Stagecoach East 15456 (AE09 GYC) near Snailwell - 19 Oct 2022 (P1130803)

Wednesday 19 October 2022 (1131) - Stagecoach East (Cambus) 15456 (AE09 GYC), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400 bodied Scania N230UD new in March 2009, near Snailwell as it worked the 1025 service 12 from Cambridge to Ely. Seen from on board 15220 (YN15 KHT) which had had to give way to the Turners lorry at the roundabout leading from their depot. It was just building up speed and very soon powered up and got on its way.

15456 had departed Newmarket on time but was faced with a diversion within Newmarket. 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. The tracker on the Bus Times website showed that it arrived in Ely about 17 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.