The area has good frequency of service on the main roads between towns and also within the towns themselves, but there is only very limited service to any settlements which lie off these main links.
Rural areas within 15 miles of the Wigton area will benefit in 2024 from the new Rural Mobility service, offering improved links to the town and also onward connections to Carlisle and West Cumbria.
There are six buses an hour from Whitehaven to Workington and half hourly services from Whitehaven to Frizington and Egremont, plus town services in Whitehaven. But away from these routes there are limited or no services for large sections of the region.
Rural areas within 10 miles of Egremont and St Bees will benefit in 2024 from the new Rural Mobility service, offering improved links to onward connections to Whitehaven and Workington.
Problem - Poor Connections at Penrith rail Station with buses to Keswick
Details
Penrith is a major gateway station for the Northern Lake District, and potentially for West Cumbria, but the bus service currently only runs every hour, whilst the erratic nature of the timetable and incorporating connections North and South and to/from Keswick make it difficult to design a timetable, leaving potentially long waits at Penrith.
How
Fund a second hourly bus to make the service half hourly, to make public transport a more attractive option for visitors and local people.
Problem - Lack of Evening Buses
Details
Whilst many areas have frequent services in the daytime, they end at around 6pm, which limits visitor travel, meaning those who wish to stay later have to take a car - this also impacts the hospitality industry.
How
Trial later services on Lakes routes in Summer.
Problem - No late buses from Penrith to Keswick
Details
When encouraging the visitor market, the last bus from Penrith to Keswick is at 20:15, but there are three trains from Birmingham or London or four from Manchester at this time.
How
Trial a later service on Fridays in Summer, to meet trains from the South.
Problem - Limited facilities at Keswick Bus Station
Details
Keswick is a major interchange point for visitors but waiting facilities are very limited and information provision basic.
How
Work with the site owner to offer better shelter facilities, and also look to introduce real-time information screens to offer information on journey options.
Problem - Limited Services to Lillyhall trading estate
Details:
There are a number of large employers (including Cumberland Council) and education facilities at Lillyhall, but the peak buses only run every half hour.
How
Increase the peak frequency of the route from Workington and Whitehaven to every 15 minutes.
Problem - No direct service from Cleator Moor to West Cumberland Hospital
Details
Patients, visitors and staff travelling from the Cleator Moor area either have a long walk from stops in Hensingham, or need to travel into Whitehaven and back on another bus.
How
Re-route the service from Cleator Moor to Whitehaven to run via the Hospital (and pick up at the same a stops as the current service).
Provide an alternative service for areas of Hensingham no longer served due to the diversion.
Problem - Low frequency of services to West Cumberland Hospital
Details
Hospitals in Carlisle and Barrow have frequent links but buses to the West Cumberland hospital are only every 30 minutes.
How
Increase the frequency of the route to every 15 minutes by diverting service from Cleator Moor to additionally serve the hospital.
Problem - Low frequency to Mirehouse Estate in Whitehaven
Details
Whilst the Mirehouse Estate has four buses an hour they depart from Whitehaven town centre just 3 minutes apart, and Mirehouse 4 minutes apart, so only offer a half hourly service.
Due to the way the network is operated in the town, it is difficult to solve this.
How
Look for ways of making different links to allow a co-ordinated 15 minute service.