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Fastest bus journey times before and after opening of Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

Times taken stop-to-stop from Traveline.org.uk, which automatically selects the fastest connections.

There are, of course, other post-opening journey options but only the fastest is used for comparison.

Post-opening fastest timings that DO use the Busway are in green boxes. The red boxes indicate fastest post-opening timings that do not use the Busway.

Journey	Pre-Opening	Post-Opening	Notes
Hinchingbrooke to Addenbrooke's	1h 41m	1h 41m	Identical journey using Whippet 1A. No use of busway.
Huntingdon Bus Stn to Addenbrooke's	1h 26m	1h 26m	Identical journey using Whippet 1A. No use of busway.
Huntingdon Bus Stn to Cambridge Bus Stn	1h 06m	1h 06m	Identical journey using Whippet 1B. No use of busway. Busway journey is 1h 07m.
St. Ives, East St. to Cambridge Rail Station	57m	48m	48 minute timing only available hourly via Whippet C. At other times, fastest journey is 53 minutes assuming 11 minute walk East St to St Ives P&R. If the walk is not acceptable, add 10 minutes.
St Ives Bus Stn to Cambridge Rail Station	55m	53m	Assumes 7 minute walk from centre of St Ives to St Ives P&R. Otherwise fastest journeys are non-busway on Whippet services.
St Ives Bus Stn to Addenbrooke's	55m	56m	Assumes 7 minute walk from centre of St Ives to St Ives P&R. Otherwise fastest journeys are non-busway on Whippet services.
Swavesey Boxworth End to Cambridge Centre	1h 01m	46m	Journey starts on the existing service 5 for both timings. Service 5 continues to Cambridge, but will lose patronage post-Busway as people get off part-way to access Busway services. Will it remain viable?
Longstanton Village to Cambridge Rail Stn	53m	53m	To make this journey by busway requires a wrong-direction start on service 5 (see above) and change at Swavesey. Journey time 1h 16mins. Otherwise it assumes a drive to Longstanton P&R, not available to non-car owners and not ‘green’.
Histon Church Street to Cambridge Rail Stn	38m	38m	Existing service 8 all the way before and after. Church Street is at the north end of Histon, over a mile from the Busway.
Impington Railway Vue* to Cambridge Rail Stn	31m	26m	Busway time advantage only available every 20 minutes as alternate Busway services terminate in the City Centre. 31 minute timing on service 8 available every 20 minutes anyway. Duplication of service.
Fenstanton to Cambridge Science Park	55m	49m	See narrative below table
Bus journeys wholly away from the busway (85%+)	XXm	XXm	No benefit whatsoever from £180m+ investment

* Adjacent to Histon & Impington Busway stop

Journeys originating from or terminating at busway stops will in almost all cases be faster, such that CRC and Science Park passengers who live a reasonable distance from other busway stops on the northern section will gain. However a direct bus service serving a similar hinterland to the Science Park was withdrawn due to lack of patronage. In any case, this is a very small passenger sector.

Site last modified December 2024