Something new is rolling through the roads of West Lancashire – and it’s not just another bus. Preston Bus has launched its brand-new Route 319, connecting Skelmersdale to Kirkby via Headbolt Lane, and they’ve done it in style, introducing a fleet of fresh ADL Enviro200 MMCs to handle the service. As someone who’s always got an eye on changes to the public transport network, I had to go see what the fuss was about.

Dubbed the “Rail Link,” this route serves a long-missing connection between Skem and the Merseyrail network – a sore point for locals for years. While Skelmersdale remains one of the largest towns in the UK without a railway station, the 319 offers a direct bus connection to Headbolt Lane, Merseyrail’s newest terminus on the Kirkby line, providing a seamless link into Liverpool.

But it’s not just the route that’s turning heads. The real stars of the show are the new Enviro200 MMC buses, which look sharp in Preston Bus’s smart blue and white livery. Inside, they’re clean, bright, and surprisingly comfortable – a clear upgrade from the older buses often seen on local services in the area. USB ports, comfy seating, and smooth acceleration make for a ride that feels a cut above your typical town runaround.

The route itself is well-thought-out: starting from Skem’s Concourse, it travels through Ashurst, Old Skelmersdale, Rainford, and Tower Hill, before pulling up at Kirkby Bus Station – a stone’s throw from Headbolt Lane station. With the service running hourly during the day (at least for now), it’s already proving popular with both commuters and day-trippers heading into Liverpool.

A New Era on the 310: Riding Arriva’s New Volvo Evora Buses from Skem to Liverpool

The 310 is a route I know well — a long-standing link between Skelmersdale and Liverpool, weaving through Rainford, Bickerstaffe, and Aintree, before diving into the heart of the city. It’s one of those key services that locals rely on, whether it’s for commuting, shopping, or just getting out and about. And recently, something new and rather sleek has appeared on it: Arriva’s freshly delivered MCV Evora-bodied Volvos.

It’s not every day you get a brand-new bus fleet on a long-distance semi-rural route like this, but the upgrade is a welcome one. Gone are the tired old Pulsars and Commanders that have long served the 310. In their place, these modern, sharp-looking Evoras have arrived with a bold presence, flaunting Arriva’s corporate livery with a more premium edge.

Inside, the difference is immediate. Clean lines, improved lighting, comfy high-backed seats, and USB charging at nearly every row make the new 310 feel closer to an interurban coach than a standard town service. The ride quality is smooth — a combination of Volvo’s chassis comfort and MCV’s aerodynamic design — and even at speed along the Rainford Bypass, the bus feels quiet and solid.

With Skem still lacking a railway station, services like the 310 continue to be essential lifelines into Liverpool. And now, for the first time in years, it finally feels like the vehicle quality matches the importance of the route. Whether you’re boarding at Sandy Lane or catching it from Queen Square, the 310 has never looked — or felt — better.

Whether you’re a regular commuter or just a curious rider like me, it’s hard not to appreciate what a step forward this is for the 310. The introduction of the new Volvo Evoras brings a much-needed touch of comfort, reliability, and modernity to one of the region’s key cross-county routes. For a town like Skem, still waiting on rail links, improvements like this matter. And as I stepped off at Queen Square, I couldn’t help but feel that — at long last — the journey from Skelmersdale to Liverpool finally has the buses it deserves.