Public transport in the Fylde
Public transport in the Fylde is available for three modes of transport—bus, rail and tram—assisting residents of and visitors to the Fylde, a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England, to travel around much of the area's 64 square miles (170 km2).
Although Blackpool, the most populous settlement in the Fylde, has an airport, Blackpool Airport, it is no longer used for commercial flights.
As of 2024, eight operators provide bus and coach services in the Fylde, the largest being Blackpool Transport, which also operates the Blackpool tram network. With Blackpool being the main transport hub, most of Blackpool Transport's eighteen bus routes have stops in the town. Services with the most frequency include three of "the 5s" (the 5, 5A and 5B), which serve Blackpool Victoria Hospital every fifteen minutes; the 5C, meanwhile, travels to Knott End-on-Sea, via Poulton-le-Fylde, every forty minutes. Coastal routes include the 1 (Fleetwood to Blackpool's North Pier), 7 (Cleveleys to Blackpool) and 11 (Lytham to Blackpool). The 7 and 11 run every ten minutes or so, while the longer route number 1 is every hour. The 853 serves Myerscough College.[1]
The next most popular operators are Transpora North West, which replaced Nuttall's Coaches in 2007, and Archway Travel. They each run eleven routes, many of which serve the Fylde's numerous schools. One of Transpora's most popular regular services is the 24, which runs between Fleetwood and Blackpool town centre via Thornton and Poulton-le-Fylde.[2]
The Fylde is home to ten railway stations, each of which is on one of the two Blackpool branch lines. The two train operators are Avanti West Coast and Northern Trains.
Bus
[edit]Distribution
[edit]Eight bus operators serve the Fylde: Archway Travel, Blackpool Transport, Coastal Coaches, Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire, Preston Bus, Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire and Transpora North West.[3]
22 bus routes either begin, end or pass through Blackpool: Blackpool Transport's routes 1, 3, 3A, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 6, 7, 11, 11A, 11B, 14 and 18; Coastal Coaches route 76; Preston Bus route 76; Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire route 42; Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire routes 61 and 68; Transpora North West's routes 22 and 24; and National Express.
Poulton-le-Fylde is served by seven routes: Blackpool Transport's route 5 and 5C; Coastal Coaches' route 76; Preston Bus route 76; Transpora's route 24; and Archway Travel's routes 74 and 75.
Lytham and/or St Anne's-on-the-Sea is served by seven routes: Blackpool Transport's seasonal route 1A, the 11, 11A and 11B; Coastal Coaches route 78; Preston Bus route 76; and Transpora's route 21.
Cleveleys is served by six routes: Blackpool Transport's seasonal route 1A, the 7 and 7A; Transpora's route 21 and 24; and Archway Travel's route 75.
Fleetwood is served by five routes: Blackpool Transport's 1 and 14; Transpora's route 24; and Archway Travel's routes 74 and 75.
Thornton is served by five routes: Blackpool Transport's 5C and 14; Transpora's route 24; and Archway Travel's routes 74 and 75.
Kirkham is served by three routes: Coastal Coaches' routes 76 and 78 and Archway Travel's route 75.
Blackpool Transport
[edit]Established in 1885, Blackpool Transport serves Lytham, St Annes-on-the-Sea, Blackpool, Bispham, Thornton, Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Poulton-le-Fylde and Knott-End-on-Sea.[3] Its main bus interchange is the Blackpool Bus Hub, on Market Street and Corporation Street in Blackpool town centre, which replaced Blackpool bus station.[4]
There are eighteen routes in operation:[5]
| Route | Frequency | Origin and destination |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 mins | Fleetwood to Blackpool's North Pier |
| 1A | 30 mins | Cleveleys to St Annes (seasonal) |
| 3 | 15 mins | Mereside Tesco to Cleveleys Crescent via Blackpool |
| 3A | 15 mins | Mereside Tesco to Cleveleys Park via Blackpool |
| 5 | 15 mins | Blackpool Victoria Hospital to Poulton-le-Fylde via Halfway House |
| 5A | 15 mins | Blackpool to Staining via Layton and Blackpool Victoria Hospital |
| 5B | 15 mins | Blackpool to Blackpool Zoo via Blackpool Victoria Hospital |
| 5C | 40 mins | Blackpool to Knott End-on-Sea via Poulton-le-Fylde |
| 6 | 20 mins | Mereside to Department of War Pensions Peel Park via Blackpool town centre and Layton |
| 7 | 9 mins | Cleveleys to Blackpool |
| 7A | 9 mins | Cleveleys to Blackpool via Bispham |
| 11 | 9 mins | Lytham to Blackpool town centre via St Annes |
| 11A | 9 mins | Lytham to Blackpool town centre via St Annes |
| 11B | 9 mins | Blackpool to Lytham via Common Edge and St Annes |
| 12 | — | Blackpool to Baines School via Bispham, Carleton and Poulton-le-Fylde |
| 14 | 12 mins | Fleetwood to Blackpool via Layton |
| 18 | 60 mins | Blackpool to Mereside Tesco via South Shore |
| 853 | St Annes to Myerscough College via Kirkham[1] |
In November 2023, Blackpool Transport announced merges of and additions to existing routes. A Route 1A will run seasonally between Cleveleys and St Annes. Route 3A will run between Cleveleys Park and Mereside, having previously been part of route 3. Route 5 gained the most changes: the base route was extended to Poulton-le-Fylde (formerly part of route 2). Route 5A will run from South Shore to Staining, initially following the base route, then taking the former route 15 to Staining. Route 5B adds a stop at Blackpool Zoo. Route 5C is a "reimagined" 2C from Blackpool to Knott End with increased frequency. Route 6 was extended from Grange Park to the Department of War Pensions office at Peel Park, with hourly extensions to Whitehills Business Park. Route 7 dropped the leg to Lytham, which will now be part of the 11A. Route 7A is a revamped route 9 which runs between Cleveleys and Blackpool via Bispham and Layton. Route 11A continues from Starr Gate to Lytham. Route 17 (Blackpool to Lytham via Common Edge) was rebranded as Route 11B. Route 18 will continue to run hourly, while the changes to the other routes have resulted in shorter connection times (between 9 and 20 minutes for most routes).[6][7]
Coastal Coaches
[edit]Family-owned since 2000 and based in Warton, Coastal Coaches' number 76 runs between Blackpool and Weeton via Poulton-le-Fylde and Kirkham.[8][9] The 78 serves St Annes and Wesham via Ansdell, Lytham, Warton, Freckleton and Kirkham.[10]
Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire
[edit]Based in Morecambe, Lonsdale routes 88 and 89 serve Pilling and Knott End. Route 88 is slightly longer as it serves Garstang, whereas the 89 travels directly between Lancaster and Pilling before terminating in Knott End.[11]
Preston Bus
[edit]A subsidiary of Rotala, Preston Bus was founded in Preston in 1904. It was sold to Rotala by the Stagecoach Group in 2009.[12][13][14] Route number 76 runs between Blackpool and St Annes via Blackpool's Victoria Hospital and Booths in Poulton-le-Fylde.[3][15]
Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire
[edit]Begun in 2011, Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire runs one route in the Fylde:[16]
| Route | Origin and destination |
|---|---|
| 42 | Blackpool to Lancaster via Garstang |
Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire
[edit]Operates the regional bus and coach services in and out of Blackpool.
| Route | Origin and destination |
|---|---|
| 61 | Preston to Blackpool via Wrea Green |
| 68 | Preston to Blackpool via Warton and Freckleton |
Transpora North West
[edit]A rebirth of Nuttall's Coaches and established in 2007, Transpora serves Blackpool, St Annes, Cleveleys, Thornton and Fleetwood.[3]
Eleven routes exist:[17]
| Route | Origin and destination |
|---|---|
| 21 | St Annes to Cleveleys |
| 22 | Blackpool Tower to Blackpool Zoo |
| 24 | Fleetwood to Blackpool town centre via Poulton--le-Fylde and Cleveleys |
| 26 | Marton Mere circular |
| 523 | Carleton to Saint Aidan's, Preesall |
| 524 | Fleetwood West View to Saint Aidan's, Preesall |
| 568 | Cleveleys to Millfield, Thornton |
| 594 | Weeton to Staining via Hodgson Academy, Poulton-le-Fylde |
| 648 | Fleetwood to Poulton-le-Fylde schools |
| 660 | Cleveleys to Hodgson Academy, Poulton-le-Fylde |
| 916 | St Annes Queen's Manor to St Bede's, Lytham |
Archway Travel
[edit]Twelve routes in operation:
| Route | Origin and destination |
|---|---|
| 74 | Fleetwood to Preston via Thornton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Great Eccleston, Elswick, Inskip, Catforth and Lea[18] |
| 75 | Fleetwood to Preston via Thornton, Cleveleys, Poulton-le-Fylde, Staining, Weeton, Kirkham and Newton with Scales[19] |
| 525 | Rossall Point to Saint Aidan's Church of England High School in Preesall[20] |
| 526 | Larkholme Parade, Fleetwood to Saint Aidan's[21] |
| 527 | Ship Inn in Elswick and Saint Aidan's via Great Eccleston[22][23] |
| 541 | Pilling to Hodgson High School and Baines High School, Poulton[24] |
| 552 | Derby Arms, Inskip, to Bowgreave via Elswick, Great Eccleston, St Michael's on Wyre and Churchtown[25] |
| 567 | Knott End to Lancaster schools[26] |
| 607 | Thistleton to Baines High School via Elswick, Great Eccleston, Little Singleton, Singleton and Little Poulton[27] |
| 675 | Elswick to Broughton[28] |
| 813 | Hambleton to Garstang Academy[29] |
| SF1 | Lytham to Blackpool Sixth Form College via Freckleton, Warton, Wrea Green, Kirkham, Greenhalgh-with-Thistleton, Elswick and Great Eccleston[30] |
National Express coaches serve Blackpool's Central Coach Station.[3]
Rail
[edit]The Fylde has eleven railway stations. Each is on one of the two Blackpool branch lines, while Poulton-le-Fylde and Blackpool North are also on the Calder Valley Line. The two train operators are Avanti West Coast and Northern Trains.
- Blackpool North
- Layton
- Blackpool South
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Squires Gate
- St Annes-on-the-Sea
- Lytham
- Moss Side
- Poulton-le-Fylde
- Kirkham and Wesham
- Ansdell & Fairhaven
Tram
[edit]An 11-mile (18 km) dual stretch of tramways run between Starr Gate, on Blackpool's South Shore, and Fleetwood.[3] Blackpool Tramway, operated by Blackpool Transport, was established in 1885.[31] It carried 4.9 million passengers in 2022–23.[32]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "853 - St Annes - Mysercough College via Kirkham". bustimes.org. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ "Route 24". www.lancashire.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
- ^ a b c d e f "Public transport" – Blackpool Council
- ^ Rabbit, Jane (2022-05-01). "Blackpool Bus Hub and the Old Bus Station • Live Blackpool". Blackpool. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
- ^ "Routes & Maps" – Blackpool Transport
- ^ "Your Routes, Reimagined in January 2024" – Blackpool Transport, 14 November 2023
- ^ "Blackpool Transport to renumber services across Poulton, Blackpool, St Annes, Lytham Cleveleys and Knott End" – Blackpool Gazette, 24 November 2023
- ^ Oakley, David (2020-12-12), YJ68FYR, retrieved 2023-11-06
- ^ "Optare Solos for Coastal Coaches". Optare. 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
- ^ "Rallying call from bus operator as Fylde bus service is reduced" – Blackpool Gazette, 16 January 2019
- ^ "Bus Services". klch.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ^ Preston Bus to be Sold[usurped] Competition Commission 11 November 2009
- ^ Company must sell 'bus war' rival BBC News 11 November 2009
- ^ "Stagecoach must sell Preston Bus". Lancashire Evening Post. 11 November 2009. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ "76 | Preston Bus". www.prestonbus.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
- ^ "Bus & Train Times – Fylde Council". Retrieved 2023-10-12.
- ^ "Timetables - Transpora North West". www.coastlinerbuses.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
- ^ "Service 74 - Archway Travel". 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
- ^ "Service 75 - Archway Travel". 2024-05-14. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
- ^ "School Bus route 525 - Archway Travel". 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "School Bus route 526 - Archway Travel". 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "527 Elswick - Preesall St Aidans CETC (outbound)". www.lancashire.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ "School Bus route 527 - Archway Travel". 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "School Bus route 541 - Archway Travel". 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "552 Great Eccleston - Garstang High School (outbound)". www.lancashire.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ "School Bus route 567 - Archway Travel". 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "607 Thistleton - Elswick - Great Eccleston - Poulton High Schools". www.lancashire.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ "School Bus Route 675 - Operated by Archway Travel". 2018-04-15. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "School Bus route 813 - Archway Travel". 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "SF1 - Lytham - Blackpool Sixth Form College". bustimes.org. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ "Route kilometres open for passenger traffic on light rail and trams and undergrounds by system: Great Britain – annual from 1995/96". UK Government Department for Transport. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ "Light rail and tram statistics, England: year ending March 2023". GOV.UK. Department for Transport. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.