Working for bus passengers in and around Cambridge
Author: CBGbusUsers
Cambridge Area Bus Users
• seeks to represent – and campaign on behalf of – bus passengers in and around Cambridge;
• is independent of any political party.
Phases B and D of the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Histon Road improvements project commence on Monday 29th June (Phase A comprises the work already taking place at the junction with Victoria Road). This involves closing Histon Road to all inbound traffic (including buses, therefore) between Kings Hedges Road and Victoria Road. According to the project website work can be expected to carry on until summer 2021.
Services affected are the Citi 8, Busway B, and X8.
The Citi 8 will divert via Kings Hedges Road, Arbury Road, Mere Way, Carlton Way, Gilbert Road, Milton Road and Victoria Avenue.
The Busway B will operate from Histon on the route normally taken by the A – i.e. via CRC and the Science Park, heading to the City Centre along Milton Road. So it will omit the Shire Hall and Round Church Street stops (the latter is currently closed, but was otherwise due to reopen in early July).
The X8 is replaced by an additional Citi 8 service.
An additional service will be provided for local users of the Histon Road and Orchard Park areas. This service, the 8H, will leave from Emmanuel Road and follow the existing outbound Citi 8 route as far as the Kings Hedges Road junction, then head to Orchard Park (where it will operate via an anti-clockwise loop of Chieftain Way, Circle Drive and Chariot Way to Arbury Road), continuing via Mere Way, Carlton Way, Gilbert Road, Milton Road and Victoria Avenue to the City Centre. Note, though, that the 8H operates only Monday-Saturday daytimes. There’s no evening or Sunday service.
What changes and improvements would you like to see to the Universal bus service?
The service is subsidised by the University of Cambridge and has been operated by Go-Whippet since it launched in 2016. The University is looking at options for a new contract in July 2021.
WSP transport consultants have been commissioned to review the Universal bus service (see current timetable, PDF) prior to the start of a new contract, which could last until 2029. Ongoing support for the Universal bus service is one of many commitments outlined in the University’s Transport Strategy 2019 ̶ 2024.
WSP have produced a consultation document (PDF) outlining the various options. The online survey is open to all current and potential passengers.
Staff, students and members of the wider community can provide feedback on the options by filling in this online survey before Tuesday 26th May 2020.
Whilst this post is open for comments, you are strongly advised only to comment here after completing the online survey. We do not seek to be intermediaries: we cannot guarantee to pass on comments.
Stagecoach City Centre and Railway Station stop changes: Some Stagecoach services moved to new stops in Cambridge City Centre and at the Railway Station on 14th June. Check your stop here (NB: these maps do not show the New Square Busway stops, which continue to operate as normal).
Payment & Fares: If you have to pay by cash, please note that Stagecoach and A2B are operating an “exact fare” policy. If you tender more than the required fare, the surplus will be donated to local charities (and A2B will be doubling that amount). Stagecoach offer a 15% discount on selected tickets for NHS ID card holders, for staff employed at Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth Hospitals – details here.
Face coverings: Unless you are legally exempt, you have been required to wear face coverings on public transport since 15th June. These do NOT need to be medical-grade, however – home-made ones will suffice. See Face coverings to become mandatory on public transport on the Gov.uk website.
Reduced capacity: In order to maintain physical distancing requirements, capacity on all buses is significantly reduced and it’s possible you may not be allowed to board at busy times.
Stagecoach: Many Stagecoach services have returned to pre-pandemic timetables. Other routes are operating a reduced service, except for the R and City Sightseeing services, which remain suspended. For details, and timetable links, consult the Stagecoach website. And don’t forget to check which city centre or railway station stop your service departs from!
Whippet: Services are operating to their pre-lockdown regular timetables EXCEPT that the U continues with a temporary timetable (which includes operating to/from the Biomedical Campus on Saturday and Sunday).
National Express and Megabus: On National Express, Cambridge is currently served by the 075 (2 services per day to/from London via Stansted Airport), the 727 (6 services per day from Norwich to Heathrow Airport and 5 per day in the opposite direction), the 737 (4 services per day to/from Luton Airport and Oxford), and the 491 (1 direct service per day to/from London and 1 to/from Norwich). Further information is available from National Express. Megabus services serving Cambridge are currently suspended.
Other operators: A2B are operating a normal service. A number of other operators (e.g., Big Green Bus, Dews) run bus services on behalf of the County Council. So far as we are aware, these continue to run to the normal timetable.
The long-running – and frequently extended – diversion of Busway services between Histon and Orchard Park/CRC finally finishes on 29th March. From Monday 30th March services will return to the Busway between these points, following conclusion of work on the A14 overbridge. Orchard Park passengers, in particular, should take note as this involves buses on inbound and outbound journeys travelling on the opposite side of the Busway track from that which they’ve followed since June 2019.
Sadly, introduction of the enhanced Busway timetables, due to take place on the same day, has again been postponed. Instead, a temporary emergency timetable will be introduced, in common with much of the local Stagecoach network. See a separate post for more information on this development.
Older travellers may remember a very silly Monty Python sketch titled Confuse-A-Cat. In retrospect probably not as funny as it seemed at the time…
Now, even less hilariously, Stagecoach East’s Flying Circus has found a new twist to the tired joke: Confuse-a-passenger!
Changes to service 5/5A/5C, Milton P&R and forthcoming Busway improvements are cunningly hidden from search by intending passengers.
You will not find them by clicking the ‘Service Updates’ link on the homepage (after setting your location to ‘Cambridge’).
IF you know where to look, you can find them listed under ‘Promos and Offers’.
No, we’ve no idea why service changes are listed in this ‘hidden’ location. We’re baffled.
As you would expect, we have raised this with Stagecoach East management, and are awaiting reply. The simple job of copying and pasting the information to the correct page has not occurred to date (14/03/2020).
A revised timetable for the Milton Park & Ride service is being introduced from 15th March.
The service frequency has been reduced to 5 per hour, and no will no longer serve the Grafton Centre (East Road) stop. All services – inbound and outbound – will call on Milton Road at the Union Lane and Westbrook Centre stops.
According to the detailed timetable uploaded to Traveline by the County Council, all services will, in addition, call at the New Square (Short Street) Busway stops. This would be highly unusual (indeed, possibly the first time that dedicated Busway stops within Cambridge city have been used by non-Busway services). Stagecoach was asked last week to confirm that this is, indeed, the plan – this post will be updated in the light of any information received.
For more information, including a link to the new timetable, consult the news item on the Stagecoach website. For the complete, detailed timetable, go to the Traveline site (click on the “All Stops” button).
We note that these changes are cunningly hidden, on the Stagecoach website. You will not find them by clicking the ‘Service Updates’ link on the homepage (after setting your location to ‘Cambridge’). They are instead listed under ‘Promos and Offers’.
We have raised this with Stagecoach East management, but the simple job of copying and pasting the information to the correct page has not occurred to date (14/03/2020).
There is a similar issue with changes to service 5/5A/5C and forthcoming Busway improvements being cunningly hidden from search by intending passengers.
Hosted in the Market town of Whittlesey (Whittlesea if you’re coming by train) near Peterborough, BusFest is one of the area’s largest Vintage Vehicle Gatherings. This is a great day out for all from enthusiasts to families – maybe your chance to discover what buses were like in your parents’ or grandparents’ time, or for parents and grandparents to reminisce!
We have been informed by Nathan of Eastern Bus Enthusiasts that the event is postponed.
This year’s BusFest is on Sunday 17th May from 10:00 to 17:00
Note: At the time of posting this update (06/04/2020 13:15) the BusFest webpage had yet to be updated.
Click the image to open the BusFest page in a new tab
Preserved vehicles will be used to operate a network of free bus services which consists of five routes to Ramsey, Peterborough, March, Turves, Yaxley & Thorney (see map).
Stagecoach have announced changes to the Citi 5 service (Cambridge-Bar Hill), commencing 15th March. There are also changes to the 5A and 5C services (Bar Hill-Swavesey).
Changes to the 5 will impact peak-hour travellers most – there are earlier departure times on some inbound journeys, as well as extended travel times, and changes to evening rush-hour times as well. But extended journey times apply through much of the day – and are particularly noticeable on Saturdays (when there are also significant changes to the service pattern for outbound trips).
After representations from Cambridge Area Bus Users, some consistency has been introduced to the 5A and 5C departure times, so that there’s now a regular pattern to those times (with the exception of the Swavesey Village College runs). Note, though, that ALL times on these journeys have changed.
There are no changes to Sunday services.
Some details can be found on the Stagecoach website. However, Stagecoach’s own description of the changes is far from complete. You are advised to refer to the new timetable for the fullest information. For a “side by side” comparison (available only until the new times are introduced) consult Traveline.
We note that these changes are cunningly hidden, on the Stagecoach website. You will not find them by clicking the ‘Service Updates’ link on the homepage (after setting your location to ‘Cambridge’). They are instead listed under ‘Promos and Offers’.
We have raised this with Stagecoach East management, but the simple job of copying and pasting the information to the correct page has not occurred to date (14/03/2020).
There is a similar issue with changes to Milton P&R services and forthcoming Busway improvements being cunningly hidden from search by intending passengers.
There are also errors in the 5/5A/5C timetable PDF. And a sadly-missed marketing/promotional opportunity. These are repeated from the existing timetable. Again, we have raised this with Stagecoach East management.
Pages 1 and 2 of the timetable PDF do not show all journeys through the clockwise/anti-clockwise loops.
One example is the Saturday (clockwise) 06:11 Swavesey – Over – Willingham – Longstanton – Bar Hill (06:00 ex-Fenstanton 5 arriving Cambridge 07:25). This should be included in p2 as well as its listing on p6.
There are other examples of missing journeys on pp1,2 but, as a campaigning group, run entirely by volunteers, we can’t list them all.
As the timetable stands, it could be designed to deliberately confuse intending passengers.
Stagecoach are also missing the opportunity to promote links to the busway at Longstanton P&R: “Passengers may also change at Longstanton P&R for fast, frequent, busway services to…”
It shouldn’t be up to Cambridge Area Bus Users to point out a marketing opportunity, surely?
Greater Cambridge Partnership and Stagecoach East unveil first electric buses to serve Greater Cambridge
The new zero-emission vehicles – two of 15 in Stagecoach’s national bus fleet – can travel 160 miles on a single charge and will operate on the Cambridge citi 6 route serving the city centre, Girton and Oakington to provide cleaner and greener journeys for thousands of people every day.
The Greater Cambridge Partnership has provided around £400,000 to help introduce the vehicles into service. The public money representing the difference in cost between two modern, ultra-low emission EuroVI vehicles, and these fully electric vehicles.
Alexander Dennis has supplied the electric double deckers to Stagecoach for a project between the operator and the Greater Cambridge Partnership, supporting an improvement in air quality in the city centre of Cambridge and giving the opportunity to inform potential future investment in a zero emission bus fleet.
The BYD ADL Enviro400EV is built in ADL’s factories in Great Britain on chassis supplied by its electric bus partner for the UK market, BYD. Stagecoach has opted for the 4.2m low-height version of ADL’s City style body, seating up to 70 passengers on comfortable ADL SmartSeats. The 10.9m long vehicles provide room for a further 13 standees.
Video report by ITV News Anglia’s Stuart LeithesClick to view.
These two vehicles will give drivers, maintenance technicians and management at Stagecoach East’s Cowley Road depot valuable experience ahead of any future roll-out of electrification of the local bus fleet.
These are the first electric buses in Cambridgeshire as we work to transform public transport, cut congestion and improve the quality of the air we breathe.
These electric buses, two of 15 in Stagecoach’s national fleet, will mean better journeys for thousands of people travelling in clean vehicles, with thousands more benefiting from less pollution on our busy roads.
Cllr Aidan Van de Weyer, chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Executive Board
To celebrate the launch, pupils from Girton Glebe and Oakington schools will name the two new electric buses. A panel from the Greater Cambridge Partnership and Stagecoach will choose a name put forward by each school for each of new buses, with the winning pupils invited to a special naming ceremony.
I’m looking forward to seeing what names schoolchildren come up with for the buses and finding out what people think about these eye-catching and emission-free vehicles as they transport people around the city.
Cllr Ian Bates, transport portfolio holder for the Greater Cambridge Partnership
We hope that ‘Bussy Mc Bus-Face’ will not make it to the short-list!
The new vehicles can travel 160 miles on a single charge. Cambridge’s citi 6 route has been chosen because it only requires two vehicles, each travelling just over 150 miles per day. Drivers have received extra training and the depot has been kitted out with special charging points.
Image from EV bus (BYD/ADL) website
The vehicles are kept on charge constantly whilst parked in Cowley Road depot until fully charged. Whist over the pits, or otherwise in maintenance, a portable charger is used.
Demonstration of the portable charger
All lighting is by low-energy LEDs, whilst interior heating is utilises air source heat pumps which, typically, produce 3kw to 4kw of heat for every 1kw of electricity consumed.
Over the years we have steadily reduced the environmental impact of our diesel buses and now 32% of the fleet have the most efficient Euro VI engines.
The addition of the electric vehicles is a further step forward in our attempts to keep emissions to a minimum. Over the past decade across the UK, Stagecoach has invested more than £1 billion in new greener vehicles and by the end of 2020 it will have one of the biggest electric bus fleets in Europe.
As a company committed to doing the right thing for our planet and our communities, Stagecoach is leading the way in the transition to a cleaner public transport future.
Michelle Hargreaves, Stagecoach East Managing Director
The new zero-emission buses will not only help to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality, but will also enhance the passenger experience due to smoother and quieter journeys.
“Smoother and quieter journeys”? Our secretary rode the citi6 to Oakington and reports that even the smoothest electric bus cannot iron out Cambridgeshire County Council’s potholes!
Meanwhile, 32% of Stagecoach East’s fleet have Euro VI engines; Euro 6 diesel cars produce on average 0.8g of NOxper Kilometre compared to Euro VI diesel buses that produce just 0.1g of NOx per Kilometre. These modern Euro VI – engined buses also have ultra-low particulate (PM10 and PM2.5 ) emissions.
Euro VI diesel bus engines are subjected to a regime of ‘real world’ testing which is not susceptible to the ‘gaming’ of the testing regime which has been seen with the testing of the Euro 6 light engine for cars, taxis and vans.
NOx is shorthand for oxides of nitrogen – nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide – that are produced when fuel is burned and that are harmful to the environment. PM10 and PM2.5 refer to microscopic particles smaller than 10µm and 2.5µm in diameter.
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We queried whether bus services are, currently fit for purpose for travel-to-work, journeys for 7/7 employment in health leisure and shopping, whether rural residents had the kind of services which will enable and encourage them to the the bus rather than the car.
We are critical of accessibility for people living with disabilities – particularly visual, hearing or hidden disabilities.
This ranges from bus tops on muddy verges, to the need for on-board route and stop information – particularly audio-visual information.
We stressed the need for better, reliable, accurate, comprehensive information on bus routes and fares and this to be accessible to all, especially people with visual disabilities.
We pointed to the lack of bus connections to Cambridge North station from Orchard Park, Arbury, Kings Hedges, Histon village centre, Cottenham, Fen Ditton, Quy, Bottisham, The Wilbrahams and The Swaffhams. Moreover, Cambourne lacks a direct bus service to any railway station.
We praised operators for introducing contactless and smartphone app technology for ticket purchase, but stressed the need for more innovation to speed boarding times, and for the simplification of (and prominent information on) fares, with the need for multi-operator, multi-modal ticketing being a key objective.
We praised operators Stagecoach and Whippet for introducing newer vehicles with higher-quality seating, which have helped bus travel to escape its previous spartan image. Independent operator A2B is to be commended for updating their fleet with good-quality second-hand vehicles for use on contracted services. Nearly all vehicles now meet Euro V standard (and many are Euro VI) for NOx and PM10/PM2.5 emissions.
Whilst buses are unlikely to be the major source of NOx and PM10/PM2.5 emissions, in the city centre, owing to the tighter testing regimes for heavy Euro VI diesel engines vs the Euro 6 diesel car/van, we believe that it is unacceptable that the latest round of Cambridgeshire County Council tenders (on behalf of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority) specifies that any bus which does not come into Cambridge only has to meet Euro III emissions standards, whilst anything that enters Cambridge only has to meet Euro IV. Improving on that specification could give a ‘quick win’ for air quality.
Please note that any advertisements which appear in association with these posts are not indicative of any endorsement by Cambridge Area Bus Users. They are placed there by a WordPress algorithm.
By all means add your comment below this line, but please comment on our document as a whole. The foregoing is merely a short summary of some of our points.
Cambridge Area Bus Users 