Happy New Year from the Transport Team! As it is the time of year for resolutions and trying out new things, why not try a new commute for the New Year? There are many different ways to travel to and from campus, which may be cheaper, easier, more social, and environmentally friendlier.
To help, we have put together a guide to some of the transport links the university has below.
Train Travel
Both campuses are served by good train links.
Canterbury is served by two train stations: Canterbury East and West. Both are on the Uni bus routes or if your New Year’s resolution was to get fit, why not try walking from the station to the campus a couple of times a week. It is a great way to fit in your steps before work!
For Medway, there are two train stations near the campus: Chatham and Gillingham. Both have regular services running in to them from most of the county. They are accessible via bus or a short walk.
There are many options to help with the ticket costs. For those who travel more than three times a week, season tickets can work out a lot cheaper, giving you unlimited travel of the route. For more information, please see the SouthEastern Rail website.
There are also plenty of railcards which can save you up to a third off all rail journeys: 16-25, Two Together, and Network railcards to name a few. These can be used on any journey you make across the country, and could end up saving you a fortune!
To see if there is any easy train route for your commute, use the rail journey planner now.
Bus Services
Canterbury:
From Canterbury bus station, there are buses travelling far and wide across the region. To see the nearest route to you, use the Stagecoach route planner. A quick journey on the Unibus service (running every 8 minutes during peak times!) brings you up to campus from the city centre, stopping at multiple stops around campus.
The Unibus 1 and 2, Triangle (serving Herne Bay and Whitstable), 4, and 6 services come directly on to campus. For those of you lucky enough to live along one of those routes, you will not even need to change buses in Canterbury.
To help make bus commutes affordable for all, the university works with Stagecoach to offer staff discounted tickets with the option of paying via salary deduction to spread the cost. For more information, please see our webpage.
Medway:
The Medway campuses are served by a number of different services coming from across Medway, which can be seen on our webpages.
As with Stagecoach, the university works with Arriva to offer discounted bus travel to staff. For more information, and to download the promotional codes, please visit our webpage.
For more information on routes and timetables, please see our website.
Car Sharing
Still need to drive, but want to make it cheaper and more social? Why not try car sharing?
We have teamed up with the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church University to develop a private online car share scheme for staff and students via LiftShare.
On the Canterbury campus, we even have dedicated car share bays in the Estates car park, allowing those with a car share permit to park with ease in a central location.
You don’t have to Liftshare every day, even sharing once a week with someone makes a big difference. You’d be surprised how much the benefits add up over time; we’re talking financial savings (drivers can make back up to 100% of their fuel costs by sharing), as well as reducing your carbon footprint and decreasing congestion and parking pressures. Plus you might make some great new connections!
For more information on car share permits, please see our webpages.
Cycling
Cycling can be a cheap, quick, and healthy way to travel. To help with the initial costs, the university offers staff a cycle to work scheme, which enables you to purchase a brand new bike and accessories from a range of participating local stores at a discounted rate.
You will also save on Income Tax and National Insurance contributions, against the cost of the bike, and can even spread the cost over a 12 or 18 month period. For more information on how to sign up, please see the staff finance page.
On both campuses we offer secure lockable cycle shelters, lockers, and showers in various locations.
Walking
If you live nearby, why not try walking to work a couple of days a week. There are many benefits of walking; it is good for your physical and mental health, as well as saving money and helping the environment. Why splash out on a gym membership when you can get your daily dose of exercise on your commute.
