Dalesbus Website - Archived News

Changes will be made to the timetable of bus services 280 and X80 running between Preston, Clitheroe and Skipton from 18th November 2007 to improve reliability.

Some journeys will run up to 20 minutes earlier or later, so please ensure that you check the timetable carefully for times of buses that you normally use.

Fares were increased on bus services operated by Harrogate & District Travel and Keighley & District Travel from 7th October 2007, including daily service 24 from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge and Sunday service 66A from Keighley and Skipton to Grassington. Harrogate and District DayGold tickets are now priced at Ł6.00 for adults and Ł12.00 for families. Keighley & District K-Day tickets are now priced at Ł2.70 for adults.

An improved timetable was introduced on the Bowland Transit bus service between Clitheroe, Slaidburn and Settle from June 24th 2007, featuring the following changes:

Fares are also revised to accommodate cross-border travel between Ribble Valley and the Craven District, and Bowland Transit Weekly Tickets have been revamped with expanded availability.

Minor changes were made to intermediate times on service X59 between Skipton and Harrogate from Monday 30th July 2007, but departure times from Skipton and Harrogate are unchanged. These changes were made to improve reliability.

Minor adjustments were made to the times of buses on service 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge from Sunday 2nd September 2007. In addition to minor changes to intermediate timings, the journeys at 1635 from Harrogate and 1730 from Pateley Bridge on weekdays now run five minutes later. These changes are also being made to improve reliability.

From 1st July 2007 the Saturday morning Post Bus journeys in Wensleydale were withdrawn, alternative journeys are available on Dales & District services 156 and 157. The 0940 journey from Northallerton to Hawes on Mondays to Fridays is retimed to 0950 and runs 10 minutes later throughout.

On most Sundays in August and September 2007 a heritage bus service will link Bolton Abbey Station (on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway) with Bolton Abbey village. The bus will run on Sundays August 5th, 12th and 19th, September 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th. Sunday bus links to Embsay and Bolton Abbey are provided on Cravenlink service 884 from Ilkley and Skipton.

Steam trains return to Wensleydale Railway for a month in August, operating from 1st to 17th August and from 21st August until 2nd September 2007.

Ex British Rail Standard Class locomotive No 80105 will haul the first train of the day from Leeming Bar to Redmire and bring the last train back. During the day it will shuttle between Redmire and Leyburn, with extra passenger mileage for the locomotive to run round at Constable Burton (no alighting there). Diesel multiple units will provide a feeder service between Leeming Bar and Leyburn. Services are ‘turn up and go’ except for groups of 11 or more who should pre-book tickets.

The timetable and fares for Wensleydale Railway’s August services and events will be available on the railway company’s website at www.wensleydalerailway.com.

“There is a host of planning and work needed to achieve a successful month of steam services,” said Mr. Deane, Wensleydale Railway's Mechanical Engineering Director. “Volunteers will be of crucial importance. Intending volunteers will be very welcome and should make their interest known through the WRA website if they are not already registered with the Association.”

“The return of steam trains will bring back many memories for people who lived in Wensleydale before the line closed to passenger services in the 1950s,” says Wensleydale Railway Chairman Mrs. Annison. “In those days, the large number of jobs on the railway meant that many local families depended on the line for their livelihood. Some people remember going down the dale to school in Northallerton by train; others recollect going in the opposite direction, to the grammar school in Askrigg or to Leeds and Bradford, in the days when the Wensleydale Railway connected with the renowned Settle-Carlisle line at Garsdale.”

Long-term WR proposals include the re-building of an 18 mile missing link between Redmire and Garsdale, to restore this connection, as well as the pressing need to restore the half mile South Curve track into Northallerton station.

The timetable and fares for Wensleydale Railway’s August services and events are available on the railway company’s website at www.wensleydalerailway.com.

A new service, Cravenlink 784/884, linking Ilkley, Bolton Abbey, Embsay and Skipton on Sundays and Bank Holidays started on 22nd April 2007.

Unfortunately due to funding cuts by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) Summer Sunday services 804 from Skipton to Malham, 807 from Skipton to Richmond and 830 from Darlington to Hawes will not operate in 2007.

The ever popular music and ale train from Skipton to Ribblehead will be making two trips this year - the first one for 2007 ran on Saturday 9th June, with real ale chosen (and served up by) the Keighley Worth Valley Railway volunteers and music provided by the Pennine Jazz Blues band and folk duo Malc and Jeannie. The second one for the summer will run on Saturday 28th July.

Tickets in advance are Ł5 and are available from Northern Rail Specialist Sales Leeds Travel Centre on 0113 247 9659 or by emailing specialistsales@northernrail.org.

The train departs from Skipton at 1959 (this is the 1919 train from Leeds) and calls at all stations to Ribblehead. It arrives at Ribblehead at 2041 and departs at 2100, calling at all stations to Skipton where the service terminates. Local Airedale line services are available for anyone travelling back to West Yorkshire.

Network Rail and the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line have got together to present rail enthusiasts and walkers alike with a unique opportunity - the chance to walk across the world famous Ribblehead Viaduct.

The railway is closed for two weeks in July as part of a five year, Ł60 million upgrade of the line, and Network Rail has agreed to open the viaduct to the public on Sunday 22 July 2007, the final day of the closure.

Radio presenter Mike Harding will officially open the event, which runs from 10 am until 4 pm. The 24-arch viaduct is a quarter of a mile long, 104 feet high and was completed in 1875 after taking five years to build.

Network Rail has imposed a limit of 2,000 people throughout the day and the Friends will have an army of volunteers to act as guides. They will accompany visitors across the viaduct in parties of 25 people at a time. Network Rail has also said visitors must be over the age of 14 to cross the viaduct.

Temporary car parks will be set up at Ribblehead and at nearby Horton-in-Ribblesdale from where free shuttle buses are being provided by train operator Northern. Northern's rail replacement buses will also call at Ribblehead.

As well as the viaduct walk there will be free guided tours of the former shanty towns on the Ribblehead site, guided walks around the nature reserve, the Ribblehead Visitor Centre, exhibitions and attractions in the station area.

The Dales Experience bus service will be running from Huddersfield and Bradford again during 2007, following a successful launch last year.

The bus provides a link to Malham amidst the beautiful countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, running one Sunday each month from May until October.

The bus runs from Huddersfield, Brighouse, Bradford and Shipley to Ilkley, Skipton and Malham, leaving Huddersfield Bus Station at 0835 and returning from Malham at 1645. Malham is one of the most popular villages in the Yorkshire Dales, with a National Park Centre to help you find out more about the area. There is a stream running through the village, and many walks start from there, including to the spectacular Cove, Janet's Foss and Gordale Scar.

A Dales Rover ticket valid all the way from Huddersfield to Malham is just Ł7, or Ł14 for a family ticket. There’s no need to book in advance, tickets are available from the driver. At Ilkley connections are available with Dalesbus 805, providing connections to Bolton Abbey, Burnsall, Grassington, Kettlewell, Aysgarth and Hawes.

The Dales Experience Bus also provides an ideal way to visit the RSPB’s peregrine viewpoint at Malham Cove, which is open daily until 5th August. Last year tens of thousands of people enjoyed the sight of the peregrines hunting and catching their prey mid-air with stunning displays of aerobatics. Information Assistants are on hand to help visitors see the peregrines and other birds. The project is part of the RSPB’s Aren’t Birds Brilliant! programme of events, which make rare and spectacular birds accessible for everyone to see. As well as the peregrines, visitors to Malham can expect to see green woodpeckers, little owls, redstarts and cliff-nesting house martins.

The Dales Experience Bus service will run on Sundays May 20th, June 24th, July 8th, August 5th, September 9th and October 7th 2007. The service is provided by the Yorkshire Dales Society and the Yorkshire Dales Public Transport Users Group with funding from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority's Sustainable Development Fund.

Several bus services in the Harrogate and Richmondshire areas changed from 29th April 2007, following North Yorkshire County Council’s periodic tendered service review.

The times of the main routes along Swaledale and Wensleydale changed, and Saturday service 30A to Arkengarthdale no longer operates.

The Hawes Village Bus service now provides a demand-responsive service operating in the Hawes/Gayle/Burtersett/Sedbusk/Hardraw/Appersett area from 0930 until 1700 on Mondays to Saturdays, with scheduled connections with trains at Garsdale Station at 1001 (NS), 1035 (S), 1217, 1723(S), 1728 (NS), 1925 (S) and 1934 (NS).

The last buses on the main Wensleydale service 156/157 now run on Mondays to Saturdays at 1805 from Bedale to Gayle, and at 1933 from Gayle to Bedale.

Following a review by Cumbria County Council Tuesday service 804 from Kendal and Sedbergh to Hawes has been withdrawn.

From 14th August 2006 the two hourly bus service from Preston through the Ribble Valley to Skipton was increased to hourly with the introduction of Service X80, which offers a more direct link between Preston, Clitheroe and Skipton. The service operates on Mondays to Saturdays, providing a cross Pennine link between Lancashire and Yorkshire. Tyrer Tours Ltd operate this service on behalf of Lancashire County Council.

From 6th May 2007 the service was further improved with the introduction of a summer Sunday/Bank Holiday service operated by Stagecoach in Lancashire. This service continues on a year-round basis from 7th October 2007, and is operated by Lancashire United.

Pensioners and disabled people are entitled to free, local off-peak bus travel from 1st April 2006.

Residents of North Yorkshire and the City of York with a valid pass are entitled to free travel for any journey that starts or finishes in North Yorkshire or the City of York, after 9am on weekdays, and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. This includes all DalesBus services.

Residents of West Yorkshire with a valid MetroPermit are entitled to free travel for any journey that starts or finishes in West Yorkshire, after 9.30am on weekdays, and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. However there are some exceptions for journeys into North Yorkshire:

Free travel for pensioners throughout England will be effective from 1st April 2008, but a new pass will be required in order to be eligible.

Northern Rail, operator of passenger services over the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle and Leeds-Morecambe lines, has mainly frozen or reduced its fares on these routes from 2 January 2007.

Fares from Appleby to Carlisle and from Settle to Leeds have been frozen. Northern have also restructured the fares to remove all the anomalies that meant travelling from stations south of Skipton was more expensive, and have made the structure more visible, reversible and fair. This should also remove the need for rebooking en route to get the best fare.

Also from January 2007, the price of a Dales Railcard has been reduced from Ł12 to Ł10 and the price of a Friends Gold Card from Ł15 to Ł12. Both cards offer the same benefits but the Dales Railcard is only available to residents within certain postcode areas. The Friends Gold Card is available to members of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line wherever they live.

DalesBus 805 from West Yorkshire to Hawes is again running every Sunday throughout the Winter months.

The Winter bus starts in Wakefield at 0845, then runs via Leeds (0915), Otley (0948) and Ilkley (1005) before heading up Wharfedale into the heart of the Dales. Popular attractions passed en route include Bolton Abbey and Aysgarth Falls, as well as the villages of Burnsall, Grassington, Kilnsey and Kettlewell. The bus returns home from Hawes at 1530 and from Grassington at 1655.

The Winter timetable runs every Sunday until 1st April 2007. If you live in the Keighley or Skipton area you can also join this service by catching a connecting bus on service 66A. This service from Keighley to Grassington continues to run hourly throughout the day on Sundays, leaving Keighley at 0945 and every hour until 1545, returning from Grassington at 1055 and hourly until 1655. Dales Rover tickets are available on services 66A and 805, as well as on the Sunday buses on route 24. However in most cases you’ll find that a day return ticket offers better value in the Winter months, when there are less opportunities to connect between different services.

The Sunday bus network in the Dales will therefore comprise the following routes over the Winter months:

The Metro Winter Dalesbus timetable is available online now (750KB PDF file), and is also available from travel and tourist information centres.

The Yorkshire Dales Public Transport Users Group celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. To celebrate this landmark a special full-colour edition of our newsletter, Wheels in Motion, was produced, including a review of the last ten years. To download a copy click here (note this is a 1.8MB PDF file). A special anniversary social for members was held on 30th September.

The Group now has almost 400 members, but is keen to encourage more people to join, and help support public transport in the Dales. Further details of the Group and a membership form are available on this website.

On Saturday 14th October 2006, a steam special will run on the Wensleydale Railway from Bedale to Castle Hills (Northallerton), the junction of the Wensleydale Railway with the national rail network. This will be the first steam passenger train to run after dark in over fifty years.

The train departs from Bedale at 18.00 and Leeming Bar at 18.15; returning to Leeming Bar at 19.40 and Bedale at 19.55.

The return fare will be Ł7 (child Ł4) from Bedale and Ł5 (child Ł3) from Leeming Bar. Reserve your tickets now on 08454 50 54 74.

On Saturday September 23rd 2006 at 6.45 pm, a special train will run on the Wensleydale Railway from Leeming Bar to Castle Hills (Northallerton), the junction of the Wensleydale Railway with the national rail network. This will be an opportunity to see the "south curve", the original route of the line into Northallerton station.

The return fare will be Ł5 (child Ł3) and the journey will take approximately 80 minutes.

For further details, please telephone the Wensleydale Railway on 08454 50 54 74.

The Wensleydale Vintage Tour Bus will run from Ripon and Leyburn to Redmire and Hawes on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout August and September 2006, as well as on August Bank Holiday Monday. For further details click here.

Service 904 from Otley to Harrogate, and all the evening and Sunday buses on route X84 between Ilkley, Addingham and Skipton were withdrawn from 23rd July 2006. The new X84 timetable is available to download here.

This follows the withdrawal of subsidy by North Yorkshire County Council. Metro, who have an obligation to provide socially-necessary bus services for residents within their area, have chosen not to step in to provide any funding to allow the services to continue.

An alternative service between Ilkley and Addingham is provided by service 762 (Ilkley - Addingham - Keighley), and between Pool and Harrogate by service 767 (Leeds Bradford International Airport - Harrogate).

On July 14th 1986, eight local stations on the Settle-Carlisle railway re-opened to train services after being closed for many years and a celebratory programme of events is being launched to mark twenty years of success, during July and August this summer.

The stations re-opened were Horton in Ribblesdale, Ribblehead, Dent, Garsdale, Kirkby Stephen, Langwathby, Lazonby and Armathwaite. Before then, only Settle and Appleby were available to serve the whole of the Yorkshire Dales and Eden Valley. These local stations now connect over a hundred parish communities with the national rail network for business, shopping, education, and leisure trips, and also bring many visitors into the region, who help to stimulate the local economy.

The programme of celebratory events is a chance to reflect and rejoice in the additional access, which is now taken as the norm once again; and it marks the tremendous achievement of re-opening so many stations for public use. Events ranging from guided walks, photographic exhibitions and steam trains to a scarecrow festival will be taking place along the full length of the Settle-Carlisle railway corridor, with something which will appeal to everyone.

The complete programme of events is available online here as a PDF file, or as a leaflet from tourist information centres, libraries, and accommodation providers; by post (sending s.a.e.) from SCENe, The Community Office, Hawes, North Yorks DL8 3RA. For further details see: www.settle-carlisle.co.uk

MetroCard holders can go by bus North to Harrogate, Knaresborough or Skipton with special summer fares called 'Harrogate Connect' or 'Skipton Add-On tickets'. This offer started on Saturday 18 June and continues until Saturday 2nd September 2006.

Holders of any valid MetroCard can obtain - for Ł3 - a 'Harrogate Connect' ticket which gives a return to Harrogate on services 36 and 770. The special summer fare also allows you to make a return trip on any local service within Harrogate and Knaresborough. For example, the 'Harrogate Connect' ticket would allow a visit to Harlow Carr or Knaresborough Castle.

If you wanted to travel to Skipton, holders of any valid MetroCard can obtain an 'add-on' for a return journey to Skipton on service 66/67/68 for only Ł2.

Note: Holders of Senior MetroPermits can travel free on these services to Harrogate, Ripon or Skipton, but must then pay normal fares for journeys within Harrogate. They can of course get to Knaresborough for free using service 780 from Wetherby.

Pick up the Go North leaflet from Metro travel centres for full details. The leaflet also contains vouchers for various attractions.

Metro and Northern Rail have teamed up to take West Yorkshire MetroCard and Concessionary Permit holders across the boundary by train for summer. The offers are available to all valid MetroCard holders (annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly – bus only or bus and train), Student Plus, School Plus with a Scholar’s PhotoCard, and all Concessionary Permit holders.

Now, you can go to Harrogate, Knaresborough or Skipton by train for almost half the normal price. Spend the day in Harrogate or Knaresborough for only Ł3 return fare, or take a trip to Skipton for only Ł2 return.
These special offers are available on Mondays to Fridays until Friday 25 August 2006.

Money-saving vouchers to use in each town are available in the special offer leaflets, available from Metro Travel Centres, staffed rail stations and Tourist Information Centres.

Catch the train after 9am any weekday from Leeds or Bradford Forster Square train stations or any West Yorkshire stations on the Airedale or Harrogate lines. The special offer day return fares apply from any of these stations. Tickets can be bought with a valid MetroCard or Concessionary Permit from ticket offices at staffed train stations (or on the train if the station is unstaffed or the ticket office is closed). You can break your journey - the ticket is valid to your final destination - and return at any time of day.

Child fares are also available, at half the adult promotional fare, when travelling with an adult holding special day return ticket.

These special offer tickets cannot however be combined with Skipton Dalesbus add-on fares.

An open-top bus service will run on Sundays in August 2006 between Ilkley railway station and Bolton Abbey station, on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. Click here for details.

Bus service 112 from Gayle and Hawes to Garsdale and Sedbergh (Tuesdays and Fridays only) was withdrawn after operation on 28th April 2006, as a result of North Yorkshire County Council's recent bus service review. Service 130 from Hawes to Keld, also operated by Braithwaites Coaches, was also withdrawn after operation on 25th April.

Bus services 30, 30A and 36 in Swaledale are operated by Dales and District from 6th March 2006, following the closure of Arriva's Richmond depot. Timetables remain unchanged, except that the late Friday only journey from Richmond to Gunnerside Bridge at 2240 is now operated as a demand responsive taxibus by Harkers Coaches.

New tickets allowing through travel by train and bus into Wharfedale were launched on 2nd January 2006.

The new “Ilkley DalesBus” and “Skipton DalesBus” tickets allow a day return by train to Ilkley or Skipton, then unlimited travel on the Wharfedale area buses, as far north as Buckden. The tickets cost just Ł3.00 on top of the Cheap Day Return fare to your chosen station.

The new tickets have been masterminded by Northern Rail and North Yorkshire County Council, with assistance from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, and are one of the first initiatives to come out of the Yorkshire Dales Sustainable Travel Partnership.

The tickets are available to either Ilkley or Skipton Rail Stations from Leeds, Bradford Forster Square and all stations on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines. An added bonus is that the tickets are available anytime. (Cheap Day Return tickets are usually only available after 9.30am on Mondays to Fridays, although there’s no time restriction at weekends.)
The tickets are valid on Pride of the Dales bus services 72 and 72R between Skipton, Grassington and Hebden, and service 74 between Ilkley, Grassington and Buckden, on Keighley & District service 67A between Skipton and Grassington and on Reliance Motor Services/ Arriva Yorkshire services 800 and 805 between Ilkley, Grassington and Buckden. One slight limitation is that the Skipton and Ilkley versions of the ticket aren’t interchangeable, so you need to return home from the same station.
Example Fares:

Note that the DalesBus tickets can only be combined with Cheap Day Return fares, not any other type of ticket. A half-price child version of the ticket is available, but the tickets cannot be combined with concessionary fares for MetroPermit holders.

A series of car-free walks has been devised to enable visitors and residents in the Richmond area to explore the countryside of Wensleydale and Swaledale. A series of six walks has been devised, all of which are accessible by local bus services. For details see www.dalesbus.info/richmond . The walks have been created by a partnership involving Westend Guest House, Transport for Leisure Ltd and the Yorkshire Dales Public Transport Users Group.

North Yorkshire County Council has announced how it intends to improve value for money on the County's bus services. On 1st March 2006 the County Council's corporate director for transport, Mike Moore, considered a report recommending changes to the County's subsidised bus services. In consultation with County Councillor Clare Wood, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for public transport, the decision was made to approve the recommendations.

The report was produced after wide public consultation and a detailed analysis by County Council officers of the County’s large number of contracts with bus service operators.

In reaching the decision, Mr Moore took into account the need to reduce very high levels of subsidy for poorly used buses, the need to secure best value for North Yorkshire’s bus users and the need to safeguard essential transport for rural areas.

North Yorkshire County Council has committed to spend over Ł5m on buses next year.

Councillor Clare Wood said: “I have very much appreciated the high level of interest the people of North Yorkshire have shown. I have listened very carefully and believe that the decision taken today reflects a real balance in offering subsidised bus services in rural areas and value for money for our residents.”

A small number of bus services will be withdrawn or adjusted as a result of the review. Details of any changes to services in the Dales will be posted here when available, however we are pleased to report that the possibility of major cuts to Dales bus services has now been averted.

A project to encourage sustainable travel and tourism in the Yorkshire Dales has won a major European award for its work.

It was voted number one in the “promoting ecologically-sound travel and tourism” category of a contest run by the Austrian government, which has just taken up presidency of the EU. The competition aimed to find best practices in Europe and was run before the start of a major conference in Vienna organised by three Austrian ministries.

The Travel Awareness Regions Group for Environmental Transport (TARGET) Project, which ended last June, was led overall by METRO and was a partnership that also included the YDNPA, Leeds City Council, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, North Yorkshire Council and the Yorkshire Dales Public Transport Users Group. The TARGET project received European INTERREG funding.

The Yorkshire Dales element of the TARGET project, led by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), aimed to promote travel to and within the Yorkshire Dales National Park by alternative methods of transport to the car and included promoting social inclusion, supporting the rural economy and the health benefits of countryside visits. Among other things, it also devised a programme of marketing campaigns aimed at car users, young people and socially excluded groups.

Andy Ryland, YDNPA’s Transport and Visitor Management Officer, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Austrian Government has recognised the work of the TARGET Project as being of European significance. The award highlights the need for integrating transport, tourism and sustainability, which was exactly what the partners of the TARGET project were trying to do. The opportunity to take part in the conference will not only enable us to share what we have learnt but will also enable us to learn a great deal from delegates from other regions who are facing similar problems with regard to sustainability and climate change which, after all, is the biggest threat to the environment and prosperity of the Yorkshire Dales.”

Some of the work started by the Yorkshire Dales part of the TARGET project – such as looking at cross-boundary ticketing to enable travellers to use buses and trains on one ticket – is now being taken forward by the Yorkshire Dales Sustainable Travel Partnership.

Timetable changes to bus routes 55, 73, 144, 156, 157 and 159 operated by Dales & District were made from 30th January 2006, including:

From the same date Arriva service X59 was extended to Hawes, running to Leyburn, Richmond and Darlington from Hawes at 0657 on Mondays to Fridays, returning from Darlington at 1710.

The Sunday bus service between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge now operates all-year round. This service is now operated by Harrogate & District Travel, with four return journeys operating every Sunday throughout the Winter months.

From 31st October 2005 minor improvements were also made to the mainly hourly weekday service between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge.

Some changes were made to Pride of the Dales' Wharfedale bus services with effect from 5th September 2005. The journeys listed below no longer operate:

1900 Grassington to Skipton & 1930 return Mon - Sat; 2000 Grassington to Skipton & 2030 return Mon - Sat; 2250 Grassington to Skipton & 2315 return Friday only.

Once again holders of Metrocards and West Yorkshire Concessionary Passes are able to travel on the Settle-Carlisle railway line and between Leeds and Morecambe for a flat fare of Ł5. Metro and Northern Rail are repeating this popular winter offer again, this time running between Monday 14th November 2005 and Sunday 19th February 2006 (inclusive).

This is a great opportunity to enjoy a dramatic and inspiring journey through the rugged Dales landscape and reach many interesting places easily and cheaply. The winter months can be spent exploring the area and all the wonderful places these two railway lines can take you to.

Metrocard Holders can travel on the Settle-Carlisle and Leeds to Morecambe routes for a flat fare of Ł5. Customers need to produce their valid Metrocard and a coupon available from the Metrocard offer leaflet. The journey must originate in the Metro West Yorkshire area and the offer is valid all week.

Metro concessionary pass holders are entitled to the Ł5 flat fare on both routes between Mondays and Thursdays and again will be required to produce their valid Metro Pass and a coupon available from the Metro leaflet.

Full details of the terms and conditions of both offers are contained in a leaflet which is available from staffed bus and rail stations in West Yorkshire. You can also request a leaflet from Metroline on 0113 245 7676, or download one from the Metro website at www.wymetro.com

A discounted offer is also available to Dales Railcard holders during the same period.

A return ticket has been introduced on route X84 to Skipton from Sunday 30 October until Saturday 24 December 2005 as a trial period.

The ticket is priced at Ł3.20 and is available for a day return journey to or from Skipton. The ticket offers savings over two single point to point tickets purchased, whether its purchased at Leeds, Otley or Ilkley a saving will be made regardless.

There are no discounts for Concessionary (WY or NY), disabled, Young Persons or Scholars passes during this trial period - all return tickets will be at the stated price.

A new chapter was added to railway history during September 2005 when, for the first time in half a century, regular passenger rail services operated on the Leeming Bar to Northallerton section of the Wensleydale Railway (WR). Working in partnership, innovative rail vehicle supplier Parry People Movers Ltd (PPM) and the WR arranged and obtained approval for the public service in a matter of weeks.

The operation, using a PPM 50 Light Railcar on six miles of route normally only used by freight trains together with an integrated bus link, promoted two projects: the extension of WR tracks and services to Northallerton main line station, and the joint development of a new type of larger environmentally-friendly non-electric light rail vehicle for community railways. Over 700 journeys were made by fare-paying passengers during the demonstration period with many passengers using the service to get to local shops and services.

"The response of passengers to this new service was, above all, to travel on it for journeys they would otherwise have made by road or not at all," said Ruth Annison, Chairman of Wensleydale Railway plc. "On the very first day, people were making journeys for appointments at Northallerton’s Friarage hospital and to catch trains on the East Coast main line. It was especially pleasing that throughout the demonstration people were using the rail shuttle service to go shopping and have a day out in Northallerton, thus helping the market town economy."

"It has been a joy to work with the Wensleydale Railway," said John Parry, Chairman of PPM. "Our two organisations have much the same culture - we get on with the job and solve the problems. The important thing is not to call for endless reports or argue about what the perfect solution would be if only limitless funds were available, but to do everything that is possible with the money to hand. This is how we'll work together to develop the larger railcars and extend the line."

The demonstration service caught the attention of the media, with reports appearing in the regional, national and railway industry press. The operation was also featured on BBC and ITV television and both independent and BBC radio (local and national).

A new generation light railcar from Parry People Movers (PPM) will provide the first passenger service for half a century between Leeming Bar and Northallerton from September 15th to 23rd 2005, with an integrated bus link to town centre and main line station.

Parry People Movers Ltd (PPM) - the supplier of energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly light rail vehicles for community railways and tramways - has joined forces with Wensleydale Railway plc - operators of the re-opened 17-mile route in North Yorkshire - to provide a rail service to the east of the current WR terminus at Leeming Bar.

From Thursday September 15th until Friday September 23rd (excluding Sunday September 18), a PPM 50 Light Railcar will operate a regular service along six miles of line normally only used by freight trains. As the final half-mile section of track which took passenger trains into the county town of Northallerton is long gone, an interchange point has been constructed and a dedicated bus will transport passengers to and from the town centre and the main line railway station, served by Trans Pennine Express and GNER trains.

The Wensleydale Railway has announced that it will run its first locomotive-hauled passenger trains since the railway re-opened in July 2003, to mark the first-ever national Community Rail Day on Saturday May 14, 2005.

Class 31 and Class 37 diesel locomotives will haul a set of newly-painted red Mark 2a coaches on two "specials" after the end of the day's regular train services.

The special trains will depart from Leeming Bar station, half a mile from the A1 near Bedale. Saturday's 4.45pm departure for Redmire - on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park - will be repeated the next day, Sunday May 15 and the fare will be Ł20 return. The round trip will take about two hours and all seats can be booked in advance.

An additional loco-hauled train will run on the Saturday evening (May 14) departing from Leeming Bar at 8pm to the market town of Leyburn for a return fare of Ł15. Ticket prices for passengers who book for more than one of these special trains are Ł30 for any two journeys and Ł50 for all three journeys. A Weekend Rover Plus (May 14/15 only) at Ł60 is valid for all three loco-hauled specials and also all the Wensleydale Railway's regular DMU (diesel multiple unit) services on both days. Children aged 5-15 travel for half price; under 5s are free.

"The journey by train through Wensleydale is lovely at this time of year," says WR's marketing director, Mrs. Ruth Annison. "Spring flowers beside the line, and lambs skipping in nearby fields, will make it a memorable journey when seen from the comfort of our first loco-hauled passenger trains. We are also encouraging passengers on these evening trains to bring a picnic meal to enjoy as they travel up the dale."

"The launch of these special services is a tribute to everyone who has worked so hard to restore the Class 31 and Class 37 locomotives and bring them back into use. We are very pleased to be able to do this on the same date as the first Community Rail Day."

Wensleydale Railway runs regular DMU (diesel multiple unit) trains between Leeming Bar and Redmire 7 days a week. For routine timetable information see www.wensleydalerailway.com or phone 01969 623069; to book for the loco-hauled specials on May 14 and 15, telephone 08454 50 54 74.

Winter Sunday service 805 to Hawes from York, via Leeds, Ilkley and Grassington will continue until 20th March 2005. The summer service, starting in Wakefield, begins on 27th March.

The through journey to Skipton and Malham from Leeds, Bradford and Keighley on bus route 804 on Saturdays was replaced from the 18th December 2004 by a new service running on Saturdays from Preston, Blackburn and Burnley to Skipton and Malham. Times between Skipton and Malham are unchanged. - see timetable page for details.

Unfortunately, there will be no Sunday service on route 24 from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge during the Winter months this year. The Sunday service will resume at May Day weekend in 2005.

New bus services linking Hawes with Garsdale Station and surrounding villages started on 29th November 2004, under the Hawes Village Bus banner. All the routes run on Mondays to Saturdays. The routes are as follows:

The Wensleydale Railway is now operating a daily service (until 31st October) from Leeming Bar to Bedale, Leyburn and Redmire. There are five return journeys between Leeming Bar, Bedale and Leyburn, with three journeys continuing through to Redmire. Click here for the full timetable, and details of bus links from Northallerton Station.

The Malham Tarn Shuttle Bus is now using satellite navigation technology to give passengers an historical insight into one of the National Park's most glorious locations.

As passengers travel on the circular route from Malham National Park Centre towards Malham Tarn and then back again, an onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) tracks the vehicle's exact location. When certain points are reached the soothing voice of National Park Authority Interpretation Officer Kate Geddes relays relevant and interesting information to passengers.

The innovative system means visitors who give their cars a break and travel on the 804T service will not only get superior views of the countryside over the high drystone walls; they will also learn more about natural wonders like Malham Cove, the famous limestone pavement and Malham Tarn. The innovative commentary system installed on the shuttle bus by the National Trust is funded by the Travel Awareness Regions Group for Environmental Transport (TARGET) project.

Summer 2004 Dalesbus Changes

Despite some improvements with the introduction of the Malham Tarn Shuttle service and a new peak season link from Darlington to Hawes, a number of cuts have been made to the network of summer weekend leisure bus services to the Dales. This is despite the increased visitor numbers expected as a result of the promotion of the National Park's 50th anniversary and the popular Calendar Girls film.

North Yorkshire County Council's leisure bus service budget remains frozen, with no allowance being made for the rising cost of bus operation. The Yorkshire Dales National Park's contribution to the services in 2004 is planned to be just Ł20,000; which is actually a reduction over 2003 following the ending of Countryside Agency "Wider Welcome" grants. This means, simply, that insufficient public money has so far been made available to support the level of service that operated last year. The result of this is that:

Dales Rover tickets are available on the weekend Dales Connections Network until the end of October 2004. For the Autumn months this comprises the following Sunday/Bank Holiday services: 67A, 159, 800, 804, 804T, 805 and 807; also the following Saturday services: 804, 804T.

Zone C - Ribblehead, Settle, Malham, Skipton, Bolton Abbey, Grassington, Buckden, Middlesmoor, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Bedale

Zone D - Hawes, Aysgarth, Swaledale, Leyburn, Richmond, Masham, Lightwater Valley, Ripon

Travel within a single zone costs Ł3.50, for travel between zones see the table below:

Zone A
4.50	Zone B
7.00	4.50	Zone C
8.00	7.00	4.50	Zone D

Price shown is for one adult boarding in the zone shown to enable travel within other zones

Senior citizen tickets are available for half the adult fare to North Yorkshire pass holders only.

Family tickets (for 2 adults + up to 2 children, or 1 adult + up to 3 children) are available for the price of two adult tickets.

Note that OAP concessions are no longer available on Dales Rover tickets to holders of Metro Permits or any other OAP passes, except those issued by North Yorkshire.

Dales Rovers are not available for journeys wholly between Skipton and Malham on Saturdays.

New MetroConnect bus services started on Monday 26th January 2004 on a number of routes in the Otley area.

Service 942 operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Otley to Askwith and Moor Lane.

Service 944 operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Otley to Farnley and Leathley.

A full timetable leaflet can be downloaded from the Metro website at: http://www.wymetro.co.uk/tables/bus/940.pdf

A number of changes were made to bus services in the Skipton area from 4th January 2004:

Bowland Transit service B10 between Clitheroe, Slaidburn and Settle is now operating seven days a week. On Sundays one journey extends to Ribblehead and Ingleton, leaving Settle at 2.50pm.

Two completely new weekday bus routes, and two new Sunday services are now running in the Dales.

The new weekday services, operated by Harrogate & District Travel as part of North Yorkshire County Council's Travelinks project, run on Mondays to Saturdays on the following routes:

The two routes connect at Kettlesing, providing additional journey opportunities.

A series of events has been organised in Leeds to support European Mobility week. This includes a special "Park & Ride to the Dales" service on Sunday 22nd September. Dales buses 800 and 805 from Leeds to Bolton Abbey, Grassington, Buckden, Aysgarth and Hawes will make a special stop at Woodhouse Moor, where free all-day car parking will be available.

Also on Sunday 22nd September, Harrogate & District Travel are offering a maximum Ł1 fare on all their buses, including service 36 from Leeds to Ripon. This Ł1 ticket will give unlimited travel on Harrogate & District buses for the day.

There were a number of changes to services 72 and 74 operated by Pride of the Dales from Grassington to Skipton, Ilkley, Buckden and Hebden from 1st October.

Service 210 between Malham and Skipton has new times on Saturdays from 6th October, including a through service from Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford running as service 804.

Bus 'n' Boots Project

The basic concept of the Wharfedale Bus ‘n’ Boots Project is to use Community Transport mini buses driven by Voluntary Wardens, to offer guided events to visitors arriving in Grassington and will be based at the new transport interchange at the National Park car park.

The project has been devised and developed by members of the Voluntary Warden service of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and will be introduced into their programme of guided events to be offered in 2001.

Wharfedale Bus’n’Boots Walks - these walks aim to offer guided walks in areas of Wharfedale not easily reached by public transport and are aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at people visiting Wharfedale by bus.

Wharfedale Bus’n’Boots Tours - in the middle of the day the buses will be used to offer guided tours to more senior, or less energetic, visitors, giving them the chance to explore various aspects of Wharfedale with an informative guide. Each tour will involve a little walking over firm and level ground.

The first tour was on 24th June 2001, however the start of the walks programme has had to be delayed to the foot & mouth precautions.

New Postbus service

A new Postbus linking the villages of Grewelthorpe, Mickley, Kirkby Malzeard and Galphay with Ripon and Masham started on 26th February 2001. Full timetable details are available here.

New Rural Service

A new bus service linking Cowgill, Dent, Sedbergh and Kendal started on 8th November 2000, running on Wednesdays. Full details of this service operated by Woofs of Sedbergh are available here.

Wensleydale Railway Co

The new bus services in the Bedale area planned by WRC have been delayed and will not now start in 2000, for details of services currently operated click here.

In the meantime plans to bring back regular passenger trains to Wensleydale have taken a major step forward with the announcement that Railtrack has agreed in principle to transfer its interest in the Northallerton to Redmire line to the Wensleydale Railway Company. Trains may well be running next summer, see the WRA website for details. WRC has also acquired the station sites at Leeming Bar and Leyburn, the company's shop will be moving to the station in the near future. The shop carries a wide range of stock of interest to the transport enthusiast (all modes catered for) and an excellent range of gifts.

Pateley Bridge Evening Bus

As part of a number of bus service changes in the Harrogate area from 11th June 2000, a new bus to Pateley Bridge has been introduced, leaving Harrogate on Friday and Saturday evenings at 2315.

Changes to Bus Services from 16th April 2000

Pride of the Dales revised their services from Ilkley and Skipton to Grassington and Buckden from 16th April. The weekday service from Ilkley is improved, but evening services from Skipton are reduced. Full timetables are now on-line for the Ilkley and Skipton services.

Changes were also made to Sunday buses in the Harrogate area from 16th April, improvements include:

Service Changes

Wensleydale area services operated by Dales & District changed again from 27th September 1999, as follows:

Service 159 between Ripon, Leyburn and Richmond also have new times, including an hourly daytime service between Leyburn and Richmond.

Links from Masham are also improved, with service 144 running from Masham to Bedale on Mondays to Saturdays, with some journeys continuing to Northallerton.

For full details of all the above services please contact the operator, Dales & District, on 01677 422371.

A new Saturday bus service between Northallerton, Bedale and Hawes operated by Wensleydale Railway Co also started on 18th September. For full details please telephone 01969 663350.

Improved Settle Service

Service 580 between Kirkby Lonsdale, Ingleton, Settle and Horton in Ribblesdale was improved from August 2nd 1999, with improved connections with services to Skipton, Lancaster and Kendal, and later buses from Ingleton and Settle.

Embsay Railway News (from the Craven Herald)

The reinstating of a passenger line between Skipton and Grassington has received the full support of officers and members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park committee.

The line is currently used to transport stone from Swinden Quarry at Cracoe, owned by Tilcon.

Sunday excursions were said to be commonplace in the 1950s and more recently occasional passenger trains have operated with the permission of Tilcon and Railtrack but the absence of a platform has meant travellers have not been able to alight. Rail engineers believe the construction of a platform would be a relatively straight-forward operation.

If the proposals go ahead it will mean visitors to the Dales will be able to leave their cars in Skipton - or even further afield - and travel up the line to a terminal near the quarry. A park and ride bus service will then transport the visitors further up the Dales.

With or without a platform, an excursion train has already been booked to coincide with Grassington's Dickensian Festival. Hertfordshire Rail Tours have organised The Christmas Cracoe on Saturday December 18. The train departs from London's King's Cross Station to Skipton and then up to the end of the line at the quarry. The rail tour company hopes a platform will be in place but if it isn't then the train will still travel along the line and return to Skipton where a transfer bus service will be provided.

National Park member Coun Robert Heseltine said the scheme was within a whisker of becoming a reality. "The Dales is a honeypot for visitors. It will be excellent for the economy of the area."

Equally enthusiastic was Dr Jim Burton. "It is a potential boon to local people and tourists alike. Success will bring benefits to the park and all who visit," he declared. He also said other lines within the National Park such the Colne to Skipton could be re-instated in the future.

Transport and visitor management officer Andy Ryland said of the scheme which could cost up to Ł1 million: "Today's full backing from the authority members has given the green light that could very well see the first passenger trains for many years serving the heart of the Dales. This is a significant milestone in realising the long-term aim of a fully integrated rail and bus network for the Yorkshire Dales National Park."

In the long term there are proposals to reconnect Embsay junction with the Swinden branch at Haw Bank. Members agreed to continue discussions with the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway, Tilcon, rail excursion trains operators and the Office of Rail Passenger Franchising.

Special Fares and Discounts

Tickets offering discounted travel on the Wharfedale Wanderer service and the Embsay Steam Railway are now available, click here for details.

Bus users now get discounted entry at Fountains Abbey, collect your discount voucher from the Fountains Flyer driver. Adults admitted at child price (Ł2.10), children at half price (Ł1.05).

New All Year Services

A new service 74 now operates on weekdays from Ilkley to Grassington and Buckden, operated by Pride of the Dales. Evening services between Skipton and Grassington will also be introduced on Fridays and Saturdays. Full details are available here.

Stagecoach Cumberland are now operating a daily service between Ingleton, Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal. Services 567/568 provide 4 journeys on weekdays, and 3 on Sundays.

Wharfedale Pub Crawl

The local CAMRA Group have added a webpage to their site entitled "A Yorkshire Dales Pub Crawl". It is a list of the pubs in Wharfedale between Addingham and Cray, with the clear suggestion that people do it using the Wharfedale Wanderer. To visit this site, click the link provided on the Dalesbus Links Page.

Website News

West Yorkshire PTE have begun to add Yorkshire Dales bus services to their journey planner website. Coverage is not yet complete, but several services are already shown. Links will be provided from within the Dalesbus website shortly. The West Yorkshire Buses website is a new unofficial website with information on bus services in West Yorkshire.

New Rural Bus Services

The following new services have been introduced on an experimental basis, using the Rural Bus Grant. The continuation of these services depends on their usage, so please support them. See the Other Bus Services page for details:

Improved services have also been introduced between Keighley and Skipton (KDT 70/78) and between York and Ripon (HDT 142/X42).

Archived News from the Dalesbus Website