The X12 Ulverston to Coniston bus service is still without an operator.

BLUEWORKS will continue to provide a service with their 8 seater vehicles until a new operator is found.

The route has been put out to tender by Westmoreland and Furness Council.

Briefing Note from Westmoreland and Furness Council

Replacement of Withdrawn Services 11 (Ulverston – Barrow) and X12 (Coniston – Ulverston)

Background

The previous commercial Services 11 and X12 ceased operation on 22 September 2026 after the operator, Phil Halliwell of Blueworks, advised the Council in July that their services were no longer commercially viable following unsuccessful school transport tender submissions.

The Council subsequently developed a replacement timetable to maintain public transport connectivity for the affected communities. Discussions on the replacement timetable were undertaken with local stakeholders, including the Friends of the X112.

Timetables were sent to operators for prices on 14^th August and returned on the 25th

Previous service provision

Prior to withdrawal, the network provided a combination of Service 11 linking Ulverston with Barrow via the Coast Road and Roa Island and X12 linking Coniston with Ulverston via Torver, Lowick, and Spark Bridge.

The X12 provided three return journeys each day between Coniston and Ulverston, providing links for shopping; access to services and recreation. The Thursday operation was supported financially by the Friends of the X112.

Service 11 provided connections between Ulverston and Barrow via the Coast Road, with a more limited timetable. There was no service on a Friday (although the Roa Island to Barrow section was served by a different service, also recently withdrawn). A reduced service operated on a Tuesday Again the Friends of the X112 supported a Thursday service.

Current service

Whilst there is a gap in service, all villages retain some service.

• A Saturday service X12 runs four times a day between Coniston and Ulverston
• Coniston retains an hourly service to Ambleside via Hawkshead.
• Villages between Torver and Spark Bridge have both the new Council provided “Extra Mile” service and Blueworks X70 Demand Responsive services
• Greenodd has the Stagecoach 6 to Windemere, Ulverston and Barrow and X6 to Kendal; Ulverston and Barrow
• The service 11 Ulverston to Barrow is still provided on a Thursday by the Friends of the X112
• Villages between Ulverston and Rampside have both the new Council provided “Extra Mile” service and Blueworks X70 Demand Responsive services

Proposed replacement service

The proposed replacement timetable has been designed to retain the core connectivity previously provided by the commercial network, whilst also introducing a number of improvements, to better meet passengers requirements, rather than needing to be designed around operational availability link to school transport commitments.

The replacement X12 continues to provide three return journeys per day between Coniston and Ulverston, ensuring that communities such as Torver, Water Yeat, Blawith, Lowick and Spark Bridge retain access to Ulverston. There will also continue to be a daily link to Barrow via the service 11 route, but this will be available on extra days. The timetable has however been revised following discussions with local stakeholders around local travel patterns.

The replacement Service 11 has been enhanced beyond the previous service levels. An extra journey will run on a Tuesday, whilst a new service will be provided on a Friday, to offer an identical timetable five days a week (subject to a change to one Thursday Friends of X112 journey). The extension to Asda, which was previously available only on Mondays, will now be available on all operating days.

Key improvements include:

• Retention of the three daily X12 journeys between Coniston and Ulverston.
• An additional Service 11 journey on Tuesdays.
• Two additional Service 11 journeys on Fridays.
• The extension to Asda expanded from operating on Mondays only to all operating days.
• Increased opportunities for residents to access shopping, healthcare and leisure facilities.

Conclusion

The proposed replacement Services 11 and X12 will maintain public transport connectivity, whilst providing an overall enhancement to the passenger offer. The core X12 frequency remains unchanged at three daily journeys. The introduction of additional Tuesday and Friday journeys on the revised Service 11 represents an improvement over the previous timetable. As a result, residents across the Coniston – Ulverston – Barrow corridor should in future benefit from an enhanced timetable, designed to better meet their needs rather than designed around other commitments.

Much of the route will also continue to benefit at other times from both the Council provided “Extra Mile” service seven days a week, and the Blueworks X70 three times a day Monday to Friday.

Draft timetable

Monday to Wednesday and Friday

This timetable may be subject to minor change following discussions with the successful operator and the Friends of the X112 who provide the Thursday service.

Ulverston to Coniston

Stop Location	Trip 1	Trip 2	Trip 3
Ulverston, Victoria Road	08:45	12:45	16:00
Greenodd	08:52	12:52	16:07
Spark Bridge	08:57	12:57	16:12
Lowick Green	09:01	13:01	16:16
Lowick Bridge	09:03	13:03	16:18
Blawith	09:05	13:05	16:20
Water Yeat	09:07	13:07	16:22
Oxen House	09:12	13:12	16:27
Torver	09:15	13:15	16:30
Coniston, opp Crown	09:22	13:22	16:37

Coniston to Ulverston

Stop Location	Trip 1	Trip 2	Trip 3
Coniston, opp Crown	09:30	13:30	16:42
Torver	09:37	13:37	16:49
Oxen House	09:40	13:40	16:52
Water Yeat	09:45	13:45	16:57
Blawith	09:47	13:47	16:59
Lowick Bridge	09:49	13:49	17:01
Lowick Green	09:51	13:51	17:03
Spark Bridge	09:55	13:55	17:07
Greenodd	10:00	14:00	17:12
Booths (Ulverston)	10:06	14:06	17:18
Ulverston, Town Centre	10:08	14:08	17:20
Ulverston, Victoria Road	10:12	14:12	17:24