A £1.7 million boost from the Government will help a Cumbrian council maintain 25 bus routes and look at introducing seven new services.
Westmorland & Furness Council said its cabinet had approved plans to continue to support the 25 routes and investigate the introduction of seven more, thanks to the Government’s Local Authority Bus Grant funding.
Councillor John Murray, cabinet member for transport and regulatory services, said: “Since 2023/24, Westmorland and Furness Council has used new funding to deliver significant improvements to public transport in rural and urban areas across the length and breadth of the area.
“I am proud that we are consistently using this funding in effective ways to do the most good and benefit communities and residents all over Westmorland and Furness.”
Cabinet heard that it is estimated that supported services will generate around 218,000 passenger journeys a year.
The 25 existing council-funded routes that the council are looking to maintain for the coming year are:
- 1 Barrow : Biggar Bank (Walney) – Furness General Hospital. Sundays: frequency improved from every 60 to 30 minutes from 9.30am to 5.30pm.
- 2 West Shore (Walney) – Barrow Town Hall. Monday to Saturday: extra evening service provided 7.15pm to 11.15pm.
- 2P Penrith North Lakes School bus : afternoon bus for pupils
- 3 Newbarns, Barrow – Ormsgill. Sundays: frequency improved from every hour to every 30 minutes 10am to 7pm.
- 6 Barrow – Ulverston – Newby Bridge – Windermere. Daily: extra late-night return journey at 11.12pm from Windermere, plus on Sundays extra early morning journey for workers in the hospitality industry arriving Windermere at 6.54am.
- 40 Kendal – Sandylands – Oxenholme – Westmorland General Hospital. Sundays: hourly between 9.20am to 5.20pm.
- 104 Penrith – Plumpton – Carlisle. Monday to Saturday: frequency improved from every hour to every 30 minutes.
- 105 Greystoke – Motherby – Newbiggin – Penrith. Monday to Saturday services at work times and also for shopping and leisure.
- 106 Kendal – Shap – Penrith. Monday to Saturday work time and shopping service from Shap to Penrith plus twice a week service to/from Kendal.
- 516 Dungeon Ghyll (Langdale) – Ambleside. Daily: three earlier morning journeys (two in winter), plus Summer only Friday/Saturday late evening service (last bus 9.55pm).
- 517 Ambleside – Little Langdale – Coniston. Saturday/Sunday in July/August service (eight trips).
- 530 Cartmel – Allithwaite – Grange – Levens – Kendal. Monday to Friday: four return trips.
- 532 Cartmel – Allithwaite – Grange. Monday to Friday: five journeys 9.40am to 1.57pm.
- 552 Arnside – Sedgwick – Natland – Kendal. Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday: extra days of operation (one return trip).
- 555 Lancaster – Kendal – Grasmere. Monday to Saturday later evening journey to/from Lancaster throughout the year; plus retention of late evening journeys to/from Grasmere in Winter,
- 561 Appleby – Tebay – Kendal. Wednesdays: Weekly service
- 571 Kirkby Stephen – Tebay – Kendal. Monday service previously provided by Cumbria Classic Coaches
- 572: Kendal – Kirkby Stephen – Barnard Castle. Wednesday service previously provided by Cumbria Classic Coaches, with extension to/from Kendal via Tebay.
- 563 Kirkby Stephen – Appleby – Penrith. Monday to Friday: improved service including peak journeys (three trips from Kirkby Stephen and two extra from Appleby).
- 597 Windermere Town. Tuesday; Thursday; Friday: Local Service (six trips).
- 680 Nenthead – Alston – Brampton – Carlisle. Monday/Wednesday (one return journey).
- 888P Alston – Penrith. Saturdays: one return journey.
- 889 Alston – Hexham. Tuesdays: one return journey.
- X4/5 Penrith – Keswick – Workington. Monday to Saturday: improved frequency between Penrith and Keswick from every hour to every 30 minutes. On Sundays, retain hour frequency in winter every hour rather than every two hours.
- X12 Coniston – Torver – Ulverston. Summer Saturdays. (four return journeys a day).
Seven new services or improvements will be considered:
- 7 Kirkby-in-Furness – Askam – Barrow. Monday to Saturday: for work and college plus shopping and leisure
- 106 Penrith – Shap – Tebay – Kendal. Tuesday and Friday: Two off peak journeys (currently locally funded)
- 508 Penrith – Patterdale – Kirkstone – Windermere. Saturday/Sunday (increased frequency); daily (summer only) – subject to pass re-opening.
- 534 Grange-over-Sands – Haven Leisure (Flookburgh) – Windermere. Summer direct link to central Lakes from Grange Peninsula
- 541 Bowness – Crook – Kendal. Worker and visitor service.
- 563 Kirkby Stephen – Appleby – Penrith. Sunday: New service.
- 564 Kirkby Stephen – Sedbergh – Kendal. Monday to Friday: Peak journeys/off-peak extra capacity.
Once prices are received from bus operators the routes and services will be assessed under a framework which prioritises services based on a range of social, economic, and operational factors rather than cost alone.
Criteria includes passenger demand, access to employment, education and healthcare, social inclusion, rural connectivity, value for money, deliverability, and alignment with local transport and climate objectives.
