Lancaster Bus Users' Group

Lancaster’s link to the Dales Bus network of summer weekend bus services in the Yorkshire Dales returns in 2026 with an extended season that begins on Saturday, 4th April – Easter weekend.

Operated by Lonsdale Buses, Dales Bus service 80 will link Lancaster to Ingleton, Ribblehead and Hawes every Saturday until 17th October. Two round trips will be provided, with buses leaving Lancaster at 0900 and 1530, returning from Hawes at 1105 and 1705. Connections will be made at Ribblehead station with the Yorkshire Dales Explorer trains from and to Rochdale and Manchester and at Hawes with the “Wensleydale Voyager” service 156 to Leyburn.

Passengers from Hawes and Ingleton will be able to use the service to visit Lancaster for a three-hour stay in the afternoon.

Bus Passes accepted and fares capped

In a change of policy, both the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority and Lancashire County Council are providing financial support for the service, which has helped to extend the operating period to cover the full summer. Also, following representations from the Bus Users’ Group in previous years, another policy reversal will see English National Concessionary Bus Passes (“NoW Cards”) valid on the service for free travel. For passengers without passes, single fares will be capped at £3 per journey.

The service 80 timetable is here.

Attractions

Follow the links below for attractions to visit along the route of service 80 include

Ingleton and the Waterfalls Walk

White Scar Caves

Ribblehead Viaduct and walks

Hawes

Leyburn (change at Hawes to service 156) (Service 156 times)

Children travelling to Ripley St. Thomas Academy in Lancaster by bus, as well as adults going to the city centre from Carnforth, The Kellets, Halton, Bolton-le-Sands and Hest Bank are going to have to get out of bed earlier when the schools go back after half-term on 23rd February.

On service 49, the 0655 from Silverdale (0729 from Carnforth; 0754 from Halton) will be retimed to run ten minutes earlier, departing at 0645 and arriving at the school at 0820.

On service 55, the 0740 from Carnforth to Ripley Academy is also retimed to run ten minutes earlier, departing at 0730 and arriving at the school at 0820. The retimed journey replaces the existing 0727 Carnforth to Lancaster bus station, which is withdrawn, but there will be a new bus from Carnforth at 0710 arriving in Lancaster at 0743

No Late Night Shopping?

In an unrelated change, also from 23rd February, the “attractions” of 24-hour supermarket shopping have evidently not proved strong enough amongst bus users, as Stagecoach will divert all service 6A (Lancaster – Westgate – Morecambe) journeys away from the ASDA Salt Ayre store after 19.00hrs each Monday to Saturday evening. Buses towards Morecambe will operate from Scale Farm Road via Ovangle Road and Morecambe Road to Homfray Avenue and then via Westgate and the existing route.

Buses towards Lancaster will operate from Westgate direct via Morecambe Road to Lancaster. The buses leaving Morecambe bus station at 1927 and every hour to 2327 will run two minutes earlier then now. There will be no changes to times from Lancaster bus station or to the Sunday service.