Category: Uncategorized

Bus Users organise “launch” for new service

by Jim

Local bus users in Halton are to organise an unofficial “launch” for Lonsdale Buses’ new service 83 from Brookhouse to Morecambe, which they describe as a potential “life changer” for many people.

The new service, which starts on Monday 27th October, will link Brookhouse, Caton, Halton, Beaumont, Skerton and Torrisholme with Morecambe once an hour on Monday to Saturday. It reinstates a number of links lost following cutbacks by the county council in 2016 and Stagecoach a few years later, but is being operated as a commercial venture by the company.

The campaigners plan to join the bus due at Halton Community Centre at 10.38 on Monday for a celebratory ride to Morecambe. Members of Lancaster Bus Users’ Group are expected to join at other stops along the way.

The organisers would like to see as many people as possible join them to get the new service off to a good start. As well as Halton, passengers can join at Brookhouse, Black Bull at 1031, Caton, Station Hotel at 1033, Halton Camp at 1041, Beaumont Green (Whalley Road) at 1044, Skerton (Torrisholme Road) at 1046 and then all stops to Torrisholme, The Shrimp, Euston Road and Central Drive to Morecambe bus station.

Buses return from Morecambe every hour at one minute past the hour until 1931. The maximum £3 fare cap applies and concessionary passes (NoW Cards) are accepted.

Service Changes by Stagecoach and Lonsdale Buses

by Jim

The next two weekends will see a number of changes to bus services operated by both our local operators, Stagecoach and Lonsdale Buses.

Single deck bus crossing the a canal bridge

From Sunday, 26th October, Services 88 and 89 between Lancaster and Knott End-on-Sea will be operated by Stagecoach, replacing Lonsdale Buses. The only change to the timetable will be the last journey from Lancaster (all week) will extend to Knott End-on-Sea.

From Monday, 27th October, The Monday to Saturday journeys on service 18 Lancaster East City Circular will be operated by Lonsdale Buses. There will be no change to the timetable and Stagecoach tickets and passes will be accepted on Lonsdale Buses vehicles. The Sunday service will continue to be operated by Stagecoach.

The acceptance of one bus company’s tickets on another company’s buses is unusual in Lancashire and has been arranged by the county council following comments by the Bus Users’ Group that passengers visiting Williamson Park or Lancaster Leisure Park from other parts of the city would no longer be able to use Stagecoach Day Riders to complete their journeys.

Also from 27th October Lonsdale Buses will start running two new services, each running hourly on Monday to Saturday.

Service 83 will run from Brookhouse and Caton via Halton, Halton Road, Whalley Road, Slyne Road, Owen Road, Torrisholme Road, Torrisholme, The Shrimp, Lancaster Road, Euston Road and Central Drive to Morecambe Bus Station.

Service 85 will run from Morecambe Bus Station via Marine Drive Central, Bare, Hest Bank and Bolton-le-Sands to Carnforth Railway Station.

In practice, it is expected that buses will run through from Brookhouse to Carnforth and vice-versa and through passengers should, in most cases, be able to remain on the bus at Morecambe, although separate fares will be payable.

Service 85 closely follows the route of Stagecoach service 5 between Morecambe and Carnforth, but neither bus company will accept tickets issued by the other.

Timetables for both services are on our “Latest Changes to Bus Services” page

November

From Monday, 3rd November Stagecoach will introduce new winter timetables on services 555 Lancaster – Keswick and 755 Morecambe – Bowness-on-Windermere. Full details and links to the new times are on our “Latest Changes to Bus Services” page

Finally, Lonsdale Buses will withdraw service 550 Levens-Milnthorpe-Arnside-Morecambe after operation on 11th November. No replacement service will be provided.