Cumbria - Transport

Transport

The M6 is the only motorway that runs through Cumbria. Kendal and Penrith are amongst its primary destinations before it terminates just north of Carlisle. Major A roads within Cumbria include:

• A6 (Luton, Bedfordshire to Carlisle via Kendal and Penrith)
• A66 (Workington to Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire via Keswick, Penrith and Brough)
• A590 (M6 Junction 36 to Barrow-in-Furness via Ulverston)
• A591 (Sizergh to Bothel via Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Kewsick)
• A592 (M6 Junction 40 to Staveley via Penrith, Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere)
• A595 (Carlisle to Dalton-in-Furness via Whitehaven and Workington)
• A596 (Carlisle to Workington)

Several bus companies run services in Cumbria serving the main towns and villages in the county, with some services running to neighouring areas such as Lancaster. Stagecoach North West is the largest; it has depots in Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, Kendal and Workington. Stagecoach's flagship X6 route connects Barrow-in-Furness and Kendal in south Cumbria.

There are only two airports in the county: Carlisle Lake District and Barrow/Walney Island. Both airports formerly served scheduled passenger flights and both are proposing expansions and renovations to handle domestic and European flights in the near future. The nearest international airports to south Cumbria are Blackpool, Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon. North Cumbria is closer to Newcastle, Glasgow Prestwick and Glasgow International. Barrow-in-Furness is one of the country's largest shipbuilding centres, but the Port of Barrow is only minor. There are no ferry links from any port or harbour along the Cumbria coast.

The busiest railway stations in Cumbria are Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Penrith and Oxenholme Lake District. The 399-mile (642 km) long West Coast Main Line runs through the Cumbria countryside adjacent to the M6 motorway. The Cumbrian Coast Line connects Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle and is a vital link in the west of the county. Other railways in Cumbria are the Windermere Branch Line, most of the Furness Line and much of the Settle-Carlisle Railway.