Whittlesey, Huntingdon, Alconbury Weald, Cambourne, St Neots, Eye and Thorney and Cambridge are among the places to benefit from eight new or improved bus routes in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Students and those getting to work will be among those to benefit from the first of a package of improvements to bus services being funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
The Combined Authority will fund 30 new or improved bus routes with the first eight being launched in September.
“Funded through the Mayoral precept, the new or improved routes are based on feedback from engagement with the community about how bus services can be improved to help their daily lives,” said a Combined Authority spokesperson.
“More convenient bus services to key places of work, education and training were among the feedback received, especially being timed to fit in with typical commuting times and shift patterns.
“The improved services also begin to respond to requests to better connect rural communities with towns, cities and key services like hospitals.”
The enhancements include an improved Whippet service between St Neots and Cambridge to support college students, and a new Peterborough service benefiting workers at Amazon and McCain Foods.
There is also a new direct link to Peterborough City Hospital and a new off-peak service to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, improving access and journey choice for staff, patients, and visitors.
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— Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (@CambsPboroCA) August 14, 2024
“Other services will better link rural communities with cities and market towns to give better access to shops, leisure and other key services,” said the spokesperson
The Combined Authority has funded the following improvements:
Stagecoach East (from September 1):
- Busway south and Trumpington: Improved frequency of Busway service between Trumpington and City, plus Trumpington Park & Ride buses to stop at additional stops in Trumpington (off-peak) offering more choice of buses closer to where people live.
- Services 31/33 Whittlesey: Peterborough: all buses to serve Amazon for workers, plus new evening buses between Peterborough and Whittlesey, opening up new travel opportunities, also suited to shift changes at Amazon and McCain Foods.
- Service 904 (operated by Dews on behalf of Stagecoach): Improved frequency Monday – Friday from every 90 minutes to every 60 minutes on average. Timetable integrated with AW1 service to provide regular half hourly departures from Huntingdon to Alconbury Weald.
- Service 4 Peterborough to Parnwell: Extended hourly to Eye and Thorney (Monday – Saturday), providing more choice of buses to/from Peterborough city centre, but also a direct link through to Peterborough Hospital.
- Service 4 Cambourne – Cambridge: Increased frequency from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes (Monday to Saturday).
- Service X13 Linton – Addenbrooke’s: Additional buses through the off-peak period between Linton and Addenbrooke’s, improving access and journey choice for staff, patients, and visitors. These will be entirely additional to existing 13/X13 buses between Haverhill and Cambridge.
- Service 5A Amazon – Manor Drive: Three further evening journeys will be added on Monday to Saturday, through to Manor Drive, with arrivals at Manor Drive at 18:55; 19:15 and 23:15, to support travel to this growing development and community.
Whippet (From September 2):
Service 18 St Neots – Cambourne – Cambridge: Improved service to help students getting to and from local colleges. The return route also now diverts through the local villages to help students get home.
There will be an additional morning peak bus into Cambridge and an afternoon peak bus out of Cambridge, with some additional buses through the day, with timings to suit schools and colleges.
The new journeys – numbered 18A – will run between Cambridge, Comberton and Cambourne with some journeys specifically timed to serve Comberton Village College at key times. There will also be one additional morning peak-time bus from St Neots on school days.
All services will continue to accept the Tiger bus pass, offering £1 fares for under 25s.
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The Mayoral precept, which for 2024/25 is £3 per month or £36 per year for a Band D council tax payer, is being used to fund the improved services.
More routes will be launched later in the year.
"We are keen for as many people as possible to contribute to this"@anna4labour from @CambsPboroCA told That's TV about the 14 week Bus Franchising consultation that they've launched. pic.twitter.com/ELF6MKEuB9
— That's TV West Anglia (@ThatsWestAnglia) August 19, 2024
The routes form part of the Combined Authority’s Road to Better Buses plan to reform bus services.
This includes the launch of the Tiger pass – not paid for by the Mayoral precept but was budgeted for separately – which has seen over 20,000 under 25s apply for passes
The Combined Authority has also launched a bus franchising consultation which is seeking views on how to change the bus system for the better in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
For more on the Road to Better Buses, visit: https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/better-buses.
Stagecoach East has also published details of the improved routes on their website: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/east/east-bus-network.
For more information on Whippet Service 18, visit: https://www.whippetbus.co.uk/news/more-buses-on-route-18/
