Whippet Coaches on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway - 22 Apr 2024 (P1180013)

Monday 22 April 2024 (1035) – The Southern section of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway links Cambridge Railway Station with the Trumpington Park & Ride site with a spur to serve the growing Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Following two unrelated off bus fatalities on the southern Busway in 2022, one involving a male cyclist and one involving a female pedestrian, the northbound track (running towards the city centre) was closed in early 2022 and remined so for two years whilst the County Council and the Health & Safety Executive decided a course of action (that is perhaps to say faffed about).

Temporary safety fencing was put in place to separate the track from the adjacent footpath/cycle path/maintenance track. Instead of positioning the fencing on the latter it was decided to use the northbound Busway track hence why it was closed. During the period of closure buses and their frustrated passengers had to face long delays each morning on the way to the city using already busy roads.

Permanent fencing was duly erected and the northbound track re-opened at Easter 2024. The new fencing features yellow opening gates for use in the event of evacuation/emergencies. Also part of the fencing are small openings to allow animals the same option.

In this view taken from Hills Road bridge Whippet Coaches WG119 (MX73 GBV) was heading to the Biomedical Campus when working the 0952 service U1 from Girton Corner. It is a Mellor Sigma 12 electric single decker new in September 2023 (initially registered MX23 LRZ).