Is the Cambridge Busway Britain’s Worst Transport Project?
It may not be Britain’s as the Edinburgh Tram will take a lot of beating. But it is certainly England’s, especially if you read this report in the Hunts Post.
Here’s a flavour of the report.
Building the St Ives-Cambridge guided busway is now expected to cost nearly two-thirds more than the target price – an overrun of well over £50million.
Cambridgeshire County Council, which is promoting the scheme, expects construction to have cost £142m.
When the cost of land, the county council’s own costs and those of its engineering consultants Atkins are added, the total cost of the project looks set to reach £170m before the High Court decides who pays the final bills.
When originally proposed in the early 2000s, the scheme was costed at £56m. After a few modifications, a lengthy public inquiry and Government approval, the bill had risen to £116.7m. The Government promised to chip in £92.5m, with the balance coming from developers who would benefit from the project.
As with many of these fiascos, it’ll be the lawyers who make the real money.
The Sting in the Tail
There always is, isn’t there!
I’d decided that the best way to get home from the hospital, would be to take a bus to Haverhill and then take a taxi.
As I left the hospital the 13 bus was there, so I ran to get on it. I may have had a stroke, but I can still run ande walk a few hundred metres or so.
I assumed that the bus would go straight to Haverhill Bus Station, as the previous one had done a couple of weeks ago. But this one did an unguided tour of all the delightful estates and I ended up being dumped in a place I did not recognise. It hadn’t helped that because of the rain I couldn’t see out of the bus in the dark.
So it was a long walk to the Bus Station and then I couldn’t get a taxi without half-an-hour’s wait.
So something that should have been easy, made me late!
I get more fed up with the countryside every day.
Cambridge Bus Chaos
After lunch I had to virtually walk halfway to Addenbrooke’s as Cambridge city centre is all dug up and the buses have been diverted. I was nearly at the station before I found one going to the hospital.
Let’s hope it all gets better when and if the Busway opens!
The Last of the Bendy Buses
I’ve only travelled on a bendy bus once in London.
Route 29 Bendy Bus
As a passenger I don’t like single decker buses, as wherever you sit, you usually find that there is a lot of junk on the floor like cases, buggies and children. So when your eyesight like mine isn’t 100%, it’s better to get out of the way on a double-decker and only come down, when you want to get off.
So I sometimes wonder why Ken introduced these buses, if passengers don’t like them.
I’ve heard two theories.
In the first, the length is ideal for blocking junctions and slowing motorists.
And in the second, because they have multiple entrances, it means that a lot of revenue is not collected and that helps with reducing the cost of public transport to the general public.
I don’t know enough to judge why these buses were introduced. I don’t think many except fare dodgers are mourning their passing. As I took the picture, several people did get on the bus through the wrong door.
There’s a detailed article on the BBC about their problems.
Incidentally, I used to use the route 29 to get to school and sometimes to my father’s print works in Wood Green. But those buses were good old-fastioned RT‘s.
Camden Road Station
I ended up at Camden Road, where I raided the local Sainsburys to get some supplies for my journey to the football at Ipswich.
Camden Road is a typical Victorian station with some nice features including a proper tiled floor.
Let’s hope that they modenise it sympathtically.
A North London Line Panorama
The North London Line from Caledonian Road and Barnsbury to Camden Road is one of those journeys that every visitor to London should go on!
You travel across the city behind King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations, seeing all the new development for the High Speed Line to France and the buildings behind the station.
This video was taken on the trip I took yesterday.
For the best views sit on the south side of the train.
The North London Line is one of London’s hidden treasures, in that it links Stratford and the Olympic Park to Camden with its Market and on to Hampstead Heath, Kew Gardens and Richmond by the River Thames. The best place to start an adventure is from Highbury & Islington station which is also on the Victoria Line.
And to think the line was nearly closed in the 1960s Now that it has been upgraded with new trains, it is a real asset to London.
South From Tottenham Hale and Over the River Lee
Ever since I moved to West Suffolk and have been travelling to London, I’ve been fascinated by the view as the train goes over the marshes south of Tottenham Hale and over the River Lee, before disappearing amongst the houses, buildings and factories of East London.
So yesterday, I took a video from the train.
It looks a good place for a walk and there seem’s to be a propwe pub by the water. But how do you get there?
Trying to Stop Inevitable Decline
There are two related stories today about improving the lot of rail passengers and improving the Royal Mail.
The Royal Mail is probably past saving especially if they raise prices, as people will not be prepared to spend more to get letters delivered, when e-mail and the telephone is there. After all phone charges are dropping because of competition and the Royal Mail will only compete by dropping prices.
As to improving trains, we need to replace some old stock like the Pacers, but many are saying they’ve had enough with commuting five days a week and are using the Internet to cut some of those journeys. We are also getting to a point, where people won’t pay more to commute, if stories about low-ridership on the fast commute lines to St. Pancras are true. So perhaps we might see some strategic spending on the worst parts of the network, but the grandiose plans of some are surely dead in these austere times.
Sheffield United 1 Ipswich 2
Yesterday, I went to see Ipswich play at Sheffield United and they duly obligued with a reasonably tidy win, that puts them sixth in the Championship.
It was a good trip as I went up by train from St. Pancras with a friend and his son, who support the Blades. It took just over two hours to get up and we had a sensible lunch in a Greek cafe called Hellas close to the ground.
I had a ra
Hellas Cafe near Bramall Lane, Sheffield
ther nice bean soup with some salami and home-made humous. I wouldn’t recommend the cafe to super-sensitive coeliacs, but I had no reaction at all. The toliets were also very smart and had that important accessory of a coat hook. Why should I try to prop my coat on the door handle or put it on the floor.
I’ve been to Bramall Lane three times now and it seems to get better every time, which is something you can’t say about all stadia in the Championship.
Bramall Lane
As I’ve said in other posts, at some places the security is rather over top, but it is best to say that at Bramall Lane, it was sensible and fair, which can’t be said for every ground.
It was a short walk back to the station from the ground and then another two hour train ride back to London. We were in one of the Meridians and I managed an hour’s sleep or so. i’ll be glad when I finally move to London, as I’ll be able to do more trips like these without the inconvenience of going cross-country from Suffolk.
Troubles on the Newmarket Cambridge Line
Although the day ended well with a good meal at Lorenzo, Friday started badly as I tried to get into Cambridge from Dullingham. I had intended to catch the 11:20, but when I got to the station, the signalman said that the train wasn’t coming as someone had been hit by a train. So I got my carer to drive me back home, where I did some productive work.
I was also watching the trains on the Internet, but it wasn’t until 15:20, that I was able to get the train into Cambridge, before changing for London. This meant that I had to fight my way across London in the rush hour to get to Anerley, near to where my friends live.
I thought it would be better coming back tonight, but the train was fifteen minutes late out of Cambridge. This time it was due to signalling problems. At least I had a friendly taxi-driver from Crystal Cars to take me home.
The taxi driver told me that the accident on Friday had been the suicide of the mother of someone who had been hit by a train at the same point a few weeks ago.
So very sad!
The Anonymous Widower 