A number of new services are being introduced by the Combined Authority (CPCA) with effect from Tuesday 27th May. Contracts have been let to a number of operators.
The immediate Cambridge area will be served by five of the seven new routes.
The CPCA is using its “Tiger” branding for these routes, but passengers will probably be relieved to know that the service numbers will abbreviate this to “T”.
All services operate Monday-Saturday, excluding Bank Holidays.
T1. Operated by Whippet. This is described as a “Cambridge to Huntingdon Express”, although it’s no faster than Whippet’s existing X3. The route follows that of the Stagecoach Busway B (excluding the diversion into Cambridge North tation) as far as Swavesey, then cuts across to Fenstanton and direct to Huntingdon Rail Station. Journeys towards Cambridge also serve Huntingdon Bus Station.
T2. Operated by Stagecoach. This service essentially forms a semicircular route around northern Cambridge, from Newmarket Park & Ride to Madingley Road Park & Ride, via Milton Park & Ride, Impington, Histon and Huntingdon roads Cambridge, and Eddington.
T3. Operated by Stagecoach. The end points of this route are the Ida Darwin Hospital and Grantchester. Amongst the places served along the way are Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Babraham Road Park & Ride, Great Shelford and Trumpington Park & Ride.
T4. Operated by Stagecoach. This one adds to the number of places with direct buses to Addenbrooke’s Hospital. From the Biomedical Campus it serves Fulbourn, the Wilbrahams and Bottisham, continuing to Newmarket mostly along the route already served by Stephenson’s service 11.
T5. Operated by A2B. This service finally reinstates Soham’s direct link with Cambridge (or vice versa, perhaps?). Appropriately it follows the route of the former Cambus service 122 – in more recent times this is the route of Stephenson’s service 11 between Cambridge and Burwell, then continuing to Fordham and Soham.
(For the sake of completeness, the other two new Tiger services being launched on 27th May are the T7 – Chatteris to Wisbech – and the T12 – Longstanton P&R to Sutton.)
More information about these Tiger services (but not timetables – or even links to them) is available from the CPCA website.
Timetables are available from the respective operator’s websites:
- https://www.whippetbus.co.uk/times/
- Live Bus Times & Timetables | Stagecoach
- https://www.a2bbusandcoach.com/bus-timetables
In addition, all of the timetable data (including specific stops served) can easily be accessed at other sites, such as bustimes.org.
Cambridge Area Bus Users 
Full details here: We are making service changes to some routes in Cambridgeshire from Sunday 31st August 2025
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what changes are these
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Looking at the T3 route there seems no logic in making the Ida Dawin Hospital, or to be more precise Capital Park where the bus does a loop via Fulbourn Old Drift and Hinton Road to return to Granchester. It would have been far more beneficial for passenger to terminate it at Tesco (Yarrow Road) bus station to make it easy for shoppers. Its a long walk to Tesco from Fulbourn Road or Capital Park via a foot path (currently closed for building work). There is also no Tesco stop on T4!
Also there need to be a number of new stops along parts of the route not previously served by buses. ie between Trumpington and Granchester (only two stops both on Coton Road at northern end of village. Needs to be at least two, one near the Mill for Byrons Pool etc, and one in centre of village near the Green Man pub. Although there is a stop southbound at Anstey Way in Trumpington there is no corresponding stop on the return route, there needs to be one in Maris Lane thus giving easy access to Waitrose. At the moment the nearest northbound stop is Trumpington P&R.
I understand C&PCA plan to install more stops, but this should have been done before the service started. Once again no thought gone into it. One thing they have put up basic timetables at existing bus stops.
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In particular, Stagecoach will be ceasing to operate route 10 Littleport – Ely – Cambridge as a commercial route. It will now be a matter for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to invite bids to run this as a supported service. A2B already run some journeys.
It was (wrongly) stated in some political quarters that ‘Stagecoach are handing back their contract’ for this service. This was a misunderstanding from the politician(s) concerned. It was a wholly commercial service, funded by passengers’ fares, until these no longer covered operating costs.
Many (from bus enthusiasts, passengers, to industry professionals) saw this coming years back, when Stagecoach closed there Ely operating centre, pushing up costs with ‘dead’ running from Cowley Road to/from Littleport for the first/last services of the day.
However, to be fair to Stagecoach, it is very hard to compete, commercially, with rail on the Ely – Waterbeach – Cambridge North – Cambridge corridor, given the speed and frequency of those services. A supported, ‘socially necessary’ service linking the intervening villages with Ely and/or Cambridge, will still be needed to mitigate potential rural isolation.
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Looks like Stagecoach are proposing changes in September to some routes as well.
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