Park and Ride services connecting commuters and shift workers begin arriving at York station

Park and Ride buses connecting commuters and shift workers to the first trains of the day began arriving at York station at 05:45am this morning (Monday 21 July). 

It is the first time Park and Ride services, run in partnership by First Bus and City of York Council, have operated this early and has been possible through funding by York’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, supported by the Department for Transport.

Five of the six sites directly serve York station - Rawcliffe (2/2A), Monks Cross (9), Designer Outlet (7), Poppleton (59) and Askham Bar (3). The remaining one, Grimston (8), serves Piccadilly, in the city centre.

Cllr Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said: “Residents, commuters and visitors have asked us to run the Park and Ride earlier in the morning and later into the evening.  

“Whether you’re catching an early morning train, finishing an overnight shift or enjoying a night out in York, this expansion is part of our commitment to giving people more travel options and making York a cleaner, more affordable and more sustainable city.”

Andy Cullen, Managing Director of First Bus North & West Yorkshire, said: “This is helping commuters and shift workers with connections to train services at the very start and end of the day.

“The extension of services into the late evening will be a real boost for visitors to York’s leisure and entertainment venues, as well as supporting the hospitality sector.

“It reflects our continued commitment to work in partnership with City of York Council to build the Park and Ride network for the benefit of local people and visitors to help grow the city’s economy.”

David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “For too long, public transport hasn’t always worked for everyone, especially those with early starts or late finishes. 

“For the first time all of York’s Park and Ride sites are operating on a single, consistent timetable from 5.30am right up until 10.30pm. It’s the kind of public transport our region deserves.

“We’re putting passengers first, with more affordable and greener journeys that everyone can benefit from – from shift workers and commuters to those enjoying the city’s night life.” 

First Bus has also introduced more frequency on the Park and Ride network to support anticipated demand during the school holidays and summer tourism season.

From yesterday (Sunday 20 July )until 7 September, additional buses will operate Monday-Friday on all services and also Saturdays on routes 7 and 8. Normal timetables will run on Sundays.

Ends

Notes to editors

York Park and Ride is the biggest all-electric network in the country with more than 5,000 car parking spaces.

Full information on the services can be found via https://www.firstbus.co.uk/york/routes-and-maps/york-park-ride and https://www.itravelyork.info/park-and-ride

About York’s BSIP programme

In April 2022, the Department for Transport (DfT) made an indicative funding award of £17.3m to City of York Council in respect of its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

York’s BSIP sets out a new vision to help improve York’s bus network, aiming to make it more inclusive, accessible, attractive and welcoming – becoming a source of pride for the city and its residents.

The key objectives in the BSIP are:

• Upgrades to bus infrastructure, including stops, shelters and real-time information screens
• New bus priority measures
• Improved ticketing and cheaper fares for young persons
• Improved bus information
• Improvements to local bus service levels
• Restarting the Poppleton Bar Park & Rideservice
• Upgrading Park & Ride sitesto include overnight parking and better connections to longer-distance bus services
• Proposals for new developments to include provision of high-quality bus infrastructure and services