Rail and bus passengers travelling to the Lake District can once again enjoy a fully integrated, sustainable journey to the heart of the North Lakes thanks to the return of Keswick’s virtual railway station.
Avanti West Coast and Stagecoach have teamed up to reintroduce a combined rail and bus ticket, allowing visitors to book a single fare that covers train travel to Penrith and onward travel by Stagecoach bus (X4/X5) to Keswick.
The initiative follows the success of last summer’s trial – part of Cumbria Tourism’s award-winning ‘Go Car Free’ campaign – which saw over 750 integrated journeys made between Penrith and Keswick.
One Ticket, One Journey – Rail to the North Lakes
The virtual station allows Keswick to appear as a destination in national rail journey planners. Customers can simply select ‘Keswick Bus’ as their destination when booking via Avanti West Coast’s website, app, or at staffed ticket offices. The combined ticket covers travel on Avanti West Coast services to Penrith and connecting Stagecoach buses to Keswick – all in one transaction.
The bus leg of the journey costs just £3 extra, with total single fares starting from £41 from London. Journey times from the capital to the North Lakes are around three and a half hours.
Tickets are currently available for travel until 19 June 2025, with further dates to be released for travel up to 2 November 2025.
Boosting Sustainable Travel in the Lake District
The initiative supports Cumbria’s efforts to promote greener travel options and reduce car dependency during the busy summer season, easing congestion and helping protect the environment.
The return of this integrated ticket also coincides with Stagecoach’s new summer timetable, which doubles the frequency of X4/X5 services between Penrith and Keswick to every 30 minutes.
Rail and Bus Industry Support
Kathryn O’Brien, Customer Experience Director at Avanti West Coast, said:
“We’re delighted to reintroduce the fully integrated ticket to Keswick. It makes travel simpler and more sustainable, and we hope it inspires more people to leave the car at home and enjoy the beauty of the Lake District by public transport.”
Tom Waterhouse, Managing Director at Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, added:
“This partnership makes it easier than ever to visit the Lakes by bus and train. It’s a seamless, sustainable solution we’re proud to support.”
Political and Tourism Sector Backing
The scheme has been praised by local leaders including Markus Campbell-Savours, MP for Penrith and Solway, who said:
“This is a fantastic initiative that eases travel for non-drivers and helps reduce traffic on our roads during peak tourist season.”
Gill Haigh, Managing Director at Cumbria Tourism, echoed the praise:
“The return of the integrated ticket to Keswick is a brilliant step forward in supporting sustainable travel. It’s a key part of our Destination Management Plan for a greener, better-connected Lake District.”
The most cost effective thing to do is rebuild the railway from penrith to keswick. It CAN be done and SHOULD be done. 90 % of the track bed is still there. The rest is just engineering. Forget about tinkering about around the edges. Let’s make it happen.