Guided Busway in Cambridge, England (A comfortable Journey)

[@srr2614]

When you want to be a train but your parents want you to be a bus.

[@micosstar]

bahhahahahahahahhaa

[@NickyMitchell85]

😂 😂 🤣 😜 😂 😂 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 😜 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

[@ОлегСкипин-л8э]

most likely - on the contrary)

[@steveallen1340]

When you ask for a train and your mum says we have trains at home.

[@peteb81]

When you want to be a bus driver, but nobody trusts you to steer! 😂

[@michlo3393]

A great idea would be to come up with a way to string a series of busses together, for increased capacity. A sort of train...of busses.

[@JohnKickboxing]

🤣

[@ronaldmcdonald6067]

build a fucking tram at that point... this is so pointless

[@romanmikhalyevych2506]

@@ronaldmcdonald6067 and HUGE waste of rubber for tires each year!! 😥

[@christophschade9452]

and to reduce drag they could make the guided busway out of steal and the tires too

[@wrightvcx2249]

@@christophschade9452 And power them by overhead electrical lines. That would be dope.

[@Derek_S]

There are a number of comments from various people suggesting it would have been better to resurrect the original railway rather than repurpose it as a guided busway. They are all completely missing the main point and that is that the original rail section was just between St Ives and Cambridge rail stations. While the specially adapted guided buses can use that section, they can also travel on all normal roads. This mean the buses also serve the built up areas of Cambridge, St Ives and Huntingdon as part of the local bus service. I can catch the bus at a normal bus stop two hundred yards from my house on the outskirts of St Ives. That then travels into the town centre on normal roads with stops every half mile or so and then enters the guided track at the St Ives park and ride, which is on the site of the original station. At the other end of the main guided part it enters the narrow streets of Cambridge city centre with routes then diverging before part of it enters another guided section on the other side of the city proceeding onto Addenbrooke's Hospital and Trumpington. The original rail route couldn't have hoped to provide a fraction of this flexibility.

[@andrewarthurmatthews6685]

You make good points

[@Pesmog]

And the fact that the rail stations are outside of the city center means that you have to change transport mode if you travel by train to get into the city anyway. The busway is far from perfect (it could have been cheaper) but it does kind of work given the unique challenges that Cambridge has. They are still talking about extending it.

[@simonjones1342]

​@ljzs1544because it is for busses only, each bus can rapidly accelerate to top speed 50mph and there is no traffic to get in its way.

[@yootz]

@ljzs1544 because they want the privilige of not stopping for traffic and the flexibility of a road vehicle

[@bradwhite5884]

Or maybe use trams as alternative to trains, but you are also missing the point, it would be a lot better if it was a train or a tram line tbh, but yeah

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Unlike these British cities like Cambridge and Leeds, we have an actual tram network! A big one too! Four lines with a total length of 53.5 km/33 miles. Before the war from 1950 to 1953, there were three tramway systems in the entire Korean Peninsula: one each in Seoul, Busan and Pyongyang. However Seoul and Busan got rid of their historic tramways for the automobile in the 1960s, while Pyongyang's was destroyed in US attacks, and was decided to be rebuilt from scratch. The new system began operations in 1989. The network has three main lines, and a smaller fourth one. The fourth one was created to connect the Pyongyang Metro station at Kim Il-sung University (Samhung) to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum of my father and grandpa. A Pyongyang Metro station was once at the palace’s site (Kwangmyong), but once it became a mausoleum in 1995, it became sacred ground and thus it was closed with a new tram line built. Most of the network uses Tatra trams made in the former Czechoslovakia but unlike the rest of the network, the tram that runs on this Kumsusan line uses a Swiss tram built in the late 40s that was retired from the Zurich network in 1994 where it was purchased by us the next year.

[@miranehyba6496]

omg help-😭😭

[@asbusinos]

I can eat a Big Mac

[@지구미순간]

LOL

[@electrofly2989]

hey thanks for sharing.....have a nice day

[@tsikavimandry3600]

Communism, Nazism, and Ruscism are the greatest evils in the world.

[@terrytytula]

Be nice if you explained how it works. Are there rollers on the buses that keep it centered ? Or do the tires simple rub against the side of the track or what ? This would be a perfect set up for electric buses.

[@grassytramtracks]

There are rollers, yes

[@DuRoehre123]

I don’t see a difference if the bus has an electric or a diesel engine.

[@somethingsomething464]

@@DuRoehre123 you can use overhead electric lines instead of batteries, get rid of the hassle of chargng batteries and associated ewaste

[@matejjezek3800]

@@somethingsomething464that’s…trolleybus

[@brettwinchester3184]

@@somethingsomething464 So it would no longer be a bus then it would be what we already have as a tram

[@Maya-w7k]

Fantastic idea - London bus drivers would love it. Smooth, fast and stress free.

[@edwardmiessner6502]

This is how bus rapid transit ought to be done! Cambridge UK & Adelaide, S. Australia. EDIT: Except they need preboarding and/or automatic ticketing

[@zsaleeba]

Unfortunately since it's double deck it's going to have slow boarding times in any case, even with automatic ticketing. A tramway would have resulted in much faster boarding times (since they board through multiple doors) and would eliminate the diesel and tyre pollution from the bus while reducing maintenance costs.

[@thomasowen280]

It's a bus, not a train. People catch it at ad hoc times. It's unusual to pre-book a bus journey except over very long distances. Making it a pre-booked service would be a quick way of forcing it to close through lack of use.

[@ckildegaard]

@@thomasowen280 I don't think they're suggesting pre-booking, just offboard fare collection.

[@Reddsoldier]

@@zsaleeba I don't see why a tramway and a guided busway couldn't share a route with the trams covering the high-density trunk routes, whereas the buses could branch off and feed into the main system. Sure it'd slow the buses somewhat, but the trams stopping less counteracts that, right? Or am I missing something really obvious? Surely its just a case of laying rails on the busway and adding wires and a depot with the added benefit of being able to use trolleybuses to cut noise and pollution.

[@gamerknown]

What about if there's an obstruction in the track

[@pelpikx]

I once used busway in Luton, and it is a great technology, and I'd love more of them

[@ocshaljufrian6109]

Try it bro, you can ride the highest speed train for the first time in Southeast Asia. The highest speed is 350 kilometers per hour, the Indonesian fast train Jakarta - Bandung, the newest, most sophisticated in Southeast Asia, the first,.,the way to the beautiful and comfortable and beautiful and cool and cool city of Bandung, thank you sis and bro.,..,Try it bro, you can ride the highest speed train for the first time in Southeast Asia. The highest speed is 350 kilometers per hour, the Indonesian fast train Jakarta - Bandung, the newest, most sophisticated in Southeast Asia, the first,.,.,.,..the way to the beautiful and comfortable and beautiful and cool and cool city of Bandung, to lembang is Ciwidey ,thank you sis and bro,,.,..

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Very neat concept! Would never happen here in the US - too car-centric…

[@Ruzzky_Bly4t]

I don't know, the US seems obsessed with BRT, at least in the media. Sadly it's presented as a "better alternative" to trams, rather than as a way to make existing bus rides better.

[@edwardmiessner6502]

@@Ruzzky_Bly4t And when the politicians, bean counters, DOT reviewers, and NIMBYs are done with a BRT project it's usually a fancy regular bus line! 😭

[@fridericusrex9812]

Being too car-centric is precisely why this sort of abomination could happen in the first place...

[@grassytramtracks]

​@@fridericusrex9812exactly right, it's a low quality substitute for a railway because they don't really care but need to pretend to

[@PersonManManManMan]

Never say never, there is some changes happening in some parts of USA

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

A guided busway is quite the unique system, kudos to them for beating Adelaide! How did Adelaide get theirs in the first place? The greater Adelaide area experienced significant growth during and after WWII, and thus so did the amount of vehicles registered. By the mid-1970s, transportation had become a problem in the northeastern suburbs. This led to a study that concluded that a light-rail would be the best option. However, there was opposition because people thought it would interfere with the well-designed layout of the city proper, and that light-rail vehicles would be too noisy. In search of a replacement for the light rail project, they examined the O-Bahn system in Essen in what was then West Germany by Daimler-Benz. The system was seen as far superior to previous proposals; it used less land, made less noise, was faster and cost less. In addition, its unique feature of a non-transfer service direct from suburban streets to the city center made it more attractive. Adelaide's track is 12 km/7.5 mi long and includes three interchanges at Klemzig, Paradise and Tea Tree Plaza. Interchanges allow buses to enter and exit the busway and to continue on suburban routes, avoiding the need for passengers to transfer to another bus to continue their journey. Not to mention, the O-Bahn has sump buster devices to prevent cars.

[@ocshaljufrian6109]

Try it bro, you can ride the highest speed train for the first time in Southeast Asia. The highest speed is 350 kilometers per hour, the Indonesian fast train Jakarta - Bandung, the newest, most sophisticated in Southeast Asia, the first,.,the way to the beautiful and comfortable and beautiful and cool and cool city of Bandung, thank you sis and bro.,..,Try it bro, you can ride the highest speed train for the first time in Southeast Asia. The highest speed is 350 kilometers per hour, the Indonesian fast train Jakarta - Bandung, the newest, most sophisticated in Southeast Asia, the first,.,.,.,..the way to the beautiful and comfortable and beautiful and cool and cool city of Bandung, to lembang is Ciwidey ,thank you sis and bro,,.,..

[@ehmzed]

I'm so confused. I'm also very amazed by how smooth and pretty it all looked, but mostly I'm confused 😂 Don't the wheels get scratched by the tracks on the sides? How is it safe to let it go without hands on the steering wheel? What advantages does it bring as opposed to a tram? Thankfully there are other videos that seem to be explaining how it works, so I'll watch those next, lol

[@cern1999sb]

The buses have small guide wheels that point out horizontally next to the front wheels, and pressure on them causes the wheels of the bus to turn, so it keeps itself on the tracks using the side rails. No steering input required when on the busway

[@nntflow7058]

It benefited the passengers. They used to do 2 transfer between local bus, train and another local bus to reach their destinations. Now they could just use 1 bus without transfer and arrived in their destinations.

[@ehmzed]

@@cern1999sb Right! I saw that in another video that explained it further, quite fun! I guess the main benefit over a tram is that the bus can still drive around in other non designated tracks

[@CloudAyden]

This actually looks nice. When a local government can’t afford a metro system. A guided busway can replace it in short distance and more cheaper to build

[@DavidAlvarez-hy6ey]

Trams?

[@PlasticBubbleCosplay]

Also a lot more flexibility in route planning -- a bus can turn off on any of the roads and come back again. Steel-wheel vehicles need longer stopping distance as well.

[@Cowcow211]

@@DavidAlvarez-hy6eyThe only reason they settled on this was ultimately money. But there are some buses than then enter the roadway and continue their journey via normals roads. So this Busway does allow for certain single vehicle journeys.

[@coolboss999]

Honestly if they wanted to in the future, turn this into a tram that could hold more capacity

[@PlasticBubbleCosplay]

@@coolboss999 True, but where flexibility is called for (changing demand over time, multiple routes branching out, if building rails would be viable, etc) a frequent service with anything between a minibus to a three-section double artic to a commuter coach can run these bus tracks without as many transfers.

[@trickydicky90]

I remember this being built in the late 2000s, I lived in the area during this time and news back then was what a white elephant was as it ran over budget and took years longer than expected. The buses don't seem that busy and I have never used it, I wonder what the return on the invest has been over the last decade or so since it opened, I recall a few 100 million to construct. There is a big car park in St ives and the concept was for cars to park there and then take the bus to Cambridge, given that the A14 has vastly been improved since then, I wonder how many people use it.

[@joshbannink1312]

I completely forgot these exist, super neat honestly

[@andrewbaans7400]

There has been one in Adelaide South Australia since 1986.

[@iankemp1131]

The video doesn't mention that the busway was delivered several years late and several million pounds over budget. The concrete road started sinking into the Fens. The specially adapted buses were expensive. Its big advantage over the original railway is that the buses can go straight into the city centre whereas Cambridge railway station is over a mile away. The route is quick as far as St Ives but then becomes as slow as a normal bus on the continuation to Huntingdon or other destinations.

[@CaptainM792]

A normal road reversed only for buses would do the same job and it would cost less since the bus don’t need special adaptations for operating on the road.

[@dieseldragon6756]

That explains some of the ground sinkage we can see between the running beams in places...

[@malcolm2933]

I agree tickets should be available at selected stops and just validated on board- buying from the driver should be at a surcharge.

[@iDislikeAlotofThings]

Yes, it should work much like Bristol's Metrobus, where you can board by mobile ticket or a ticket you can buy from the ticket machine at the bus stop.

[@ballyhigh11]

Or just go cashless and have contactless payment onboard. I'm surprised they haven't already.

[@pandaonabus]

@@ballyhigh11 There is contactless payment on board but it's just as slow, if not slower, than cash buying. What would really be good is an oyster card 'tap-on tap-off' system like in London. even better if it was council run and was expanded to work with other bus companies in the region.

[@Derek_S]

There are prepayment ticket machines at some of the busiest stops and payment can be made via a contactless terminal on the bus itself or by cash to the driver..

[@franktuckwell196]

A friend of mine drove route masters in London, whereas i drove trains for BR, but trams i have heard of and been on, but never heard of guided buses before.

[@jurajkovac8507]

How is this better than light rail? The construction costs are roughly the same, LRVs would be more expensive but with a much longer service life. Electrification is an upfront cost, but with good ROI in terms of fuel cost. An LRV would provide better passenger capacity, obviating the need for double deckers.

[@zsaleeba]

It's not better. That's why these systems are relatively rare I guess. Light rail would be a significant upgrade in boarding times and in reducing pollution.

[@dieseldragon6756]

One of the advantages of BRT is that the vehicles used on it can _also_ drive on regular roads¹ too, which means passengers don't have to change vehicles and local buses can make use of the infrastructure as well. Overall it can deliver the transport benefits of a light rail system at a lower cost and with more cross-compatibility of vehicles, and in certain cases (Where vehicles are appropriately modified) can also provide _Rapid access routes_ for emergency service vehicles as well. 😇 (¹ - With special training for the drivers, particularly as the guide wheels on BRT buses can cause less obvious problems for handling if they strike a non-BRT kerb, particularly when pulling into high-kerb fitted bus stops. 💥)

[@peterkelly2492]

The railway station at Cambridge is over a mile away from the city centre. Most people will get off the train then onto a bus for that journey. With this system you can stay in one seat.

[@dieseldragon6756]

@@peterkelly2492 Much the same can be said of many TGV stations in France, and for largely the same reasons. In the two cases I'm aware of though (Avignon and Lyon) they installed branch or tram lines to connect them with l'centre ville. 🚊 Personally? I would have liked to see the track at Lyon (The Rhône Express) carrying TGVs into Lyon from the mainline - Just for the amusing sight of a TGV Réseau making its way along a feeder road - But I can see many reasons why the plan was never implemented in that way... 🚄🤔🤣

[@horacewonghy]

I think it is as it’s double decker.

[@alibenad4320]

Great video it really changed my impressions about Cambridge guided bus looks very attractive indeed will try it soon with my kids thanks ❤

[@romk.m.1081]

It seems travelling quite fast viewing from inside the bus, is it following the same speed limit on the same road or has a higher limit due to the exclusive use of road that could avoid collision.

[@roobear78]

its not a road its a busway you need special fitted bus to drive on it and software controls the bus speed along the route! a normal vehicle couldnt drive on it very well anyway. The speeds limited to 30mph and controlled by the bus software

[@georgedowns4034]

​@@roobear78I swear it was going faster than 30. In fact I'm convinced it was

[@darkwolfcz434]

​@roobear78 the software only kicks in speed limit zones. On unrestricted zones the buses can travel upto 55mph

[@calvinimray423]

@@georgedowns4034 30 in a few places where people were run over a few years ago, 55 everywhere else!

[@fridericusrex9812]

If only we could link up multiple buses and have them travel on their own dedicated line... Then we could efficiently transport a large number of people at high speeds. If only such a revolutionary transportation method would exist! Oh wait.

[@JohnGaleLondon55]

They can work well in the east of England where it is flat, the land is largely agricultural and it is relatively easy to lay a straight trackway. I can't see them working successfully in many other parts of the country though, unless they build cuttings and embankments as for railways. Light railways and tramways are probably a better option.

[@roadgent7921]

It was also built on the line of a previous railway.

[@pandaonabus]

As the other commenter mentioned the site of the busway is a former railway line so much of the groundwork was already in place. Would be useful is similar parts of the country with closed down railway lines.

[@copacabana164]

In Essen,Germany,we have got this since 1984, builded on an old Tram Trackball.Its called "Spurbus".

[@ЦзинКэ-ы5х]

Why not continue to use trams?

[@pollemar]

@@ЦзинКэ-ы5хMy guess: Too expensive

[@arifdemircioglu7042]

In istanbul they have longer distance. I think is almost 150 km metro bus

[@AB-jz9ns]

We have non-guided (regular) busways in the US in my city that work very well for many years now. The buses go through regular type roads that are exclusive to buses and in rare cases emergency vehicles and ambulances. The benefit is that during rush hour you can get to downtown (a distance of 12 miles) in 15 minutes as opposed to an hour if you drive a car using the regular highway... I am not sure I understand what problem the guided bus solves. The steering is handled via electronics but you still have a driver monitoring so what's the benefit? Also there is no real road so you can't use it for ambulances, police etc.

[@Kamranalam12345]

Did anyone recognise the automatic steering wheel in position whilst the driver had his arms folded and only had to keep his eyes and focus on site and to speed up and slow down by the pedals using his feets?

[@MsGalfreak]

What the most viewers here surely don't know ... this was a RAILWAY before ! So instead of dismantle and replacing the worthfull infrastructure by a completely new constructed guided bus way, it would have been much more ... - easy; - sustainable; - economically; - and attractive; ... if they had just used the existing tracks by a so-called "TRAM-TRAIN" system (like the one in Manchaster) and thus opened up the option of a new Tram system in Cambridge, at the same. ☝️🧐 🇩🇪

[@ballyhigh11]

I think the rail line was closed decades ago and the rails lifted. Ideally they would have relaid the track but for cost reasons went with the guided busway.

[@RainShadow-yi3xr]

Then they would have had to build more tram tracks through the city centre to reach even half the destinations this does, trains are not the be all and end all of public transit.

[@MsGalfreak]

@@RainShadow-yi3xr "Not the be all and end all"... ... But trains have to run where they belong to. On main traffic axles with high ridership, where they operate cheaper and more attractively than buses. That's why many cities around the world are turning back to tramway. At that time, politics in Cambridge were still too much addicted to the so called "car-friendly city" of the 60s and 70s, than to use the railway corridor as a nucleus for a new tram network, like in Manchester. But things became different meanwhile. Cambridge is twin city of Heidelberg (140,000 citizens). Delegations from there are always here to look at our tram system. According to our city's current general transport plan, exactly all those lines that were dismantled till 1976, are now to be rebuilt in future. German consumer research studies have shown, that 40% of car drivers are willing to use public transport if it involves RAIL transport. In opposite, only 5% when it comes to BUS transport. Customers see buses just as a “bigger car”... nothing more. And as far as the German innovation "Tram-Train" is concerned, whereby trams connect the region directly to the city's downtown centers via existing railway lines, without passengers having to interchange, so we got a ridership there that is 6 to 10 times higher, than before on conventional classic heavy rail, or common bus transport. This and only this is what matters, if we want to bring about a true change in transport policy and take people along with this process, at the same. 👋 🇩🇪

[@RainShadow-yi3xr]

@@MsGalfreakTrams would certainly be nice but I don't think the demand is there and the loss of flexibility compared to busses would be significant.

[@DJ_K666]

They should have cast rails into this, Essen style (it was called the O-Bahn and was bonkers) that would have allowed trams to use it too.

[@siegmars.450]

5:19 car trap - how does it work?

[@DeckerLondon]

We need to see more of these amazing busway across the whole uk

[@bfapple]

Nope - it’s a distraction from proper light rail systems.

[@F40M07]

Oh so an electric RDC with rubber tires and no rails?

[@Gypsycat19]

The one in Adelaide Australia the buses could do 100km on the track it also quickier than a car to get from the city to Westfield shopping centre at the other end it seems to popular and has been around since 1986

[@mariojsworld]

Great bus ride.

[@coolsai]

This is exactly what I am thinking of for a long time

[@ZacharyKelley-k2e]

This would great to have in the States. Especially in our large cities on the East coast.

[@666marq]

So you just need trains lol

[@nntflow7058]

@@666marq Don't be stupid. Why would you build a train line for only 16 miles or trip with such a low passenger number. It only makes sense if the demand for such line is high.

[@josephinebennington7247]

I imagine the tyre walls must take a bashing. Maybe specially developed?

[@cedriclynch]

The buses have guide wheels on vertical axes on the front corners, rather like a hospital trolley. The main wheels do not make contact with the edges of the guide way.

[@josephinebennington7247]

Aha. Knowing that, at 2.30, I see a lot more movement of the steering wheel (= road-wheel wobble) than would happen if the driver was in full control on a road. Best advantage is the lack of interruptive interaction with other traffic.

[@JaidenJimenez86]

The point of a guideway is that it permits higher speed operation - you cannot rely upon a driver to be able to drive on that surface at those speeds. Sooner or later someone will mount the kerb. You can have an unguided busway - but that means building a conventional road surface which is a lot more expensive to build. For the sake of outfitting buses with guides attached to the steering system, you can drastically reduce the material your road is made from.

[@josephinebennington7247]

@@JaidenJimenez86 The benefits of unobstructed progress (by other traffic) bringing trustworthy timetabled regularity must be as great a factor. It is virtually a rail or tram service that can also occasionally leave the tracks and become independent. A bit like the unguided bus and taxi exclusive marked lanes in London that aim to free up bus progress, and largely do.

[@szymex22]

Any time savings with the dedicated track are lost because the ticket system is not automated… lol

[@bangerbangerbro]

Ikr, if you really want make a bus service faster that is the first thing you would do.

[@MarkHewitt1978]

One of the biggest problems with busses in general being everyone getting on has to buy a ticket from the driver.

[@szymex22]

@@MarkHewitt1978 in the uk maybe… in my city people just tap their transit cards, it is not allowed to purchase a ticket from the driver. Most have monthly or yearly passes so they don’t even need to tap in

[@Baddka]

How is it better from the normal roads ?

[@exclusiveedits7011]

Ever heard about brts system in Ahemdabad and surat

[@Daytona2]

What's the environmental cost of the new infrastructure ?

[@k.deleasey479]

So cool more reliable than a train and cheaper lol 😆 what a great idea

[@OLDMANTEA]

In china, they have a trackless train. Isn’t that the same thing?

[@yash1152]

why?

[@leonwilliams3221]

I wonder how I’d go about a transfer to this depot for a week to try it … that driver is chilling 😂😂

[@rdrogel1116]

longer than the Adelaide O-Bahn(used to be the longest)

[@imtheboss8414]

What if you youch the wheel?

[@z.ace.44]

From all more efficient transportation such as tram or train, why bus??

[@DuRoehre123]

Because busses can simply go on in normal road traffic when the track ends.

[@antonycole7761]

I guess at least you have the right of way so that if you need or want to upgrade it to something more substantial and potentially more cost-effective to run you can

[@saabinsanity]

Should be the east west rail route

[@cedriclynch]

This busway was once a railway line but was closed to passenger trains in the 1960s. Since then towns along the route have been greatly expanded. For parts of the bus routes the buses go off the guided busway and onto normal roads, where they can be distinguished from normal buses by the guide wheels on the front corners where you might expect to see bumpers. 😢

[@iankemp1131]

It's an interesting point, given that the EWR route is now being constructed from scratch on a parallel route a few miles to the south. Would have needed to find a way to get from St Neots to St Ives though, which is a bit of a detour. And the EWR will now serve Cambourne which is useful.

[@ChaoticMinorPlanet]

Why does it look like i wanna name it buam (mixture of bus and tram)

[@hachi.1298]

Or trus

[@100dblock]

Can he hit the curb though? And throw the whole vibe off ?

[@sahilmore921]

How it works in centre?

[@simonjones1342]

In the centre of Cambridge, or an outlying village, the bus turns off the busway onto normal roads, trundles round the city or village making stops as necessary. It then goes back onto the busway and continues its journey. You can't do that with a train.

[@dulcinealee3933]

I don't think some people get the point of this. It's not about automated bus/train eliminating a need for a driver. It's about a bus being able to drive on a normal road when it needs to and cross over onto a rail or tram like system ie guided track without the need for overhead wiring like trams in Melbourne and trolley buses in Vancouver which restricts the routes they can run on. Hope this makes sense. I have been in a driverless bus route and it is very slow cumbersome and uses a lot of energy to go short distances and could be pretty unsafe due to what happens if the batteries overheat and explode or if there is an accident ? No problem implementing an automatic ticket system but someone needs to know how to operate auto to manual override in case of an accident. A lot more research and testing is needed for this type of system. With automated bus system still runs on designated routes hence still restricted like a tram or trolley bus .

[@chairmakerPete]

How is this better than a tram? Has steering become too difficult? Doesn't eliminate the cost of a driver, so what is the benefit?

[@georgedowns4034]

Doesn't requires rails or overhead electrification and can be more widely used

[@chairmakerPete]

@@georgedowns4034 seems it would be simpler just to build a road.

[@georgedowns4034]

@@chairmakerPete but then there's always the possibility of traffic jams, tractors & bikes in the way. Buses get no interruptions here

[@chairmakerPete]

@@georgedowns4034 no - I meant a dedicated "public transport only" road which could also serve taxis and coaches In essence, why build a rather bizarre two-strip road which is limited to one type of vehicle? The concept seems odd to me when all it does it remove the need to steer without obviating the need for a driver. In other words, it's barmy!

[@georgedowns4034]

@chairmakerPete hmmm I guess I see that. Still u have to admit, it is pretty cool regardless of the need of it

[@tombombadil9123]

6:48 what's that body of water? it can't be the Cam

[@Derek_S]

That's one of the Dry Drayton lakes. Now a nature reserve but they are ex gravel works that have been flooded. The area between there and St Ives is full of them.

[@tombombadil9123]

@@Derek_S thank you

[@leotownsend]

Does it damage tyress?

[@nicholasfield6127]

Wouldn't that kill the sidewalls of the tires?

[@pollemar]

No, it's guided, guide rolls at the front axle.

[@solesoldier1716]

When did this service start? There wasn't anything like this when I was studying there.

[@pollemar]

2011

[@wjgthatsit2357]

Adam something has entered the chat

[@freja3187]

why isnt this a tram?

[@MarkHewitt1978]

Cost and flexibilty, busses don't need additional infrastructure in the city centre, trams and trains do.

[@stoltmain123]

why not the translohr system there it,s perfect traject.

[@劉小銘-b9r]

為何車能那麼穩?

[@jerryhayes9497]

Does that follow the old railway line??

[@michaelward2082]

YES

[@michaelward2082]

@@KahunaPepper the old Cambridge Histon St Ives Somersham Chatteris Wimblington March railway

[@bananabeast9384]

Can someone please explain to me how it works?

[@pandaonabus]

There are small guide wheels sticking out in front of the front wheels.They are connected to the steering rack, so as the bus moves towards the concrete rail it touches the guidewheel and that pushes the steering rack in the opposite direction. The bus basically ping-pongs back and forth between the concrete rails. There is only a very small amount of gap so the side to side motion isn't very noticeable. If your wondering, the reason the guidewheels don't just run along the track is so they don't wear out so quickly.

[@martinsaviationlife2690]

Doesent that scrape the tires?

[@grassytramtracks]

There are rollers on the sides of the bus to keep it on the track

[@Marianoluciani]

Es autonomo?

[@samuelpo3378]

at that point why not make it a tram?

[@horacewonghy]

Cost and flexibility

[@Derek_S]

No trams could fit down the streets the guided buses travel on in Cambridge, St Ives etc. Most of them are just wide enough for one lane in each direction.

[@ChakatNightspark]

Only problem I see. The Tires rubbing, reducing the Life of them so they will have to be replaced that Much more on those buses that Use these Guided busways. It is a Neat idea and all, but Bus having to replace 4 to 6 Bus Tires (depending on type of bus 2 Front Tires 2 back tires or 4 back tires tandem back tires) are Not that Cheap, Can cost Couple Hundred UK Pounds

[@SustainableGal]

Perfect opportunity to electrify public transport, they could either install third rail or overhead. And have a smaller 100kWh LiFePo4 battery pack for it to continue on roadways once the busways end

[@Noname123rr]

I wonder how it works?. Like normal bus?

[@siegmars.450]

the curb works together with a steering system. look at the wikipedia-article in the video-description.

[@davethatcher4954]

Is this using a disused rail line?

[@MauritsRuiter]

can you call this a tram that can go off road?

[@uzoma112]

Why not turn it into a Tram system?

[@BritishRailwaySpotter]

Back in 2020 I would race the bus with my bicycle and explore the forests beside it and I remember the bus guide rail was closed becuase of contraction under one of the bridges🤩

[@nizamuyanga9267]

Can someone explain how he doesn't need to steer because, I saw that precise steering would be a problem in such a narrow path.. looks like they solved it, but how?

[@westerlywinds5684]

It has guider horizontal wheels running against the track, keeping it in place. Simple system that works.

[@AlexeiLeonidovich]

While it's not necessary, I was under the impression that drivers are supposed to leep their hands on the steering wheel anyway as an extra security measure. There was a fatal accident on this busway five years ago where a bus left the track and crashed on the embankment. The subsequent inquiry found that the driver not only didn't have his hand on the wheel but was using some kind of electrical device at the time. He failed to notice a gap in the guide rails, which are quite common at crossing points etc.

[@nizamuyanga9267]

@@AlexeiLeonidovich Makes sense that the crash happened because he was distracted, so very unfortunate though.. Thanks a million for that info..

[@Pugragger]

sureley the side walls on the tyres get trashed from this?

[@MarkHewitt1978]

No because there are other guide wheels which guide the bus, the tyres don't touch the sides.

[@WindsorYeh]

-Mum, am I on a tram? -No! You are on a bus! -What?

[@radikusmanov7574]

The driver don't touch wheel. Great!

[@peterniepel6218]

What exactly is the point of this? Like, trains exist already and they're much more comfortable than any bus, plus doesn't this cause the tires to wear and tear more quickly?

[@heehee1096]

cheaper to build and maintain, plus the route can easily be changed or rerouted.

[@peterniepel6218]

@@heehee1096 well then just use a a regular road

[@heehee1096]

@@peterniepel6218 sharing with regular road plus traffic jams will affect the service timing intervals. This is almost like BRT in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. But this one is better because it use a auto guided track instead of manually driven, plus it is a double decker bus.

[@SecondAccount-jd3oo]

What is max speed?

[@stephendow560]

I love the idea of busways! Of all the forms of mass transit, the one kind I can't stand is buses. It would be great to get them off the roads used by people commuting by car.

[@sortascouseace]

Now imagine if we took this concept and connected multiple buses in a line to increase capacity, then we replace the concrete tracks and rubber wheels with a harder wearing material such as steel, and then removed the engines from each of these buses with an external power source connected to overhead wires to reduce emissions from internal combustion engines.... I'm mostly joking, guided buses are a really good transport solution for smaller cities/towns with a lower infrastructure budget.

[@anaz4v]

It's Beautiful.

[@The.Drunk-Koala]

5:15 if society was like this part the world would be a great place.

[@Claym1x]

Wouldn't it be a cool idea if per say,,, there were around 10 buses chained together, that functioned as 1 bus, and had metal wheels with a metal track. Maybe even a 3rd rail or overhead lines to provide electricity to this bus-chain. Wouldn't that be a wonderful invention..

[@nntflow7058]

No, because those "bus-chain" can't go on road. Since you didn't know this. the guided bus line is not the only part of the entire line. In fact, it is only half of the distance the bus served. The other part of the bus line goes through a normal road.

[@tedes72]

Did you know the guy in the suit

[@iangeorgewhatton7541]

A cross between a Bus and a Tram Looks like a Trolley Bus.

[@saturo_nipon]

hey we ran out of budget for the trains we promised, what do we do? me: give them buses. but those are not trains me: just call it guided busway, they will get the same feeling wow you are a genius

[@theevauwu7853]

These are great ive been theyre very fast

[@BoyPenTa-o8b]

Guided through tires???😅

[@westerlywinds5684]

How does it work in snow. Can they clear it somehow? Also, what if the engine breaks down, access to it, etc. Also wondering about in case of a medical emergency. These are al legitimate concerns.

[@wheatley1866]

It snows very rarely

[@simonjones1342]

The cycle path next to the busway can be used to bring maintenance vehicles or ambulances to any incident.

[@theglueman4850]

How is this any better than a tram or a train?

[@MarkHewitt1978]

Because at either end it can drive on normal roads.

[@oberpenneraffe]

@@MarkHewitt1978 Why not built a dedicated bus line?

[@MarkHewitt1978]

I'm guessing the reason is width. To travel at that speed the road way would have to be a fair bit wider than the busway is there. Plus there's a political aspect if you build a road that can be used by all there will be a campaign to allow it to be used by all.

[@MarkHewitt1978]

@@oberpenneraffeI have looked it up further and it seems that the width is 6m whereas a bus road would be 9.3m. So that'll be the reason.

[@RossetBespokeButlers]

But what is the point, why not just have a normal road for all traffic?

[@simonjones1342]

Because there is no other traffic on the busway, the bus can run at 55mph between villages. It never gets held up in traffic. When it gets to a village, town or the city, it can turn off the busway and become a normal bus, making stops round the town. Then back on the busway to continue its journey.

[@mamaikolho2781]

Amazing!

[@ppeterzhong]

What's the point? Cost and/or energy consumption is lower than the light rail?

[@jdslagill]

What is it with the graffiti there?

[@-M0LE]

I accidentally took a normal bus down these a few months back 😂😂😂😂😂 Passengers didn’t take kindly to it lol but once you are on it not much you can do to get back off

[@rykmat2542]

It is widely known that double-decker buses are the worst form of public transport. They are the most energy-intensive and have the fewest doors relative to the number of places, and because of that, huge downtimes at bus stops (and the British obsession with ticket checking by drivers slows them down even more). BRT is not significantly cheaper to build than tram lines, and BRT is more expensive to maintain than tram lines. That's why in countries with really advanced public transport you can not see double-decker vehicles and new BRT corridors.

[@horacewonghy]

Singapore and HK:

[@Derek_S]

British double decker buses are sold all over the world. Even US cities have been buying them.

[@rykmat2542]

​@@Derek_S This is probably the best evidence of how bad the idea of double-crippling of buses is. Because public transit in the US is mostly the worst. Look how modern efficient buses should look. Double-articulating is the proper way, not double-crippling. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mai8dWBvramFnJI

[@INSBIRESWAR]

also i think probably thies buses are electric powered

[@user-AuBVwynKjb5WqStj]

Mother : he will be a train Father : no he will be a bus