Bus operator Go North East announced on Monday afternoon that it is proposing reductions to dozens of its services across the region.
The company outlined plans for major changes in County Durham, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tyneside, and parts of the Tyne Valley in Northumberland. It comes after previous cutbacks in Newcastle and North Tyneside earlier this year.
An online consultation on the cuts will run until May 31, while the final changes are due to be imposed from July 24 after passengers' feedback is assessed. Below is the full list of every route affected.
Read More: New blow for North East bus passengers as operator reveals cuts to dozens more routes across region
X-lines X5 and X15
This service would now operate to Castleside, replacing service 78, instead of running to Shotley Bridge. The service to Bridgehill and Shotley Bridge Hospital would be replaced by Red Kite Ranger 47.
Go North East said that some journeys on the route “do not carry enough customers to cover the costs of operating them”.
X-lines X10
Sunday frequency on this service will be revised from once an hour to every two hours.
X-lines X20
We propose that the Sunday service would operate between Durham and Langley Park only. Customers travelling between Sunderland and Durham on Sundays would still be able to travel by using Prince Bishops service 20.
X-lines X21
Due to “low passenger numbers” travelling to and from the Eden Garage in West Auckland, this service would now be revised to terminate and start from West Auckland Club.
Metrocentre Express X22
This service, suspended during the Covid pandemic, will not return “due to reduced demand”.
X-lines X30 & X31
The service would be revised to operate every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes, once per hour as service X30 and once per hour as service X31. Extra journeys would operate at peak times on Monday to Friday, maintaining a 20-minute service at the busiest times of day.
X-lines X45 & X46
X45 would continue to operate every 30 minutes between Consett and Newcastle, coordinating with Red Kite Ranger 47 between Rowlands Gill and Newcastle to provide a bus every 15 minutes on this section of route.
The X46 will be removed entirely. Customers travelling from Bridgehill will still be able to travel to Consett and Newcastle on Red Kite Ranger 47, which would now see all journeys running via Bridgehill, providing a service up to every 30 minutes.
Peterlee Purples X62
This service will be cancelled entirely.
X-lines X70, X71 and X72
X70 will be withdrawn, but will X71 and X72 continue to operate on the same route as now.
Coaster 1
It is proposed that this service would extend once per hour on Monday to Saturday daytimes to Eighton Banks via Low Fell, Harlow Green and Wrekenton, partially replacing service 25.
Sunderland District Berries 2 & 2A
No specific cuts have been listed, but Go North East said: “There are some journeys, particularly early morning, in the evening and on Sundays which do not carry enough customers to cover the costs of operating them. We are working closely with local authorities on any possible replacement options, noting budget challenges.”
Connections 4
Frequency revised to every 15 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 30 minutes on Sundays. Additional journeys between Heworth and Follingsby would operate on East Gateshead Rider 58, providing a bus up to every 7 to 8 minutes on this section of the route.
The 2:06am journey from Houghton-le-Spring will now only run from Concord at 2.37am.
Service 5
The service would operate via Calf Close Lane in Jarrow instead of Kirkstone Avenue, with Kirkstone Avenue instead being served by service 26.
Service 6
No specific cuts have been listed, but Go North East said: “There are some journeys, particularly early morning, in the evening and on Sundays which do not carry enough customers to cover the costs of operating them. We are working closely with local authorities on any possible replacement options, noting budget challenges.”
Country Ranger 8
The service would operate to Teal Farm on all journeys. Brady Square would now instead by served by the revised 84/85.
Sunday and evening journeys would be revised to operate between Chester-le-Street and Stanley only.
Service 9
Evening service would be revised to operate hourly.
Tyne Valley 10, 10A & 10B
No specific cuts have been listed, but Go North East said: “There are some journeys, particularly early morning, in the evening and on Sundays which do not carry enough customers to cover the costs of operating them. We are working closely with local authorities on any possible replacement options, noting budget challenges.”
Services 12 & 12A
Service would be revised to operate every 20 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes between Newcastle and Winlaton, with all journeys operating via Shibdon Bank, Parkhead Estate and Hanover Estate. The north side of Winlaton would continue to be served by service 49.
Evening and Sunday service would operate hourly.
Durham Diamond 16 & 16A
Sunday daytime service would be revised to hourly, operating as service 16B serving both South Moor and South Stanley.
Prince Bishops 20
This will be split into two services.
The northern section of route between Sunderland, Cleadon, Harton Nook and South Shields would operate as service 24. This would continue to run every 15 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 30 minutes on Sunday daytimes, with evening frequency reduced to hourly.
The southern section of route between Sunderland, Houghton-le-Spring, The Raintons and Durham would continue to operate as service 20 every 15 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 30 minutes on evenings and Sundays. Late evening journeys would operate hourly.
Evening journeys will no longer serve Doxford International.
Angel 21
Sunday frequency revised to operate every 15 minutes between Newcastle and Chester-le-Street, extending every 30 minutes to Durham.
Night bus N21 would run Friday night/Saturday morning and Saturday night/Sunday morning only, due to “lower numbers of passengers on other nights of the week”.
Service 25
The service will continue to operate hourly on Monday to Saturday daytimes between Newcastle, Harlow Green and Eighton Banks, but as Coaster service 1.
Go North East said it was working with Nexus and Durham County Council regarding provision of services to Portobello, Chester-le-Street and Langley Park, as well as evening and Sunday journeys.
Service 26
This service would additionally run via Kirkstone Avenue, replacing service 5.
Crusader 27
Evening frequency will be reduced to hourly due to lower numbers of passengers in the evening.
Services 28, 28A & 28B
This service will be cancelled entirely, though the bus operator said it was “possible some journeys may remain” and Nexus and Durham Council were considering saving them.
Service 29
This service will be cancelled entirely, but again Go North East says Nexus may step in to save some journeys.
Service 30
This service will be cancelled entirely. Go North East is “in discussions with Durham County Council about alternative options” to ensure that Quaking Houses continues to have a bus service.
Service 34
Following passenger requests, this service would revert to its previous route through Pelton and Pelaw, which means it would go back to being direct from Perkinsville to Pelton Schools, and service Pelaw Estate.
Sunderland District Cherry 35 & 35A
The service would no longer operate via Rainton Bridge.
Go North East says there are “not enough customers using the service” between Town End Farm and Boldon to cover the costs of operating it there.
Sunderland District Blonde 38, 38A & 38C
These services will be withdrawn.
Sunderland District Graphite 39 & 39A
The service would have a revised timetable to improve reliability, with some journeys extended to Houghton le Spring to maintain connections to Doxford International from the south following the withdrawal of service 55.
Evening journeys would now operate hourly, coordinating with service 2 to provide a regular frequency on common sections.
Red Kite Ranger 47 & 47A
All journeys would operate as service 47, via East Law and Bridgehill.
The Medomsley section of route would be replaced by an alternative service being considered by Durham County Council.
Sunday service would be revised to run hourly.
Services 49 & 49A
The service on a Sunday would be revised to operate every 20 minutes.
Service 50
This service would be diverted via Rickleton Village Centre and via Fulmar Road and Ayton Road in Ayton, to replace service 84.
Sunday and Bank Holiday journeys would be extended to the Coast in South Shields to make it easier to access the coastline for customers using this service to South Shields for leisure.
East Gateshead Orbit 51 & 52
Sunday frequency revised to every 30 minutes, coordinating with service 58 to provide a bus every 15 minutes between Newcastle, Gateshead and Deckham.
Voltra 53 & 54
Due to low passenger numbers, the service would no longer operate via Sage Gateshead, except in cases of high demand for special events.
Evening frequency would be revised to every 40 minutes.
Sunderland District Violet 55
This service will be withdrawn.
Cityrider 56
Some early morning journeys do not carry enough customers to continue operating.
Evening journeys would operate additionally via Beacon Lough Estate to replace service 57.
The least popular night journeys, at around 3am, would be cancelled.
Service 57
Evening service would operate between Heworth and Wardley only.
Sunday frequency revised to every 30 minutes, coordinating with service 58 to provide a bus every 15 minutes between Newcastle, Gateshead, Leam Lane Estate and Heworth.
East Gateshead Rider 58
This service would be extended to Follingsby, providing a bus up to every seven to eight minutes between Heworth and Follingsby when combined with service 4.
Some extra journeys would operate at Amazon shift change times, running non-stop between Gateshead and Heworth to provide direct access to Newcastle.
Sunday frequency revised to every 30 minutes, coordinating with service 57 to provide a bus every 15 minutes between Newcastle, Gateshead, Leam Lane Estate and Heworth, and with services 51/52 to provide a bus every 15 minutes between Newcastle, Gateshead and Deckham.
Drifter 60
Night journeys will be withdrawn and the weekday afternoon timetable will be “revised to further improve reliability”.
Sunderland District Blue 61
Revised to operate every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 60 minutes on Sunday daytimes.
Once per hour on Monday to Saturday daytimes, service 61 would additionally serve Wembley Estate to replace service 62.
Peterlee Purples 62 & 62A
Services cancelled, though talks are being held with Durham County Council about alternative options.
East Durham Explorer 65
Late evening journeys would be cancelled, and Sunday frequency reduced to every two hours.
Monday to Friday daytime service remains every 30 minutes, and Saturday would remain every 30 minutes at the busiest times between approximately 10am and 3pm.
Service 67
This service would continue to operate between Metrocentre and QE Hospital. The section of route QE Hospital and Wardley would be withdrawn.
Service 69
This will be cancelled entirely.
Country Ranger 78
This service would revert to its previous route via Pelton and Grange Villa instead of Pelton Fell, terminating at Consett instead Castleside.
Little Pinks 82
This service would be cancelled entirely.
Little Pinks 84
This service would continue to operate every 20 minutes between Concord, Peel, Barmston and Galleries, additionally serving Brady Square to replace service 8. It would then extend across Galleries to Oxclose and Blackfell, operating a circular service around Washington.
The section of route between Galleries, Ayton and Rickleton would no longer be part of service 84, but other buses operate in these areas:
- Lambton would continue to be served by services 2 and 50
- Ayton with revised service 50
- Rickleton and Harraton by services 8 and revised service 50
Little Pinks 85
This service would continue to operate every 20 minutes between Concord, Blackfell, Oxclose and Galleries. It would then extend across Galleries to Barmston and Peel, operating a circular service around Washington (the opposite way around to service 84).
Service 91
Revised timetable, with the busiest journeys in and out of Team Valley continuing to operate but the quieter journeys being withdrawn.
East Gateshead Loop 93 & 94
No specific cuts were proposed, but Go North East said: “There are some journeys, particularly early morning, in the evening and on Sundays which do not carry enough customers to cover the costs of operating them. We are working closely with local authorities on any possible replacement options, noting budget challenges.”
Green Arrow 96
Sunday daytime service would be reduced to hourly.
Green Arrow 97
No specific cuts were proposed, but Go North East said: “There are some journeys, particularly early morning, in the evening and on Sundays which do not carry enough customers to cover the costs of operating them. We are working closely with local authorities on any possible replacement options, noting budget challenges.”
Service 734
This service would be replaced by reinstating service 34 to its previous route around Pelaw Estate.
Venture V1 & V2
Revised to operate every 20 minutes between Consett and Delves on Monday to Saturday daytimes.
Venture V3
This would be cancelled entirely. Go North East is “in discussions with Durham County Council regarding a potential reinstatement of service V5 to maintain access to The Dene, Leadgate and surrounding areas”.
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