The “Connecting Penrith” project has taken a step forward as partners gathered in the town to discuss the project’s direction.
Transport for the North’s (TfN) Head of Connected Mobility, Matt Smallwood, and Project Manager, Paul Collinge, met representatives of Avanti West Coast, Network Rail, Stagecoach Bus, Westmorland and Furness Council, Visit Cumbria and Center Parcs UK, to discuss approaches to connect Penrith station to Keswick and the wider Lakes.
TfN has been supporting the innovative and collaborative project to integrate a leisure-orientated station with local destinations. Passengers at Penrith (North Lakes) Station will be able to access local leisure destinations with more integrated and convenient journeys, with the development of new ticket options.
Matt Smallwood, Head of Connected Mobility at TfN, said: “The collaborative working on show is a great example of a diverse range of partners coming together, with objective evidential support from TfN, to realise practical benefits for passengers in a key destination in the North; proper place-based and user-centric delivery in action.
“Together, we’ve been exploring interventions from integrated ticketing to Keswick, meet & greet cycle hire and getting to grips with the very real logistical challenge of moving luggage in the context of leisure journeys.”
“These aren’t abstract thought experiments but evidenced and in progress plans that we can scale, share and develop into common approaches in similar localities across the North.”
TfN has also provided multi-modal demand modelling for Penrith Station to provide evidence of local business case development. TfN has given integrated transport expertise, advice and challenge to the project to develop case studies, thought leadership and best practice for other areas.
Image credit: iStock
