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| Service 555 in Kendal |
The current Stagecoach Lake District timetable runs up until 1st November, with the Winter service commencing the following day. As far as our area is concerned it is the 555 Lancaster-Keswick service that is affected. The "summer only" additional journeys that operate via the M6 between Lancaster and Kendal will cease, as usual, for the winter at this time.
Sunday Service
In previous years there have also been changes to the Sunday timetable. Buses continue to run every two hours, but with southbound buses running a few minutes or so earlier than in the summer and northbound journeys switching to the opposite hour. This change would seem to have been more about how the drivers' duties were organised rather than to reflect the needs or wishes of passengers. Delaying the first journey from Lancaster by an hour meant that passengers could not reach Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere or Keswick until the early afternoon. Because the return buses remained at more-or-less the same times, it had the effect of reducing the amount of time visitors to The Lakes could spend there. Visitors to Ambleside could enjoy just a four-hour stay or three-and-a-quarter hours in Grasmere. Anyone intrepid enough to journey to Keswick would have just two-and-a-quarter hours in the town before catching the last bus home - not much reward for six hours travelling!
But this year things have changed - or rather they haven't! The winter Sunday timetable remains pretty much the same as the summer, with buses heading north from Lancaster at 0915 and every two hours until 1715 allowing passengers an extra hour in the Lakes. In addition, two extra journeys run between Kendal and Lancaster via the motorway, no doubt to get a Kendal depot bus to and from Lancaster to run the service but also providing early and later facilities for passengers between the two towns.
The Bus Users' Group pointed out the failings of the previous Winter Sunday timetable to Stagecoach two years ago and they did promise to look into it then. Whether it is our request that has prompted the change (or "non-change?) remains to be seen, but we certainly feel it is for the best.
Ever Earlier?
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| Get there earlier on the 755. |
The deficiencies of the previous service prompted our Publicity Officer, Alex, to devise his own way of getting to the Lakes on a Winter Sunday morning - a way which will still hold valid this year: Leaving Lancaster on service 1 at 0823 it is possible to make a 2-minute connection at Morecambe, Euston Road with service 755 (arr 0840 / dep. 0842) ("no problem on a Sunday", says Alex). The 755 arrives at Kendal at 0937 and connects with a 555 bus that starts its journey there at 0940, giving an arrival at all points north to Keswick a full hour earlier than can be achieved on the 0915 from Lancaster. You'll need an Explorer ticket (or a concessionary pass) to avoid buying expensive single tickets but it's worth a try if you want a longer day out.
Check it Out
You won't find the new 555 timetable on Stgecoach's website yet and Lancashire County Council doesn't show you the new times until they've actually started, but thankfully we can rely on Cumbria County Council to let us know what's happening in their area and you can see for yourself via this link.
