New bus services across parts of Cumbria are being rolled out.
The new services are being funded by the Government’s Local Authority Bus Grant, previously known as the Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Westmorland & Furness Council is working with travel operators to roll out the routes.
The Travellers Choice Saturday service X12 from Coniston to Ulverston via Torver is operating four trips a day in each direction.
This is in addition to Blueworks and the Friends of the X112’s weekday services, which are unchanged. The Saturday journeys will run until November 1.
The 517 Little Langdale Shuttle, operated by Stagecoach, will return running on weekends throughout July and August, plus on August Bank Holiday Monday.
It will offer five return trips a day to Little Langdale from Ambleside, and this year for the first time, from Coniston.
Starting on Sunday July 19, there will be a new three times a day Sunday timetable on the 563 service between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen via Temple Sowerby, Kirkby Thore, Appleby, Warcop (for Eden Valley Railway) and Brough, operated by Stagecoach.
This follows the success of the Saturday service initiated by Kirkby Stephen Town Council, and the enhanced weekday service on the same route supported by Westmorland and Furness Council.
It is the first time for very many years that a Sunday service has operated on this route. The service will run until at least the start of November.
Following requests in a public consultation, a new 534 service will also operate on Monday to Saturday during the main summer school holiday period, from Grange-over-Sands to Windermere via Haven Leisure Park, Holker Hall, Haverthwaite (for the steam railway), Backbarrow (for motor museum), Fell Foot, Blackwell Arts & Crafts House and Bowness Pier (for Lakes Cruises). The new service will provide three return trips a day.
A maximum £3 single fare applies on all these new services, while English National Concessionary Travel passes are valid for free travel on all trips.
Details are also awaited of a government-backed free travel scheme for under 16s during August.
The council has also recently secured the future of journeys on 20 services it had previously been funding, and will soon be investigating improvements to these routes and a number of other routes to start from November, including Sedbergh to Kendal; Askam to Barrow; and Bowness – Crook – Kendal. All will be subject to meeting the council’s value for money criteria.
Councillor Adrian Waite, the authority’s cabinet member for environmental services and transport, said: “These new services place a particular focus on improving access to cultural, leisure and heritage attractions for both residents and visitors.
“They enable people who live in rural areas to access urban services, they enable sustainable tourism and they enable people to access attractive and sustainable town centres without the use of a car.
“Supporting sustainable transport options is key to the future of Westmorland and Furness and I am delighted that these new routes will be contributing to this aim over the summer.”
Timetables are not currently available on the council website, but further details of all these services, plus others throughout the region can be obtained at [email protected] or by calling 0333 240 6965 option 2 then option 1 (During normal office hours: local call rates apply).
Timetable information can also be found at https://bustimes.org
