A summer of shuttle buses linking Appleby Railway Station and the town centre is set to begin this week.
The service will be trialled over the summer, meeting specific trains to transport visitors into the main retail area and to riverside walks.
It will also provide a return journey back up the hill to give visitors the chance to catch their train home.
Shuttles will run on the last Saturday of every month from May until August – linking to trains arriving from both Leeds and Carlisle picking up from Appleby Railway Station at 10.20am, 11.50am and 1pm and from the town centre from 2pm, 3pm and 5pm.
The Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company is providing the free shuttle service, working with Appleby’s Tourism Information Centre, businesses and the local Rotary Club who will be manning to minibus which is free for visitors to use.
Appleby TIC manager, Nicola Elliot said: “We are always keen to find new ways of helping people come to Appleby. If they come by train they can enjoy the shops, our riverside walks and have lunch, before being driven back to the station to take the scenic railway home.”
Appleby Rotary Club Treasurer, Alan McViety added: “The Rotarians were very keen to support this project, to help encourage people to visit Appleby by train.
“We have run similar shuttle services before when steam trains have visited the town. For those with mobility issues, the hill into the town can be a challenge and the shuttle bus was a welcome service.”
Chair of Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company, Pete Myers said he felt the new service was a great way of supporting local people and developing the communities economic benefits.
He added: “We are very grateful to Appleby Rotary for agreeing to provide the run the service.
“You can rest assured that we at the Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company will do all that we can to promote the service, so that we can all benefit from this groundbreaking endeavour.”
