List of guided busways and BRT systems in the United Kingdom

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 [. [http://www.citytransport.info/Buses02.htm#Road City Transport.info web site, Bus Priority Systems page] Guided Buses In Britain section] . 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 After the trial ended these buses remained in normal service, with the last one withdrawn on 26 April 2008.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 [http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/TransportAndStreets/PublicTransport/PassengerTransport/superoute66.htm Superroute 66] , incorporating a 200-m section of guided busway
** Kesgrave - Grange Farm, opened 1995 [ [http://www.garden.force9.co.uk/OBahn.htm Kesgrave - The First 'Serious' British Installation.] ]
**regauged in 2005 for larger double-deck buses [ [http://www.garden.force9.co.uk/OBahn.htm Bus Priority Systems web page, 2006 information update sub heading] ]
** a second stretch of busway has been abandoned
*Runcorn, [http://www2.halton.gov.uk/publictransport/pdfs/runcornroutemap2007.pdf Runcorn Busway] , operated by Halton Transport and Arriva North West and Wales, built as part of the new town extension of Runcorn [ [http://www2.halton.gov.uk/yourcouncil/townsandvillages/runcornnewtown?a=5441 Halton Council website page about development of Runcorn New Town] ] The busway is 22 km long, with an elevated section into a shopping area at the intersection [ [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp90v1_cs/Runcorn.pdf Description of the Runcorn Busway] ]
** 1971 - Phase 1 complete [ [http://members.lycos.co.uk/runcornbuses/index.html Runcorn buses enthusast site detailing the busway] ]
** 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 [ [http://www.go-fastrack.co.uk/wif_14.asp Fastrack web site, vehicles page] ] .
** Route B - Dartford - Gravesend, opened March 2006
** Route A - Dartford - Bluewater, opened June 2007
** Route C - Ebbsfleet circle, expected 2011
** Route D - Dartford - Bluewater, northern route, expected 2018
*Leeds, [http://www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?pageidentifier=B87A58A52B06F5EE80256E1400521B09 Leeds Superbus] , corridors with sections of guided busway [ [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp90v1_cs/Leeds.pdf Description of the Leeds guided bus system] ] , 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 [ [http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/yorkhumber/bradford/guidedbusway/bradford.php First group Bradford guided busway page] ]
** 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, [http://www.tie.ltd.uk/tie_pro_fast.html 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
** "Centrelink", an infrastructure project including an exclusive busway on the south bank of the River Tyne, for bendy bus services from Gateshead to the Metrocentre, operated by Go North East [ [http://www.nexus.org.uk/wps/wcm/connect/Nexus/Bus/CentreLink/ Tyne and Wear PTE (Nexus) Centrlink page] ]
** "Route 19", a bus route in North Tyneside, operating over a section of exclusive busway [ [http://www.nexus.org.uk/wps/wcm/connect/Nexus/Bus/Route+19/ Tyne and Wear PTE (Nexus) Route 19 page] ] , accessed through guidewheel gates. Operated by Go North East using guide-wheel-fitted buses.
* London, "Millennium Transit (unguided)" - see abandoned section

Under construction

* Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Guided Busway [ [http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/guided/ Cambridgeshire County Council - Guided Busway homepage] ] , a BRT corridor incorporating 28 km of guided busway using the route of the former Cambridge to St Ives railway line.
** Hinchingbrooke hospital - Trumpington Park and Ride, construction begun January 2007, due to open early 2009. [ [http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/40F67C0E-CB57-4327-A7BE-440650E8B822/0/CGBleafletweb.pdf "Cambridgeshire Guided Busway - information about the scheme"] (undated leaflet, accessed 2007-07-17), Cambridgeshire County Council]

* Swansea, Swansea Metro operated by First Cymru. A planned use of the FTR (bus) along segregated unguided busway
** Phase 1 - between the railway station and Kingsway, completed November 2007 [ [http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=10765 Swansea Council Metro Site] ]
** Phase 2 - between Kingsway and the Civic Centre, to be completed by April 2008

Planned systems

*Bath, the Department of Transport has approved funding for a BRT system, confirmation of which is expected soon . [ [http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/transportandstreets/transportpolicy/plansandstrategies/BathPackage Bath Package - Bath & North East Somerset Council ] ]

*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.

*Coventry [http://www.sprint-there.co.uk/content.asp?ThreadNo=3&PagesID=672&size= Sprint] . A proposed application of the FTR (bus) over a 30-km route, 34% segregated [ [http://www.sprint-there.co.uk/content.asp?ThreadNo=3&PagesID=670&size= Sprint Website Route Alignment page] ]
** Nuneaton - Coventry - Kenilworth, route consultation ongoing

*Glasgow, Clyde Fastlink, a BRT corridor along the north bank of the River Clyde, with segregated running for the majority of its length outside the city centre [ [http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GettingAround/PublicTransport/clydefastlink.htm Glasgow Council Fastlink description] ] .
** Glasgow City Centre - Glasgow Harbour, due to be built in 2008

*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 [ [http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/strategy/rfa/response/lettertotheyorkshireandhumbe3779?page=3#a1011 Department for Transport Leeds BRT statement] ] , which include a three-line 20-km trolleybus network [ [http://www.wymetro.com/ProjectsAndPlans/Tram-trainsandtrolleybuses/070614-2.htm West Yorkshire PTE (Metro) Trolleybus plans] ] .

* London
** "West London Transit", a bus scheme being considered following the abandonment of plans for the West London Tram scheme in August 2007
** "Thames Gateway Transit", two "bus transit" schemes, to be linked by the Thames Gateway Bridge, comprising:
*** Greenwich Waterfront Transit, planned for completion by 2011
*** East London Transit, planned for completion in autumn 2009 [ [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/networkandservices/2123.aspx East London Transit | Transport for London ] ]

* 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" [ [http://www.luton.gov.uk/internet/transport_and_streets/engineering%20&%20transportation/Translink%20project Luton Council busway news release] ] . Initially to be branded as " [http://www.translinkexpress.org.uk/ Translink Express] " and operated by Ulsterbus In July 2007 the agreement with Ulsterbus was terminated and it is undergoing a rebranding.
** Houghton Regis - Dunstable - Luton, Statutory powers gained by Luton Borough Council in 2005 [ [http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/twa/dl/lutondunstabletranslinkdecis1031?page=1 Department for Transport, Luton Dunstable Translink Decision Letter] ]

* Manchester, a proposed 15-km [http://www.gmpte.com/pdf/td101A_p1web.pdf] corridor with on-highway bus priority and 7 km of guided busway [ [http://www.gmpte.com/content.cfm?subcategory_id=409693 Greater Manchester PTE website, Leigh Busway Developments] (as at December 2007)]
** Manchester - Leigh, highways powers granted August 2005.

* Sheffield, The Sheffield to Rotherham Bus Rapid Transit Scheme, approved recently by the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly's Regional Transport Board. It will consist of two lines:
**Sheffield to Rotherham via the Waverley Development site, which will include employment and housing
**The Northern Route, via Meadowhall and Templeborough [cite web|url=http://www.rothbiz.co.uk/2008/04/news-regional-approval-for-rotherham.html|title=Regional approval for Rotherham / Sheffield transport scheme|publisher=Rotherham Business News|date=2008-04-07|accessdate=2008-04-08]
**A circular line to link these two routes is planned, but yet to receive approval.

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 [ [http://www.londonbusroutes.net/photos/486.htm London Bus Routes, route 486, successor to the Dome link] ] . 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 [ [http://ivsource.net/archivep/2000/nov/a001125_millenniumbus.html Specification Change to Create Havoc for Millennium Transit Engineers] ] . The busway remains in use, unguided.
** Route M1, Charlton - Millennium Dome
** Route M2, Greenwich - Millennium Dome

ee also

* List of bus rapid transit systems
* Rubber-tyred metro

External links

References