New train and bus ticket to boost car-free journeys to Lake District

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

From the Evening Standard, via MSN

A new virtual station....

ALake District town has been added to train journey planners despite not having a railway station in an effort to encourage tourists to travel car-free.

Avanti West Coast said passengers can buy a single ticket covering travel by train and bus to and from Keswick, removing the need to make multiple transactions.

The tickets can be used for train travel to and from Penrith station, which is connected to Keswick by 30-minute bus services – which have doubled in frequency this summer – operated by Stagecoach.

We hope it will inspire more people to ditch the car

Sarah Copley, Avanti West Coast
Integrated single tickets cost an additional £2 on top of train fares.

Avanti West Coast executive director of commercial Sarah Copley said: “Whether you’re visiting the Lakes for the day or a weekend away, the integrated ticket means you have everything you need for your journey before you board, so it’s even easier to make greener travel choices.
“We hope it will inspire more people to ditch the car and take the train and bus before exploring the region’s beautiful scenery on foot or public transport.”

Cumbria Tourism managing director Gill Haigh said enabling visitors to Keswick to book tickets that “transfer them from their point of origin right into the heart of the town” will contribute to the effort to make Cumbria “Britain’s most sustainable rural destination”.

She added: “Providing easy car-free connections not only supports this vision but also facilitates even more relaxing, enjoyable, inclusive and welcoming ways to visit.”

Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire managing director Tom Waterhouse described the scheme as “a real step change in helping people to visit this beautiful part of the world in a sustainable way”.

Keswick was previously connected with Penrith by rail but the former’s station was closed in 1972.

[grahame]

So that's back to like it was pre-1972 with though ticketing and a change at Penrith to get to Keswick?

[Bob_Blakey]

How about rebuilding the railway line between Penrith & Keswick to make the journeys even more seamless?

Giggle Maps indicates that the former trackbed is almost entirely extant with only a small number of buildings, largely farming related, obstructing the route.

Fat chance!

BTW^▸ (by the way) would somebody be good enough to explain in what way(s) a bus journey between the two aforementioned towns is inclusive.

[eightonedee]

BTW^▸ (by the way)▸ would somebody be good enough to explain in what way(s) a bus journey between the two aforementioned towns is inclusive.

Perhaps the bus company operating it has told its driver/conductors not to call passengers "darling", "dear" or "my love"?

[johnneyw]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is yet to provide inclusive tickets for it's "virtual branch line" from Totnes to Kingsbridge and Salcombe......at least on its app.  Despite this I find the service is very little less seamless by having to tap a card rather than show a card sized ticket on the bus.  Service frequency and reliability is what matters more to me.