AN OPERATOR of Cumbrian buses has said it remains committed to providing a reliable service to residents, refuting concerns that the county receives old vehicles.
Stagecoach told Newsquest Cumbria it is "incorrect to suggest that our Cumbria operation simply receives older vehicles from elsewhere in the Stagecoach network."
It follows a bus break down on London Road in Carlisle, which closed the key commuter route for a time on Monday morning.
Although the two incidents are unconnected in terms of mechanical fault and severity, a Stagecoach bus caught fire on Distington Bypass in October 2025.
Cumbrians are questioning if the "vintage" Stagecoach fleet serving Cumbria can be relied upon.
In October 2025, Lake District National Park bosses set out plans to transform the area by 2051, their Partnership Plan seeks to increase the amount of bus passengers and annual bus mileage by 10 per cent respectively by 2031.
Tim Fisher, owner of the Northern Lights Gallery and Polestar Gallery in Keswick questioned whether the goal is achievable with the area's bus services.
He said: "Staff coming in from Cockermouth in the morning have been on five buses that have broken down and we know of a disproportionate number that have simply not turned up.
"The fact five buses have broken down between Cockermouth and Keswick suggests to me, we're either dealing with an old fleet of buses or they're extending the engineering schedule for each bus."
Commenting on the bus fire in October, one reader asked why "Carlisle never gets new buses, Workington does get new mini buses but it's Newcastle who get brand new single and double decker buses and Carlisle and Workington get the cast-offs from other depots."
But a spokesperson for Stagecoach Cumbria and Lancashire said "it is incorrect to suggest that our Cumbria operation simply receives older vehicles from elsewhere in the Stagecoach network."
They said: "Over the last three years alone, we’ve invested approximately £5.5 million in brand-new buses for communities across Cumbria as part of our ongoing commitment to improving the customer experience and supporting local transport networks."
Reliability of Stagecoach services in West Cumbria saw the operator referred to the regulator by Cumberland Council in recent weeks.
Backing the council's move, Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington, Josh MacAlister said: "Buses really matter to people here in West Cumbria, that’s why it’s been really positive that in the last few months, we’ve been able to create new routes, funded by the UK Labour Government and delivered by the Labour team here in Cumberland; routes like the 22 and the 600.
"I get lots of positive feedback about how those bus routes are performing.
"But there are also wholly commercial routes like the 30, where the reliability is on the floor, it’s simply not good enough," he said.
"Now I’ve raised these issues, every time that someone’s reported them to me, directly with the team at Stagecoach and I’ve not been satisfied with the answer I’ve been given or the plans that they’ve got in place to solve issues of reliability. They have to have a plan to get a grip of that.
Mr MacAlister said: "That’s why I’m really supportive of the work that’s been done by the Labour team at Cumberland to report Stagecoach to the Regional Traffic Commissioner and I’ll keep working really closely with the Labour team at Cumberland to ensure that we get Stagecoach bumped up, improving, so that you get buses that you deserve."
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But the spokesperson for Stagecoach said: "Like all bus operators, service reliability can at times be affected by a range of external factors beyond our control, including roadworks, congestion, severe weather and incidents on the road network.
"However, we remain focused on delivering safe, reliable and punctual services for our customers and continue to invest in both our fleet and operations to support that objective."
They also clarified that there "was no fire on the vehicle involved in Carlisle" this week.
They said: "A passing fire appliance attended after concerns were raised about what was believed to be smoke.
"Following an inspection, it was confirmed there was no fire and the vehicle was able to move to a safe location under its own power."
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