Stagecoach spends £3m on buses for world's longest guided route

Published on Monday 6 October 2008 21:44

STAGECOACH, the Perth-based transport giant, has ordered £3 million worth of green buses for what is claimed to be the world's longest guided busway.

The order for 20 vehicles, which will run on biofuel produced from recycled food waste, has been placed with Falkirk-based Alexander Dennis and Northern Irish firm Wrightbus.

Passengers will benefit from leather seating, air conditioning and wireless internet access.

The new buses are due to enter service when the 116m Cambridgeshire Guided Busway opens in April next year. Stretching for 16 miles, the route will follow the busy A14 trunk road between Cambridge and St Ives.

Its backers are hoping motorists will be attracted to a "frequent, reliable and sustainable public transport alternative". Buses will run every ten minutes at peak times.

Les Warneford, managing director of Stagecoach's UK bus division, said: "This is a major investment by Stagecoach in a project that we believe will bring significant economic, transport and environmental benefits to the Cambridgeshire region."

Over the past seven years, the transport group has invested 11m in 100 new vehicles for the Cambridge network. Passenger numbers are said to have more than doubled, with Stagecoach's seven "Citi" routes carrying 8.2 million in the past 12 months.

Cambridgeshire councillor Matt Bradney said: "This represents a major investment by Stagecoach in improving public transport in Cambridgeshire. We have seen just how successful working together has been for increasing passenger numbers."

The UK is home to a number of guided busway systems, where vehicles equipped with special side-mounted wheels are steered along dedicated routes.

The world's longest is currently the "O-Bahn" in Adelaide, South Australia, while Scotland's only route is a one-mile section in Edinburgh.