Boost for Blackpool bus routes from next month
4 months ago
Bus passengers in Blackpool and surrounding areas can look forward to further service improvements from next month with a series of timetable changes.
Thanks to continued government funding through the Bus Service Improvement Plan, the increased service frequency introduced last year will also be maintained as new stops are added to existing routes.
Following a successful tender bid to Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Transport has announced that its Service 5 is to be extended from Cleveleys to Fleetwood via Larkholme Shops.
From March 29, there will also be enhanced services on St. Anne’s Road, with the 5A and 5B buses providing new direct links to Victoria Hospital and between central Blackpool and the town’s Enterprise Zone.
At the same time, the Service 7 route is set to be extended across town to provide a direct link between Cleveleys and Lytham St Anne’s.
Jamie Swift, Head of Commercial commented: “The changes are being made in response to feedback from customers during recent consultations and build on the success of previous service enhancements that have proved hugely popular.
“We hope these latest tweaks to the timetable will further boost customer numbers as we strive to expand our network to meet the transport needs of local communities and millions of visitors to the Fylde coast.”
Details of the new services and other minor timetable amendments aimed at further improving punctuality at busy times can be found below:
Resort Rider 1
There will be route and timetable changes to the 1 due to the extension to service 5 between Cleveleys and Fleetwood. The 1 will now run direct along Broadway and in Fleetwood run in a loop using Station Road to Affinity, then Dock Street, Albert Street to Lord Street and return to North Pier.
Buses will run every 30 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes and hourly on Sundays.
Download the new timetable here
Cross Town 3 & 3A
No changes
Victoria Lines 5
The extension from Poulton to Cleveleys is proving popular with customer numbers growing well on this service. We have also been awarded a tender from Lancashire County Council to extend the 5 from Cleveleys to Fleetwood (replacing Transpora service 24) via Larkholme Shops.
Buses will run every 30-minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes and hourly during the evenings and on Sundays.
The extension will also replace service 1 in those areas.
Download the new timetable here
Victoria Lines 5A and 5B
These services will now run via St Annes Road instead of Lytham Road to provide a new direct link to the Hospital. Both the 5A and 5B will both still operate hourly during the Monday to Saturday daytime; this will double the daytime frequency on the St Annes Road corridor to four buses per hour alongside new service 7.
At the Southern end of these routes, the 5A and 5B will run in a loop around: Highfield Road, Midgeland Road, Progress Way, Common Edge Road, Vickers Way (the new link road between Common Edge Road and the Enterprise Zone), Amy Johnson Way and past Morrisons to Halfway House.
The 5A runs anticlockwise around this loop, the 5B runs Clockwise.
This delivers a much-improved service to the Enterprise Zone with quicker journey times to Town and North Station.
From Central Drive, the 5, 5A and 5B will still offer a combined 15-minute service to Town and Victoria Hospital. The 5A will continue to run to Staining and the 5B to the Zoo on Mondays to Saturdays. On Sundays, one journey per hour on service 5 will now serve Midgeland Road and run to Staining.
Download the new timetable here
Victoria Lines 5C
Minor changes to the timetable to improve punctuality. Buses still run every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes and hourly during the evening and on Sundays.
Download the new timetable here
Cross Town 6
The timetable has been revised on all days to improve punctuality. Basic frequencies are unchanged, with buses running every 20 minutes Monday to Friday daytimes, and every 30 minutes in the evenings and on Saturdays and Sundays.
The extension to Peel Park is now moved to service 18.
Download the new timetable here
Cleveleys Connection 7
Service 7 will become a core through-service between Cleveleys and Lytham via Blackpool Town Centre, replacing the 11A, and running every 30 minutes during the daytime and hourly in the evenings, 7 days a week.
Download the new timetable here
Cleveleys Connection 7A – will now become the Cleveleys Connection 8
This service will be renumbered to 8 following customer feedback.
There are minor timetable changes at peak times to help with punctuality, and the Saturday frequency has been increased to every 20 minutes during the daytime.
Download the new timetable here
Lytham Lines 11
Minor timetable changes to help with punctuality, especially during the late afternoons. Buses still run every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, and every 30 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays.
Download the new timetable here
Lytham Lines 11A
This service is replaced by the new extension to service 7.
Lytham Lines 11B – will now become the Lytham Lines 10
The 11B will become the 10, following customer feedback we are moving away from suffix letters after route numbers.
The timetable has been revised with buses still running every 30 minutes during the Monday to Saturday daytimes and hourly in the evenings and on Sundays.
Download the new timetable here
Local Link 12
Due to low customer numbers using this service it will be withdrawn from 29th March. The section between Victoria Hospital and Poulton, where the majority of customers travel will be added as an extension to service 18 running hourly during Monday to Saturday daytimes.
The trips serving Baines School on the 12A are also replaced by trips on the extended 18.
Wyre Line 14
Minor changes to the timetable to help with punctuality with basic frequencies unchanged at every 15 minutes during the Monday to Friday daytime, every 20 minutes on Saturdays and every 30 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays.
Some early morning and late evening trips have been removed due to very low customer demand.
Download the new timetable here
Local Link 18
The 18 will now extend beyond the Hospital to Bispham and Poulton to cover the withdrawal of service 12.
Other route changes include running direct along Whitegate Drive (instead of West Park Drive) and buses will divert to serve Peel Park on Monday to Friday. The Enterprise Zone loop is now served by changes to services 5A and 5B.