'Significant' step as Preston Bus launches new direct cross-city link serving Bamber Bridge
Bus services across Preston will be boosted from next week, as Preston Bus extends one of its services to serve Bamber Bridge.
From Monday (March 30), route 23 will be extended beyond Preston Bus Station to Bamber Bridge, via London Road and Walton-le-Dale, creating new links every 20 minutes.
The changes will see the service provide direct connections between Bamber Bridge, Walton-le-Dale, Preston city centre, the University of Lancashire, Plungington, Fulwood, Royal Preston Hospital, Preston College and Sherwood.
Buses will continue to operate every 10 minutes between Sherwood Asda and Preston, with alternate journeys extended through to Bamber Bridge.
On weekdays, the first bus from Bamber Bridge (Hob Inn) to Preston will depart at 5.07am, while the last bus from Preston to Bamber Bridge will leave at 8.00pm.
Also from Monday, service 35 between Preston and Tanterton via Ingol and Lane Ends will be enhanced during the weekday morning peak, with buses operating up to every 10 to 12 minutes instead of every 15 minutes. Minor timetable changes will also be introduced on services 16 and 19/19A to further improve punctuality and reliability.
Preston Bus says the improvements will build on recent service enhancements introduced in November 2025, in partnership with Lancashire County Council, as well as ‘significant’ investment in operations.
Matt Rawlinson, Managing Director of Preston Bus, said: “We are really pleased to be announcing these improvements for customers across Preston and South Ribble. Extending route 23 to Bamber Bridge is a significant step for Preston Bus, creating a new direct cross-city link and making it easier for people to get to work, education, healthcare and the city centre.
“These improvements are also a reflection of the progress we have made over the last year.
“We have listened to community feedback in recent years about the importance of reliability and punctuality, and have acted on this by recruiting more drivers, investing in new vehicles and completing major improvements at our depot, giving us a stronger platform to keep improving the network.
“Our focus is on building a bus service that Preston can be proud of that residents can feel confident in using. This package of changes is another positive step forward for local bus services in Preston and South Ribble.”
The new timetable can be found here.
Service 124 will introduce new direct public transport links between Preston and Chorley via Bamber Bridge, Gregson Lane, Hoghton and Brindle. Lancashire County Council says it responds to ’long‑standing requests’ from local residents for improved bus connections.