AGENDA ITEM NO. 7 TITLE: RURAL TRANSPORT REVIEW
Committee: Environment & Transport Committee
Date: 23rd March 2010
Author: Transport Policy Officer [J365]
1.0 ISSUE
1.1 This Review looks at the existing public and community transport options available in East Cambridgeshire and identifies gaps in transport provision and suggests ways in which some of these could be filled.
2.0 RECOMMENDATION(S)
2.1 That the report be noted and the options considered, subject to availability of funding.
3.0 BACKGROUND/OPTIONS
3.1 In 2008/09, East Cambridgeshire District Council carried out a review of grants to voluntary and community groups. This review recognised the role of community transport in alleviating rural isolation and the need to see how transport in these areas could be developed to improve accessibility.
3.2 Following the review, it was agreed at full Council on 24th February 2009 that “up to £5,000 be allocated from the Concessionary Bus Travel budget allocation to fund a local transport review to investigate options to widen access to public transport provision for the area’s disadvantaged groups”.
4.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
4.1 None to the council at the present time, but future funding would need to be considered if any of the suggested solutions are considered further. The £5,000 allocated to the report could be put towards developing one or more of these solutions.
5.0 APPENDICES
5.1 Rural Transport Review Parish Transport Database Bus and Rail services in East Cambridgeshire
Agenda Item 7 - page 1 Background Documents Location Contact Officer
Room 12, Eileen Oliver The Grange Transport Policy Officer 01353 616092 [email protected]
Agenda Item 7 - page 2 APPENDIX A East Cambridgeshire Rural Transport Review The purpose of this review is to identify the gaps in transport provision and to identify ways in which these could be filled, subject to availability of funding.
The report examines the transport links that are currently available and considers which settlements are the most isolated in terms of transport and access to services. It then goes on to look at the extent of community transport provision before looking at possible transport solutions.
Introduction to transport and travel in East Cambridgeshire The main service centres for East Cambridgeshire residents are Ely, Cambridge and Newmarket. For residents who live in the parishes around Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds is also a key destination. In addition, significant numbers of residents commute to London.
There are reasonable bus and rail links for most of the larger villages and the market towns; however the rural areas have very poor links, leading to a high dependency on car travel to access services. There are very few buses on Sundays and in the evenings. Whilst peak time services to and from Cambridge are good, services to and from the market towns are less so. For example, the last bus from Ely to Soham and Newmarket departs from Ely at 1735, which is too restrictive for people who work in Ely and need to return to Stuntney, Soham and Fordham. The main bus operator, Stagecoach, has recently reviewed all its rural services and this has meant cuts in service levels including in this district.
All parishes have access to a community transport scheme, although the coverage varies. All parishes also have some form of shopping bus to their local centre, but several of the smaller settlements only have such a service one day a week. Although community transport services are for everyone who needs them, they tend to suffer from an image problem and are generally regarded as only being for the disabled and for older people.
The buses used in the district are mostly older vehicles that are not accessible for people with mobility problems or for parents with pushchairs. They have entrance steps, generally a split entrance and do not have a kneeling facility. Most bus stops are not DDA compliant.
The main bus operator in the area is Stagecoach, who operates the principal routes on a commercial basis. The remaining services are operated by smaller companies under contract to the county council. Ely Soham Dial-a-Ride (ESDAR) has recently started to operate local bus contracts in addition to their dial-a-ride services.
Earlier work Cambridgeshire's Accessibility Strategy identified Isleham and the Fordham villages (Snailwell, Chippenham and the north of Fordham) as being among the most isolated parishes in the county. However, there are other East Cambridgeshire parishes with similar transport and access problems and even fewer bus services.
Agenda Item 7 – page 3 The East Cambridgeshire Transport and Access Group was established to consider the transport problems of Isleham and the Fordham villages as identified through the Accessibility Planning process. This group commissioned the Care Network to produce a report suggesting possible solutions. As a result of this work, a community car scheme has been set up, ESDAR are operating a market day service to Ely in partnership with the parish council and a leaflet has been produced and circulated, promoting all the transport options that are available in the area.
Concessionary bus travel Since 1st April 2006, older and disabled people have been entitled to free off-peak bus travel throughout Cambridgeshire. In April 2008, this was extended to provide free off-peak travel on buses throughout England. This has been welcomed by the target groups and bus travel by older people has significantly increased. However, it is of limited use to people with mobility problems in rural areas because of the lack of accessible buses on local services.
Dial-a-Ride schemes are not included in the concessionary travel legislation so the Council doesn’t receive any government funding for this. Instead the Council funds half-fare concessions on a discretionary basis and this has seen significant growth in the numbers of Dial-a-Ride passengers. In April 2011 the administrative and funding responsibilities for concessionary bus travel moves to the County Council and the district needs to lobby for this discretionary payment to continue, at least at its current level.
Bus information A significant barrier to public transport use is a perceived lack of information. People often find it difficult to find out where buses go and at what times.
Information provided at bus stops is often patchy and difficult to read. There are no Real Time Bus Information screens in East Cambridgeshire and none of the buses used have the necessary equipment fitted. This situation is unlikely to change in the short to medium term, due to lack of available funding. Bus information is available on line both from the county council website and from Traveline, which also acts as a public transport call centre. In addition, it is possible to have bus times sent to mobile phones by texting the bus stop code (found on bus stop flags) to Traveline.
People can also find it difficult to find out about community transport in their area. Word of mouth tends to be the most efficient form of information for these services, but this does tend to restrict itself to the existing user groups.
Accessibility issues The Commission for Rural Communities’ (CRC) Disadvantage Study identified three critical factors for rural people, in both experiencing and escaping disadvantage – financial poverty, relating to income and employment, access poverty relating to access to transport and other services, and network poverty relating to contact with, and help from, friends, neighbours and others. A lack of transport options in rural areas can severely restrict choice and quality of life.
Agenda Item 7 – page 4 Lack of transport options restricts accessibility to services, including medical appointments, employment, training, higher education, shops, leisure opportunities and family and social contact.
The lack of transport links in the rural areas is particularly an issue for the following groups:
Older people Limited shopping and social opportunities and difficulty accessing essential journeys such as medical appointments. Difficulties getting out cause social isolation.
School children and young people Difficulty accessing after school activities and meeting friends in the evening and at weekends. Very dependent on parental lifts. Lack of rural transport can also restrict post-16 education and training options
People on low incomes The lack of transport options in rural areas generally makes car ownership a necessity, causing further pressure on tight budgets. Where buses do exist, fares can be relatively high and difficult to afford.
Job seekers The lack of transport options in rural areas can severely limit employment and training opportunities.
People with mobility and/or health problems The problems for these groups are compounded by the lack of accessible buses and bus stops in rural areas.
Community Transport in East Cambridgeshire To use community transport services you must be unable to access conventional bus services. This can be because of health and/or mobility problems or because where you live has no suitable service for you. The following schemes operate in East Cambridgeshire:
Burwell Social Car Scheme Cambridge Dial-a-Ride Ely Soham Dial-a-Ride (ESDAR) Newmarket Car Service Newmarket Dial-a-Ride Three Rivers Car Scheme (Isleham and the Fordham villages).
Community Car Schemes These schemes provide lifts for essential journeys such as hospital appointments, hospital visiting, other medical appointments, shopping, visiting family and friends. The lifts are provided by volunteers using their own cars, for which they are paid a mileage allowance. Cambridgeshire County Council fund a proportion of the cost the remainder of the cost is paid by the passenger.
Agenda Item 7 – page 5 Dial-a-Ride services Fully accessible minibuses pick you up from your door and take you to your nearest town for shopping, leisure, medical and social purposes. To use the services, you need to join the scheme (paying a nominal membership fee) and book your journey at least two days in advance. There are currently three different schemes. Each scheme is restricted to those who live in the covering parishes and is mainly for essential purposes, such as medical appointments or shopping.
Cambridge Minibus Brokerage Scheme (CaMBS) CaMBS is a vehicle-sharing scheme that enables community groups, clubs and not-for-profit organisations to use accessible and affordable minibuses. CaMBS has over 50 minibuses available for hire and nearly all are wheelchair accessible. The scheme can supply drivers; groups can (subject to training) use their own drivers.
All community groups, clubs or organisations wishing to use this service must be on a not-for-profit basis, to comply with our vehicle licensing. Not-for-profit includes: • Charities and housing associations • Health and wellbeing groups • Faith and belief based groups • Interest, hobbies and arts groups • Over 60’s groups • Parents, preschool and toddlers groups • Schools, colleges and academic groups • Sports and games clubs • Scouts, guides and cadets • Youth clubs and groups • Social clubs and community groups • After school activities Individuals with a disability, for example a wheelchair user (or their families), may be able to hire an available vehicle.
Soham Rural Welfare Association - service for patients going to Staploe Medical Centre from the villages of Chippenham (Mondays), Isleham (Mondays and Thursdays), and Fordham (Thursdays and Fridays) days of the week. There is also a prescription collection and delivery service provided. This service is funded by donations from passengers and Parish Councils. Journeys should be pre-booked on the surgery’s appointment line on (01353) 0624123. This service is only available to patients registered at Staploe Surgery.
Ely Shopmobility loans powered wheelchairs for people to use when they need some help to get around town. The Ely scheme operates on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and is based at Ely Museum, which is off Market Street.
Agenda Item 7 – page 6 The table below shows the journeys provided by the community car schemes in the district, broken down by journey purpose.
Scheme Social* Medical Addenbrookes Hinchingbrooke Ely Fulbourn Other Totals Burwell 202 294 1 0 0 0 1 498 Ely 1,390 223 342 44 235 6 190 2,430 Newmarket 63 40 0 0 1 0 5 109 Three Rivers 2 1 1 0 2 0 1 7 Totals 1,657 558 344 44 238 6 197
Including day care and shopping.
Although scheme members are encouraged to use Dial-a Ride services for shopping trips, many elderly people prefer to use a car scheme. This table also demonstrates the vital role that these schemes play in getting people to medical appointments, both at surgeries and also at the hospitals.
The table below gives a break down of trips made by East Cambridgeshire residents on the Newmarket Dial-a-Ride service, which shows how much people rely on these services to go shopping. A similar picture emerges from ESDAR trips, showing that these services are vital for rural life.
Journey Purpose for Dial a Ride % B Shopping 71 C Social occasions/visiting relatives 13 DDay Care 2 E Medical appointments 13 G Transport Feeder 1
Other community transport schemes in Cambridgeshire
South Cambridgeshire Taxicard Scheme Taxicard schemes provide assistance towards the cost of taxi journeys for people who have difficulties using public transport.
The taxi operators accept Taxicard vouchers as means of payment. Each voucher has a value of £2.50, but only costs the holder 0.75 pence. If, for example, the taxi fare is £10.00, passengers can either use 4 vouchers, or 1 voucher and pay the remaining £7.50 in cash, and so on. In addition, if passengers share a taxi with other Taxicard holders, the other person’s (or people’s) vouchers can also be put towards the cost of the journey.
A booklet of 10 vouchers costs £7.50, whereas a booklet of 20 vouchers costs £15. Booklets of vouchers can be bought from Cambridgeshire County Council. This scheme is funded by Section 106 monies from relevant developments, such as surgeries, social housing, sheltered housing, etc.
A Taxicard scheme also operates in Cambridge City, whereby eligible people are given 100 vouchers, each worth £2.60 off the fare for a standard taxi journey.
Agenda Item 7 – page 7 The Cambridge City scheme is restricted to people with mobility problems on a low income and is funded entirely the city council.
Kickstart Norfolk This scheme provides mopeds to people in rural areas who are unable to access work or training because there is no transport available in their area. The clients pay £40 a week for 15 weeks, after which the moped is theirs. The scheme pays for the Compulsory Basic Training test and provides helmet and essential clothing.
The purpose of the scheme is to get people into employment, by providing mopeds to enable those with access problems to travel as required. Kickstart’s geographical area of coverage is Norfolk and part of Fenland. Investment in Communities (IIC) funding has been secured for the Fenland element. Kickstart currently receives about 1,000 applications a year and has a fleet of approx 600 mopeds. Most of the applicants are on job seekers allowance. It costs around £640 a person to run the scheme.
The existing public transport picture in East Cambridgeshire Appendix A is a parish transport database, which lists all the parishes and settlements and their existing transport provision, together with whether or not they have basic services in the village. It also gives the 2007 mid-year population data where available. This has been used to get an idea of which places are the most isolated in transport terms and access.
The following places do not have any kind of peak hour service, leaving people who do not have their own transport, dependent on others to get to work or training.
Villages/settlements without a peak time bus service: Aldreth Barway Black Horse Drove Coveney Prickwillow Queen Adelaide Wardy Hill Wicken
With the exception of Prickwillow, these are all relatively small settlements with low levels of population. Aldreth is close to Haddenham, which has peak hour services to both Cambridge and Ely and a range of shops. Apart from Aldreth, which has a six day a week shopping service to Ely, all of these settlements have only one bus service a week in the form of a market day shopping service. None have services of their own, apart from the pubs at Wicken and Upware.
There are a number of other settlements that have only a very limited peak time service. These include Witcham, Little Downham, Isleham, Chippenham and Snailwell. All of these have a very restricted choice of destination and timing. This again makes it difficult to access work or training.
Agenda Item 7 – page 8 Villages/settlements Villages/settlements without an evening without a Sunday bus or rail service bus or rail service Aldreth Aldreth Ashley Ashley Barway Barway Black Horse Drove Black Horse Drove Brinkley Brinkley Burrough Green Burrough Green Cheveley Chettisham Chippenham Cheveley Coveney Chippenham Haddenham Coveney Isleham Haddenham Kirtling Isleham Little Downham Kirtling Lode Little Downham Mepal Lode Prickwillow Mepal Pymoor Prickwillow Queen Adelaide Pymoor Reach Queen Adelaide Shippea Hill Reach Snailwell Shippea Hill Stetchworth Snailwell Sutton Stetchworth Wardy Hill Sutton Wentworth Wardy Hill Westley Waterless Wentworth Wicken Westley Waterless Wilburton Wicken Witcham Wilburton Witchford Witcham Woodditton Witchford Woodditton
Conclusions It is clear that many of our settlements have very limited transport options, particularly those who live off the main routes. Although every settlement has some form of public transport to get to the nearest shopping centre, there are very strong restrictions for many people who are trying to get to work or training. The lack of evening and Sunday services restricts leisure and social opportunities, particularly for young people. It is also clear that significant numbers of people rely very heavily on community transport.
Agenda Item 7 – page 9 Possible solutions
Improved publicity for services It is recognised that people are often not aware of what transport is available. More passengers mean more sustainable services. A leaflet has been produced to show all the transport options in the Isleham and Fordham villages’ area. This leaflet was funded by LTP monies and the county council has said that it could fund more such leaflets in the same way, as a low cost approach to rural problems.
Taxi vouchers A taxi voucher scheme would give some flexibility for people in the most isolated settlements and provide help outside Dial-a-Ride hours, particularly in the evenings. Funding for such a scheme could be sought from suitable developer contributions and the county council could be prepared to administer the scheme on the same basis as the South Cambridgeshire one. It must be noted, however, that, in most cases, the taxi would need to travel out from/to one of the larger settlements or towns and that fares will be high.
Extension of Kickstart Norfolk scheme To do this would require considerable funding from outside the council, which would be difficult in the current economic climate, but could be considered further in the future.
Use the Dial-a-Ride schemes to provide evening services for young people Again this would require funding, possibly from parish councils and community schemes, but would help to alleviate a number of problems in the villages.
Existing county council bus contracts This council could lobby the county council to review its existing contracts to provide new links, for example the peak hour services on routes 106 (Haddenham to Ely) and 125 (Little Downham to Ely) and possibly the market day services into Ely. This would be a medium to long term measure as contracts come up for re tender. Consideration should also be given to working with the county council and Dial-a-Ride schemes to make their services run more as flexible fixed routes as the Fenland Area Community Transport (FACT) scheme do. This could help to widen the appeal of the services.
Agenda Item 7 – page 10 2007 Commuter evening Car Post Parish Population bus? Shopper bus? bus? Sunday bus? Dial-a-Ride? Scheme? Rail station School Office Surgery Pub Waterbeach Aldreth 260 no yes - to Ely no no ESDAR yes 6 miles no no no no yes - to Newmarket 3 Ashley 610 N'market yes - to N'market no no Newmarket yes miles no yes no yes Included in yes - Thursdays Barway Soham no only to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 4 miles no no no no commu Black Horse Included in yes -Thursdays Littleport 3 nity Drove Littleport no only to Ely no no ESDAR yes miles no no no centre
yes - to yes - to yes - to N'market & yes - to N'market N'market & N'market & Cambridge 6 Bottisham 1,983 Cambridge & Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge CamDar yes miles yes yes yes yes
yes - to yes - to N'market Dullingham Brinkley 383 N'market and BSE no no Newmarket yes 1.5 miles no no no no
Burrough yes - to yes - to N'market Dullingham Green 386 N'market and BSE no no Newmarket yes 2.3 miles yes no no yes
yes - to yes - to yes - to N'market & yes - to N'market N'market & N'market & CamDar & Newmarket 5 Burwell 5,833 Cambridge & Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Newmarket yes miles yes yes yes yes yes - to Ely Included in and yes - to Ely and Chettisham Ely Cambridge Cambridge yes no ESDAR yes Ely 2 miles no no no no yes - to Newmarket 3 Cheveley 1,912 N'market yes - to N'market no no Newmarket yes miles yes yes no yes yes - to N'market & 2 a week to ESDAR & Kennett 4 Chippenham 528 Cambridge N'market. no no Staploe bus yes miles no no no yes yes - Thursdays village Coveney 421 no only to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 4 miles no no no hall
Agenda Item 7 - page 2007 Commuter evening Car Post Parish Population bus? Shopper bus? bus? Sunday bus? Dial-a-Ride? Scheme? Rail station School Office Surgery Pub yes - to yes - to N'market, N'market & Cambridge & Dullingham 718 Cambridge BSE no no Newmarket yes yes yes no no yes
yes - to Ely, yes - to Ely, yes - to yes - to N'market & N'market & N'market & N'market & ESDAR & Kennett 6 Fordham 2,620 Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Staploe bus yes miles yes yes no yes yes - to Ely and Haddenham 3,228 Cambridge yes - to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 5.5 miles yes yes yes yes yes - to N'market & 2 a week to ESDAR & Kennett 5.5 Isleham 2,370 Cambridge Newmarket no no Staploe bus yes miles yes yes no yes yes to yes to N'market yes to Kennett 364 N'market & & Mildenhall N'market & no Newmarket yes yes yes no no yes
yes - to yes - to N'market Newmarket Kirtling 370 N'market and BSE no no Newmarket yes 4.5 miles no no no no Little Downham 2,409 yes - to Ely yes - to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 3 miles yes yes no yes yes - to Ely yes - to Ely yes - to Ely Little and yes - to Ely and and and Thetford 693 Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge ESDAR yes Ely 1 mile yes no no no yes - to Ely yes - to Ely and yes - to Ely and and Littleport 7,940 Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge no ESDAR yes yes yes yes yes yes yes - to yes - to N'market & yes - to N'market N'market & Cambridge 7 Lode 892 Cambridge & Cambridge no Cambridge CamDar no miles no yes no no
yes - to March, yes - to March, Wisbech, Ely Wisbech, Ely & Mepal 921 & Cambridge Cambridge no no ESDAR yes Ely 6 miles yes yes no yes
Agenda Item 7 - page 2007 Commuter evening Car Post Parish Population bus? Shopper bus? bus? Sunday bus? Dial-a-Ride? Scheme? Rail station School Office Surgery Pub yes - Thursdays social Prickwillow 440 no only to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 4 miles no no no club included in Little yes - Thursdays Pymore Downham yes - to Ely only to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 6 miles no no no no Queen Included in yes - Thursdays Adelaide Ely no only to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 3 miles no no no no yes - to N'market & yes - to N'market Camdar & Newmarket 6 Reach 365 Cambridge & Cambridge no no N'market yes miles no no no yes yes - to N'market & 2 a week to Newmarket 3 Snailwell 220 Cambridge Newmarket no no N'market yes miles no no no yes
yes - to Ely, yes - to Ely, yes - to yes - to Ely, N'market & N'market & N'market & N'market & Soham 9,440 Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge ESDAR yes Ely 5 miles yes yes yes yes
yes - to Ely, yes - to Ely, yes - to Ely, yes - to N'market, N'market, N'market, Cambridge, Cambridge & Cambridge & Cambridge Ely & Dullingham 1 shared with Stetchworth 750 BSE BSE & BSE Newmarket N'market yes mile Dullingham yes no yes yes - to Ely yes - to Ely yes - to Ely and yes - to Ely and and and Stretham 1,685 Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge ESDAR yes Ely 4 miles yes yes yes yes
yes - to Ely, yes - to Ely, yes - to yes - to N'market & N'market & N'market & N'market & social Stuntney 200 Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge ESDAR yes Ely 1.5 miles no no no club
yes - to March, yes - to March, Wisbech, Ely Wisbech, Ely & Sutton 3,363 & Cambridge Cambridge no no ESDAR yes Ely 6 miles yes yes yes yes
Agenda Item 7 - page 2007 Commuter evening Car Post Parish Population bus? Shopper bus? bus? Sunday bus? Dial-a-Ride? Scheme? Rail station School Office Surgery Pub
yes - to yes - to yes - to Swaffham N'market & yes - to N'market N'market & N'market & ESDAR & Newmarket 6 Bulbeck 850 Cambridge & Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge N'market yes miles yes yes no yes
yes - to yes - to yes - to Swaffham N'market & yes - to N'market N'market & N'market & ESDAR & Cambridge 7 Prior 720 Cambridge & Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge N'market yes miles yes no no no included in Little yes - Thursdays Wardy Hill Downham no only to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 4 miles no no no no yes - to Ely & Wentworth 180 yes yes no Cambridge ESDAR yes Ely 4 miles no no no no at Westley yes - to N'market Dullingham 1 Burrough Waterless 160 no & BSE no no N'market N'market mile Green no no no weekly to Soham ESDAR & Wicken 835 no & Ely no no Staploe bus yes Ely 5 miles no no no yes yes - to Ely and Wilburton 1,280 Cambridge yes - to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 5 miles yes yes no yes Witcham 434 yes - to Ely yes - to Ely no no ESDAR yes Ely 4 miles no no no yes
yes - to March, yes - to March, Wisbech, Ely Wisbech, Ely & Witchford 2,344 & Cambridge Cambridge no no ESDAR yes Ely 4 miles yes yes no yes
yes - to yes - to N'market Dullingham 3 Woodditton 1,789 N'market & BSE no no Newmarket yes miles no no no yes
Agenda Item 7 - page APPENDIX C Public transport Services in East Cambridgeshire
Bus services The following bus services operate in East Cambridgeshire:
9 Littleport – High Barns – Ely. This is an hourly service, with some peak hour journeys continuing to and from Cambridge via Stretham. There is an evening service, but no Sunday service.
10/10A Newmarket – Burwell – Swaffhams – Bottisham – Cambridge. This is an hourly service with a limited evening service and no Sunday service.
11 Bury St Edmunds – Kentford – Newmarket – Bottisham – Cambridge. Hourly service operating Monday to Saturday.
12/12A Ely – Soham – Newmarket – Cambridge. This is an hourly service, with no evening buses north of Newmarket. The Sunday service operates via Bottisham and Burwell and terminates at Soham.
17 Stetchworth – Dullingham – Fulbourn – Cambridge. One peak hour return journey. Monday to Saturday.
19 Ely city service. Circular route via Dunstan Street. Monday to Friday off-peak only.
46 Streetley End – Linton – Brinkley – Dullingham – Newmarket. One return shopping journey on Tuesdays only.
47 Brinkley – Burrough Green – Westley Waterless – Dullingham – Stetchworth – Kirtling – Cheveley – Ashley – Newmarket. Monday to Friday peak-hour service.
106 Cottenham – Wilburton - Aldreth – Haddenham – Witcham – Ely. Limited service providing school, work and shopping services into Ely.
110 Cottenham – Wilburton – Ely. Thursday market service only.
115 Welney – Little Downham – Pymoor – Black Bank – Ely. Thursday market service only.
116 Wardy Hill – Coveney – Little Downham – Ely. Thursday market service only.
117 Upware – Wicken – Soham – Barway - Stuntney - Ely. Thursday market service only.
125 Pymore/Black Bank – Little Downham – Ely. Commuter service to Ely, plus shopping service from Little Downham to Ely.
129 Black Horse Drove – Littleport – Burnt Fen – Mile End – Prickwillow – Queen Adelaide – Ely. Thursday market service only.
203 Isleham – Chippenham – Snailwell – Newmarket. Shopping service on Tuesdays and Saturdays only.
Agenda Item 7 – page 15 204 Isleham – Chippenham – Snailwell – Newmarket. Monday to Friday peak hour feeder service with connections to and from Cambridge at Newmarket.
400/401 Newmarket – Kennett – Freckenham – Mildenhall. Hourly service Monday to Saturday, with a less frequent service in the evenings.
901 Newmarket – Cheveley – Ashley – Newmarket. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday shopping service.
902 Ashley – Cheveley – Saxon Street – Woodditton – Kirtling – Newmarket. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday shopping service.
903 Stetchworth – Dullingham – Westley Waterless – Newmarket. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday shopping service only.
904 Dullingham – Carlton – Brinkley – Newmarket. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday shopping service.
X7 March – Chatteris – Sutton – Haddenham – Wilburton – Cottenham – Cambridge. One peak time return journey only.
X9 March – Chatteris – Sutton – Witchford – Ely – Stretham – Waterbeach – Cambridge. This is an hourly service with connections in Ely for Littleport, Soham and Newmarket, and in March for Wisbech. There is a limited evening service and one return journey on Sundays.
Rail Services East Cambridgeshire has five railway stations:
Ely has services to Cambridge, London, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Peterborough, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Stansted Airport, Norwich and King’s Lynn.
Littleport has services to Cambridge, London and King’s Lynn.
Dullingham and Kennett have services to Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Ipswich.
Shippea Hill has a peak hour return service to Thetford and Norwich only.
In addition, Newmarket is almost entirely surrounded by East Cambridgeshire and many East Cambridgeshire residents use Newmarket as their local rail station. There are overcrowding issues on peak hour trains into Cambridge from Ely, Dullingham and Kennett. There is also significant pressure on car parking at both Littleport and Ely stations.
Agenda Item 7 – page 16