L-R Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Chester Zoo; Chris Brown, Chief Executive of Marketing Cheshire; Cllr Mike Jones, Leader of the Council
A new bus depicting a dinosaur has been unveiled, launching a year round direct bus link from Chester Railway station to Chester Zoo.
Visitors travelling to Chester Zoo by rail can now enjoy an extended park and ride link that retains the regular service but now includes extra pick ups and drop offs at Chester railway station and the zoo.
It has long been an ambition of the zoo and train operators to have an easy public transport link to and from Chester Station. By combining with the park and ride service, a seven days a week regular service will offer visitors a much easier way of travelling to the zoo by public transport.
This excellent solution means that the park and ride bus will have plenty of capacity when the rail passengers arrive at the station to visit the zoo and for their return trip back to the station.
On hearing that the scheme would go ahead, Councillor Stuart Parker said “The zoo is a world class attraction and we are delighted that a genuine public transport choice is now available to visitors travelling by train.”
The train operators Arriva, Merseyrail, Northern and Virgin are all working with the zoo to provide special discounted admission tickets combined with a rail ticket which includes the bus link from Chester Railway Station to the zoo.
Chester Zoo’s Managing Director, Barbara Smith, said: “The new bus link makes it easier and quicker than ever before to get from Chester’s main train station to Chester Zoo.
“It’s now just a case of stepping off a train, hopping on one of the eye-catching, fun animal and dinosaur-themed buses, and they’ll bring you straight to our brand new main entrance.
“The zoo is a world class attraction, contains many animal species which can’t be seen anywhere else in the UK, and with this great new service in operation, it’s now a genuine day destination for people travelling from all over the country.
“For example, it’s now possible for people to leave London Euston and be sat having a drink at our Bembe Coffee Shop, admiring at our critically endangered black rhinos, or marvelling at Dinosaurs Bite Back! – our incredible exhibition of 19 animatronic dinosaurs – within just two and a half hours.
“You can even buy one ticket, which combines your train travel, bus link travel and entry to the zoo.”
If all the above wasn’t great by itself, Executive Member for Community and Environment, Councillor Lynn Riley, was able to tell us that by combing the service with the existing Park and Ride link the Council have been able to deliver the bus link at no extra cost and without adversely affecting the Park and Ride. Our Councillors are always committed to delivering fantastic new services for Chester at great value for us all and this is yet another example of our commitment to the people of Chester in action.
