New Cumbria summer bus timetable to improve options

The timetable, published by Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, is set to increase the frequency of buses and extend operating hours across many local lines.

The new 509 service will run on weekends and bank holidays, offering routes from Penrith to Keswick via Lowther Castle, Pooley Bridge, and Aira Force.

Lowther Castle (Image: Visit Lake District)

An addition to these options will be the Ullswater Hopper, for the first time running between Aira Force and Howtown, facilitating easier transport for campers and holiday cottage guests.

Aira Force (Image: Visit Cumbra)

These new services in the Ullswater valley, credited to a cooperative effort between Sustainable and Integrated Transport for Ullswater (SITU) and Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, will allow smaller vehicles to access routes previously out of bounds for larger ones.

The 516 service will operate every 60 minutes throughout the summer - an increase from its current two-hour interval - giving travellers heading from Ambleside to Langdale more options.

Ambleside (Image: Visit Cumbra)

This daily service expansion is being funded by the national Bus Service Improvement Programme by Westmorland and Furness Council.

Benefiting from increased rides are passengers on the X4/X5 route from Penrith to Keswick, with buses available every 30 minutes to improve connections with the Penrith train station.

Stagecoach announced the expanded services as part of larger modifications being incorporated into its summer timetable, going live on March 23.

Additional funding from Westmorland and Furness Council will up the frequency of the number 6 bus between Barrow and Windermere to eight times daily.

This bus will now have an early morning Sunday service and a daily late evening bus.

The 77, 77A, and 77C services will also see their return with revised timetables initiated by National Park Authority funding.

These will provide new morning and evening connections between Cockermouth and Keswick.

Tom Waterhouse, Managing Director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: "We are proud to announce a whole raft of changes across our network, which we hope will make travelling by bus a much simpler and more efficient option for residents and visitors alike.

“We have worked hard with partners and other organisations to secure funding on routes where we know people have been asking for earlier, later or simply more frequent buses.

“We look forward to seeing many people exploring all that Cumbria has to offer this summer.”

The new summer 2024 bus timetable will be running until November.

Stagecoach customers in Cumbria can look forward to easier access to locations including Lowther Castle, Aira Force, Pooley Bridge, the Langdale valley, and Ambleside.

To see local schedules or download a guide, visit the Stagecoach website.