Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire has launched a fleet of seven open top buses as part of a £1.5million investment to improve the travel experience for people heading to the UK’s newest World Heritage site.
The new ‘Lakesider’ buses will run on the established 599 route between Grasmere and Bowness-on-Windermere, offering both visitors and locals a new travel experience including open top views, free Wi-Fi, USB charging points and spaces for bicycles and buggies.
The buses all have ‘cleaner, greener engines’ to help reduce carbon emissions, and are part of Stagecoach’s wider efforts to promote more sustainable transport around the Lake District.
The Lakesider fleet will give people access to Grasmere, Rydal and Ambleside as well as stopping at Brockhole Visitor Centre and Bowness Pier. The buses will also stop at Windermere rail station, connecting passengers to the Lakes line to Oxenholme and beyond.
There are a range of discounts at top tourist attractions in Stagecoach’s The Lakes Connection timetable brochure, too, including Tree Top Nets at Brockhole, Windermere Lake Cruises and Wray Castle.
The buses will run every 20 minutes, seven days a week from now until Saturday 30th September 2017. A 30-minute service will then continue until Tuesday 31st October 2017 and then hourly through the winter.
Matthew Cranwell, managing director at Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire said: “The luxury Lakesider buses will provide new, greener ways for people to experience this globally acclaimed scenic landscape as they travel through it. We aim to give passengers realistic alternatives to jumping in the car, so they can explore the Lake District without having to worry about driving and parking along the way.”
To check timetables or to find out more about getting around the Lake District by bus, visit www.stagecoachbus.com/lakesconnection.
