
Visitors to the Lake District can enjoy seamless journeys by train and bus this summer with the return of Keswick’s virtual railway station.
Avanti West Coast has added Keswick as a destination on rail journey planners – reintroducing a ticket covering both modes of transport to travel to the region.
It comes as bus company Stagecoach launches its summer timetable – doubling the frequency of services connecting Penrith and Keswick to every 30 minutes.
The return of the fully integrated ticket follows a successful trial last year as part of the award-winning Go Car Free campaign by Local Visitor Economy Partnership, Cumbria Tourism, supported by Avanti West Coast and Stagecoach.
Over the five-month trial, 750 journeys were made to and from Keswick using the joint ticket.
The renewed partnership between the train company, bus operator and Cumbria Tourism hopes to encourage more people to leave their car behind this summer.
Keswick’s virtual railway station means people can view the timings of the train and bus departures online, as well as book a single fully integrated ticket for their entire journey.
The ticket can be used on Avanti West Coast’s services to Penrith and Stagecoach’s connecting X4 and X5 bus service to Keswick – without the need for multiple transactions.
Tickets are now on sale for travel until June 19 with more set to be released in the coming weeks for travel dates up to November 2 – the end of the scheme.
Customers simply select Keswick Bus as their destination when booking via Avanti West Coast’s website and app or at ticket offices, to receive one ticket for their complete journey.