Colchester Rapid Transit, is a
bus rapid transit system under construction in
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''.
Colchester occupies the ...
,
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, England; it has a main bus line including a 1 mile segregated busway alongside the Northern Approach Road, and new bus lanes and priority measures at Clingoe Hill. It is set to open its first line in 2025.
The system will serve central Colchester,
Essex University
The University of Essex is a public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, it is one of the original plate glass universities. The university comprises three campuses in the county, in Southend-on-Sea and ...
, as well as some suburbs including
Myland
Myland (also called Mile End) is a civil parish in Essex, England. It is now a northern suburb of Colchester. The original village began approximately one mile north of the centre of Colchester which probably accounts for its name. This has v ...
and
The Hythe.
Overview
The system is being built as a part of multiple transport improvements across the city, such as the A133-A120 link road and the re-construction of St Botolph's Circus. The busway was proposed as a more efficient alternative after some called for a tram system in the city. It will be the only rapid transit system in Essex.
It is to have one line and eight stations, terminating in the
proposed new garden community. The guided busway portions are along Cowdray Avenue, and Via Urbis Romanae.
The line will have one bus every ten minutes, which would make it one of the most frequent bus services in Essex.
Construction
The project was originally meant to be completed by Spring 2025, but was later delayed to Autumn 2025. The project is set to finish construction in 2025, with work ongoing as of May 2025.
The project received criticism after it was revealed that cracks appeared on multiple homes after construction started to build the rapid busway.
Route
See also
*
Rapid Bus Transit
*
Tramways in Colchester
References
{{Transport in Colchester
Guided busways and BRT systems in the United Kingdom
Transport in Colchester