St Ives to Cambridge Railway (fast version)

A high speed walk along the St Ives railway between Fen Drayton and Cambridge. See the rails for the last time, before the dreaded guided busway takes them away for ever.
The journey passes through Long Stanton, Swavesey, Oakington, Histon and outer Cambridge. See what remains of the stations.
The railway hasn't been used since the 1970s (passengers) 1980s (goods)
To use this valuable asset again after more than 25 years of neglect: is good!
What isn't good is the poor choice the local government has made, by choosing buses over trains and trams.
Trams are tops can't understand why a busway is needed. All the places it'll serve have buses already.
Trains could go much further distances, faster for longer, trams could share the track, to serve Cambridge city centre, as-well as local town centres. They are cleaner too!
I hope you enjoy this piece of history.
Be sure to see my second film, about the remains of the other old railway that will be used by the Guided Busway, being between Cambridge Railway Station , Trumpington and Addenbrooks.
Better version on Mpeg2 Quality (1Hr 10Mins) available on DVD!

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• cambridge
• st
• ives
• fenstanton
• guided
• busway
• bus
• histon
• oakington
• fen
• drayton
• swavesey
• longstanton
• railway
• 1970s
• walk
• cgb

[xxxChrist]

Looks like its all going to end in tears. I feel sorry for the council actually, the builders have shafted them on the home straight. If the dispute ends up in court it will take at least 2 years to resolve the situation. Let's hear it for the council representatives who no-one voted for, who steadfastly remain impossible to contact, yet continue defiantly to issue us with ever-increasing council tax bills! Hurrah!!!!

[NODDINGCAT]

@xxxChrist

You know that!

[bwhugul]

I hope that if the busway proves to be a white elephant and does not benefit the people of Cambridgeshire enough, it is disbanded with, using the concrete as foundations for continuously welded rail.

Yet the busway will be built before the government too late realises it was a folly

[NODDINGCAT]

Like your comment.

The Busway is nonsense because although it is good to use the corridor after years of neglect, the option that was chosen wont allow through traffic past Cambridge or Huntingdon.

A Tram/Train would have been better.

The St Ives line could have also become a major part of the planned Oxford to Cambridge Railway.

[KiwiExpat34]

This is a very pertinent and moving video. The jarring music is totally appropriate given the madness which is now taking place, as yet another piece of Britain's valuable rail infrastructure disappears. This is a wrong decision in the making. An asset - real and tangible with huge potential for the future - being destroyed. The propopsed busway will not make up for what is being lost. It is a white elephant. Shame on all who have contributed to this mis-guided busway decision.

[NODDINGCAT]

Cheers!

[Shizum21]

what a grating choice of music.

[Markjuk]

This is a shining example of what really annoys me with Goverment transport policy. Reopen a railway? No money is available "at present" or bulls**t reasons given on cost grounds or unviable. Guided busway or roadway? The money can be immediately found from nowhere as it is cost effective and cheaper?!?!?! I wish the Government (and local transport groups ) would stop buggering about and get on with reopening the rail routes that are desperately needed on today's network - including this route.

[stapleford]

Agree

absolute t!!!!

Councilors should pay for the damage themselves and for what

Buses will never gte people out of their cars, period

Far better to have got the railway back in, maybe to Northampton even , but not now

[Trainbuff2008]

Its a sad sight!! music was appropiate but had to mute after 30 seconds. Time will tell this line might get reopened one day the way this countrys becomming over populated and the way petrol prices are constantly rising!!

[bxr007ful]

Thanks for the video, it brought back many memories of when I used to live by the line in Histon 30 yrs ago.

[MrTvfreak2008]

3:56 wth lol

[sandyrow100]

I think the idea of the (mis)guided busway is an example of the wooly and short sighted view that has help ruin this country. This line was lifted at a time when there is considerable pressure to fully reinstate a line between OXFORD and CAMBRIDGE as the line between Sandy and Cambridge is beyond retrieving this would have been an option. There is no reason people would not have used a light rail system. I just cant see the figures stacking and it really is mad for it to rejoin town roads

[charlee94]

the paper made me laugh the other day.. "guided bus will be no quicker than old route" or something like that, so this was a waste of time, and money ? its laughable, it really is.