This is a list of the past, present, planned or abandoned guided bus systems or bus rapid transit schemes in the United Kingdom, including notable segregated busways. Not included are bus priority schemes or bus lanes or local authority bus company quality contracts that do not involve guidance, significant segregation from the public highway or other bus rapid transit features. The UK does not as yet have any implementations or proposals for rubber tyred trams such as Translohr or Bombardier Guided Light Transit.
Past systems
- Birmingham. Tracline 65 was an upgraded route with the first guided busway in the UK, as part of an experiment in bus improvement measures by the West Midlands PTE. There was a 600-metre section of guideway on Streetly Road in the Erdington area of the city, at the northern end of the 65 bus route. It opened in 1984 and closed in 1987[1]. A small number of MCW Metrobus Mark IIs were acquired and fitted withguide-wheels. After the trial ended these buses remained in normal service, with the last one withdrawn on 26 April 2008.
Present systems
- Ipswich, Ipswich Rapid Transit operated by First Eastern Counties, branded Superroute 66, incorporating a 200-m section of guided busway
- Kesgrave - Grange Farm, opened 1995[2]
- regauged in 2005 for larger double-deck buses[3]
- a second stretch of busway has been abandoned
- Runcorn, Runcorn Busway, operated by Halton Transport and Arriva North West and Wales, built as part of the new town extension of Runcorn[4] The busway is 22 km long, with an elevated section into a shopping area at the intersection[5]
- 1971 - Phase 1 complete[6]
- 1977 - Phase 2 complete
- Thames Gateway, Fastrack, with sections of segregated running, opened in phases in concert with planned local development. Operated by Arriva Southern Counties using standard buses, with an upgrade to Streetcar-type vehicles in future[7].
- Leeds, Leeds Superbus, corridors with sections of guided busway[8], operated by First Leeds
- A61 Scott Hall Road, four sections, 1.5 km in total, opened 1995
- A64 York Road / A63 Selby Road, three sections, 2 km in total, opened 2001
- Bradford Manchester Road Quality Bus Initiative Bradford end, including 2.3 km of guided busway[9]
- A641 Manchester Road - opened October 2001
- Crawley, Crawley Fastway, operated by Metrobus, a 24-km two-route BRT system, with segregated lanes and 1.5 km of guided busway.
- Southgate Avenue - opened August 2003.
- Fastway - opened December 2004.
- Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fastlink operated by Lothian Buses. Originally called WEBS, the West Edinburgh Bus Scheme, a group of bus priority improvements that include a 1.5-km section of guided busway.
- Stenhouse - Broomhouse, opened in December 2004, due to be converted to tram use by 2011, see Edinburgh Tram Network
- Tyne and Wear
- London, Millennium Transit (unguided) - see abandoned section
Under construction
Planned systems
- Bath, the Department of Transport has approved funding for a BRT system, confirmation of which is expected soon .[15]
- Bristol Bristol City Council in conjunction with the West of England Partnership is proposing several routes. At least one route has met with severe criticism.
- Gosport to Fareham, a proposed scheme under investigation by Hampshire County Council to use the route of the former Gosport to Fareham railway line to reduce congestion on the parallel A32 between the towns. The scheme has been proposed following the collapse of the light rail scheme using the same route.
- Leeds, following refusal of funding the proposed Leeds Supertram, a BRT replacement system has been proposed by the government and awaits local authority plans[18], which include a three-line 20-km trolleybus network[19].
- Luton, the Luton to Dunstable Busway. A busway with "specially adapted buses capable of running both on their own track and on the public roads"[21]. Initially to be branded as Translink Express and operated by Ulsterbus In July 2007 the agreement with Ulsterbus was terminated and it is undergoing a rebranding.
- Manchester, a proposed 15-km [1] corridor with on-highway bus priority and 7 km of guided busway[23]
Abandoned proposals
- London, Millennium Transit, a segregated busway intended to link the Millennium Dome with Charlton and Greenwich railway stations, part of which was to include a 1.3km section of electronic guidance[25]. Intended to be operational when the Dome opened, the electronic guidance technology was abandoned following concerns that neither the system nor the driver was in a position to avoid sudden obstacles[26]. The busway remains in use, unguided.
- Route M1, Charlton - Millennium Dome
- Route M2, Greenwich - Millennium Dome
See also
External links
References
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Guided busways and BRT systems in the United Kingdom |
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| Present |
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| Planned |
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| Italics indicate busways or BRT systems under construction. |
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