I have received several alerts to Coaches Parking in the acceleration lane at the junction of Oxenholme Lane and the A65. Suggestions were put forward e.g. Tourist Buses, K Village Overflow, Visitors to the Natland Treacle Mines. Your editor has tracked it down to Rail Replacement Buses! David Peters has looked into it further:
"I too was concerned earlier this month to see coaches parked in the 'slip lanes' of the Burton Road/Oxenholme Lane junction. The drivers confirmed they were shuttling passengers between Oxenholme Junction and Barrow (and stations en route) during the closure of Arnside viaduct. They dislike the roughness and muddiness of the coach parking behind the Leisure Centre. At weekends only they ferry Virgin Rail customers and so are allowed to use the station car park, which Virgin controls. Such are the benefits of competition! I asked them not to park at all on the southern 'slip lane' (because we drive on the left that is the critical direction in the 'visibility splay') and to keep to the far end of the northern 'slip lane'. I warned them that the police would be called if they parked on the south side or too close to the junction on the north side, although the police might take the initiative and move them on anyway without receiving a complaint, and asked them to pass it on to other drivers. One reason for the problem is that the junction was wrongly designed by Westmorland County Council. I can't think of any similar ones in the area. It should have a hatched 'ghost island' right-turn lane on Burton Road and no acceleration or deceleration splays from/to Oxenholme Lane".
Your Editor found no coaches parked today (25th April).