Easter Bus Services

 

Bus services in the Yorkshire Dales area will be amended over the holiday period, as follows:

Good Friday 29th March

- in the Wharfedale area services 72 and 74 will operate a normal Friday service

- in the Craven area Pennine Motors will operate a normal Friday service

- in the Pendle area Transdev Burnley & Pendle will operate a Sunday service. Service 872 will operate between Burnley & Skipton only (buses to Grassington will be provided by service 72)

- in Nidderdale service 24 will operate a Saturday service

- Dales & District services will generally not operate, but service 856 will provide a Sunday service between Northallerton, Leyburn and Hawes.

Saturday 30th March - a normal Saturday will operate.

 

Sunday 31st March - a normal Sunday service will operate, with summer timetables starting on DalesBus services 800, 870, 871, 872, 874, 880, 881, 883 and 884.

 

Monday 1st April - a Sunday service will operate, except Pennine Motors who will operate a Saturday service.

 

Tuesday 2nd April - a normal Tuesday service will operate, with summer timetables starting on services 127 and 569.

 

 

Settle-Carlisle Line Engineering Works - New Rail Replacement Bus Stop in Hawes

 

Engineering works are currently expected to affect varying sections of the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle and Leeds-Lancaster railway lines every Sunday from 3rd February to 24th March 2013.
 

From 17th February 2013 rail replacement buses serving Ribblehead and Garsdale will also stop in Hawes Market Place (outside the public toilets) to compensate for the loss of connections with the Little White Bus Garsdale Station to Hawes link. Passengers should purchase a ticket to Garsdale (if travelling north) or Ribblehead (if travelling south) -

 

Follow these links for timetable details of buses serving Hawes (PDF files):
        17th/24th March

 

Please note that concessionary bus passes are not valid on rail replacement buses and the buses will not stop at any other point. Please check with Little White Bus if you wish to make local journeys in the Hawes area.

 

Engineering works are liable to short notice alteration - so please check details before travelling. For further information see Settle-Carlisle line website.

 

 

Winter Sunday DalesBus Services

 

The Winter Sunday bus timetables continue until 24th March 2013, with services similar to those operated in recent years:

- service 856 and Upper Dales CONNECT in Wensleydale, service 24 in Nidderdale and services 870, 872 and 874 in Wharfedale continue unchanged from the summer season

- service 855 from Garsdale Station continues unchanged until 2nd December; the afternoon journeys will be amended from 9th December to align with new train times

- as in previous years service 823/825 to Upper Nidderdale will operate on the first Sunday of each month throughout the Winter

- as in previous years Cravenlink services 883/884 will operate every Sunday between Ilkley and Skipton, and will extend to operate between York and Malham on the third Sunday of each month. The journeys currently run by Jackson's of Silsden will instead be run by Transdev Keighley & District. The 0835 journey from Skipton to Ilkley will be withdrawn, but a new journey will operate from Ilkley to Skipton (via Draughton and Embsay) at 1745.  The last bus from Skipton to Ilkley now leaves Skipton Rail Station at 1905 and operates via Skipton Bus Station at 1908 and via Embsay on request. 

Service 24 is operated commercially by Transdev Harrogate & District, whilst the other Winter Sunday buses are managed by the Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company, with funding from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund via DITA, and Metro.

Details of most bus services in the Dales are available in Metro's DalesBus Winter 2012-13 Timetable - (approx 2.1MB PDF file) - valid until 30th March 2013.

 

 

Bus Service 74 (Ilkley - Grassington) Diversion

 

Due to the damage caused to the road between Appletreewick and Barden during the recent flooding the road will be entirely closed for rebuilding works from Monday 14th January 2013 for approx. 6 weeks. During these weeks bus service 74 between Grassington and Ilkley will NOT be running via Appletreewick. The service will instead run through Burnsall and along the main road past the Devonshire Fell Hotel (on the route used by Sunday service 874).

 

 

 

Settle - Carlisle Line Winter Offers for MetroCard and Metro Concessionary Pass holders

 

Northern Rail and West Yorkshire Metro are offering great deals for Metro Card holders and Metro-issued English national concessionary pass holders on the Leeds - Settle - Carlisle line and Leeds - Morecambe line. The offer is valid until 15th March 2013. A £10.00 day return ticket is available on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle and Leeds-Lancaster-Morecambe routes. A £5.00 day return ticket is available for children accompanying eligible card and pass holders can travel. For more information click here.  (PDF file)

This year's offer for Dales Railcard holders has now finished.

 

 

 

Upper Nidderdale Rambler

 

The Upper Nidderdale Rambler bus service will be running this Sunday 6th January, providing links to Brimham Rocks, Pateley Bridge, Lofthouse, Scar House and Middlesmoor from South Milford, Tadcaster, Wetherby and Harrogate.

 

DalesBus Ramblers have organised a guided walk using this service, from Ramsgill to Lofthouse - see website for details.

 

A duplicate bus will operate from Harrogate, to provide additional capacity.

 

 

 

Service 74 Diversion in Wharfedale

 

Route and timetable changes will apply on service 74 between Ilkley and Grassington on Mondays to Fridays for two weeks from Monday 5th November 2012 due to roadworks on the B6160 road between Bolton Abbey and Addingham. The road will be closed between 7am and 4pm on Mondays to Fridays only.

 

Click here for further details.

 

 

Malham Tarn Shuttle - on Saturdays too

 

The Malham Tarn Shuttle service is running on Saturdays as well until 1st September 2012 - linking Malham, Malham Tarn and Settle throughout the day.  The bus also provides an earlier journey from Skipton to Malham, and a later return from Malham to Skipton.

 

Click here for timetable details of Malham Tarn Saturday Shuttle service 891.

 

 

Ride Around for a Pound

 

Following the success of last year's Ride Around for £1 pilot offer for Under 18's introduced by Craven Youth and Craven District Councils the scheme has been taken forward by North Yorkshire Youth Council, with support from North Yorkshire County Council.

 

This year the scheme has been extended to cover Hambleton and Richmondshire, as well as Craven.  The offer is available between 9am and midnight every day until 31st August 2012, on the buses of participating operators.

 

Further details are available on the NYYC website.

 

 

More Summer Sunday Buses

 

The Summer Sunday and Bank Holiday DalesBus network expanded during May, with the start of the services listed below.

 

New links to the Dales are provided from Lancaster, Darlington, Richmond and Easingwold, whilst Wetherby and Tadcaster gain much more direct services.

• Fountains Flyer 812: from Easingwold, York and Ripon to Fountains Abbey, Nidderdale and Wharfedale

• DalesBus 818 from Dewsbury and Bradford to Otley, connecting with services 820, 870 and 883.

• Eastern Dalesman 820/821 from Otley to Pateley Bridge, Fountains Abbey, Ripon, Leyburn and Aysgarth

• Nidderdale Rambler 823/825: from South Milford, Wetherby, Tadcaster and Harrogate to Brimham Rocks, Pateley Bridge and Upper Nidderdale

• Northern Dalesman 827/830/831 from Darlington and Richmond to Reeth, Muker, Hawes, Ribblehead and Ingleton

• Northern Dalesman 832/831 from Lancaster to Ingleton, Ribblehead, Hawes, Muker, Reeth and Richmond

• Ingleborough Pony 831/881 from Ingleton via Ribblehead, Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Clapham to Ingleton

• Dentdale Explorer 564A from Dent Station to Dent and Sedbergh

 

 

Extra Buses for School Holidays from Bradford and Grassington

 

The Dales Experience Bus is running this year from Bradford, Shipley, Bingley and North Keighley to the Yorkshire Dales, leaving Bradford Interchange at 1000.

On Tuesdays (until 28th August 2012) it runs to Bolton Abbey and Grassington (returning from Grassington at 1625)

 

On Wednesdays (until 29th August 2012) it runs to Malham (returning from Malham at 1515)

 

A programme of free events accessible on these buses is available here.

The Hawes market-day bus from Grassington and Kettlewell makes a welcome return this year, running every Tuesday until 28th August 2012, leaving Grassington National Park Centre at 1150 and returning from Hawes (Dales Countryside Museum) at 1500.  Connections from/to Bradford are available on the Dales Experience Bus.

 

 

Extra Trains for Jane Tomlinson’s Walk for All Yorkshire Dales Walking Festival

Northern will be running a special ‘Jane Tomlinson’ service on Sunday 19th August, leaving Leeds at 07.00 and arriving into Settle in time for pre-walk registration. The train will return for the intrepid adventurers at 17.00 to help deliver the weary walkers back from the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

Services will also have extra carriages in order to carry more passengers than usual with over 2,500 walkers expected to turn out and enjoy some of the Yorkshire Dales National Park’s most stunning scenery. The company will be donating all revenue from each return ticket sold, directly to The Jane Tomlinson Appeal.

Northern is also providing extra carriages on the following services:

• 08.40 Leeds to Morecambe (this will call at Giggleswick where Northern will provide a coach service to Settle)

• 12.20 Morecambe to Leeds (again with coach service from Settle to Giggleswick)

• 16.37 Carlisle to Leeds

• 23.15 Skipton to Leeds

Northern Rail are urging walkers who want to catch the ‘Jane Tomlinson’ train to book now to secure their seat at www.walkforall.com.

 

 

Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival

 

This year the festival runs from Saturday 11th August until Sunday 19th August.

 

Buses run to Kettlewell as follows:

 

- bus 72 from Skipton, Grassington and Buckden (Monday to Saturday) - with connections to Grassington on bus 74 from Ilkley

 

- bus 899/800 from Bradford, Shipley, Keighley and Grassington (Tuesday)

 

- bus 870/874 from Wakefield, Leeds, Otley, Ilkley, Grassington and Buckden (Sundays) - with connections to Otley on bus 818 from Dewsbury, Bradford and Shipley, and on bus 883 from York and Harrogate.

 

 

 

 

All DalesBus services will be operating as normal to and from the Skipton Bus Station and Skipton Rail Station bus stops, but will not be able to access the High Street stop for most of the day. There may be some slight delays to services as a result, particular in the late afternoon when the torch relay passes through Skipton, before travelling on to Ilkley and Leeds.

Service 872 will operate from the bus station via Broughton Road and the Skipton by-pass to/from Grassington.

 

 

 

Wensleydale Roadworks - Diversion

 

Due to roadworks the A684 will be closed at Leeming Bar on Saturdays 16th and 23rd June and on Sundays 17th and 24th June 2012.

 

Buses on service 73 (Saturday) and 856 (Sunday) will not be able to serve Leeming Bar or Aiskew, and will instead operate via Leeming village.

 

For further information please call 01677 425203.

 

 

Public Meeting in Hawes

 

Residents are invited to attend a public meeting in Hawes at The Market House on Thursday 14th June 2012 at 7pm, to discuss transport issues for Hawes and Upper Wensleydale.

 

The Dales Integrated Travel Alliance (DITA) has secured £1.1 million of funding from the Department of Transport’s ‘Local Sustainable Transport Fund’, in order to improve transport in the Dales. Residents are invited by DITA to the meeting in order to share their views on what improvements they would like to see, and whether they would like to see any particular pilot services trialled. 

 

 

 

Jubilee Bank Holiday

 

Most bus services in the Yorkshire Dales area will operate a Sunday service on Bank Holiday Monday 4th June and Bank Holiday Tuesday 5th June.

 

These routes will all operate a Sunday service: 24, 127, 800, 812, 818, 820, 821, 823, 825, 827, 830, 831, 832, 856, 870, 871, 872, 874, 880, 881, 883 and 884

 

Service 564A (Dent Station - Sedbergh) will not operate.

 

Service 855 (Gayle - Hawes - Garsdale Station) will however not operate, as Little White Bus will be operating a weekday timetable to connect with the trains at Garsdale Station.

 

Services 830, 831 and 832 will operate a Bank Holiday timetable, with the afternoon westbound buses running slightly earlier than on Sundays, so as to maintain train connections at Ribblehead Station.

 

Pennine Motors will operate a Saturday service on Bank Holiday Monday 4th June and a Sunday service on Bank Holiday Tuesday 5th June.

 

Train services will generally operate a weekday timetable on Bank Holiday Monday 4th June and Bank Holiday Tuesday 5th June.

 

On Sunday 3rd June, Skipton High Street will be closed for the Diamond Jubilee Street Party, so passengers should catch buses at alternative stops as the High Street stop will not be served.

 

 

 

Bank Holiday Weekend Events

 

There are a number of special events in and around the Dales over the bank holiday weekend, including:

• Skipton Diamond Jubilee Street Party on Sunday 3rd June - catch bus 883 from York, Harrogate, Otley and Ilkley, bus 66A from Keighley, bus 28, 215 or 872 from Burnley, bus X80 from Preston and Clitheroe, bus 872 from Grassington or bus 883 from Malham. Trains from Leeds, Bradford, Settle, Lancaster and Carlisle.
  (Note that Skipton High Street will be closed for the Diamond Jubilee Street Party, so passengers should catch buses at alternative stops as the High Street stop will not be served.)
   

• Austwick Festival and Street Market on Monday 4th June - catch bus 881 from Ingleton or Malham.
   

• Jubilee Day in Ripon Market Square on Monday 4th June - catch bus 36 from Leeds and Harrogate, bus 812 from York or bus 820 from Otley and Pateley Bridge.
  (There may be some slight delays to these services as the Market Square will be closed to traffic.)
   

• Day Out with Thomas on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway on Saturday 2nd to Tuesday 5th June - catch special bus from Ilkley or bus 214 from Skipton (Saturday/Monday) or bus 884 from Skipton (Sunday/Monday/Tuesday)

 

 

ride2stride

 

For full details see www.ride2stride.org.uk

 

 

Dales Festival of Food and Drink

 

The Dales Festival of Food and Drink will be held on 5th, 6th and 7th May 2012 on the outskirts of Leyburn - a short walk from Leyburn station and town centre.

 

The main buslinks to Leyburn will be:

 

Saturday - buses 156/157 from Hawes and Bedale, bus 159 from Ripon and Richmond.

 

Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday - bus 820/821 from Otley, Pateley Bridge and Ripon (connections on bus 36 from Leeds and Harrogate to Ripon, and on bus 818 from Dewsbury and Bradford to Otley); bus 856 from Hawes, Bedale and Northallerton.
 

Spring 2012 Bus Service Changes

Several changes were made to bus services in the Yorkshire Dales area in early April, with the start of some summer seasonal services and changes to some services as a result of NYCC's bus service review in Craven. Metro's Summer 2012 DalesBus timetable booklet can be downloaded here (700KB PDF file). Updates are available here.

• an improved network of summer seasonal DalesBus services was introduced

• minor timing changes were made to daily service 24 (Harrogate - Pateley Bridge) (PDF file)

• new timetables were introduced on Monday to Saturday services 72 (Skipton - Grassington - Hebden/Buckden) (including new evening journeys on Fridays and Saturdays) and 74 (Ilkley - Grassington).

• new service 76 (Grassington - Halton Gill) introduced on Mondays to Fridays

• the Saturday service on route 210 from Skipton to Malham is now operated by Little Red Bus (Harrogate) to an unchanged timetable.

 

Improving Transport in Nidderdale - Public Meeting

 

The Dales Integrated Transport Alliance (DITA) are holding a public meeting in Pateley Bridge on Thursday 23rd February to discuss possible improvements to transport in the area. Click here for details (PDF file).

 

 

A diagrammatic map and a list of places in the Yorkshire Dales served by bus on Summer Sundays and Bank Holidays in 2011 are also available.

Summer Timetable Updates

A few amendments and corrections have been made to timetables since the summer timetables were printed as follows:

• Details of the revised service between Garsdale Station and Hawes are now available.
• Vintage Bus service 127 runs up to five minutes earlier from some intermediate points than shown in the Metro DalesBus timetable - see updated timetable for details.
• The first bus on service 210 from Malham to Skipton on Mondays to Fridays runs at 0755 and five minutes earlier than shown in the "Visit Malham by Bus" leaflet - see updated timetable for details.
• The 1650 service 581 bus from Kirkby Lonsdale to Settle now runs via Settle Station (at 1726) - see updated timetable for details.

Dentdale Bus Saved

The bus service between Dent Station, Dent, Sedbergh and Kendal will continue to operate every Saturday throughout the year.

The late-afternoon journeys at 1645 from Sedbergh and 1735 from Dent Station will run during the summer months only (until 29th October 2011 and again from 7th April 2012), providing useful connections with the Leeds - Settle - Carlisle railway line.

The service was threatened with withdrawal, following budget cuts by Cumbria County Council, but Dent Parish Council have led an initiative to raise funds to allow the service to continue. Funding has been provided by the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Dent Parish Council, Sedbergh Parish Council, Dentdale Show, Dent Music and Beer Festival and the Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company.

Full timetable details on service 564A are available here.

 

Sunday and Bank Holiday Buses in Wensleydale

Due to funding cuts by North Yorkshire County Council services 156 and 157 (Northallerton - Leyburn - Hawes) no longer operate on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

A replacement service - Wensleydale Flyer service 856 - runs via a more direct route between Northallerton, Bedale, Leyburn, Aysgarth and Hawes. Click here to download the new timetable as a printable PDF file.

 

Changes to Service 66A (Keighley - Skipton - Grassington)

Due to funding cuts by North Yorkshire County Council service 66A (Keighley - Skipton - Grassington) no longer extends beyond Skipton to Grassington on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

A replacement service - DalesBus service 872 - runs from Burnley, Colne and Skipton to Grassington, connecting with service 66A. Click here to download the new timetable as a printable PDF file.

 

Beer n Buses Yorkshire Days Out

Visitors to Yorkshire this summer can now get out and about without all the usual difficulties involved in planning a break. A new business, Beer n Buses Yorkshire Days Out, has put together information packs for the day tripper, using the most scenic public transport routes in the White Rose county including the DalesBus network.

Each of the 9 info packs contain a flexible itinerary with commentary of fascinating facts about the places travellers pass through and visit. They also include ticket information, timetables, a route map and street maps with the exact location of bus stops, pubs, cafes and local attractions. Four day trips start from the vibrant city of Leeds and five from the historic city of York.

The packs start at £11 each, more details at www.beerandbuses.co.uk
 

DalesBus Tickets

Most ticket prices on the Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday DalesBus network have been frozen again for Summer 2011.

Full details of the Dales Rover ticket scheme are available here.

Don’t forget that if you’re just making a single or return journey on just one DalesBus route an ordinary single or day return ticket will usually be cheaper than buying a Rover ticket. Rover tickets provide best value when you’re changing between buses during the day.

Through tickets are now available from service 870 (Wakefield - Leeds - Ilkley) onto service 874 (Ilkley - Buckden).

 

Concessionary Fares

 

Holders of English National Concessionary Passes are entitled to free local off-peak bus travel throughout the Yorkshire Dales.

 

Concessionary free travel is generally available between 0930 and 2300 on Mondays to Fridays, and at anytime on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

 

Passes may also be used at anytime for journeys starting within the Craven District Council area [until March 2011], and from 0900 onwards on any journey starting within North Yorkshire or the City of York.

 

Passes may also be used on the following journeys:

• 0740 Pateley Bridge to Harrogate (service 24)

• 0715 Gunnerside to Richmond (service 30)

• 0840 Reeth to Richmond (service 30)

Opportunities to visit the Dales from the surrounding area include:

• Catch service 36 bus from Leeds to Harrogate, then change to service 24 to Pateley Bridge (daily)

• Catch service 36 bus from Leeds to Ripon, then change to service 159 to Masham, Leyburn and Richmond (Mondays to Saturdays)

• Catch service X84 bus from Leeds to Ilkley, then change for Bolton Abbey and Grassington on service 74 (Mondays to Saturdays) or 874 (Sundays and Bank Holidays)

• Catch service 870 or X84 bus from Leeds to Ilkley, for connections to Bolton Abbey, Grassington, Buckden and Malham (Sundays and Bank Holidays)

• Catch Mainline or service 215 bus from Burnley to Skipton, then change to bus 72 (Mondays to Saturdays) or 66A (Sundays and Bank Holidays) to Grassington

• Catch service 280/X80 bus from Preston or Clitheroe to Skipton, then change to bus 72 (Mondays to Saturdays) or 66A (Sundays and Bank Holidays) to Grassington

• Catch service 66 bus from Keighley to Skipton, then change to service X59 to Bolton Bridge or Blubberhouses (Mondays to Saturdays)

• Catch service 770 bus from Wetherby to Harrogate, then change to bus X59 to Bolton Bridge and Skipton (Mondays to Saturdays)

 

Hawes Town and Villages Bus

 

Bus service 113, linking Garsdale Station with Hawes, has a new route, timetable and operator from 16th May 2011. Click here for details of the new service operated by Little White Bus, including minor timetable changes from 9th June 2011.

 

The Little White Bus also now provides a demand responsive service in the Upper Wensleydale and Upper Swaledale areas.

 

 

Disruption to Service 581 (Settle - Ingleton - Kirkby Lonsdale)

Due to road re-surfacing works along the A65 service 581 will NOT serve Kirkby Lonsdale on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th September 2011.

 

The road closure at Site 1 - Westhouse means that alternative routes would seriously disrupt the timetable on those days. Therefore the bus will terminate at Ingleton Community Centre on the two days above.
 

At all other times during the next few weeks the route will be open but may be subject to delays as a convoy system is in place along this route.
 

Service 581 will not serve Newby Lane End between the times of 0930hrs and 1500hrs on 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th and 21st September. The bus will operate along Clapham Old Road between Clapham and Ingleton and will endeavour to operate as consistently as possible. As soon as the bus can operate along the A65 after 1500hrs on the closure days it will do so.
 

Again there is a convoy system in place at all other times which may cause some delays.
 

For further information click here (PDF file) or contact Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire Ltd on 01524 733831.

 

 

Extra Buses for the Summer Holidays

 

Three additional DalesBus services are running during the school summer holidays, making it even easier to enjoy a great day out in the Yorkshire Dales National Park or Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

 

Service 25 links Pateley Bridge with How Stean Gorge, Middlesmoor and Scar House Reservoir, on Tuesdays and Saturdays (until 3rd September 2011)

 

Service 898 links Leeds, Bradford and Keighley with Skipton and Malham on Wednesdays (until 31st August 2011)

 

Service 899 links Leeds, Bradford and Keighley with Bolton Abbey, Grassington and Kettlewell on Fridays (until 2nd September 2011).

 

 

Travel Around for a Pound in Craven

 

Are you under 18? Want to get out and about this summer? Catch up with friends, hit the shops or go somewhere new? Ride the bus anywhere in Craven for £1 a day!

Craven Youth Council have worked very hard over the last year to campaign for cheaper transport for young people in Craven. As a result of this campaign young people under the age of 18 will be able to travel on unlimited bus journeys in Craven for just £1 per day throughout August.

This offer is open to anyone under 18. The £1 ticket will enable a passenger to travel anywhere in Craven for one day between 9am and midnight. Tickets can be bought from the bus driver, but you may require ID to show that you are under 18.

 

The participating bus operators are DalesBus, First, Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire, Little Red Bus, Pennine, Pride of the Dales, Stagecoach, Transdev Burnley & Pendle, Transdev in Harrogate, Transdev in Keighley and Transdev Lancashire United.

 

The offer is available throughout August 2011.  Click here to download PDF poster.

 

 

Extra Trains to Settle for Jane Tomlinson Walk for All

 

Northern is sponsoring the Jane Tomlinson Walk for All after naming a train in honour of the charity campaigner in March this year. Extra train services will run to Settle for the event on Sunday 14th August to ensure as many walkers as possible can travel there by train.

There will be a special early morning train leaving Leeds at 05.35, arriving in Settle at 06.30. This is perfect timing if you are taking part in either the 26 or 14 mile walks as it gives you plenty of time for pre-walk registration.

If you're taking part in the 5mile walk you can travel from Leeds on the 09.00 train, which will have additional carriages, arriving in Settle at 10.10.

All ticket sales will go to the Jane Tomlinson Appeal (price of return ticket is £10).

If you wish to travel on either of these trains, please book your ticket to avoid disappointment, at www.walkforall.com

Richard Allan, Assistant Area Director for Northern, comments: “We are expecting a lot of people to travel to this fantastic event by train and we have provided as many extra seats as possible. We would still urge anyone wanting to travel on the 05.35 or 09.00 trains to pre-book their seats through the Walk for All website as tickets will be sent out in advance and your place on the trains guaranteed. We wish everyone taking part, whether you are attempting 26 miles or 5, the very best of luck!”

Extra carriages will also be provided on the following trains:

08.40 Leeds to Morecambe (this will call at Giggleswick where we will provide a coach service to Settle)
12.20 Morecambe to Leeds (again with coach service from Settle to Giggleswick)
16.37 Carlisle to Leeds train
23.15 Skipton to Leeds train
 

An additional Northern train will return from Settle at 20.15 and arrive at Leeds at 21.13.

 

Full timetable details are available here (PDF file).

 

Buses to Settle are available on service 833 from Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale, and on service 890 from Malham.
 

 

Skipton Bus Station - Building Works

 

New Early Morning Trains: Leeds-Carlisle & Carlisle-Leeds

 

Changes in the train timetable for the Settle-Carlisle line see new early morning direct trains running from Carlisle to Leeds and from Leeds to Carlisle. The new services started on Monday, 23 May.

The early morning trains run on weekdays. Departing Leeds at 0555, the northbound service arrives at Carlisle at 0841. The southbound train leaves Carlisle at 0558 and arrives at Leeds at 0837. With trains arriving some three hours earlier than previously, there are now excellent opportunities for onward travel to other destinations and for anyone attending morning meetings or appointments in Leeds or Carlisle (and beyond).

Current restrictions mean that these two services will not, however, stop at every station along the route.

The full timetable is available at www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/timetables
 

 

Service X59 Diversion

The A59 will be closed between Kex Gill and Halton East from Monday 6th June until Friday 8th July 2011.

Route X59 between Harrogate and Skipton will still run whilst the A59 is closed, but buses will run non-stop between Harrogate and Skipton.

Bus stops in Harrogate on Ripon Road and in Jennyfield won’t be served, nor will Blubberhouses or Bolton Abbey Station.

Click here to download the temporary X59 timetable (64Kb PDF file).

The normal route will resume on Saturday 9th July (slightly earlier than previously expected).
 

Changes to Service X59 (Harrogate - Skipton) from 18th April

Due to funding cuts by North Yorkshire County Council service X59 (Harrogate - Skipton) will operate a reduced timetable from 18th April 2011 - click here for details.  This service will no longer serve Bolton Bridge.

 

DalesBus Link from Wakefield

DalesBus 870  is now extended to start from Wakefield (departing every Sunday and Bank Holiday at 08.50) running via Outwood, Lofthouse and Robin Hood to Ilkley, continuing to Bolton Abbey, Grassington and Buckden as DalesBus 874.

Through fares are available between services 870 and 874.

 

Dales Sunday Lunch Prize Draw

The Dales & Bowland CIC is running a Dales Sunday Lunch Prize Draw, on Sundays and Bank Holidays until 13th March 2011.

To enter the draw, and be in with the chance to win some great prizes, all you have to do is make three visits to participating venues by DalesBus, visiting at least two different venues and spending a minimum of £5 on food or drink on each visit.

To find out more download an entry form here. (PDF file)

 

Special £8 Winter Offer on England’s most scenic Railway for MetroCard and Metro-issued English National Concessionary Pass holders

Once again, Metro and Northern Rail have teamed up to offer a special £8 day return ticket on either the Settle-Carlisle or Lancaster-Morecambe scenic railway lines for MetroCard and Metro-issued English National Concessionary Pass holders.

For just £8 you can take a day return journey on either the Settle-Carlisle or the Lancaster-Morecambe lines from Leeds, Bradford Forster Square, Ilkley, Ben Rhydding, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Menston, Guiseley, Baildon, Frizinghall, Shipley, Saltaire, Bingley, Crossflatts, Keighley, Cononley, and also from Skipton in North Yorkshire.

The offer runs every day of the week until Saturday 12th March 2011, and is available to holders of any adult Bus-only MetroCard, StudentPlus MetroCard or Bus & Rail MetroCard (any zone, including Rail Cards 6 &7).

Holders of Metro-issued English National Concessionary Passes can travel any time Monday to Friday only (this includes companions aged over 11, as long as your Pass has the companion symbol).

For full details of the offer see: www.wymetro.com/news/releases/settlecarlisle.htm

 

Guided Walks in Dentdale

A new programme of guided walks throughout the year is being organised to raise awareness of the annual Dent Walking Festival that is held over the May Day Bank Holiday on 30th April & 1st May 2011. The organisers are hoping to encourage locals and visitors to pull on their boots and get out to experience this wonderful Dale and it's environs.

The very first walk "Flintergill & West" will take place this Saturday 29th January 2011, guided by Bob & Wendy Pontefract.

They will be meeting at the car park bus shelter across from Dent Memorial Hall at 11am and guiding you up through the delightful Flintergill, past the Meditation centre and on to the Occupation Road, where you will head west over to Combe Scar, down Bower Bank and into Gawthrop. Now the best bit! Bob & Wendy will invite you into their beautiful cottage in Gawthrop for hot mince pies & mulled wine and a good natter. After that you will have the 15 minute walk back to Dent to finish the walk, or catch the bus from Gawthorp Lane End.

Walk details - 6 miles, 2.5 / 3 hours - full details can be found at www.discoverdentdale.co.uk/activities/walking/walk1/index.htm. Bus connections from/to Dent Station available on service 564A.

If you would like to join the walk please email matthew@lowhaycotebarn.com

 

Red Squirrel Bus

There’s an easy new way to visit the red squirrel viewpoint in the Widdale Red Squirrel Reserve.

Little Red Bus, in conjunction with the Yorkshire Dales National Park, are providing a handy bus link from Hawes National Park Centre on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Why not take the bus and enjoy a 2.5 mile circular walk, taking in the red squirrel viewpoint, or walk to Snaizeholme following the red squirrel trail and catch the bus back (approx 6 miles)?

Click here for details.

 

More Dales Experience Buses from Bradford and Keighley

After the success of the Dales Experience Wednesday buses last summer, services will be increased for 2010, running twice a week during the Summer school holidays.

The buses will run to Malham on Wednesdays and to Bolton Abbey, Grassington and Kettlewell on Fridays.

They depart from Bradford Interchange at 10.00 am, running via Manningham Lane, Shipley Market Place (10.15), Saltaire, Bingley (10.25) and Keighley Bus Station (10.40), returning late afternoon to arrive in Bradford at 5.15pm. Fares are pegged at £5.00 return with some great family offers and free travel for concessionary pass holders. Click here for further details.

There are many special family events lined up for bus users during the summer including short guided family walks, Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival (August 20th), guided tours of the Scargill Centre at Kettlewell as well as a chance to spot the peregrines at Malham Cove - click here for details.

The Dales Experience Buses are managed by the Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company, with funding from Metro.

These buses complement the regular Dales Bus services from Bradford and Keighley, which operate every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday together with the Northern Dalesman bus which links with the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle train at Ribblehead Station to provide a fast link to Wensleydale and Swaledale.

Dales Rover tickets are now sold every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday on First service 650 from Bradford and Shipley to Ilkley to connect with Dales Bus services to Malham and Buckden, and also on all Transdev Keighley & District buses to connect with the hourly 66A service from Keighley to Skipton (connections to Malham and Bolton Abbey) and Grassington.


Buses to Upper Nidderdale on Tuesdays and Saturdays

A new Summer bus service in Upper Nidderdale continues until 31st August. The Upper Nidderdale Rambler service links Pateley Bridge with Lofthouse, Studfold Trails, How Stean Gorge, Middlesmoor and continues up to Scar House Reservoir. It runs every Saturday and Tuesday until 31st August 2010, complementing the existing Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday service.

Buses will connect with service 24 from Harrogate at Pateley Bridge, and depart King Street at 10.30, 12.30 and 15.30. Buses back down the Dale to Pateley Bridge will connect with the 24 to Harrogate. The 11.50 departure from Middlesmoor gives Upper Nidderdale residents the opportunity to spend the afternoon visiting friends in Pateley Bridge – ideal for teenagers to meet up with school friends without the need for “Mum’s Taxi”.

The buses will be operated by local company AS Coaches of Fellbeck. The services are managed by the Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company, with funding from Nidderdale AONB's Sustainable Development Fund.

Concessionary passes are valid for free travel with a £4 Day Return fare available (reduced to just £2.50 for holders of Transdev service 24 tickets).
 

Malham Tarn Shuttle

It will be much easier to explore the Malham area at weekends during the Summer Holidays thanks to the return of the Malham Tarn Shuttle.

The National Trust Malham Tarn Shuttle (service 890) runs every Saturday, Sunday and August Bank Holiday Monday from 24th July to 30th August.

The first bus starts from Skipton at 09.25 running to Malham, with a regular shuttle service running during the day between Malham, Malham Tarn and Settle and a last return bus at 5.52pm from Malham to Skipton.

Shuttle bus journeys depart Settle Market Place at 10.30, 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 16.00 and 17.00 returning from Malham at 10.05, 11.30, 12.30, 13.30, 15.30 and 16.30.

Please note that concessionary passes and Dales Rover tickets are not valid on this service.

 

Ripon Roweller Changes

From 19th April 2010 the Monday to Saturday Ripon Roweller services is operated by Dales & District, in place of Little Red Bus, with revised timetables.

Service 139 to Fountains Abbey is one of the routes affected: The 1030 departure from Ripon is retimed to 0945 and the 1320 departure is retimed to 1330. Additional journeys between Ripon and Fountains Abbey will run at 1115 from Ripon, returning at 1540 and 1640 from Fountains Abbey. The service will no longer serve Studley Park or Studley Roger.

The Sunday and Bank Holiday shuttle service between Ripon and Fountains Abbey continues unchanged, operated by Little Red Bus.

 

Service 144

From 19th April 2010 service 144 between Bedale and Masham is operated by Dales & District, in place of Little Red Bus, with a revised timetable.

 

Skipton Bus Station Improvements Proposed

Since the opening of the new bus station facility in Skipton in early 2009 North Yorkshire County Council and Craven District Council have monitored comments from users and bus operators.

 

In response to feedback North Yorkshire County Council and Craven District Council propose to make some changes to the bus station to improve the facility for bus passengers and other users of the area.

 

These improvements include:

• Extension of the bus shelter to provide more space internally

• Additional seating both inside and outside the shelter

• Improved passenger information including clearer stand numbering

Further information is available here: http://www.northyorkstravel.info/pdf/Skipton%20Bus%20Leaflet_Layout%201.pdf (PDF file).

Beer 'n' Buses

A new holiday company is providing an opportunity to visit the Dales by public transport, and enjoy a pint or two of beer along the way.

 

The Beer 'n' Buses itinerary comprises an  8 night tour in the North East of England, centred around Leeds and York, but also including visits to the stunning North East Coast between Berwick and Newcastle, and the Border town of Carlisle, with journeys on the spectacular Settle and Carlisle Railway Line.

 

For further details visit the Beer 'n' Buses website.

 

Easter Bus Services

Bus services in the Yorkshire Dales will be subject to change over the Easter holiday period.

 

Most operators will provide a normal Saturday service on Saturday 3rd April and a Sunday service on both Sunday 4th April and Bank Holiday Monday 5th April.

 

There will however be more variety in the level of provision on Good Friday 2nd April - so intending passengers are advised to check with the bus operator before travelling. In particular please note that the bus services in Wharfedale run by Pride of the Dales (routes 72/72R/74) will not operate at all on Good Friday.