WELCOME
Volunteer run community bus services
in the Western Dales and Southeast Cumbria
Latest News
|
Last updated: 17th November 2024
WDB is seeking a new Chair of Trustees 563/564 Stagecoach service
At the end of March, Stagecoach started a new bus service between Kendal and Penrith. This might have seemed a good thing for our communities, but Western Dales Bus (WDB) believes it doesn't provide satisfactory bus links for Sedbergh and Kirkby Stephen.
Although the new service runs daily, compared with WDB’s once or twice a week services, in all other respects we believe it offers a worse service: • WDB Kendal services from both Sedbergh and Kirkby Stephen take passengers to Sainsburys, Aldi and Morrisons, but Stagecoach does not. • Stagecoach gives passengers only 2 hours 15 minutes in the town compared with WDB’s choice of 3.5 or over 4.5 hours. • The Penrith end of the route has similar shortcomings for passengers from Kirkby Stephen, giving them only 2 hours 10 minutes there instead of WDB’s option of a two and three-quarter or 4.5 hour stay. • Stagecoach also fails to provide any links to the communities of Dent, Ravenstonedale and Newbiggin-on Lune.
Stagecoach have also timetabled their morning journeys to run just in front of WDB’s. While this will get passengers to Penrith or Kendal a few minutes earlier, we think WDB provides a better service overall. We’ll know you agree if you carry on travelling with us - and that will mean we’ll have the income for our services to continue.
As has already been seen with bus services in this area, it’s USE IT OR LOSE IT.
£2 single fare cap Our £2 single cap is continuing to the end of Deccember 2024.
|
What we do
We run two 16-seat minibuses on timetabled bus services in the western Yorkshire Dales linking Kendal, Sedbergh, Kirkby Stephen, Brough, Penrith, Dent and Hawes.
The buses have been purchased with grants from the Big Lottery Fund and the Garfield Weston Foundation, as well as from The Yorkshire Dales National Park Millennium Fund and the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line.
Concessionary bus passes are accepted on all routes. Many buses connect with trains on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle railway line at Dent Station and Kirkby Stephen. This provides access to and from Dent, Sedbergh, the Howgills, Kendal and Kirkby Stephen and gives local residents and visitors the opportunity to visit Kendal, Carlisle, Appleby, Settle, Skipton, Leeds and more.
Why not come and enjoy a walk in our stunning landscape, lots of footpaths from gentle to strenuous? Alternatively, explore our distinctive villages and market towns such as Dent, Sedbergh and Kirkby Stephen.
See our TIMETABLES page for details.
We also offer a Private Hire service for registered charities and community groups.
We are a community venture run almost entirely by volunteers and as such rely on charitable funding as well as fares to meet our expenses. If you can possible help financially please visit our donations page.
Mission statement ....
to provide a safe, reliable and courteous local bus run by volunteers, serving those rural and urban communities centred on Sedbergh and not served by the commercial bus companies.
