What's the SECRET of the Buses on a 'Train Track'? | Leigh Guided Busway

Maxson Goh Films a video response to the questions about how a bus on the guided busway stays on such a narrow track.

For that, we are at the Leigh Guided Busway in Greater Manchester, run almost entirely by Volvo B5LH Gemini 3 hybrid buses and I believe 2 Volvo B9TL Gemini 2 buses that are not featured in this video. I felt that it would be nice to make a video that shows the components in a more close up way to better illustrate how it works.

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All footage filmed and edited by Maxson Goh aka glitchFan2428
No unauthorised use or duplication of the video is allowed.

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[glitchFan]

Did you already know how it works, and if you didn't, was the answer something unexpected? 😅

[YaoboyProdK]

Interesting technology! This is one of the few guided busways that are still here in the UK. Other than that, Adelaide in Australia, and Essen in Germany are the only cities outside of the UK to have adopted the guided busway system in the 1980s.

[GegoXaren]

At that point you should just build a tram network....

[rogerking]

But what's the point of it? You still need a driver, so no labour saving. It makes more sense to just build a "bus only" road. Then, if there's a breakdown the whole system doesn't come to a halt because you can just drive round the stranded bus. Plus, it must cost more to build in the first place. It looks like a solution in search of a problem.

[WhiskeyGulf]

The reason for holding the steering wheel is to stop the bus from bouncing from side to side within the guideways.
When I drove guided buses I used to rest my hands on the wheel rather than holding it.
From time to time when a guided bus was replaced with a non guided bus I would still drive in the guideways with no problems.

[ArcadiaJunctionHobbies]

A classic "politican's cost-cutting solution" to something that is called either a train, tram or light rail.

[xX_Gravity_Xx]

There taking away our sportscars. Meanwhile, they build crap like this instead of a light train. The efficiency reduction going from a light electric/diesel electric rail vehicle to a bus is absolutely massive. This is ridiculous. I don't live wherever this is, but If I did Inwould be petitioning for rail infrastructure there.

[HesterClapp]

Does the guide wheel just push the bus or is it connected to the steering mechanism?

[johngregory]

Been on the Cambridgeshire busway and find these a very quick way to travel. I'm from London so you can imagine the traffic in such a huge city although we have quite a good underground system

[adi]

This could have been a train...Trams could have been buses. The world is truly upside down.

[The_StairTool]

More like a path, not a rail. Does not switch mechanisms.

[cdarting]

I know how they work, I just wanted to watch some footage of them. Thanks for making this video.

[eattherich]

The guided bus way is the intersection between light rail and the train system and cheaper than both to install.

[TheKingAdam-]

The entire world system should be like this

[TheBasher-_-]

Wow this was a joke on Onion 11 years ago and its actually real. 😂

[sil-lyyj]

What is the point of having a guided track, instead of just a normal road?

[thehighwaycowboy]

I drive these and when driving on the track we are trained to rest your hands on the wheel rather than holding the wheel

[hskdjs]

I think that type of public transit is outdated in the age of autopilots

[Bluestar]

One weong turn and the bus will hit the curb

[ehmzed]

This was helpful to understand how it works, because I was left very confused from a video where I saw this for the first time.
I still have questions regarding what makes this any better than a tram though 😂 Or is it only significantly cheaper?
Either way, I hope they will use electric busses in the future, because the noise is very annoying, especially in such an otherwise peaceful and pretty countryside location.