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National
James Robinson

Several 'lifeline' bus services saved from sweeping Go North East cuts

One of the region’s largest transport operator says it has “saved” a number of “lifeline” bus routes following a consultation with the public on sweeping cuts to services.

In May Go North East revealed it was planning to cut routes in Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tyneside, County Durham and Northumberland in July and launched a consultation with passengers to hear their feedback.

The company had already made cutbacks in Newcastle and North Tyneside earlier this year, claiming the changes in the way people were working and living meant changes needed to be made to ensure the network was sustainable.

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However, following the consultation and work with local authorities, Go North East have announced it has changed its plans. So-called “lifeline” bus services such as the 25, 28/28A, 29, 30/31, 82 and X70 will no longer be withdrawn.

Nexus will also be stepping in to assist Go North East on a number of routes which were no longer profitable. Elsewhere councils have agreed to provide additional funding to ensure communities are not cut off.

However, not all routes have been saved and there are still significant changes for passengers across the North East to contend with. We’ve rounded up a full list of all the changes that will be made, with the new timetables set to come in from July 24:

Coaster 1

  • There will now be no changes to service 25 between Eighton Banks and Newcastle, and as such the route of service 1 will remain unchanged.
  • In partnership with Nexus, Go North East will introduce more frequent buses on an evening between Newcastle and Whitley Bay, now running up to every 30 minutes.

Sunderland and District Berries 2 & 2A

  • There was a consultation on reducing the frequency of the service between Sunderland and Silksworth on evenings and Sundays, due to the lower numbers of passengers travelling at these times.
  • The company plan to proceed with this proposal, with evening services operating every 60 minutes between Washington and Silksworth, and Sunday daytime services operating every 30 minutes. The late evening journeys between Biddick and Washington Galleries on service 2A will continue to operate.

Connections 4

  • The frequency of this service will be reduced to “better match the demand for passengers” with buses revised to run up to every 15 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes, every 30 minutes on Sunday daytimes and every 60 minutes on evenings.
  • East Gateshead Rider service 58 will be extended from Heworth to Follingsby and Amazon, providing a bus up to every 7 minutes between these points. This also means there will be a direct bus from Amazon to Gateshead and Newcastle.

Service 5

  • Following analysis of customer consultation responses, we engaged in further discussions with local authorities.
  • In partnership with Nexus, the service will continue to operate most journeys on early mornings, evenings and Sunday journeys after discussion with local authorities. On Sundays, journeys will operate as service 5A and run via East Boldon.
  • However, the route has been revised to operate via Calf Close Lane instead of Kirkstone Avenue, with Kirkstone Avenue being served by service 26.

Service 6

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route and at the same frequency as now.

Read next:

Country Ranger 8 & 8A

  • Following discussions with local authorities, some changes will be made around Washington, as well as changes to evening and Sunday journeys. These include:
    • Operating via Teal Farm all day, allowing Nexus to withdraw services 37 and 73
    • No longer serving Brady Square, which would instead be served by the revised Little Pinks 84 and 85 services.
    • Evening and Sunday journeys will operate between Chester-le-Street and Stanley only.
    • On Sundays, Little Pinks 81 will run between Sunderland and Washington Galleries to replace Country Ranger service 8.

Service 9

  • Some services will be withdrawn on early mornings and the frequency on an evening will be reduced due to lower number of passengers travelling at these times.

Tyne Valley 10

  • Minor changes to timetable.

Services 12 & 12A

  • The frequency of this service was set to be revised to to every 20 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes between Newcastle and Winlaton, with all journeys operating via Shibdon Bank, Parkhead Estate and Hanover Estate.
  • Following analysis of our customer consultation responses, a different route to that which was proposed is being implemented:
    • It will operate every 20 minutes between Newcastle, Blaydon, Shibdon Bank and Parkhead Estate.
    • From here, the service will operate direct to North Road then via Heddon View and Wylam View, to Winlaton Bus Station, and then operating via Hanover Estate before returning to Parkhead Estate and Shibdon Bank to Blaydon and Newcastle.
    • This provides a one-way loop around Winlaton so that the majority of people maintain their direct service to Newcastle.
  • To allow this extended loop in Winlaton, buses will serve Newcastle Business Park at peak times only, operating direct along Scotswood Road at other times.
  • Buses on evenings and Sundays will be revised to operate on an hourly frequency, due to the lower numbers of passengers travelling at these times.

Durham Diamond 16 & 16A

  • Buses on a Sunday will run every hour as service 16B, serving both South Stanley and South Moor.
  • In addition, following feedback, the service will be revised to operate the full length of Consett Front Street to Puddler’s Corner, improving access to local facilities. From there, the service will operate to Hownsgill Industrial Estate instead of Genesis Way. Templetown will continue to be served by service X45.

Read next:

Prince Bishops 20

  • The service will be split into two separate services at Sunderland. This means that, from 24 July, 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 and no longer serve Doxford International due to low demand.
  • In Sunderland City Centre, the service will operate to Burdon Road and via Holmeside, to maintain connections to the eastern part of Sunderland City Centre.

Angel 21 & N21

  • The frequency of this service on Sundays will be reduced to better match demand for the number of passengers travelling, with buses revised to run every 15 minutes between Newcastle and Chester-le-Street.
  • Last year the operation of the Night Bus N21 service was extended to be daily, in a bid to help re-build the night-time economy and to help shift workers get to work more easily, but it will now return to its previous (pre-Covid) timetable, only running on Friday night/Saturday morning and Saturday night/Sunday morning, due to low passenger numbers on other days of the week.

NEW Service 24

  • Because the Prince Bishops 20 route splits into two different services at Sunderland, from 24 July, 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.

Service 25

  • Following discussions with local authorities, the service 25 will no longer be withdrawn and will instead be revised to operate hourly throughout.
  • In partnership with Nexus, Go North East will remain the operator of service 25 between Newcastle and Chester-le-Street.
  • Durham County Council have agreed to fund the route between Chester-le-Street and Langley Park, but discussions are still ongoing as to whether Go North East will remain as the operator of the service on this section of route.

Service 26

  • Some early morning journeys will be withdrawn and the frequency on an evening will be reduced.
  • This service will additionally operate via Kirkstone Avenue, instead of service 5.

Read next:

Crusader 27

  • Some early morning journeys will be withdrawn and the frequency on an evening will be reduced to hourly.

Services 28, 28A, 28B & 29

  • Go North East said: “These services do not have enough passengers travelling to cover the costs of operation, meaning that we could no longer run these services without financial support. We therefore consulted on the withdrawal of these services.
    “Following discussions with local authorities, we are pleased to confirm that Durham County Council has agreed to fund these services on Mondays to Saturdays, but discussions are still ongoing as to whether Go North East will remain as the operator of these services or if they will be provided by another company.
    “We hope to provide an update with further information on these services in the next few weeks.”
  • Service 28 will run hourly between Newcastle, Gateshead, Wrekenton, Birtley, Ouston, Beamish, Grange Villa, Pelton Fell and Chester-le-Street.
  • Service 28A will be withdrawn and replaced by an improved service 29, which will run hourly between Newcastle, Gateshead, Kibblesworth, Ouston, Beamish, Grange Villa, Pelton Fell and Chester-le-Street.
  • Service 28B will continue to operate on evenings as now.
  • Following feedback, both services 28 and 29 will serve Eldon Square Bus Station in Newcastle City Centre.
  • Due to low demand, neither services 28 nor 29 will operate on Sundays.

Services 30 & 31

  • Durham County Council has agreed to fund these services on Mondays to Saturdays, but discussions are still ongoing as to whether Go North East will remain as the operator of these services or if they will be provided by another company.

Service 34

  • The service will be returning to the route it used to operate prior to changes in September 2021.
  • This means that service 34 will no longer serve Pelton Front Street, and will now serve Pelaw Estate again.
  • There will be no other changes to the frequency of this service.

Sunderland District Cherry 35 & 35A

  • These services do not have enough passengers travelling to cover the costs of operation at Rainton Bridge or between Town End Farm and Boldon, meaning that we could no longer run service 35 in these areas without financial support
  • Working with Nexus, Go North East has developed a sustainable service pattern for service 35 and 35A to better match demand, which will see the following changes:
    • Buses will no longer operate via Rainton Bridge, instead running direct between Hetton Downs and Houghton-le-Spring, providing faster journey times towards Houghton-le-Spring and Sunderland for customers travelling from Low Moorsley and Hetton-le-Hole. Service X20 continues to provide connections to Rainton Bridge, running up to every 30 minutes.
    • Buses will continue to run between Town End Farm and Boldon, and Monday to Saturday daytime journeys will additionally operate via Cotswolds Estate in Boldon to provide improved connections.
    • Service 35A, operating on evenings and Sundays, will no longer run between Heworth Interchange and Boldon, and the rest of the route is revised to operate hourly due to lower demand.

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Sunderland District Blonde 38, 38A and 38C

  • These services do not have enough passengers travelling to cover the costs of operation, meaning that we could no longer run these services without financial support.
  • Following discussions with local authorities, Go North East say they have worked to “ensure no area is left unserved”, and as such, services 38, 38A and 38C will be withdrawn between Tunstall Bank Estate and Sunderland City Centre.
  • Service 38 will be revised to operate between City Centre and The Docks only, operating hourly.
  • Services to Ashbrooke are maintained on Monday to Saturday daytimes by Stagecoach service 12, and on evenings and Sundays by new service 61A (see below).
  • Services to Leechmere and the western side of Hollycarrside are maintained on Monday to Saturday daytimes by service 2A, with services 2 and 61A providing links close by on evenings and Sundays.
  • In partnership with Nexus, Go North East will introduce a new 39B route to serve Tunstall Bank Estate. This will maintain a direct link to Sunderland City Centre, and offer new, direct links to Doxford Park, Shiney Row and Washington Galleries.

Sunderland District Graphite 39, 39A & NEW 39B

  • Some early morning journeys will be withdrawn and the frequency on an evening will be reduced, while some journeys will be extended from Doxford International to Houghton-le-Spring to replace service 55.
  • There will also be some additional changes.
  • This service will continue to run between Pennywell, Sunderland City Centre and Doxford International every 15 minutes:
    • Once per hour as service 39, operating the same route as now
    • Twice per hour as service 39A, revised to operate via Burdon Lane, omitting Nelson Street, providing a more direct journey.
    • Once per hour as new service 39B, operating via Tunstall Bank Estate to replace service 38.
  • The new 39B service will operate once per hour, and from Doxford International will extend to Washington Galleries, partially replacing service 37 provided by Nexus. This will offer new, direct links to East Herrington, Herrington Burn, Biddick Woods and Washington Galleries.
  • Saturday daytime journeys are revised to operate every 30 minutes, with Sunday and evening services operating every 60 minutes, due to lower demand.
  • Sunderland City Council have advised Go North East of roadworks taking place on Burdon Road between Silksworth and Doxford Park which will start at the same time as these service changes. This means that for the first few weeks, buses will need to take a different route around Silksworth and Doxford Park. Further details regarding this will be issued in due course.

Services 41 & 41A

  • These services were not in the consultation but, in partnership with Nexus, following the changes made to services in March 2022, the connections between Battle Hill and Howdon will be reinstated, with service 41 extending once per hour from Hadrian Park to Howdon and Holy Cross.

Red Kite Ranger 47 & 47A

  • Service 47A will be withdrawn, with all journeys running a standard route in County Durham as service 47 via East Law and Bridgehill.
  • This means that:
    • The route will be as it is currently between Newcastle and Ebchester, though services will now run non-stop between Newcastle and Metrocentre.
    • From Ebchester, services will operate via East Law, Bridgehill, Genesis Way and Front Street to Consett, replacing service X46 which has been withdrawn.
    • From Consett Bus Station, the service will continue to Shotley Bridge Hospital via Number One, maintaining connections to the hospital as well as local links around Consett and Shotley Bridge
    • The service will continue to operate up to every 30 minutes on daytimes, and on evenings and Sundays the service will now run every 60 minutes to better match demand.
    • The section of route through Medomsley and Leadgate will be replaced by a new service V5, the details of which will be confirmed shortly following further discussions with Durham County Council.

Services 49 & 49A

  • Some early morning journeys will be withdrawn and the Sunday frequency will be revised to operate every 20 minutes between Gateshead and Winlaton, with two buses per hour as service 49 and one bus per hour as service 49A.

Read next:

Service 50

  • A revised route will be introduced between Washington and Chester-le-Street to replace service 84.
  • This means that journeys will now operate via Lambton, Ayton Fulmar Drive, Harraton, Rickleton and Picktree Village.
  • Due to low usage, the late evening journeys recently introduced for shift workers at 23:37 and 00:37 from Concord will be withdrawn.
  • There will be no changes to the frequency of this service, but double-deckers will now be allocated to this service to provide more seats at busy times.
  • On Sundays, service 50 from South Shields Interchange will be extended to Marsden Bay, operating via Pier Head, Sea Road and the Coast Road.

East Gateshead Orbit 51 & 52

  • Some early morning journeys withdrawn due to low passenger numbers
  • Evening frequency revised to hourly
  • Sunday frequency revised to every 30 minutes

VOLTRA 53 & 54

  • Some early morning journeys will be withdrawn and the frequency of services on an evening will be reduced to every 40 minutes.
  • The service will no longer operate via the Sage Gateshead turning circile except in cases of high demand for special events.
  • Passengers can still access the Sage from bus stops on Hawks Road and Hillgate Quay, or by walking to other services from bus stops on Askew Road and Wellington Street.

Sunderland District Violet 55

  • These services do not have enough passengers travelling to cover the costs of operation, meaning that Go North East could no longer run these services without financial support.
  • Despite discussions with local authorities, the company has announced that it will proceed with this proposal. The following alternatives are available:
    • Between Peterlee, Easington Village, South Hetton, Easington Lane, Hetton le Hole, and Houghton le Spring, X-lines X1 operates twice per hour on Monday to Saturday daytimes and once per hour on Sundays.
    • Between Houghton-le-Spring and Sunderland, Prince Bishops 20 and X-lines X20 provide a regular service.
    • Between Sunderland and Doxford International, X-lines X20 will divert via Doxford at peak times, with Sunderland District Graphite 39, 39A and 39B providing the connection at other times of the day.
    • Between Houghton-le-Spring and Doxford International, service 39A will provide a connection once per hour. This service then allows connections onto other services at Houghton-le-Spring for onward journeys.

Cityrider 56

  • Some early morning and night journeys will be withdrawn. Journeys on an evening will be re-routed via Beacon Lough to replace service 57.

Read next:

Service 57

  • Some early morning services will be withdrawn and the frequency of this service on Sundays will be reduced to every 30 minutes. Evening journeys will run between Heworth and Wardley only
  • This means that:
    • The Sunday daytime frequency will be revised to run every 30 minutes, and continues to coordinate with service 58 to provide a service every 15 minutes between Heworth and Leam Lane.
    • Evening journeys after 20:00 will operate between Heworth and Wardley only. Service 56 will additionally serve Beacon Lough Estate to maintain a service to this location at these times. Passengers travelling to Old Durham Road can instead use service 56, and passengers travelling to Leam Lane Estate can instead use service 58.

East Gateshead Rider 58

  • Service 58 will be extended from Heworth to Follingsby, providing new and direct links, but the Sunday daytime frequency will be reduced on this service to every 30 minutes.
  • This means that:
    • The service will be extended to Follingsby, providing a service up to every 7 minutes together with service 4 between Heworth, Lingey Lane and Follingsby.
    • At Amazon shift change times, some new journeys will be added as service X58 to provide a more direct link between Follingsby, Gateshead and Newcastle City Centre
    • Sunday daytime frequency revised to every 30 minutes, continuing to coordinate with service 57 to provide a service every 15 minutes between Heworth and Leam Lane, and coordinate with service 51/52 to provide a service every 15 minutes between Gateshead and Deckham.

Drifter 60

  • The new night bus journeys on service 60, introduced last year in a bid to help re-build the night-time economy and to help shift workers get to work more easily, will be withdrawn while the weekday afternoon timetable on this service will be revised to improve reliability.

Service 61 & NEW 61A

  • We consulted on revising the frequency of this service to operate every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes, and every 60 minutes on Sundays. We also proposed that, once per hour, service 61 would additionally serve Wembley Estate to replace service 62.
  • Following analysis of our customer consultation responses, we engaged in further discussions with local authorities and have made some adjustments to our original proposals.
  • Working in partnership with Nexus, Go North East will now run a new 61A service via Ashbrooke, maintaining a service to this area following the withdrawal of service 38C.
  • Working in partnership with Durham County Council, the company will extend the once per hour, service 61 Murton to Peterlee, replacing service 62 which will be withdrawn. These journeys will serve Wembley Estate.

Peterlee Purples 62 & 62A

  • There aren’t enough customers to cover the costs of running services 62/62A.
  • Nexus has decided to take no action within Tyne & Wear, which means there will be a loss of service on Sea View, but other options are available to customers on alternative services within 400m, including services 22, 23, 39/39A/39B, 60 and 61 from Ryhope Village.
  • Durham County Council will continue to provide an hourly 62A bus service between Peterlee and Easington Village Green, with details to be finalised soon.

Read next:

East Durham Explorer 65

  • Late evening journeys on this service will be withdrawn due to low use, while the Sunday frequency on this service will be revised to run every two hours.
  • This means that the frequency on Monday to Friday daytimes remains at every 30 minutes, Saturday would remain at every 30 minutes (at the busiest times between approximately 10am and 3pm), and the Sunday daytime service will be every two hours.

Service 67

  • In partnership with Nexus, there will be no change to this service, and it will continue to run as now between Metrocentre, QE Hospital and Wardley.

Services 69 & 69B

  • These services do not have enough passengers travelling to cover the costs of operation
  • In partnership with Nexus, service 69 will remain unchanged, continuing to run as now between Winlaton, QE Hospital and Wardley.
  • Due to low passenger numbers, the journeys which run once per week on a Sunday morning as service 69B will be withdrawn as proposed.

Service 74

  • This service was not a part of the customer consultation, but Go North East have been in discussions with Northumberland County Council who provide funding for this service. The contract to operate this service has been extended by a year, and Northumberland County Council have asked for some minor tweaks as a result.
  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Country Ranger 78

  • The service will return to the route it used to operate, prior to the changes in September 2021.
  • This means that service 78 will no longer run via Pelton Fell (which will instead be served by the improved 28 and 29 services), serving Pelton instead.
  • It also means that the service will now terminate at Consett Bus Station, no longer running to Castleside (which will instead by served by X-lines services X5/X15, due to customers in this area requesting a direct link to Durham).
  • There will be no other changes to the frequency of this service.

Read next:

Little Pinks 82

  • This service does not have enough passengers travelling to cover the costs of operation.
  • Nexus will provide funding for service 82 to continue running. This will be operated by another bus company in partnership with Nexus, and the route and timetable of this service will also change.
  • Visit nexus.org.uk for more information.

Little Pinks 84 & 85

  • There will be changes to the route around Washington. This means that:
    • These services would continue to operate every 20 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes between Concord, Peel, Barmston and Galleries, additionally serving Brady Square to replace service 8. They would then extend across Galleries to Oxclose and Blackfell, operating a circular service around Washington. Service 84 will operate clockwise and service 85 anti-clockwise.
    • 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

Service 91

  • Some journeys where there isn’t sufficient demand will be withdrawn, but the busiest journeys have been preserved.
  • From 24 July, this service will have a revised timetable operating broadly hourly at peak times covering the busiest journeys.
  • At other times, it is possible to travel between Team Valley and Newcastle by using services 93/94 between Team Valley and Gateshead and then changing onto another bus or Metro between Gateshead and Newcastle.

East Gateshead Loop 93 & 94

  • A small number of early morning journeys on this service will be withdrawn due to low use, but the hourly frequency evening that these services currently operate will be maintained.

Green Arrow 96

  • A small number of early morning journeys on this service will be withdrawn due to low use, while the frequency on a Sunday daytime will now be hourly.

Read next:

Green Arrow 97

  • A small number of early morning journeys on this service will be withdrawn due to low use – these changes are mainly on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Services 135 & 136

  • These services were not a part of thecustomer consultation, but Go North East have been in discussions with Nexus who provide funding for this service. The contract to operate these services has been extended by a year, and Nexus have asked to introduce some minor tweaks as a result.
  • Some early morning journeys are revised or cancelled due to low passenger numbers. The journeys on a morning which remain will be re-numbered to 935.

Tynedale Links 185

  • This service will be withdrawn and replaced by service 681.

Services 434 & 448

  • The contract to run these services ends from 24 July 2022, and this means that these services will no longer be operated by Go North East.
  • Further details of replacement services will be confirmed by Northumberland County Council in due course.

Tynedale Links 680

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Read next:

Tynedale Links 681

  • This service will be extended from Haltwhistle to Birdoswald via Gilsland to replace service 185, and as a consequence there will be a revised timetable on this service.

Tynedale Links 683

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Tynedale Links 684

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Tynedale Links 686

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Tynedale Links 687

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Tynedale Links 688

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Tynedale Links 689

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Read next:

Service 734

  • Service 34 will return to the route it used to operate, prior to the changes in September 2021.
  • This means that service 34 will serve Pelaw Estate again, meaning that service 734 can be withdrawn.

Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus AD122

  • Following discussions with Northumberland County Council; due to low passenger numbers compared to pre-Covid levels, this service will be revised to operate every two hours between Hexham and Haltwhistle, but with all journeys following a standard route including Housesteads, Vindolanda, Walltown and Greenhead.

Quaycity Q3

  • The route will be revised to operate clockwise and anti-clockwise loops around Great Park to improve access to local facilities. Because of this, services will be given new numbers QA and QB to signify which way around the loop they operate.
  • Following the changes made to this service in March 2022 to curtail the service at St Peter’s Basin, Go North East will work in partnership with Nexus to restore the link to Wallsend from 24 July. The service will extend from St Peter’s Basin to Walker and Wallsend every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes.

Venture V1 & V2

  • The service will be revised to run every 20 minutes between Consett and Delves.
  • In addition, service V2 will be revised to no longer operate via Crookhall, which would instead be served by the new V5 service.

Venture V3 & NEW V5

  • Service V3 does not have enough passengers travelling to cover the costs of operation
  • Durham County Council has agreed to fund these services on Mondays to Saturdays, but discussions are still ongoing as to whether Go North East will remain as the operator of these services or if they will be provided by another company.
  • The V5 will operate between Crookhall, Consett, Leadgate, Bradley Bungalows, Medomsley and The Dene, replacing service 47A in this area.

Read next:

X-lines X5 & X15

  • Following customer feedback that service 78 did not run reliably and that customers would prefer a direct link to Lanchester and Durham rather than Stanley, Chester-le-Street and Sunderland, Go North East proposed that this service would run to Castleside from Consett instead of Shotley Bridge and will proceed with this proposal.
  • This service will continue to operate every 30 minutes between Durham, Lanchester and Consett.
  • Customers travelling to Bridgehill or Shotley Bridge Hospital can continue to do so on revised service 47 from Consett.

Peterlee Purples X6

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route and at the same frequency as now.

X-lines X10

  • Due to low passenger numbers on Sundays, Go North East consulted on revising the frequency of this service to be once every two hours.
  • It has modified its plan and will now continue to operate every hour between Newcastle and Peterlee, where journeys are busier. On the quieter section of route between Peterlee and Middlesbrough, the company is proceeding with its plan to revise the frequency to be once every two hours, as these journeys do not have enough passengers travelling to cover the costs of operation.

X-lines X20

  • The service will only run between Langley Park and Durham on Sundays, due to low passenger numbers between Durham and Sunderland.
  • Customers can still travel between Durham, Houghton-le-Spring and Sunderland on Prince Bishops 20.
  • In addition; on weekdays, some journeys at peak times will operate via Doxford International, continuing to provide quick links to Sunderland City Centre following the withdrawal of service 55

X-lines X21

  • The service will now terminate at West Auckland Club instead of Eden Garage.

Read next:

Metrocentre Express X22

  • This service, which is currently suspendeddue to a staff shortage, will not be reinstated.
  • Customers are advised to catch the high-frequency Angel 21 or fast X-lines X21 to Gateshead and connect to our high-frequency Metrocentre Shuttle X66.

X-lines X30 & X31

  • The service has been 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 will operate at peak times on Monday to Friday, maintaining a 20-minute service at the busiest times of day.
  • Evening journeys will be revised to operate every 90 minutes.

X-lines X45 & X46

  • The X46 service will be withdrawn.
  • Service X45 will continue to operate every 30 minutes between Consett and Newcastle, co-ordinating with Red Kite Ranger 47 between Rowlands Gill and Newcastle to provide a bus every 15 minutes on this section of route.
  • 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.
  • In Consett, service X45 will also extend from Consett Bus Station to Hownsgill via Templetown.

Peterlee Purples X62

  • Durham County Council will provide funding for service X62 to keep running, but discussions are still ongoing as to whether Go North East will remain as the operator of these services or if they will be provided by another company.

X-lines X70, X71 & X72

  • Go North East will work in partnership with Durham County Council to keep running service X70.
  • There will be no changes to the route or frequency of services X70, X71 or X72, but there will be some minor changes to the timetable.

Tynedale Links X81

  • They have advised that, due to low passenger numbers, this service will be withdrawn.

Tynedale Links X85

  • There will be some small changes to the timetable of this service, but the service will continue to run the same route as now.

Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus X122

  • Due to low passenger numbers, this service will be withdrawn.

Read more:

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