The Extra Mile is a new bookable on-demand bus service for rural journeys around Penrith. Bookings open on Monday 7 September 2026, the service starts on Monday 14 September, and journeys are free through Sunday 27 September.
This is not a conventional bus route with a fixed timetable. Passengers request a journey in the official app or by telephone, then the booking system matches people travelling in a similar direction. For visitors, its biggest value is the unusually wide rural area: the published boundary reaches from Appleby and Dufton to Shap Wells, Hartsop and Threlkeld.
The Extra Mile Penrith at a glance
- Bookings open: Monday 7 September 2026
- Service starts: Monday 14 September 2026
- Free-travel period: launch through Sunday 27 September 2026
- Monday to Saturday: 7am to 7pm
- Sunday: 10am to 4pm
- Book: in The Extra Mile app or by telephone
- Phone: 0333 2406965, option 2 then option 4
- Phone-booking hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm
- Important exclusion: journeys wholly within Penrith are not available
How the on-demand bus works
Choose a pick-up and drop-off point in the app, then request either a leave-after or arrive-by journey. You can also request a return. The system searches for a suitable shared trip and provides updates when the vehicle is on its way.
On-demand does not mean that a minibus can stop at any arbitrary roadside point. Use the pick-up and drop-off choices offered by the app, and check both ends of the journey before confirming. If a particular attraction, trailhead or accommodation is essential, confirm that the system offers a practical point nearby.
Download The Extra Mile for iPhone or get the Android app from Google Play.
Where does The Extra Mile Penrith go?
The council describes a service area extending roughly 15 miles from Penrith. Named boundary locations include:
- Appleby-in-Westmorland, Great Asby, Dufton, Keisley and Murton
- Shap Wells Hotel and the Shap side of the area
- Hartsop on the Ullswater side
- Threlkeld towards Keswick
- Millhouse, Highbridge, Moss Cottage, Aiketgate, Newbiggin, Croglin, Gamblesby and Kirkland
These names describe the published operating boundary, not a promise of door-to-door travel or an immediate departure. Always search the actual journey in the app. The service is shared, so the offered time and route may differ from a direct taxi.
What visitors can realistically use it for
Penrith railway station to rural accommodation
Penrith is on the West Coast Main Line, making the service particularly interesting for rail arrivals staying outside town. It may bridge the difficult final part of a journey to accommodation or villages within the operating area. Because trips entirely inside Penrith are excluded, it is for travel beyond the town rather than a substitute for local town buses or taxis.
Eden Valley and North Pennines days
Appleby and Dufton are useful anchors for market-town visits and Pennine walking. A bookable ride may make one-way walks or rail-and-bus combinations easier, but walkers must secure the return before setting out and leave enough margin for weather, pace and mobile coverage.
Ullswater and Hartsop
Hartsop sits at the edge of the published area and opens access to a much wilder part of the Ullswater valley. Treat it as an advance-planning option, not a turn-up-and-go shuttle. Check the exact offered stop, the final return time and whether your walking plan remains sensible if no preferred journey is available.
Threlkeld and the northern Lakes
Threlkeld is also named on the boundary. This creates possible links for village stays and lower-level walks east of Keswick, although the service is centred on the Penrith area and should not be described as a general Keswick bus.
How to book by phone
Call 0333 2406965, select option 2 and then option 4. The published telephone booking desk operates from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Visitors who cannot use the app should book during those hours rather than waiting until the weekend.
How much does it cost?
All Penrith-area journeys are free from launch on 14 September through 27 September 2026. The council had not clearly confirmed the Penrith fare arrangement after that promotion when this guide was checked.
The wider Extra Mile information page publishes a fare table for the established service, but it was still largely written around the Ulverston area. Do not assume those prices automatically apply to a Penrith journey after 27 September. Check the fare shown in the app or ask the booking team before confirming.
Can you use a concessionary bus pass?
The existing Extra Mile fare information includes reduced prices for senior and disabled concessionary pass holders, young people and some other eligible passengers. Because the live Penrith launch information focuses on the free introductory period, ask the council how your pass will work once paid travel begins.
Accessibility and shared travel
Passengers with a wheelchair, mobility aid, assistance need or requirement for a companion should explain this before booking. Do not assume that every vehicle, pick-up point or rural roadside location will work for every access need. The phone service is the clearest route for arranging a journey when access is essential.
Five car-free planning tips
- Book the outward and return journeys together. Rural alternatives can be limited.
- Use an arrive-by request for trains or fixed appointments. Add a generous interchange margin.
- Download journey information before leaving town. Mobile coverage varies in valleys and upland areas.
- Check the offered stop on a map. A village name does not guarantee collection at an attraction or trailhead.
- Carry a backup plan. Weather, demand and shared routing can affect what is practical.
What The Extra Mile does not replace
It does not carry passengers solely within Penrith, does not run to a fixed timetable and does not guarantee arbitrary door-to-door collection. It also does not remove the need to plan conventional buses, rail connections or a safe walking route.
For wider car-free travel across Cumbria, compare it with our Cumbria Travel Pass guide. That product covers selected rail, Stagecoach bus and Windermere cruise travel, while The Extra Mile is designed to fill rural gaps around its operating area.
Read the official Penrith launch announcement.
Service details checked 6 September 2026. Recheck the official app or telephone team before relying on a specific rural journey.
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