Cambridgeshire Launches Procurement for £150M Guided Busway Project

Cambridgeshire County Council has begun the search for a contractor to deliver the proposed £150 million Cambourne to Cambridge guided busway scheme, one of the region’s largest planned public transport infrastructure projects.

Acting on behalf of the Greater Cambridge Partnership, the council is seeking to appoint a single contractor to oversee the delivery of the dedicated busway route, which is intended to improve connectivity between the expanding settlement of Cambourne and Cambridge city centre while helping reduce congestion along the heavily used A428 corridor.

The project will also include the development of a new park-and-ride facility designed to support modal shift away from private car use as traffic pressures continue to grow across Greater Cambridge.

Construction is currently expected to begin in early 2027, with works anticipated to continue through to the end of 2031.

The proposed route will require significant new infrastructure, including bridge structures crossing both the M11 motorway and Bin Brook, alongside the construction of the dedicated guided busway itself.

Cambridgeshire County Council plans to procure the project through a two-stage tender process using an NEC4 Option C target cost contract combined with X22 early contractor involvement provisions.

Under the proposed structure, the first stage of the contract will focus on surveys, design validation linked to the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) process, preliminary and detailed design work, construction planning, logistics development, buildability reviews, and target cost preparation.

The council says the approach is intended to encourage earlier contractor involvement in design development and programme planning, helping identify delivery risks and improve cost certainty before construction begins.

Subcontract procurement will be carried out on an open-book basis, with both the client and project management teams given full visibility of pricing returns and commercial adjustments throughout the process.

Bidders will also be required to submit fixed overhead and profit percentages applicable across both phases of the contract.

The procurement highlights the increasing use of collaborative contracting models across major infrastructure schemes, particularly on projects where cost management, programme certainty, and early contractor engagement are seen as critical to delivery success.

The Cambourne to Cambridge busway forms part of wider efforts to improve sustainable transport infrastructure across Greater Cambridge, where rapid population growth and increasing housing development continue to place pressure on existing road networks.

The project has also been closely linked to wider discussions around future growth planning, public transport integration, and long-term infrastructure capacity within the region.

Guided busway systems remain a relatively uncommon form of transport infrastructure in the UK, although Cambridgeshire already operates one of the world’s longest guided busway networks connecting Cambridge, Huntingdon, and St Ives.

Supporters argue that guided busways can provide high-frequency, reliable public transport while avoiding some of the infrastructure costs associated with light rail systems. Critics, however, have previously raised concerns around cost, maintenance, and long-term operational flexibility.

The latest scheme reflects the growing pressure on local authorities and regional transport partnerships to deliver alternatives to private vehicle travel while supporting large-scale housing and economic growth.

Requests to participate in the procurement process must be submitted by 2 July 2026 through the ProContract portal, with a contract award currently expected in December 2026.