A NEW timetable for the X7 bus has been released ahead of its 23 June improvement.

Operating on Wednesday and Fridays, the bus service will begin in Coniston at 9:30am and enter Broughton at 9:46 on its route to Barrow at 10:57am.

Blueworks Taxi Ltd will provide the service and director Phil Halliwell believes it will greatly benefit residents living in Broughton.

He said: "The X7 at the moment starts in Ulverston, but on 23 June we will start from Coniston, then over to Broughton. It will be good for residents and tourists.

"People in the Broughton area will definitely use it as they haven't had a bus to Barrow for the best of three years."

Cllr Matt Brereton is pleased that Furness villages will now have a solid link with Barrow.

The Cumbria County Councillor for High Furness said: "It is fantastic that the X7 is coming back with a new improved timetable, an extra day of service and an extension of the route to serve Coniston and Broughton as well as Grizebeck, Kirkby, Askam, Dalton and the hospital in Barrow. All credit must go to the Friends of X112 Group, who took this route on when it was withdrawn by Stagecoach a few years ago.

"Now the group has achieved charitable status and is in the process of being able to award licences to run the buses, it is ideally placed to adapt, modify and grow our community services to meet demand.

"The operator Blueworks also deserves huge praise for having persevered through thick and thin and adapted to the constantly shifting goalposts of maintaining a rural bus service, all without direct subsidy from the County Council since these were withdrawn more than five years ago."

Barrow Cllr Ben Shirley said: "This is fantastic news for local residents of Ireleth, Askam, and Dalton. As our area begins to reopen, residents are now able to access Barrow an extra day a week by bus, and stay in Barrow for a slightly longer duration, so that they can meet their appointments and carry out shopping in the town."