| Colchester Rapid Transit | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Owner | Colchester City Council, Essex County Council and First Essex |
| Locale | Colchester, Essex, England |
| Transit type | Bus rapid transit |
| Number of lines | 1 |
| Number of stations | 8 |
| Headquarters | Colchester |
| Operation | |
| Operation will start | 2025 |
| Operator(s) | First Essex |
| Headway | Once every 10 minutes |
| Technical | |
| System length | 4.7 mi (8 km) |
Colchester Rapid Transit, is a bus rapid transit system under construction in Colchester, Essex, England; [1] 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. [2]
The system will serve central Colchester, Essex University, as well as some suburbs including Myland and The Hythe.
The system is being built as a part of multiple transport improvements across the city, such as the A133-A120 link road [3] 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. [4]
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. [5]
The line will have one bus every ten minutes, which would make it one of the most frequent bus services in Essex. [6]
The project was originally meant to be completed by Spring 2024, but was later delayed to Autumn 2025. [7] The project is set to finish construction in 2025, with work ongoing as of May 2025. [8]
The project received criticism after it was revealed that cracks appeared on multiple homes after construction started to build the rapid busway. [9]
The first phase, Northern Approach, is being built by Sisk Group. [1]