Winter travel

Winter brings cold, wet and often icy conditions on our roads which means we all need to remember to check the forecast and take extra care when we venture out.

Getting about by bus and train

Our vast bus network can help you and your family get from A to B at a low cost. You can use our bus timetables to find the right route for you and plan your journey on the Traveline website with ease. With reduced evening and Sunday fares, we can help you go further for less - check out our bus tickets and fare offers.

If you’re travelling in the Preston area or on the Fylde coast, check out our AnyBus smartcard which allows you to buy one ticket and use it on the vast majority of services.

If you are an older person or have a disability and you live in Lancashire (including Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool), have you heard about NoWCard? This is a bus pass to help you to get out and about across the county for free outside of peak travel hours – find out more and see if you're eligible for NoWcard.

If you're going by train, check out the family ticket on the Northern website, which offers the chance to travel with your whole family, up to six people, for one top value price.

Be aware that Network Rail is carrying out a major upgrade over the festive period, which will cause disruption to some services. Parts of the West Coast Main Line will be closed over a 22-day period from 24 December 2025 until 15 January 2026. In the North West, the majority of the disruptive work is taking place from New Year’s Day. From 1-4 January 2026, Preston railway station will be closed and rail replacement buses will be in operation. Between 31 December and 15 January no trains will run between Oxenholme and Carlisle, with bus replacement on this section of the route. Avanti West Coast will run a shuttle rail diversion on the Settle-Carlisle line between Preston and Carlisle. Visit Avanti West Coast travel information to check your journey.

Walking and cycling

More and more people are choosing to walk and cycle for shorter local journeys. If you want to step up your physical activity, or would like to find some inspiration to explore your local area, why not check out our active travel page?

Free cycle training sessions for adults of all cycling ability levels are available in several districts across the county. To find out what's available near you, email activetravel@lancashire.gov.uk.

Wherever you're going, make sure you get there safely with these helpful tips and advice.

Travel by car

Winter weather can still make roads treacherous and there is no guarantee that roads will always be completely free of ice and snow. Make sure you and your vehicle are fully prepared and always travel with due care for the weather and condition of the roads. Find out more about travelling safely this winter.

Whether it’s a family holiday, a spontaneous coastal drive, or a long journey to the airport, make sure you gave a safe T.R.I.P - Top-up, Rest, Inspect, Prepare.

Wanting to do some shopping in Preston or Lancaster but don't want the hassle of finding a car park? Use our park and ride services to make your day that little bit easier.

Gritting

As ever our dedicated highways team is focused on keeping Lancashire moving, and ready to keep our 45-strong fleet of gritters working 24/7 if necessary.

If you’re a driver, please give them plenty of room on the road, and consider how you park to make sure these large vehicles can always get through.

We grit around 1/3 of all roads, including all the busiest routes, but please take care as untreated surfaces will be icy at times, and even the routes we do treat won’t always be free of ice in some conditions.

Find out more about our gritters, grit bins, and gritting routes.

Our winter service plan sets out how we treat roads and pavements before and during freezing weather.

Highway maintenance

Our highways teams work year-round to look after Lancashire’s 4,600 miles of roads, and 5,300 miles of footpaths, as well as bridges, streetlights and other infrastructure.

Winter is the most challenging time of year as the often wet and freezing conditions can quickly cause potholes and other defects to appear.

We’ll be focused on keeping our roads functioning safely, and you can help by reporting any potholes or other problems.

You can have your say about how we deliver our highway service, and tell us what’s most important to you, by completing the National Highways and Transport Survey.