From Monday, 27 April 2026, passengers headed to the Lake District can enjoy a ‘Virtual Railway Station’ at Keswick, introduced by Avanti West Coast.
The addition enables Keswick to appear in rail journey planners, allowing a single integrated ticket covering rail and bus via Penrith, the gateway to the North Lakes. Following two summer trials, the ticket is being re-launched as a year-round feature.
The addition enables Keswick to appear in rail journey planners, allowing a single integrated ticket covering rail and bus via Penrith, the gateway to the North Lakes. The ticket is relaunched year-round following two summer trials.
In 2025, Avanti West Coast recorded 205,000 journeys to or from Penrith between mid-June and mid-September, up 17% year-on-year and 48% on 2019. TransPennine Express saw 115,000 journeys, up 11% year-on-year and 58% on 2019.
Stagecoach carried nearly 442,000 passengers between April and November, a 14% increase on 2023.
Research from Cumbria Tourism shows rail’s share of visitors rose from 7% in 2022 to 12% in 2025.
Responses
Another marvellous blunder under Beeching, but then the UK transport situation is appalling. While this is a good idea, I used integrated transport 40 years in what was then West Germany. Trains, trams buses, all on one ticket. Three years ago we were filming in Drachten in the north of the Netherlands. It is famous for dispensing with road markings, and its safety improved. It is also the largest Dutch town without a railway. We took a train from Amsterdam to
Heerenveen, some 22 miles from our destination. Arriving at 23:05 we thought we would probably have to get a taxi, but a regular service bus, operated by Arriva was on stand. It not only took us to the Dracten, it stopped outside our hotel, and three days later we returned via the same route. Impossible in most of this country. In my Manchester home, my nearest train station is 2 miles away, and it is impossible to get there by bus.
Hmm. Just tried finding Keswick on National Rail app and it is not there (28th April)?
It appears to be called “Keswick Bus”, with a CRS Code (if they’re still called that) of KWK – I just planned a journey there from my home on my phone app