May news

The RMT union have announced a further strike on 24 and 26 May – timetable details for Thursday are here.

Generally services on the coast are similar to the last strike with reasonable early trains or buses but very early finishes (eg 1450 north from Barrow and 1600 from Carlisle to Whitehaven). Many services north of Whitehaven are replaced by buses and there are the same gaps as last time. There is an even thinner service on the Furness line south of Barrow – generally connections to the main line are only possible through Carlisle but again finish very early. 

Lakes line has a roughly hourly service from Oxenholme to Windermere with a mixture of trains and buses.

Settle and Carlisle has just two journeys from Leeds to Carlisle and two from Carlisle to Skipton.

The Tyne Valley line to Newcastle has a better and later service but with some big gaps during the day.

On Saturday there are just two trains between Barrow and Workington and a few Carlisle-Workington buses (one extended to Whitehaven). However the Furness line has seven return trips between Barrow and Lancaster. The Tyne Valley line has a reasonable train service, around hourly with gaps. Lakes line has a roughly hourly service with a mixture of trains and buses and there are two trains on the Settle and Carlisle route.

As before Stagecoach buses 300 and 301 provide an alternative for stations between Whitehaven and Carlisle (except for Dalston), 600 for Whitehaven, Parton and Carlisle and Stagecoach/Arriva 685 from Carlisle to Newcastle.

Northern’s strike page gives details of compensation and alternative use of tickets already bought.

Northern have announced that there will be Sunday services between Barrow and Carlisle and additional evening trains from 20 May. This is not the full service promised but a considerable move towards it. Timetables are online and printed timetables due by 1 June. There will also be four return Barrow-Manchester Airport and one Windermere-Manchester Piccadilly services. The previous date for the withdrawal of loco hauled trains and Pacer units of December 2019 still stands, when we should be served by a fleet of four car refurbished class 156 diesel multiple units. In the mean time a summary of the May timetable is below. Other Northern timetables are also online. The Whitehaven ticket office will open on Sundays 0930-1630 from 20 May for an experimental eight weeks.

Engineering work

Buses replace trains between Carlisle and Workington on 27 May.

Buses replace trains between Carlisle and Hexham on Sundays 27 May-17 June.

Trains from Preston via Bolton replaced by buses on Saturdays and Sundays until further notice.

On 28 May-1 June 0453 (MX) Barrow-in-Furness to Preston bus replaced
throughout. 0516 (MX) Preston to Carlisle will terminate Barrow-in-Furness. Additional train Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle.
1909 (FX) Carlisle to Preston will terminate Barrow-in-Furness. Bus Barrow-in-Furness to Preston.
2210 (FX) Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness will terminate Preston. Bus Preston to Barrow-in-Furness.

Club 55 tickets for TransPennine Express are available for travel to 19 May – £21 standard class return in England (excluding Manchester Airport) and £31 to Scotland (first class £41 and £61).

From 20 May TransPennine Express trains run non stop between Preston and Manchester Piccadilly.

Waggon ways to Whitehaven: west Cumbria on rails exhibition at the Beacon museum in Whitehaven until 3 June.

Railfuture’s summer conference is in Carlisle on 23 June. CRUG members can take advantage of our membership price of £25 if booked by the end of April. On the same day is Community rail in the city at Carlisle station 1000-1600.

New ticket machines have been installed in Maryport and Whitehaven, operating in English, French, German, Spanish and Polish. They are an improvement on the old ones, but only seems to sell tickets on the day (so no advances) and no ranger or rover tickets. The display also seems to be very high for wheelchair users.

20 May timetable

Sundays

Carlisle-Barrow

0940 Millom-Barrow

0917 Maryport-Barrow

1024 Maryport-Barrow

1041 Carlisle-Lancaster

1106 Carlisle-Barrow

1207 Carlisle-Barrow

1316 Carlisle-Lancaster

1412 Carlisle-Whitehaven

1604 Sellafield-Barrow

1510 Carlisle-Preston

1616 Carlisle-Barrow

1710 Carlisle-Barrow

1810 Carlisle-Whitehaven

1910 Carlisle-Whitehaven

2010 Carlisle-Whitehaven

2110 Carlisle-Whitehaven

5 journeys Carlisle-Barrow including 3 through to Lancaster including 1 to Preston

12 journeys Carlisle-Whitehaven (currently 4 1410-2110)

12 journeys Millom-Barrow

4 trains stop at Nethertown and Braystones

Barrow-Carlisle

0905 Barrow-Millom

1016 Whitehaven-Carlisle

0950 Barrow-Carlisle

1115 Barrow-Carlisle (starts at Carnforth)

1218 Barrow-Carlisle

1258 Barrow-Carlisle

1417 Barrow-Carlisle (starts at Lancaster)

1451 Barrow-Sellafield

1611 Whitehaven-Carlisle

1558 Barrow-Carlisle

1717 Barrow-Carlisle (starts at Lancaster)

1812 Barrow-Millom

1912 Barrow-Millom

1938 Whitehaven-Carlisle

2030 Whitehaven-Carlisle

7 journeys Barrow-Carlisle (including 3 through from Carnforth including 2 from Lancaster)

11 journeys Whitehaven-Carlisle (currently 4 1233-1933)

11 journeys Barrow-Millom

3 trains stop at Nethertown and Braystones

Mondays to Fridays (Saturdays differ)

Carlisle-Barrow

0610 Millom-Barrow

0548 Maryport-Barrow

0553 Carlisle-Barrow

0616 Carlisle-Barrow

0710 Carlisle-Lancaster

0810 Carlisle-Barrow

0903 Carlisle-Barrow

1013 Carlisle-Barrow

1107 Carlisle-Lancaster

1208 Carlisle-Barrow

1307 Carlisle-Lancaster

1411 Carlisle-Barrow

1441 Carlisle-Lancaster

1512 Carlisle-Barrow

1559 Carlisle-Whitehaven

1706 Carlisle-Barrow

1718 Sellafield-Barrow

1745 Carlisle-Barrow

1846 Carlisle-Barrow

1909 Carlisle-Preston

2029 Millom-Barrow

2055 Carlisle-Whitehaven

2200 Millom-Barrow

2201 Carlisle-Whitehaven

16 journeys Carlisle-Barrow (currently 10 0515-1737)

including 5 through to Lancaster including 1 to Preston (currently 3 and 2)

19 journeys Carlisle-Whitehaven (currently 15 0515-2200)

21 journeys Millom-Barrow (currently 15 0609-2209)

6 trains stop at Nethertown and Braystones (currently 4)

Barrow-Carlisle

0657 Whitehaven-Carlisle

0550 Barrow-Carlisle

0700 Askam-Carlisle (starts at Preston, not stopping at Barrow)

0750 Barrow-Carlisle

0918 Barrow-Carlisle

1022 Barrow-Carlisle

1120 Barrow-Carlisle

1206 Barrow-Carlisle

1316 Barrow-Carlisle (starts at Lancaster)

1419 Barrow-Carlisle

1452 Barrow-Carlisle

1531 Barrow-Carlisle

1613 Barrow-Sellafield (starts at Lancaster)

1749 Whitehaven-Carlisle

1717 Barrow-Carlisle (starts at Lancaster)

1806 Barrow-Carlisle (starts at Lancaster)

1912 Barrow-Carlisle

1944 Barrow-Millom

2020 Barrow-Carlisle

2112 Barrow-Millom (starts at Lancaster)

2211 Barrow-Millom

2209 Whitehaven-Carlisle

14 journeys Barrow-Carlisle (currently 12 0546-1830)

6 through from Lancaster including 1 from Preston (currently 2 from Lancaster)

18 journeys Whitehaven-Carlisle (currently 14 0624-2030)

18 journeys Barrow-Millom (currently 14 0546-2134)

5 trains stop at Nethertown and Braystones (currently 4)

Apart from Nethertown and Braystones all trains seem to call at every station