Tuesday 9 September 2025 (1128) – Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.

Two Stagecoach East Wright Eclipse Urban bodied Volvo B8RLE new in December 2015 seen at Swavesey.

The main subject is 21303 (BF65 WKS) working the 1016 service A from Trumpington Park & Ride.to St. Ives Marley Road.

Just visible on the left is 21309 (BF65 WKY) waiting to cross the Busway when working the 1100 service 5A from St. Ives to Bar Hill (Tesco). Service 5A operates every 90 minutes all day travelling via Fenstanton, Fen Drayton, Swavesey, Over, Willingham, Longstanton Park & Ride, Longstanton village to Bar Hill (Tesco). The journey via the roundabout route takes 65 minutes to complete.

I had actually seen this bus thirty minutes earlier as it left St. Ives Park & Ride to take up this trip. However, my journey on the more direct Busway service from St. Ives to Swavesey only took 7 minutes.

The Stagecoach East depot at Fenstanton provides the buses for services 5 (Longstanton P&R-Bar Hill-Cambridge) and 5A in addition to all those required for the company’s Busway services.

According to the ukbuses.co.uk website in August 2025, the depot has an allocation of 14 double deckers (13901-12/15218-15220/15291-15294) and 23 single deckers (21227/21229-21235/21301/21303-21312/21363-21368).

Using data seen on the Bus Times website at the same time, it appears that services 5 and 5A require a total of 5 buses (Running cards F0501-F0504 and F5501-F5502 respectively) and the Busway services require 13 double deck running cards (FB01-FB13) and 18 single deck running cards (FA01-FB18). (Therefore needing 31 buses).

In summary 37 buses to cover the 36 running cards.

(Training vehicle 36065 (AJ58 PZZ) is also based at Fenstanton)