The Bus Windows Aren’t Steamed Up!
It was a filthy wet night, as I came back from supper with my son. But the bus windows aren’t steamed up.
The Bus Windows Aren’t Steamed Up!
Two years ago on a similar day in Cambridge, the bus to Haverhill was steamed up inside and nothing could be seen through it.
It could have been the weather was worse, or that the London buses have better air circulation.
Cambridge to Finally Get a Bigger Station Hall
This article details how, the size of the hall at Cambridge Station is going to be increased in size substantially.
Having used the station a lot in recent years, I can’t say it’s not before time.
London Is The World’s Divorce Capital
I’ve read this story in a couple of places today, but the Evening Standard has a long piece.
If C was still alive, she’d be disappointed, that the celebs and mega-millionaires never seemed to come to her chambers in Cambridge.
But who knows what might happen in the future or even be happening now, as there quite a few Cambridge companies, who’ve created a few billionaires and some men will always move on to pastures new.
Divorce may be a messy business, but someone has got to do it!
The New Island Platform at Cambridge
This view of the new platform, shows the problem we have at many stations in the UK.
The New Island Platform at Cambridge
The only way to and from the far platforms and the one where the picture was taken is by the bridge at the end, which either means a climb and a descent of stairs or two lift rides. One of the problems of overhead lines is that the bridge needs to be high with a lot of steps. In fact at Cambridge a subway as at Stratford would be better, but that would have increased the cost substantially.
But surely, in this day and age something better can be designed, that was quick and easy to install and could be installed at many stations.
Along the Cambridge Busway
Where I was going was just a short walk from a stop on the new Cambridge Busway, but because I couldn’t find anybody who knew the rules about the busway, I decided to go to my meeting in a taxi. I did however take the busway back to Cambridge City centre on the way back to the station and took these pictures.
The bus was quite smart with leather seats and wi-fi.
But the busway has a lot of design faults.
- There is no information on the busway at the station.
- It would be logical if all buses went via the main bus station at Dummer Street and the rail station. I assumed this. When I found myself dumped in the centre, I decided to have lunch and then had to queue up for another bus for the station. I’d have preferred to go straight to the station.
- There is no timing on the bus maps, so you have no idea when you might want to ask someone to pick you up.
- The bus displays at the stops, don’t say whether they go to the rail station. They don’t list the intermediate stops too, as trains do.
- As they are new modern buses, why can’t they announce the stops like all London ones do?
- The bus map is poor and lacks detail. It does have a text system to find the next bus, but you have to type in 8 letters. How come London can handle all of the metropolis with just 5 digits! Perhaps people in Cambridge like to have their fingers tested, whereas those in London can only manage 5 digits!
It all smacks of a design that wasn’t put together by the best designer. It is attention to detail, that makes tranportation systems good. London and Sheffield have informastion systems that are so much better.
A Smart New Train
I went to Cambridge on Tuesday in this smart new Class 379 train, built by Bombardier.
Note the powerpoints for mobile devices like iPhones.
Sadly, I only got a refurbished Class 317 on the way back and I couldn’t face forward as that irritated my back, which the 379 didn’t!
On the 31st I’m going to Ipswich for the football and now, I’ll take a train to Cambridge early, have a late gluten-free lunch in the City before taking a train to Ipswich. I’ll come home direct.
The New Cambridge Station Emerges
I took these pictures at Cambridge station yesterday.
They show the new island platform and bridge.
Note that the bridge has bike tracks, to make crossing easier. I wonder if there might be a better solution, which might be something like an entrance to the station on the far side of the new island platform. It would appear that Cambridge City Council are thinking of making access from the far side possible according to this report.
The Edinburgh Tram Fiasco Continues
Over the last few years, there have been several local transport prjects in the UK. Most like the London Overground have been completed on time and on budget, with one in London the DLR Extension to Stratford International being a year late.
Two major projects though have gone seriously over budget; the Cambridge Busway and the Edinburgh Tram.
The former is now up and running and most of the reports are positive. Extra buses are supposedly being ordered to cope with demand. But it will be easier to sort out the problems of the cost overruns for a success than a failure.
But the Edinburgh Tram fiasco continues according to this report on the BBC. So for a large cost overrun, Edinburgh will get what half they originally ordered. When what they are now getting is completed, passengers arriving at the airport will be unable to take the tram to the City Centre to see the similarly half-finished National Monument. But at least the tram will serve the headquarters of the Royal Bank of UK Taxpayers at Gogar!
At least it has given a lot of work for consultants and material for comedians at the Festival.
The Little Trains are Popular
At least something is booming amongst all the gloom. According to this report, all the small branch lines are popular and are showing substantial increases in traffic.
And it’s not just the traditional branch lines. Recently, I’ve travelled a couple of times on the secondary line between Cambridge and Ipswich. It used to have some of the worst rolling stock in Europe. Now it has much newer and larger, Class 170 trains, and traffic is rising fast. The newer trains are typically ten years old, but this is nothing compared to some of the rubbish, like Pacers, operating in parts of the UK.
Obviously, there is a need for more and better services on a lot of these lines. Hopefully, this will be rectified in the next few years, as the most suitable trains, the Class 170s are fairly numerous and a lot are used for fairly long distance services, where longer and larger trains are needed. So the new trains would go to these services and the current units would be relocated. But remember a new carriage costs the best part of a million pounds, although in this country, we are very good at rebuilding old ones to a modern standard.
The Cambridge Busway at Cambridge Station
I went to Cambridge on my way to football at Ipswich yesterday. The infamous Cambridge Busway is now open.
As you can see from the pictures, there would appear to be a lot of work to do, to make the walking experience between the trains and the buses a lot easier.
The Anonymous Widower 