Ipswich Buses 87 (YJ12 GWA) and 95 (YJ12 GWM) - 8 Jul 2022 (P1120244)

Friday 8 July 2022 (1008) – A low bridge in Ancaster Road, Ipswich has long been an obstacle for Ipswich Buses (and Ipswich Corporation before it) on the services to the large Chantry housing estate restricting operation of services 12, 13 and 14 to single deck operation. The bridge carries the railway tracks out of Ipswich railway station.

Two Ipswich Buses Optare Tempo X1200SRs having passed beneath the bridge are seen turning from Ancaster Road to Ranelagh Road heading to the town centre. 87 (YJ12 GWA), branded for and working service 12, leads 95 (YJ12 GWM), branded for and working service 13. Services 12, 13 and 14 are collectively marketed as ‘Chantry Connexions’.

In early 2019 Ipswich Buses bought all thirteen of the batch of these newer style Tempos from Trent Barton (trentbarton) that were new in the early summer of 2012. Both were new in May of that year.

Rather a pity that the bin lorry appears in the shot. I was waiting at the bus stop and boarded 87 for a ride to the town centre.

During the main part of the day service 12 runs every 20 minutes and service 13 every 10 minutes. Bus 87 was running 8 minutes late and bus 95 about three minutes late. Sharing a common route from Hawthorn Drive/Mallard Road the driver of 87 has probably been the one to pick up the all the waiting passengers along the way therefore progressively losing time and giving the driver of 95 more of a clear run to catch 87 up. This is one of the reasons why ‘you wait for one and two appear together’.

Service 14 operates hourly from 0930 until 1430 six days a week serving housing close to Gippeswyk Park and joins Ancaster Road at the end of Hawthorn Drive.