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| (c) Stagecoach CNL Service 2 is being renumbered 100 to celebrate the centenary of Ribble Motor Services. |
New services, extra journeys and service re-numberings are all included in service revisions introduced by both bus operators in our area this April.
From Saturday, 6th April the extra Summer Saturday journeys on service 555 that operate via the M6 between Lancaster and Kendal then continue to Keswick are reintroduced for the season. The new journeys leave Lancaster at 0815, 0925 and hourly until 1525, returning from Keswick at 1100 and hourly until 1800. Monday to Friday operation of these journeys begins on 1st July. The journey between Lancaster and Kendal takes just 40 minutes rather than 74 minutes on the standard route so each "motorway" journey overtakes the preceding "stopper" to give an earlier arrival - or later departure - for points north of Helsington and Kendal.
Monday 14th April sees a new timetable on service 1 University - Heysham, with journeys that operate via Heysham Road in Morecambe and Heysham being renumbered service 1A to distinguish them from those that run via Fairfield Road and Kingsway, which remain as service 1. This is something that the Bus Users Group has been asking for ever since the service was introduced in October last year and is therefore welcome.
From the same date, service 2 (University to Morecambe via Bowerham, Lancaster, Torrisholme and Bare) will be renumbered 100 as part of the celebrations of the anniversary of the founding of Ribble Motor Services in 1919. Ribble was a major operator of bus services throughout north-west England until it was bought by Stagecoach in 1989 although the "Ribble" name remained in use for a few years after that.
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| Service 582 at Settle, where the number changes to 580 |
From Easter Sunday, 21st April two seasonal Sunday services are introduced. On Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire's service 582 Lancaster to Kirkby Lonsdale (with through buses to Skipton) there will be two Sunday and Bank Holiday journeys leaving Lancaster at 0800 and 1400. Buses return from Skipton at 1045 and 1645. The timetable is integrated with the Dales Bus network of summer Sunday services and allows a number of round-trips to be made, particularly with service 881 (below)
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| Service 881 at Langcliffe (c) Dales Bus |
Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire is also operating service 881 Morecambe - Lancaster - Settle - Malham. This service runs over the Trough of Bowland route between Lancaster and Slaidburn. Two journeys leave Lancaster at 0845 and 1425 with the first starting at Morecambe Bus Station at 0820. Buses return from Malham at 1120 and 1640 to allow either full or half-day visits to places en-route OR a circular tour between Lancaster and Settle travelling out on 881 and back on 582 or vice-versa.
Over the Easter Holiday a SUNDAY timetable will apply to all services on Good Friday, 19th April and Easter Monday 22nd April. Normal Saturday or Sunday service will be operated on 20th and 21st April
Finally, Sunday 28th April sees the return of the University Term timetable on service 1/1A. The City to University section has its 10-minute frequency restored and its evening and Sunday service reinstated until the next vacation, which starts on 30th June.
New timetables for all these services are available on our Maps and Timetables Page.