Update 11 June, 2026
Somerset Council have decided to fund and promote the 567 bus service, linking Glastonbury to Castle Cary station via Street and Butleigh.
Glastonbury TrainLink were not involved in this decision, which ignores the wishes of the community.
Glastonbury TrainLink trust continues to pursue a direct bus link via Pilton and Cannards Grave to Castle Cary station, with the support of local communities.
We are looking for opportunities to bring this to fruition.
We will update again within ten weeks.
Our Mission
Our rail network provides a low carbon option of travel, however getting access to this network is not always easy. Glastonbury has no direct public transport service to our nearest station, Castle Cary. We want to be the first town to provide a dedicated bus service that's primary purpose is to link up with train arrivals and departures from their nearest railway station.
Take a Lead
Let’s lead the way in empowering local communities with self-funding connections to the rail network. We can achieve this by rolling back the Beeching cuts, which were implemented 60 years ago, using existing infrastructure. While many buses pass railway stations, this new service would be the first to offer a direct route to the nearest station synchronised with railway timetables. For instance, this would make a journey from Glastonbury to central London, using public transport, possible in under 2 hours 30 minutes.
Opportunity
For younger generations, the added convenience of travel truly opens up the world broadening their horizons and ultimately creating more opportunities.
Accessibility
Getting to the station can be tricky sometimes, especially if you are not driving, are too young or old to drive, do not have a car, are drinking alcohol or if it is too expensive.
Reasons
Environment
Castle Cary Station’s recently expanded car park now accommodates 178 vehicles but finding a space is still a challenge. This clearly shows the high demand. A public transport option from Glastonbury would solve this problem and offer significant environmental benefits.
The Route
Other Benefits
Pilton
The village of Pilton lies on the route and will equally benefit from the service
Glastonbury Tor
The bus will stop at the base of the Tor
Bath and West Showground
A request bus stop will be outside the Bath and West showgrounds where events are held through out the year
The Creamery at Castle Cary
A station cafe and working creamery celebrating the golden age of the Great British railway. A destination in itself.
Pubs/Restaurants
Access to pubs and restaurants along the route
Glastonbury Festival Site
During the festival dedicated buses are provided from all the main centres, however the festival takes many months to construct and pull down. This service will provide a public transport option throughout the year.
Chalice Well
There will be a bus stop by the Chalice Well
Supplementary Services
The proposed timetables have gaps between arriving at Castle Cary and leaving for Glastonbury that range between 25 and 55 minutes. We are exploring options of using this time to provide a shuttle service around the Castle Cary area.
Overall Cost and Bus Fare
We have gone out to tender with bus operators using our proposed bus timetables. The cost is in the region of £240,000 per year, just under £5,000 per week.
Annual Cost of the Service
We plan 9 roundtrips each weekday, making 18 chargeable journeys (90 a week). On Saturday there are five roundtrips, adding another 10, and on Sunday 4, adding on 8. Therefore each week, in total, there are 108 chargeable journeys.
Number of Journeys
Given the overall cost and number of journeys, each bus service will cost around £45. In comparison, the current cost of a taxi from Glastonbury to Castle Cary, for a single passenger, varies between £45 and £65.
Cost of each Bus Service
To make the service self-funding, bus fares will ultimately depend on usage. We hope it will be covered by the national £3 bus fare cap and available to free bus pass users although this can be challenging for new services.
Bus fare
How are we doing?
Key details
1
No bus operator would take on this project not knowing how their costs will be met. Therefore we need to raise funds to guarantee a period of time. We have set this figure at £180,000 which will cover all costs for the first 6 months and a buffer to extend the trial for at least a year, allowing time for the route to get established.
2
We have had over 1,000 responses from the surveys we have sent out and now have the crucial evidence to back up our campaign.
3
We’re backed by all the local government groups covering the route. Glastonbury Town Council and Pilton Parish Council have already committed funds and Ashford Parish Council covering Castle Cary station strongly support our campaign.
4
We continue to apply for grants wherever we can and build support will local businesses and interested parties. Our live fundraising campaign is now online.
5
Following the government’s announcement of new funding for local bus services with a focus on connecting communities to the rail network, we’ve concentrated our efforts on securing a £150k grant from this initiative.
6
We hope to confirm sufficient funding to cover the initial 6 month trial and publish an implementation plan by the end of April 2026.
