Busway/Guided Busway advice

[[email protected].]

I’ve never visited a guided busway or busway before, so with there being a £2.00 maximum fare at the moment, I thought now would be a good time to test one out.

I had originally planned to try out the busway between Peterborough and Cambridge, but looking on youtube I see there is the Leigh guided busway.

I’m from Nottingham so a day out to either is not out of the question, I’m thinking Leigh would be the cheaper of the 2 to visit.

Does anyone have any constructive input on which to visit?

Also, if I was to drive to Buxton and catch a train from there, Would a plusbus ticket allow travel?

 

[johncrossley]

I’ve never visited a guided busway or busway before, so with there being a £2.00 maximum fare at the moment, I thought now would be a good time to test one out.

I had originally planned to try out the busway between Peterborough and Cambridge, but looking on youtube I see there is the Leigh guided busway.

I’m from Nottingham so a day out to either is not out of the question, I’m thinking Leigh would be the cheaper of the 2 to visit.

Does anyone have any constructive input on which to visit?

Also, if I was to drive to Buxton and catch a train from there, Would a plusbus ticket allow travel?

The Cambridge to St Ives busway is longer, faster, more scenic and generally more fun. The Leigh guided busway is always £2 single as it is covered by the Greater Manchester fare capping scheme, whereas the Cambridge to St Ives busway is only £2 during the offer period.

 

[Roger1973]

An alternative from Nottingham might be the Luton - Dunstable busway, which has three operators - Arriva, Centrebus, Grant Palmer - the latter runs double deckers on the busway, as far as I am aware the others only run single deckers (although others may know more.)

The whole Luton / Dunstable urban area is in the Plus Bus zone, and there is a multi-operator day bus ticket ('Hip Hop') which is 5 pounds for a day (buy from driver on any of the three) so no great saving under the £ 2 fare scheme.

Depends if you want to see the bendy buses currently on the Luton Airport - Parkway Station shuttle (don't think either Plus Bus or Hip Hop is valid on that) or wait until the new DART light rail thing is open (almost certain those tickets won't be) - still anybody's guess when the latter will open, it should have opened last Autumn, latest is to expect the date to be announced some time in Spring this year.

 

[busesrusuk]

The Cambridge busway has tri-axle E400XLB deckers running on it (or should have) operated by Stagecoach; the only examples of those type of bus apart from Lothian at present...

 

[peterblue]

I would agree that the Cambridgeshire busway is the more interesting of the 3 to visit.

The main scenery in Greater Manchester is eastwards - towards the Pennines so the opposite direction to the busway at Leigh.

 

[RELL6L]

An alternative from Nottingham might be the Luton - Dunstable busway, which has three operators - Arriva, Centrebus, Grant Palmer - the latter runs double deckers on the busway, as far as I am aware the others only run single deckers (although others may know more.)

The whole Luton / Dunstable urban area is in the Plus Bus zone, and there is a multi-operator day bus ticket ('Hip Hop') which is 5 pounds for a day (buy from driver on any of the three) so no great saving under the £ 2 fare scheme.

Depends if you want to see the bendy buses currently on the Luton Airport - Parkway Station shuttle (don't think either Plus Bus or Hip Hop is valid on that) or wait until the new DART light rail thing is open (almost certain those tickets won't be) - still anybody's guess when the latter will open, it should have opened last Autumn, latest is to expect the date to be announced some time in Spring this year.

I can confirm Grant Palmer buses on the Luton busway are all/most double deckers while Arriva and Centrebus are all singles. It’s only about 10 minutes end to end though and not very scenic. I went on it on Friday (see trip report on this thread, albeit well below the standard of reports found on a well-known blog). Cambridge is longer and more interesting for sure, but by train from Nottingham then Luton is easier, not to mention the bendies between Luton Airport Parkway station and the airport. And keep your eyes peeled for the rogue w-reg Trident.

Also there’s always Runcorn busway, the original.

 

[peterblue]

Note that Runcorn busway is not guided, however. It runs on regular roads albeit ones mostly restricted to buses only.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Another vote for Cambridge - by far the most scenic and interesting one in my opinion.

The stop at Fen Drayton Lakes is particularly nice to stop off at, with its wooden "platforms" and the surrounding nature reserve.

 

[WibbleWobble]

Plusbus would cover the Leigh busway if you caught a train from Buxton to Manchester - it basically covers the whole of Greater Manchester. However this would only be cost effective if you caught a minimum of three buses as it costs £4.40 extra.

Leigh might not have the full scenic factor, it would allow you to experience the rugged landscape of the old South Lancashire coalfield. A short jump on the Stagecoach 10 or Arriva 34 will take you to Pennington Flash if you fancied a walk and a break from travelling!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd go with Cambridge. It has a lovely quirky country branch line feel to it, whereas Leigh and Luton are more functional and have all the charm of a Pacer on the Atherton line.

 

[Andyh82]

I’m just surprised the original poster isn’t considering a few runs up and down Manchester Road in Bradford in his list of options!

 

[Tetchytyke]

Also, if I was to drive to Buxton and catch a train from there, Would a plusbus ticket allow travel?

The GM Wayfarer would, which is staggeringly good value.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’m just surprised the original poster isn’t considering a few runs up and down Manchester Road in Bradford in his list of options!

From Notts, Luton is the nearest one and easy to get to by train. The Cambs one is uniquely pleasant among the others, though - it's a country branch line with double deck Pacers on it, whereas the others are more like said Pacer on a rotting west Manchester suburban.

 

[busestrains]

I believe there are nine guided busways still in use:

• Bradford (Manchester Road)
• Bristol
• Cambridge
• Crawley
• Ipswich
• Leeds (King Lane and Scott Hall Road)
• Leeds (Selby Road and York Road)
• Luton
• Manchester Leigh

Only three of them are proper length ones though.

Cambridge (first longest) and Luton (second longest) and Manchester Leigh (third longest) are the only proper length guided busways. So these are the best to travel on. All of the others are just tiny short sections on the road.

Cambridge has a choice of three routes A/B/C all run by Stagecoach along the busway.

Luton has a selection of ten bus routes with four routes A/F70/F77/Z run by Arriva and three routes B/E/G run by Centrebus and three routes C/CX/HI run by Grant Palmer so there is a big variety of operators and routes and vehicles here.

Manchester Leigh has two routes V1/V2 both run by First Bus along the busway.

Crawley is just a couple of very short sections dotted around the town used by the Go Ahead Metrobus routes 10/20 services. None of the sections have any stops so it is very common for drivers to avoid using the guided busway. Unless it is busy they often prefer to just use the normal road instead.

Ipswich is just one extremely short section in the suburb of Kesgrave used by the First Bus routes 66/66A services.

Bristol is just a couple of very short sections used by the First Bus route M2 service.

Bradford (Manchester Road) is just a couple of very short sections on the street used by the First Bus routes 363 645 681 682 686 687 688 X63 services. All the other routes run by Arriva Bus and First Bus and TLC Travel along these roads do not use the guided busway.

Leeds (King Lane and Scott Hall Road) is just a couple of very short sections on the street used by the First Bus routes 7 7A 7S services. All the other routes run by First Bus along these roads do not use the guided busway.

Leeds (Selby Road and York Road) is just a couple of very short sections on the street used by the First Bus routes 5 5A 19 19A 40 56 64 services. All of the other routes run by Arriva Bus and Connexxions Bus and First Bus and Transdev Bus along this road do not use the guided busway.

Edinburgh used to have a guided busway too but it shut when the trams opened so it no longer exists.

Personally i would recommend the Cambridge guided busway. This is probably the nicest one. It goes through some nice countryside and rural areas. I find it is a very enjoyable and pleasant bus ride.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Also of note regarding the Cambs one is that the places at both ends are genuinely nice, a visitor might want to spend a bit of time in both. Leigh is a typical fairly gritty ex-mining town (though obviously Manchester is a decent big city), Luton is, well, Luton, as is Bradford, and Crawley isn't much to write home about. Runcorn is interesting if you study town planning but otherwise a bit of a "Milton Keynes minus" and isn't guided. Bristol is a reasonably nice city to visit but it's not a proper busway, similarly Leeds.

 

[[email protected].]

Thanks for your replies.
My very first option was indeed to travel to cambridge, travelling from Newark with a change to bus at Peterborough, ( then I changed it to travelling to Huntington then bus onwards).
Reading replies east Anglia is coming tops.

 

[Magdalia]

A few points about the Cambridge busway.

• it is two separate sections north and south of the city;
• the southern section is single deck vehicles only, much shorter than the northern section, and is partly closed in the northbound direction;
• for the northern section get the train to Huntingdon or Cambridge North, not Cambridge;
• route C is only 4 journeys each way and mainly for students;
• Whippet route U uses the south end but southbound only from Cambridge railway station to Papworth Hospital.

 

[[email protected].]

Thanks

Also of note regarding the Cambs one is that the places at both ends are genuinely nice, a visitor might want to spend a bit of time in both. Leigh is a typical fairly gritty ex-mining town (though obviously Manchester is a decent big city), Luton is, well, Luton, as is Bradford, and Crawley isn't much to write home about. Runcorn is interesting if you study town planning but otherwise a bit of a "Milton Keynes minus" and isn't guided. Bristol is a reasonably nice city to visit but it's not a proper busway, similarly Leeds.

Thanks

A few points about the Cambridge busway.

• it is two separate sections north and south of the city;
• the southern section is single deck vehicles only, much shorter than the northern section, and is partly closed in the northbound direction;
• for the northern section get the train to Huntingdon or Cambridge North, not Cambridge;
• route C is only 4 journeys each way and mainly for students;
• Whippet route U uses the south end but southbound only from Cambridge railway station to Papworth Hospital.

Discided to go to Cambridge. (NNG to PBO to HUN via Train, Huntingdon to Cambridge via Busway)

Looking at the busway map, It shows the bus calls at Huntingdon Railway Station.
However on the timetable, there is no reference, is it better for me to walk to the bus station?

 

[Magdalia]

Discided to go to Cambridge. (NNG to PBO to HUN via Train, Huntingdon to Cambridge via Busway)

Looking at the busway map, It shows the bus calls at Huntingdon Railway Station.
However on the timetable, there is no reference, is it better for me to walk to the bus station?

I haven't been since the road layout was altered. From what I can see on bus times the route crosses over the railway at the north end of the station, but does not go into the station forecourt. However there are stops on the main road, a short walk in the direction of the town, shown as Millfield Park.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

Leeds (Selby Road and York Road) is just a couple of very short sections on the street used by the First Bus routes 5 5A 19 19A 40 56 64 services. All of the other routes run by Arriva Bus and Connexxions Bus and First Bus and Transdev Bus along this road do not use the guided busway.

Just a quick note that the no. 5 and 5a don't use the guideway on York Road.

 

[90sWereBetter]

I'd recommend Ipswich over all the others given it's the original installation in this country, all the others are a pale imitation without an original idea amongst them. /s

On a serious note I'm surprised it still exists and hasn't been converted to a bus-only road, with First's B7s rapidly being withdrawn it would be the right time to relaunch the route.

 

[Leedsbusman]

I'd recommend Ipswich over all the others given it's the original installation in this country, all the others are a pale imitation without an original idea amongst them. /s

Birmingham may take issue with that!

 

[Simon75]

I'd suggest Runcorn if you're interested in 60s and 70s architecture.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I'd recommend Ipswich over all the others given it's the original installation in this country, all the others are a pale imitation without an original idea amongst them. /s

On a serious note I'm surprised it still exists and hasn't been converted to a bus-only road, with First's B7s rapidly being withdrawn it would be the right time to relaunch the route.

Echoing @Leedsbusman - the original installation was in Birmingham at Short Heath. It was built in 1984 - some 10 or more years before Ipswich. Photo from Flickr courtesy of kwk33f

West Midlands PTE 8106 & 8114

In the 80's, there was a short lived guided busway in Birmingham West Midlands PTE Tracline 65 liveried MCW Metrobus 8106 (A106 WVP) comes towards the end of the busway on its way to the Short Heath terminus, whilst 8114 (A114 WVP) stops for passengers on its way back into the City

www.flickr.com

 

[markymark2000]

I'd suggest Runcorn if you're interested in 60s and 70s architecture.

The bus stops and information displayed in them isn't much more recent than that either.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

What exactly is a guided busway? Is it a bit like a railway? Does the driver have to steer?

Several guided busways have been mentioned, do they have different ways of operating?

 

[GusB]

What exactly is a guided busway? Is it a bit like a railway? Does the driver have to steer?

Several guided busways have been mentioned, do they have different ways of operating?

It's essentially a concrete channel that the bus runs along. There are guide wheels attached to the front axle that run along the sides for the channel, negating the need for the driver to steer.

You'll be able to see it in operation if you search YouTube for "guided busway" - I don't have a specific video to show you, but there are bound to be a few there.

 

[90sWereBetter]

Echoing @Leedsbusman - the original installation was in Birmingham at Short Heath. It was built in 1984 - some 10 or more years before Ipswich. Photo from Flickr courtesy of kwk33f

West Midlands PTE 8106 & 8114

In the 80's, there was a short lived guided busway in Birmingham West Midlands PTE Tracline 65 liveried MCW Metrobus 8106 (A106 WVP) comes towards the end of the busway on its way to the Short Heath terminus, whilst 8114 (A114 WVP) stops for passengers on its way back into the City

www.flickr.com

Let us have this one please, Ipswich doesn't get many claims to fame

 

[Leedsbusman]

Let us have this one please, Ipswich doesn't get many claims to fame

Isn’t the “only guideway that was regauged” enough of a claim to fame?

 

[zero]

I believe there is a sort of busway around Redditch - does anyone have more information about this?