Thursday 14 November 2013

Fylde Village - Exit Cumfybus, Enter Classic Bus, Stagecoach and Preston Bus

9 December sees changes to the Fylde Villager network stimulated by Classic Bus North West's commercial registration of route 80. Cumfybus appears also to be retrenching from the Fylde Coast and presumably concentrating on its traditional Southport operations plus its recent expansion in the Bolton area. The changes comprise:

  • 74 (Larkholme-Blackpool) - from Cumfybus to Stagecoach
  • 75 (Preston - Blackpool) - from Cumfybus to Preston Bus - re-routed away from Carr Head and Fairfield Road between Poulton and Singleton - now serving Garstang Road and Catlows Corner
  • 76 (St. Annes-Blackpool) - still with Coastal Coaches but most journeys curtailed to run St. Annes to Little Eccleston only.
  • 80 new route Blackpool - Preston with Classic Bus NW, hourly with 2 hourly evening service in partnership wtih LCC. From Blackpool via Layton, Victoria Hospital, Newton Drive, Hardhorn, Carr Head, Poulton, River Wyre Hotel, Catlows Corner, Gt Eccleston, Elswick, Inskip, Catforth
  • 82 reduced to Fleetwood - Poulton every hour (2 hours evenings) and operated by Stagecoach.

Coastal Coaches will no longer provide their peak journeys into Preston on route 75.

Stagecoach will need four buses for routes 74 and 82; Coastal 2 for route 76 and CBNW 3 for route 80.