Use the MD1? Maryport's Dearham Bus Is Waiting on a Council Decision Maryport to Dearham MD1 Bus Among Routes at Risk as Council Funding Falls Short
Marra Mode is how we'd tell you this in the Co-op. Switch it off for the straight version.
The council can't afford all the buses it's been paying for. The MD1 between Maryport and Dearham is one of three routes it's trying to find extra money for, and councillors decide on Thursday.
If you catch the MD1 round Maryport and up to Dearham, or any bus the council helps pay for, this one matters to you. The council's money for buses has shrunk, and a report says it can't keep them all going.
Here's the crack. The council was backing six routes in 2024/25, then took on another 12, so 18 in total. That cost £3.6 million this year. Now it's got £2,709,796 to play with, plus £190,075 from the Department for Transport. The report puts it plainly: "Due to funding constraints, it is not possible to support all currently funded services."
They went out to tender and got 51 bids from four operators, and Stagecoach is in line for the contracts on the routes that survive. Next on the list, just below the cut, are three routes: the MD1 Maryport to Dearham, the 71 Carlisle to Kirkbride and Wigton, and the 64 round Cargo, Rockcliffe and Durdar. Councillors are being asked to look for up to £235,000 extra to keep those three running until the end of March 2027. There's also talk of running some routes with the council's own Cumberland Go minibuses, but the report admits there could be gaps while that's sorted.
The full list of routes losing out hasn't been spelled out yet. The current MD1 timetable runs until Saturday 31 October, and councillors meet in Carlisle on Thursday 22 October.
If the MD1 is how you get to the shops or the doctor's, give your local councillor a shout before Thursday, and keep an eye on the council's bus pages.
A Cumberland Council report says funding will not stretch to every bus service it supported this year. Councillors meet on Thursday 22 October and are being asked to find up to £235,000 to keep three routes, including the MD1 between Maryport and Dearham.
This is for people in Maryport and Dearham who use the MD1 town service, and for anyone in Cumberland who relies on a council-supported bus. A report going to the council's highways and transport strategic board says not every service it currently pays for can carry on.
The council supported six bus services in 2024/25 and added a further 12 in 2025/26, making 18. Those services cost £3.6 million in 2025/26. The report says the money now available, combining two years of allocation, is £2,709,796, plus £190,075 from the Department for Transport. It states: "Due to funding constraints, it is not possible to support all currently funded services, and a prioritisation exercise has been undertaken based on subsidy cost per passenger journey and value for money."
Four operators submitted 51 tenders between them. The report recommends contract awards to Stagecoach (North-West) Limited for the services that will continue. Councillors are also being asked to consider finding up to £235,000 of extra council money to keep the next three routes on the priority list running until 31 March 2027. They are the MD1 Maryport to Dearham, the 71 Carlisle to Kirkbride and Wigton, and the 64 Cargo, Rockcliffe and Durdar. Officers also want to explore running some routes with the council's own Cumberland Go minibus fleet, although the report warns there could be temporary gaps in service during any switch.
The published account of the report does not list every route that would lose support. The current MD1 timetable on the council's website runs until Saturday 31 October. The board meets at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Thursday 22 October. If you rely on the MD1 or another supported route, you can tell your local councillor before the meeting, and check the bus pages on the Cumberland Council website for timetable changes.