A community group served by volunteers has announced that the wheels are in motion for two new Saturday services connecting Penrith with two Eden Valley villages.
The Fellrunner Village Bus Group has confirmed that the Traffic Commissioner has granted permission for routes to run between the town and both Shap and Langwathby.
These services are to start from November 4 with buses running every Saturday, all year around.
The Shap to Penrith service will depart from The Greyhound, Shap, 9.55am, calling at all Shap bus stops and then travelling via Thrimby, 10.04am, Hackthorpe 10.05am, Lowther village, castle and gardens on request, 10,09am and Clifton 10.14am before arriving at Penrith bus station at 10.30am.
The bus will drop in Penrith at Sainsbury’s, King Street, Aldi, the railway station, Booths/Morrisons and Middlegate as required.
Passengers will get three hours in Penrith with the return service leaving the town bus station at 1.30pm, returning as per the outward journey and returning to Shap at 2pm.
The Langwathby-based Fellrunner will also run a Saturday service from the village bus shelter 9am, calling at Edenhall .9.04am and then Penrith bus station at 9.20am.
This bus then continues 9.22am to Shap via all villages as above, offering Penrith residents without a car the chance to visit Lowther Castle and Gardens with a return journey starting at 2.30pm.
Passengers can also travel to Shap or any of the villages en route. A return service to Edenhall and Langwathby runs from Penrith bus station at 12.15pm and 3pm.
Fellrunner chairman Kevin McGilloway said: “We were very pleased to be able to announce these new services to give passengers the opportunity to get to and from Shap and Langwathby to Penrith on Saturdays.
“We have been working with the Shap 106 Bus Group who have been unable to source a commercial operator to run the Shap service on Saturdays and we are pleased to be able to step in and help.
“Fellrunner is a volunteer run community bus group using accessible minibuses to provide a service to nearly 60 Eden villages each week on routes that are not commercially viable, and we know that our buses provide a lifeline for many passengers in the area who do not have access to transport of their own.
“The service will also enable passengers without access to a car to get to Lowther Castle and Gardens and enjoy a leisurely visit to this lovely attraction.”
Fellrunner buses can be used free by bus pass, NOW card, holders and children under 17, and cash single and return fares are available for other passengers.
Full details of the new services can be found on the Fellrunner Village Bus website or by calling Fellrunner on 07734 529432 during office hours.
