The Amazing Cambridgeshire Busway

The World's longest Guided Busway Is almost ready to go.  Built on the track bed of the former Cambridge - St Ives railway that was sold for scrap it has generated a war of words between proponent Cambridgeshire County Council and a motley rabble of bearded anoraks and major PITA CAST.IRON who seeming just wanted to object for the sake of it. This website presents a record of the continuing media coverage.

Picture courtesy Cllr Pegram's blog

Busway looks to be in great condition!

Latest

April 02 - Back to reality

April 01 - Announcement

Boring, boring.  Frankly we're fed up with the constant work updating the site, with articles that are, frankly mostly rehashing OLD arguments against the busway written by a bunch of trainspotters and railtech zealots.  They just don't get it do they!  The guided busway is a proven technology that WILL supplant rail, as it gives the flexibility and cost savings over the 19th Century railtech.  Look, Mr Phillips and your crew,  (Toot! Toot!) just forget it, rail is done, sold for scrap!!  Buses are the future for local transport.  Look, they've even got WI-FI on board, leather seats and Ham Sandwiches!  You don't get that on the 8:15 to KingsX do you?  You can't even buy a cup of coffee onboard, nevermind spill it over your laptop when braking at the lights.  So, chaps, get out a bit more, but leave your anoraks at home!  Anyway, rant over, we've decided to close the site to new entries. I'll leave the site online until the hosting fees become due, then that's it.
What do you think? Should we carry on? Let us know

March 31st - Little progress made on correcting defects on the St Ives to Cambridge Guided Busway:

March 15th - Edinburgh council in "bitter row with their German contractor" over tramworks, have appointed tough guy to defend themselves.

March 19th - DfT releases funds for Luton guided busway!
So do you still believe government when they say "lessons will be learned" ?

March 18th - Guided Busway is a transport disaster by Mike Mason Page 1   Page 2   Page 3   Page 4

Reformatted version

March 17th - BamBam to give talk on 'how to build busway' - took a radical approach: 50% overbudget!

March 11th - Cambridge News article - Losing track of the start date for bus?

March 10th: Transport minister announces £80 million funding for busway (Video):

Tim Phillips interviewed on BBC Radio Cambridgshire:

Bam! Bam! Bam! contractor attacks council over guided bus criticism:

From our 'you couldn't make it up guv, department' - Luton busway to get gov funding!:

Cambridge Guided Bus was a "bad idea from the start," say Lib Dems, (with one eye on elections):

March 9th - Desperate Busway Team has made public a critical report to cabinet or

March 3rd - Let's have REAL rail says Norman

March 2010

Flooding problems - here is a culvert and maintenance track in dry conditions - courtesy of The Cambridge Busway blog

27th Feb - 'Biggest shambles' verdict for busway:

23rd Feb - Cllr Mike Mason and Brian Smith interviewed on Radio Cambs Andy Harper show:

Councillor Mike Mason's documentation on the busway problems:

Letter: Hardly suprising according to Cllr Mike Mason:

17th Feb - Cambridge to St Ives guided busway stand-off continues:

10th Feb - East Cambs Lib Dem says budgets will be raided for £5 million MGB legal costs

6th Feb - Bob Menzies 'Head of Delivery' delivers himself to conference. Let's hope he's on time!

2nd Feb - Bus operators 'hit out' at costly hold-ups to guided busway

February 2010

Jan29th - £1m of our tax cash may be spent on bus

Angry response to massive cuts:

Jan 2010

'Millions at stake after latest busway wrangle'.
Local taxpayers may subsidise costs by £1 million extra a year for ...how long?

December 2009

Letter: Monorail makes long-term sense

Well, at least someone is using the busway - Parkour/Free-running video

Lit up like a Christmas Tree, but no-one's at home

Letter: Dangers of the busway - wet feet and worse

Letter: Environmental benefit negated - CO2 emissions mean the "concrete gutter" is not green, it's grey

Coleridge Conservatives - reviewing restating the case for the guided bus:

Letter: Well done for speaking out, says Tim Philips

Nov 19th - Delay in other bus changes wins a warm welcome

Letter: £116m+ price tag for 'Dumbed down' service

Pictures from The Anonymous Widower blog

Delay may be delayed by up to 6 months

BBC Cambridgeshire interview with Brian Smith of CCoC - GB is not overbudget and enjoys public support (!)

Nov 16th - BBC Cambridgeshire Drivetime Show, Tim Phillips calls for Cllr Pegram to apologise, then resign

Guided bus facing new delay

Nov 16th - Cambs council confirms yet another delay to St Ives-Cambridge guided bus link

Nov 12th - Another Deadline Missed & concrete blocks at entrances

November 2009

Cambridge County Council release 'The Busway' video on YouTube.
There should be competition to spot all the dubious 'facts' offered to the viewer..On second thoughts that's just too easy.
Err, just when did you say it was opening?  What, even the video won't open on time??!!!

Aug 22nd - Cambridge-St Ives Guided Bus: Track 'cracks are not a problem' A feature then?

Aug 10th - Fresh delay for guided bus route:

July 24th - Shona Johnstone blogs "...we should threaten to abandon Northstowe". So why do we need the busway?

April 09 - BBC News - One mile left for longest track:

2009

The (December 2008) Busway Carol. Better late than never, and still apt in November 2009!

Dec - Busway in financial difficulties?   and

May - It's cracking up already! Cracks have been found in concrete beams. Don't worry it's supposed to (?)

'Bunker' Bob Menzies just ignores the problem enjoys a cup of tea on the bus in BBC Radio Cambridgshire bulletin:
Tim Phillips responds:

2008

Aug 7th - Viaduct down for busway project:

2007

July 4th - Contractor for £116m busway plan:

2006

Dec - Busway go-ahead - Initial reactions

2005

July 1st - Guided Bus plans supported in leaked SRA letter
Tim Phillips and Cclr Johnstone almost trade blows in the studio    Tim Phillips: (2MB)   Cclr Johnstone: (2MB)

April 2nd - No we didnt! - Tim Phillips in discussion with Steve Riches, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:
Part 1: (4MB)   Part 2: (6MB)

March 13th - Letter: Get on the right track

Feb 21st - TWA plans "very detailed" according to Cllr Johnstone:
"One bit that sticks in my mind was a line from the environmental assessment part of it which said:
'A small mammal was heard eating'...a ham sandwich??"

Feb 13th - Bedfordshire Translink Abandoned (sorry no link)

Translink £90m 'an obscene amount for a white elephant':  

Feb 11th - Follow up news reports News bulletins on Star 107   (Short) &   (Long)

Following news bulletins: First (confused) Second Third

Feb 9th - CAST.IRON's bus budget bombshell - Government grant for guided bus is not £65 million but £32.5million

read the small print:

Longer BBC report by Stuart Ratcliffe: Report (2MB)

2004

2003

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Reality check - what did the County Council originally say in their Guided Bus Newsletters?

Well here they are in all their glory, take a look:

One    Two    Three

Feb 07    April 07    June 07    Sept 07    Nov 07    Dec 07

Feb 08    April 08    Aug 08

Mar 09    June 09    Dec 09

Wikipedia article on the MGB

links:

Website     Press Releases     Statement of Case     Info Sheet