimise the delay although slight delays are expected to occur".

The closure takes place on Saturday and Sunday, 2 and 3 September.

There's no further information about this (or, indeed, any mention at all) on the County Council's Busway web page. However, a spokesman told the Cambridge News: "The busway track will be closed just to the north of the Swavesey stop next weekend while an issue is fixed." And for those who walk or cycle alongside the busway track, all is not lost: "Pedestrians and cyclists should still be able to pass.” What the "issue" causing the closure actually is, that information wasn't in the Cambridge News report.

If anyone is passing by the site over the weekend, I'm sure readers would be interested to learn anything you might be able to find out about the work being undertaken. One correspondent reports that there's a spot "just east of Fen Drayton halt where a beam set has already been excavated and replaced, appears to be a fresh soil heap." Could the County Council's "just to the north of the Swavesey stop" be the same location as my correspondent's "just east of Fen Drayton"?
 

Temporary closure of Foster Road bus stop 27 November

The Foster Road stop on the busway between Addenbrooke's and Trumpington Park & Ride will be closed on Friday 27th November between 10.00 and 15.00 to enable environmental works. Full details here.

This update also contains a link to Christmas and New Year timetable variations.

Ouse viaduct closed 14 June

The Ouse viaduct will be closed for repairs this weekend - all day Sunday through to 04.00 Monday. Buses will be diverted between St Ives and Swavesey, and the Fen Drayton Lakes stop not served. The adjacent bridleway will also be closed. For more information see the County Council website.

Diversions in the Orchard Park area this weekend

This notice has been issued about route temporary route changes in the Orchard Park area.

Orchard Park Stop Closures

On both Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th April 2015 the Busway B service will be unable to call at either Orchard Park stop for journeys TOWARDS St Ives.

Customers travelling from Orchard Park West or East towards St Ives can board the B service on Histon Road, just to the south of Kings Hedges Road as the bus will run via Histon Road to Histon and Impington where the normal route will resume.

Customers travelling from Central Cambridge to Orchard Park inclusive should use the B service as normal and alight the bus at the stop on Histon Road, just before the junction with Kings Hedges Road.

B services TOWARDS Central Cambridge are unaffected as are all other Busway services and stops.

Full details here.

Busway engineering work - Saturday 18 April

Bus route A will be diverted on Saturday 18 April not 16 March as indicated in the first email.

This announcement was sent out yesterday:

On Saturday 18th April 2015 the southern section of Busway track will be closed for engineering work.

Due to the nature of the work being carried out the Busway A will be using an alternative route between Trumpington park&ride and Addenbrooke's Hospital. This means the service will be unable to call at Trumpington Foster Road ALL DAY on Saturday 18th March.

Customers usually boarding/alighting at this location should either use the Busway A from/to Trumpington park&ride or the Citi 7 service from/to Trumpington High Street as an alternative. Please note the Citi 7 only runs as far as Central Cambridge northbound.

All other Busway stops and services are unaffected.

Correction issued today reads as follows:

Yesterday we sent an email alerting you about forthcoming engineering works affecting services stopping at Foster Road. The incorrect dates were included in this email.

The work at Foster Road is taking place ALL DAY on Saturday 18th April. Please disregard the other dates mentioned in the previous email.

We are sorry for any confusion caused by the previous email.

Engineering works affecting busway track between Histon and Orchard Park - 11 and 12 April

The section of busway between Histon and the Orchard Park junction will be closed during Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th April. This is to allow engineering works to the track.

Full details of the changes are given here.

Bus diversion 28 February

Busway service B will be diverted after 20.30 on the evening of 28 February 2014. This is due to  temporary closure of Bridge Street, Cambridge. Buses will be diverted via Victoria Avenue.

Details here.

Cycle track and busway closure near Histon and bus diversions

Thanks to David Parish for emailing about the closure of the cycle track between Histon and Orchard Park over the weekend of 20-22 July 2013. I'm assuming this is due to repair works to the uneven section of track east of Histon. The buses will be disrupted also.

Photo by David Parish

Official notices of the bus diversions

Stagecoach have posted a bulletin on their website here . The busway will be closed completely between Histon and Orchard Park East.
This is copied from the Stagecoach website:

Due to maintenance works on the Guided Busway, buses for Cambridge City Centre located atOrchard Park will board on the St. Ives-bound side of the track.

Buses towards St. Ives will board on the Cambridge-bound side of the track within Orchard Park.

On 20th July 2013, all buses towards Cambridge will be Service A buses only.

On 21st July 2013, all buses towards Cambridge will be Service B buses.

In conjunction with this, we will be unable to serve stops located on Castle Street, Jesus Lane orRound Church Street on Sunday 21st July 2013.

Passengers are advised to use stops at Drummer Street as an alternative.

In fact, the unavailablity of the Jesus Lane and Round Church Street bus stops is due to road closures in connection with Race for Life. A list of road closures on Sunday 21 July  from 7am to 1pm can be found on this page . It looks as if the New Square bus stop will be in use as normal on 21 July.

Whippet buses on route C will also be diverted via Orchard Park on 20 and 21 July, according to the Twitter feed on their website. Whippet buses are affected by diversions on 
Sunday morning due to road closures in Central Cambridge because of 'Race for Life'

Thanks to David and Hugh for alerting me to the changes. [Updated 19 July].

Busway closed at Histon. 20 July 2013

View of work site from Impington overbridge. 20 July 2013.

The busway was extremely busy with people travelling to Race for Life crowds travelling in to Cambridge today ( Sunday 21 July). Here is a photo of the crowd waiting to join the bus at St Ives Park & Ride.This particular trip was so full it did not pick up passengers at Swavesey,and Longstanton.

St Ives Park & Ride. 09.23 service B to Cambridge. 21 July.

Diversion to busway service B

Due to essential repairs to a collapsed sewer in Jesus Lane, Cambridge, busway service B  is being diverted and will not serve the bus stops at Round Church Street and Jesus Lane. These stops will be out of use  from 7 January for 10 weeks. Passengers are advised to use either Castle Street or New Square bus stops instead.

Details of the diversion can be found here.

Other bus routes affected are Citi 1, 2, 5, and 6,  Red Park & Ride and Stagecoach X8 and some Whippet services.

Parkside Bus Stop

The Parkside bus stop in Cambridge, served by route A west bound is closed until 30 November due to road works.

Michaelmas Fair chaos at St Ives

Once again the centre of St Ives is subject to traffic chaos due to the lack of joined up thinking as regards the Monday Market and the Michaelmas Fair.

The main market square is mostly unavailable to the regular market, so the  market stalls are in the bus station.

This means that buses which terminate or start from St Ives Bus Station are displaced to the bus stop in The Quadrant, where there is no space of buses to lay over between trips.

Cambridge-bound guided buses are using their regular stop in Station Road, but  west-bound guided buses are having to divert via Meadow Lane, and loop round the Quadrant one way system twice.

As far as I can see there is no information about these diversions on the Stagecoach  or Whippet websites, nor on the Busway website.