New boost to Lancaster and Morecambe bus services thanks to extra funding

The boost to services in Lancaster, Hyndburn, and Preston also includes new links in Chorley, giving more people across Lancashire the option to catch the bus.

The boost to timetables has been made possible thanks to additional 'BSIP plus' funding received from HM Government in support of Lancashire's £34.1m Bus Service Improvement Plan.

A new circular route has been introduced in Morecambe, improving access to public transport across parts of the town, and boosting the frequency of services.

A new Service 6B/6C has merged some Service 6 journeys with Service 33 to offer the circular route. The new services will link across all the outer areas of Morecambe, Bare and Westgate, incorporating Service 33.

Service 6A will continue to operate between Morecambe, Westgate and Lancaster, and Service 6 will continue to operate between Morecambe and Westgate. Service 6B will operate anti-clockwise from Morecambe and Westgate, extending through Branksome to cover the Service 33 route through Bare back to Morecambe. Service 6C will operate the same route but in a clockwise direction from Morecambe, serving Bare before continuing to Branksome and Westgate back to Morecambe.

The new Services 6B and 6C will each run generally every hour Monday to Saturday, offering more journeys for Bare as well as linking to those shopping and leisure opportunities off Westgate.

There will also be improvements to a number of services in Blackburn and Hyndburn, Preston to Ormskirk, Preston to Blackpool, and Chorley.

County Councillor Scott Smith, Lancashire County Council lead member for highways and active travel, said: "Thanks to the funding we've received from government for our Bus Service Improvement Plan, we're making some big improvements to services in Lancashire.

"One of our main aims is to encourage more people to use the bus by providing extra journeys at times that people find convenient.

"Later services are often helpful to people who use the bus to get to and from work, as well as being convenient for anyone going out for the evening or visiting friends and family.

"I'm also really pleased that we are providing better links within the Chorley area so that more people have easy access to bus services, and there are more direct links to the hospital to help people get to their appointments.

"We'll be working closely with operators to build passenger numbers with the aim of making these services sustainable over the long term. I'd encourage as many residents as possible to try them out."