Stagecoach East 15458 (AE09 GYF) in Fordham - 10 Oct 2022 (P1130664)

Monday 10 October 2022 (1134) - Stagecoach East (Cambus) 15458 (AE09 GYF) seen in Fordham when working the 1025 service 12 from Cambridge and Newmarket to Ely. It is an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodied Scania N230UD new in March 2009.

A two week long road closure at the bottom of Mill Hill in Newmarket (just 328 yards/300 metres from the bus station) resulted in quiet a lengthy diversion of 1.75 miles/2.8 km for service 12 to/from Ely. Service 11 to/from Burwell was also affected but less so because the service turns in to Valley Way and doesn’t travel all the way back to Mill Hill. The diversion caused quite serious delays to the buses particularly at traditionally busy times. This service had departed Newmarket on time at 1103 but due to the diversion was now almost 15 minutes late.

During mid-September 2022 Stagecoach East announced its intention to withdraw quite a number of bus services which it said were no longer commercially sustainable. Their services 11/X11 ceased after operation on Saturday 29 October 2022 along with the Cambridge-Newmarket-Ely service 12. Replacement services were introduced by Stephensons of Essex from Monday 31 October 2022.

Using the tracker on the Bus Times website this bus was shown as running the following trips today:

0725 Cambridge-Newmarket 0807 (X11)
0840 Newmarket-Cambridge 0959 (11)
1025 Cambridge-Newmarket-Ely 1156 (12)
1251 Ely-Newmarket-Cambridge 1427 (12)
1450 Cambridge-Newmarket 1607 (11)
1624 Newmarket-Bury St. Edmunds 1649 (11)
1705 Bury St. Edmunds-Cambridge 1859 (11)
1915 Cambridge-Newmarket 2032 (11)
Empty to Cambridge Depot 2053