Back the Bus

Funding provided by the Labour government to Cumberland’s Labour council will provide the biggest boost to bus services in our area in a generation.

Bus routes across our region have been slashed by more than 50% since 2010. Many towns and villages have no or very poor access to bus services. Now, all that is about to change.

The new Labour Government provided £5 million to Cumberland’s Labour council to support bus services 2025-2026 and £18 million from 2026 to 2029.

Using the £5 million for this year, the council has carried out a £3.5 million procurement to deliver the biggest boost to bus services in West Cumbria in a generation.

Here’s what the changes mean for our area:

🚏 30 & 300 – the improved timetables funded last year for these services from Frizington/Thornhill-Maryport and Workington-Carlisle will continue for another year.

View the timetable for these services here

On 1st December, new regular timetabled services from Whitehaven-Barrow and Whitehaven-St. Bees were introduced

🚏 X7 & 7 – Whitehaven – Hensingham – West Cumberland Hospital – Bigrigg – Egremont – Thornhill – Beckermet – Calder Bridge – Gosforth – Seascale – Holmrook – Ravenglass and onwards to Millom and Barrow

🚏 32 – Whitehaven Duke St – Preston St Asda – Low Rd – St. Bees Rd – St. Bees – Egremont

From 5th January, the no. 22 will be upgraded and it will connect to a new 1/1A Whitehaven Town Service

🚏 22/22A – Whitehaven – Hensingham – West Cumberland Hospital – Goose Butts – Moor Row – Bigrigg – Egremont – Cleator – Cleator Moor – West Cumberland Hospital – Hensingham – Whitehaven

🚏 1/1A – Whitehaven – Parton (Criffel Rd) – Rosehill Theatre – Moresby Parks – Harras Moor – Whitehaven

There’ll be half hourly departures from Whitehaven between 6.30am and 6.30pm, Monday to Saturday – full timetable to follow once approved by the Traffic Commissoner.

From 5th January, a new direct express service between West Cumberland Hospital and Carlisle via Whitehaven, Cockermouth and Cumberland Infirmary will be up and running

🚏 600 – West Cumberland Hospital – Whitehaven – Parton (A595) – Distington – Lillyhall – Bridgefoot – Cockermouth /// Whitehaven – West Cumberland Hospital – Cleator Moor – Frizington – Arlecdon – Rowrah – Crossgates – Cockermouth and onwards to Cumberland Infirmary and Carlisle

There’ll be hourly departures from West Cumberland Hospital / Whitehaven between 6am and 10pm, Monday to Sunday, with ten early morning, late afternoon and evening services running via Distington and Lillyhall and six daytime services running via Cleator Moor, Frizington, Arlecdon and Rowrah.

These are services residents asked for that local Labour councillors and I have worked together to deliver. With huge thanks to Cllr Denise Rollo and the team at the council for a massive amount of work to make it happen.

Plans for the £18 million investment from 2026 to 2029 will be announced in 2026.

Funding secured by Labour MPs from a Labour Government being put to use for the benefit of our communities by Labour councillors and a Labour council. 🌹

The Tories slashed routes, Labour in national and local government is working together to restore them.

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