Guided Bus

Guided Bus is a descriptive terms for the proposals being made to re-use the Cambridge - St Ives line to provide public transport, by means of buses running in a guideway so as to improve speeds etc.

The initial proposals have come from Gallagher's - who are proposing at least two developments on the route - at Oakington/Longstanton and Arbury Camp (Impington). Their scheme is called superCAM, and proposes using a small number of high quality articulated buses ("trams on tyres"). Details of the guidance scheme are not yet specified, but it is clear that the route will require "off guideway" running to access the centre of Cambridge.

The County Council were challenged by the DoT to undertake a feasibility study into the proposals, and as a result have produced a bid for £73M of public money to implement a scheme. This would be called the Cambridge to Huntingdon Rapid Transit (CHRT). The original proposals for CHRT were discussed at County Council Cabinet and an article was produced for the Histon & Impington Crier based on this paper.

The papers for the final bid (Appendix 10 of the Cambridgeshire Local Transport Plan, Annual Progress Report - LTP APR) will evnetually be on the County Council website. They show that there have been a number of changes to even the paper submitted to Cabinet - primarily the inclusion of a stop in the village. (LTP APR figures 4d, 5 - about 500K)

Clearly, the scheme(s) are still in a state of flux.

It appears that articulated buses are no longer being proposed, and the County scheme specifically allows for double deckers to use the guideway. The basic route is also unchanged, though there are detailed differences. Buses will still be using both Histon Road and Milton Road to acces central Cambridge. The impact on road traffic at current (if disused) level crossings will be similar. However, whether or not there is a stop in Histon or Impington is obviously still fluid.

It is only next year, when a bid for a Transport and Works Act (TWA) order will surface from either Gallagher's or the County Council, when the design that may be implemented will become known. The LTP APR is a bid for finance, and specifically states that changes will occur. The TWA is a formal process for reviewing bids for new transport schemes, be they guided bus, light rail etc. There is scope for a Public Inquiry - if statutory consultees object, or there are enough local objections. As a result of the TWA order, the proposer will have all of the necessary powers to compulsorily purchase land, and make the system work.

There was a public meeting held at Histon Junior School on October 15th. Notes of that meeting are available, together with questions arising from the presentation. This has been sent to the County Council for comment, and hopefully answers to the questions. There has been no response as yet.

Every effort will be made to keep this site up to date with progress.