Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven & Workington, has welcomed more than £18 million of new investment in local bus services across Cumberland over the next three years, as part of the Government’s landmark national funding programme to deliver faster, cheaper and more reliable buses. This comes alongside the £5 million already secured this year, which is now beginning to deliver the first wave of new and expanded local services.
The announcement forms part of the Government’s £3 billion national settlement for local transport authorities, with Cumberland receiving nearly £18 million in multi-year bus funding to back local bus services in West Cumbria and beyond.
This new funding could support better links between towns and villages across West Cumbria – including new early-morning, evening and weekend services – delivering on Josh MacAlister’s long-running Back the Bus campaign to rebuild a dependable, affordable bus network for local people.
At the same time, Stagecoach has set out its plan to improve the reliability of its commercial services following recent delays and cancellations. In a letter sent to Josh, the operator confirmed actions including:
- Replacing older vehicles with newer buses from January;
- Maintaining strong driver staffing levels;
- Overhauling maintenance practices and fully staffing the Lillyhall engineering team for the first time since Covid;
- Bringing in specialist contractors and speeding up repairs through manufacturer-backed suppliers;
- Working with Cumberland Council to minimise delays caused by roadworks;
- Upgrading the tracking system to provide passengers with more accurate real-time information through upgrades to the tracking system.
These steps follow concerns raised by residents about unexpected cancellations and the impact on getting to work, school and medical appointments.
Josh MacAlister MP said:
“This is a huge step forward for West Cumbria. After years of people being let down by unreliable and infrequent services, we now have more than £18 million going into our bus network – with the first improvements already rolling out thanks to the £5 million already secured earlier this year.
“Buses matter enormously to people here. They connect us to jobs, apprenticeships, GP surgeries and town centres. This investment, combined with the improvement plan Stagecoach has now committed to, means passengers should begin to see real, tangible changes – more dependable services, better information and a network designed around the needs of our communities.
“This is exactly what I’ve been campaigning for through my Back the Bus campaign. I hope this marks the beginning of a new chapter for public transport in West Cumbria.”
Cllr Denise Rollo, Cumberland Council’s Lead Member for Transport, said:
“We know how vital reliable bus services are to the daily lives of people across Cumberland. This multi-year funding gives us the certainty we’ve been calling for and allows us to plan properly for improvements – from new and existing routes and improving the overall bus experience including infrastructure and real time information.
“We welcome Stagecoach’s commitment to address the recent reliability and quality of service issues, and as the Transport Authority we will continue to hold them to account.
“This investment gives us the tools to start to build confidence in our bus network one journey at a time.”
Josh MacAlister MP 