The A to B1102 Group has some excellent news to share regarding improvements to the bus services along the B1102 corridor, due to commence in the Autumn of 2024. As we explain below, subject to final procurement, our area will be served by two new bus services (replacing the existing No 11 service).
Below we explain the background to this news, more detail on the proposed routes and next steps before these become a reality! Please note, at this time, no information is yet available as regards timetables, frequency, dates on which these services will start – that will come later in the summer.
New Improved Bus Services
Subject to final procurement (see below), our area will be served by four bus services. As you will see from the below, the current No11 service route has been incorporated into the two new services which will run alongside the existing No112 and No12 services:
Cambridge Drummer Street – Soham Railway Station
Leaving Cambridge Drummer Street, the service takes a direct route along Newmarket Road to Quy and stays on the B1102 via Lode Crossroads, through Bulbeck and on to Swaffham Prior where it goes through the main village and up Cage Hill. Back on the B1102 to Burwell where it stays on the B1102 through to Fordham village and on to Soham terminating at Soham Railway Station.
Newmarket – Addenbrookes / Hills Road
Leaving Newmarket along Exning Road, through Exning and into Burwell (along Newmarket Road). The bus loops around North Street & Toyse Lane before coming along the B1102 past the church and right into Reach Road. Through Reach and Swaffham Prior – Bulbeck and on to Lode. From Lode through Bottisham High Street and on to the Wilbrahams – Fulbourn. Down Cherry Hinton Road, Queen Ediths Way to Addenbrookes, then along Hills Road before returning down Cherry Hinton Road towards Fulbourn.
The service is planned to alternate as the No 11 does now with some services serving Lode centre and some serving Reach. This service will serve the main FE Colleges used by our communities – excellent news for our students!
Interchanges
The new services are designed to work together providing easy and fast interchange between these two services in Burwell, The Swaffhams, and Lode making it easy for Burwell, Reach and Lode residents, in particular, to access both services. In this way, no community should suffer a significant detriment of service provision compared to what they currently enjoy and for most, should gain significantly.
Real-time bus information is now available via SmartPhone apps and the Parish Councils of each village are now exploring funding options to improve bus stop provision (dry waiting area, lighting & seating) including real-time digital display information so that we all have confidence interchanging between services.
Hours of Service
At this point we do not know whether services will run covering the existing hours of service only or will extend into the evenings and weekends / bank holidays. The A to B1102 Group has asked the CPCA to explore costings to cover evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Background & Funding
Nik Johnson, current Mayor of Cambridgeshire, made a commitment to work to improve our existing bus services and add new routes to enable more people to access and use public transport. Our local politicians have also done a great deal of work to lobby for improvements to the services. The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) have now delivered on that commitment after an agreement was reached to fund the improvements through the Mayoral Precept – additional payments we all pay through our Council Tax. The new funding will not only deliver improvements and enhancements to bus services, it also includes an amount dedicated to reducing the price of travel for everyone under the age of 25 – reducing bus fares to £1.00 per journey.
The CPCA undertook a process of consultation to explore how best to deliver the improvements and as part of this, engaged with the A to B1102 Group amongst other stakeholders in our area. The work the group does bringing together all our communities (from Fordham to Quy, including Bottisham, the Wilbrahams and Six Mile Bottom), our plans for a Fast Bus including Travel Hubs and our recent Travel Survey data were all incorporated into the CPCA’s decision making. The CPCA have listened to your feedback!
Next Steps
The CPCA are now undertaking a procurement process with bus operators. Once costings for the new package of services have been agreed, the services will be confirmed and timetabling etc will be agreed and published. The services are therefore expected to be commence during September / October.
The A to B1102 is also exploring the development of Travel Hubs including parking facilities for cars & bicycles at various locations to make it easier for people to interchange between cars and bus and active travel options and bus! At last, it feels as though we are making some progress towards real improvements to how we all get from A to B!
A TO B1102 