The ‘Rivington Rambler’ bus service recently concluded its second year of service on Sunday 23 October. It was again hailed a great success with rail users and the local community, providing an easy and more sustainable way of getting to Rivington Country Park.
The project was coordinated by South East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership (CRP) and was funded by train operators CrossCountry and Northern, as well as Transport for Greater Manchester, Horwich Town Council and Community Rail Network.
The service was operated by Diamond Bus North-West, and provided a direct link from Horwich Parkway Station, connecting with trains back to Bolton and Manchester. The bus made scheduled stops in Horwich Town Centre, Lever Park Avenue and Rivington Lane, and was also able to stop on request where safe to do so, offering a bespoke route serving the local community.
Dr Stephanie Dermott, Community Rail Officer for South East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership, said, “It has been fantastic to once again offer this Sunday service to the local community in Horwich. We are proud to be creating integrated transport links, providing more cost effective and sustainable modes of travel, and improving public transport access to areas like Rivington Country Park. Our thanks to all funders involved for their continued support for this project.”
Reported increases in passenger numbers from Diamond NW have also evidenced the growing popularity of this community service, and South East Lancashire CRP hope to raise funding to run the ‘Rivington Rambler’ for a third-year next summer.
