(09 Feb 2026, 11:07 am)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Only thing I know of is the 81 being renumbered 28. Probably timetable changes to line it up with the 28.
As for Redcar depot one 64a will be extended every hour to Guisborough via Flatts Lane.
It's going all of the way to Lingdale every hour, with the 5A coming off.
(09 Feb 2026, 8:42 pm)Superman wrote [ -> ]It's going all of the way to Lingdale every hour, with the 5A coming off.
I hope this is not true as it will take ages for people from Lingdale to get to places like Ormesby, Middlesbrough, James Cook Hospital. The 5A offers the best service they've ever had to get to Middlesbrough. The X3 is only useful to get to saltburn, skelton and redcar because it takes well over an hr to get to Boro.
The 5A does it in less than an hour so I don't think this will happen. People will be very frustrated to get to middlesbrough via eston and south bank. People want a service direct to James Cook Hospital, not eston square xD. But if it does ever happen, it will be revised very quickly. Also, if its true it just shows Arriva simply don't have a clue. They're really trying to congest everything down.
Again, I mentioned before that Arriva doing this sort of stuff is only going to get Stagecoach and other operators to point out to the authorities that Arriva ain't fit for purpose.
(09 Feb 2026, 8:54 pm)Mike_98 wrote [ -> ]I hope this is not true as it will take ages for people from Lingdale to get to places like Ormesby, Middlesbrough, James Cook Hospital. The 5A offers the best service they've ever had to get to Middlesbrough. The X3 is only useful to get to saltburn, skelton and redcar because it takes well over an hr to get to Boro.
The 5A does it in less than an hour so I don't think this will happen. People will be very frustrated to get to middlesbrough via eston and south bank. People want a service direct to James Cook Hospital, not eston square xD. But if it does ever happen, it will be revised very quickly. Also, if its true it just shows Arriva simply don't have a clue. They're really trying to congest everything down.
Again, I mentioned before that Arriva doing this sort of stuff is only going to get Stagecoach and other operators to point out to the authorities that Arriva ain't fit for purpose.
I see it differently. The link to Middlesbrough is still provided. Connections to everywhere can still be made as per the 5A, only North Ormesby is really lost (arguably Eston at least has bus shelters to connect into the 63). A new link is provided during the day between Eston and Guisborough, which is always been shouted for.
Taking the bus off of the car park that is Cargo Fleet Lane is also almost certainly within the decision making process.
The draft I've seen, has a half hourly morning service from Lingdale and a half hourly evening service back, which is better than the 5A currently too.
Your last point makes absolutely no sense. Who is pointing out what and to who? Outside of a franchised bus area, bus operator decisions are accountable to nobody except themselves.
Where do you guys get all stuff about service changes from ? Are these fact and actually going happen or fiction, what people would like to see happen. And then why change something that works?
For example. The 28/81 plan. It's one hell of a journey if its leaving Middlesbrough via its present route, trundling through the estates in Guisborough before setting of for the estates of Redcar and Marske and then back again!! Reads like a drivers delight.
A 64 trip from Middlesbrough through South Bank does,on paper look like a good idea, even the extending to Lingdale part.
It'll be interesting to see what actually happens.
(09 Feb 2026, 8:54 pm)Mike_98 wrote [ -> ]I hope this is not true as it will take ages for people from Lingdale to get to places like Ormesby, Middlesbrough, James Cook Hospital. The 5A offers the best service they've ever had to get to Middlesbrough. The X3 is only useful to get to saltburn, skelton and redcar because it takes well over an hr to get to Boro.
The 5A does it in less than an hour so I don't think this will happen. People will be very frustrated to get to middlesbrough via eston and south bank. People want a service direct to James Cook Hospital, not eston square xD. But if it does ever happen, it will be revised very quickly. Also, if its true it just shows Arriva simply don't have a clue. They're really trying to congest everything down.
Again, I mentioned before that Arriva doing this sort of stuff is only going to get Stagecoach and other operators to point out to the authorities that Arriva ain't fit for purpose.
tbf, the 5A and 64A will be neglible on how long it'd take from Guisborough to Middlesbrough, be roughly 5 mins or so difference max.
Just hope they number it the 65 as saying thr 5/65 go to Guisborough is easier to understand than the 5/64A.
(09 Feb 2026, 8:54 pm)Mike_98 wrote [ -> ]I hope this is not true as it will take ages for people from Lingdale to get to places like Ormesby, Middlesbrough, James Cook Hospital. The 5A offers the best service they've ever had to get to Middlesbrough. The X3 is only useful to get to saltburn, skelton and redcar because it takes well over an hr to get to Boro.
The 5A does it in less than an hour so I don't think this will happen. People will be very frustrated to get to middlesbrough via eston and south bank. People want a service direct to James Cook Hospital, not eston square xD. But if it does ever happen, it will be revised very quickly. Also, if its true it just shows Arriva simply don't have a clue. They're really trying to congest everything down.
Again, I mentioned before that Arriva doing this sort of stuff is only going to get Stagecoach and other operators to point out to the authorities that Arriva ain't fit for purpose.
It’s rather clear you have absolutely no clue how any of this works and all you’ve managed to do here is make yourself look a tad foolish. If the local authority (Connect Tees Valley) were fit for purpose themselves, their funded bus network would actually be fit for purpose rather than just a political scoring exercise.
(10 Feb 2026, 1:39 pm)220631612 wrote [ -> ]It’s rather clear you have absolutely no clue how any of this works and all you’ve managed to do here is make yourself look a tad foolish. If the local authority (Connect Tees Valley) were fit for purpose themselves, their funded bus network would actually be fit for purpose rather than just a political scoring exercise.
To be fair, I don't think the wording was really great from me trying to explain the point I was trying to make. But yes, thats also true about authority. For some reason, I was thinking they (local authority) actually care about the people they serve but yeh, they don't.
Kind of a shame the way things are at the moment, but I wouldn't think it can get any worse.
(10 Feb 2026, 3:47 pm)Mike_98 wrote [ -> ]To be fair, I don't think the wording was really great from me trying to explain the point I was trying to make. But yes, thats also true about authority. For some reason, I was thinking they (local authority) actually care about the people they serve but yeh, they don't.
Kind of a shame the way things are at the moment, but I wouldn't think it can get any worse.
Let’s see what comes out to tender for July. They’ve shown a statement of intent with the two services starting in March, let’s hope it improves in East Cleveland too… a Sunday service on the 62 is a good move and I can’t imagine that is commercial (happy to be corrected if wrong!)
(11 Feb 2026, 10:23 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Let’s see what comes out to tender for July. They’ve shown a statement of intent with the two services starting in March, let’s hope it improves in East Cleveland too… a Sunday service on the 62 is a good move and I can’t imagine that is commercial (happy to be corrected if wrong!)
The Sunday 62 is commercial, it will be interworking with the 3 at Redcar
(11 Feb 2026, 11:31 pm)220631612 wrote [ -> ]The Sunday 62 is commercial, it will be interworking with the 3 at Redcar
Would be great if they could reinstate the 62 to marske or new marske.
Only.having 1 bus an hour isn't really substantial to new marske.
Think redcar need a renumbering for most of its services
The conversations about the proposed service changes in March is as interesting as its confusing. Does anyone have any accurate info on what is actually happening, particularly in the Tees Valley/East Cleveland area. Thanks.
This is a brief on what is coming:
+ 64A is renumbered 65 and extended to Guisborough and Lingdale, via Hutton Lane. Hourly, but half hourly at peaks.
+ 5A is withdrawn completely
+ 62 reinstated on a Sunday, hourly.
+ 29A variation via the Parkway Centre and Gunnergate Lane hourly (funded)
+ 28 and 81 merge into one big through route
+ 10 in Darlington extended hourly to Stilington (funded)
+ X94 starts again for 2026
+ Whitby P&R starts again also.
Thanks for your reply. Nothing really for me to worry about. The 64a change is a good idea. Still think the 28/81 combination reads like a proper day out!
(12 Feb 2026, 7:05 pm)robisdave4554 wrote [ -> ]Thanks for your reply. Nothing really for me to worry about. The 64a change is a good idea. Still think the 28/81 combination reads like a proper day out!
It’s no worse than previous versions of the 28
I must assume from this that the current service 5 to Easington is now dropping to a half hourly frequency? Daytime Off Peak I guess this is ample for the amount of traffic using it but what will happen during the morning and evening peaks when those trips see some heavy loadings. Was there not scope to bring back some X5 trips at these times?
(13 Feb 2026, 8:14 am)robisdave4554 wrote [ -> ]I must assume from this that the current service 5 to Easington is now dropping to a half hourly frequency? Daytime Off Peak I guess this is ample for the amount of traffic using it but what will happen during the morning and evening peaks when those trips see some heavy loadings. Was there not scope to bring back some X5 trips at these times?
The 5 already operates at a half hour frequency, it's just the 5a is going. Reducing the 5a to 1 an hour and having a 30:15:15 split and saying the X93 fills the other gap always was an odd move imo. X5 hasn't run for years can't see it coming back as a peak extra cause it's a waste of resource and when there's only 2bph anyway running an X5 would mean some stops drop down to hourly.
(12 Feb 2026, 10:13 am)Ryland wrote [ -> ]Would be great if they could reinstate the 62 to marske or new marske.
Only.having 1 bus an hour isn't really substantial to new marske.
Think redcar need a renumbering for most of its services
I know it's not really a suggestion thread but imo they'd be better terminating the X3 at New Marske running direct via Grewglass Lane after Greenstones Road instead (only way to keep the PVR 4) with the rest of the X3 bolted onto the 81 (terminating short at Redcar so it's not crazy long on the 28).
There's not really any lost links as the rest of the links to Middlesbrough are covered by the X4/5/65 anyway so reduces delays elsewhere for the local journeys.
Only really the Redcar estates to Saltburn/Skelton that's lost and it's pretty new with the 62 cut anyway.
(13 Feb 2026, 2:35 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]I know it's not really a suggestion thread but imo they'd be better terminating the X3 at New Marske running direct via Grewglass Lane after Greenstones Road instead (only way to keep the PVR 4) with the rest of the X3 bolted onto the 81 (terminating short at Redcar so it's not crazy long on the 28).
There's not really any lost links as the rest of the links to Middlesbrough are covered by the X4/5/65 anyway so reduces delays elsewhere for the local journeys.
Only really the Redcar estates to Saltburn/Skelton that's lost and it's pretty new with the 62 cut anyway.
Cutting the X3 to New Marske would be removing the direct link between Lingdale/Skelton and Redcar which would be a no go. Bear in mind that once upon a time the 28 did Middlesbrough-Saltburn via Guisborough and Lingdale.
(13 Feb 2026, 4:27 pm)220631612 wrote [ -> ]Cutting the X3 to New Marske would be removing the direct link between Lingdale/Skelton and Redcar which would be a no go. Bear in mind that once upon a time the 28 did Middlesbrough-Saltburn via Guisborough and Lingdale.
Aye no arguments, sorry was too clear on the cutting bit. The rest of the X3 from Marske to Lingdale, would be on an extended 81 instead so the links would be kept.
So it'd be like:
X2/X3: Middlesbrough to New Marske
28: Middlesbrough to Redcar
81: Redcar to Lingdale (81 from Redcar to Marske Estate, extended to Lingdale via the 3/X3 route)
If you felt New Marske didn't need 2 buses an hour you could potentially do this either:
X2: Middlesbrough to New Marske
X3: Middlesbrough to Marske Estate
28: Middlesbrough to Redcar
81: Redcar to Lingdale (81 from Redcar to Marske, omitting the estate, extended to Lingdale via the 3/X3 route)
I dont think the 28 is aimed at people going end to end. Instead, it logical to connect together to get the bus back to Middlesbrough perhaps for relief and for improvements such as Marton and Nunthorpe direct to Redcar, West Guisborough direct to Redcar for example.
(13 Feb 2026, 5:51 pm)Superman wrote [ -> ]I dont think the 28 is aimed at people going end to end. Instead, it logical to connect together to get the bus back to Middlesbrough perhaps for relief and for improvements such as Marton and Nunthorpe direct to Redcar, West Guisborough direct to Redcar for example.
Surely it would be better to split it at Redcar though, even if they interwork?
Least then the thing can be regulated when it's goes tits up from Middlesbrough to Nunthorpe with the large timetable gap being stuck between the 28 -> 81 and if things go so tits up, you can just get an extra resource for the 81 running on it's own and start turning the 28's at Redcar back without doing the 81 bit so they effective get an extra 25 minutes or so.
This is just the X21/35 again which is being split because it doesn't work.
That's an interesting concept given current operating issues in and out of Middlesbrough. People who are used to using the present stand alone Redcar to Guisborough 81s are going to be inconvenienced if they start dropping or turning the "new" 28/81 combination. The service is bad enough as it is!
(13 Feb 2026, 9:10 pm)robisdave4554 wrote [ -> ]That's an interesting concept given current operating issues in and out of Middlesbrough. People who are used to using the present stand alone Redcar to Guisborough 81s are going to be inconvenienced if they start dropping or turning the "new" 28/81 combination. The service is bad enough as it is!
Should save about 10 minutes on a circuit by the ‘81’ part not having to serve Hunters Hill, which should be enough to ensure it’s reliable on the 4 hour round trip.
So. We save 10 minutes by dropping the only link - in Guisborough, round the estates section currently served once and hour, in favour of providing extra "running time" to complete a now quite ludicrous route from Middlesbrough to Marske! I wonder if the residents of Huntets Hill know about this?
(14 Feb 2026, 6:11 am)robisdave4554 wrote [ -> ]So. We save 10 minutes by dropping the only link - in Guisborough, round the estates section currently served once and hour, in favour of providing extra "running time" to complete a now quite ludicrous route from Middlesbrough to Marske! I wonder if the residents of Huntets Hill know about this?
Think what Scott is saying is that effectively, the 81 route as we know it will end at Guisborough Market Place then mutate into the current 28 route towards Middlesbrough - I'm not overly familiar with that part of Guisborough but as far as I can tell, all the stops except Enfield Shopping Centre will still be served as the 28 & 81 are otherwise the same route round there (and presumably no longer using the Belmont View stop which is on the Guisborough bound 28 trips to loop round to run back to Boro), downside however is that it presumably cuts the service round there to one bus an hour instead of two.
Going off Superman's post, the 65 is supposedly serving Hutton Lane, so may still be two buses per hour in places but I don't know the exact routing it's taking.
(13 Feb 2026, 11:05 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Should save about 10 minutes on a circuit by the ‘81’ part not having to serve Hunters Hill, which should be enough to ensure it’s reliable on the 4 hour round trip.
Not sure there mind, on paper maybe, but on paper and reality are two different things. Seems to be around 1 hour 45 minutes for the whole route, but then there's Dixon Bank and Marton Road which are an absolute nightmare at the best of times, especially with the summer coast traffic.
I'd be pretty pissed if I'm waiting for a bus from Redcar to Marske Estate and it's 15 minutes late because it got stuck there.
And that's before some roadworks in Redcar, or what not - you'd have to expect some somewhere by the sheer length of the route.
Everyone losing their mind before they even see the timetable is mad. I have seen a draft internally that was shared with the trade union and extra runtime is everywhere, including some of the layovers at Marske are significant enough to have a nap in. People jumping to conclusions need to calm down.
A question I asked our rep that nobody seems to have even considered on here is yet to be answered. Maybe I'm cynical but getting everything back Boro, including the Sunday 3 by interworking the 62 feels like an agenda for something else. I might be wrong though.
So, who is it that actually plans any new routes and timetable changes, is it one person or a team working together?
Are they people who know the area very well, or is it done by the same staff who will also do the same for Arriva operations everywhere else in the country? Would the local depot manager have any say whatsoever?
(14 Feb 2026, 3:04 pm)tvd wrote [ -> ]So, who is it that actually plans any new routes and timetable changes, is it one person or a team working together?
Are they people who know the area very well, or is it done by the same staff who will also do the same for Arriva operations everywhere else in the country? Would the local depot manager have any say whatsoever?
It’s a small team working together that know the area very very well. They work together with the local authorities (TVCA and NECA in this case) and the local depot managers don’t particularly have a say but feedback from drivers does reflect on minor timetable changes. Every Arriva region has their own dedicated commercial team with “Network Managers”
(14 Feb 2026, 10:50 am)I’m Superman wrote [ -> ]Everyone losing their mind before they even see the timetable is mad. I have seen a draft internally that was shared with the trade union and extra runtime is everywhere, including some of the layovers at Marske are significant enough to have a nap in. People jumping to conclusions need to calm down.
A question I asked our rep that nobody seems to have even considered on here is yet to be answered. Maybe I'm cynical but getting everything back Boro, including the Sunday 3 by interworking the 62 feels like an agenda for something else. I might be wrong though.
There has long been talk of merging Stockton and Redcar together as a superdepot but it always falls through when it’s pushed. I can’t help but feel it’s just operational ease, allowing for Redcar drivers to have breaks at Middlesbrough for example.
(14 Feb 2026, 9:16 am)IStorx wrote [ -> ]Not sure there mind, on paper maybe, but on paper and reality are two different things. Seems to be around 1 hour 45 minutes for the whole route, but then there's Dixon Bank and Marton Road which are an absolute nightmare at the best of times, especially with the summer coast traffic.
I'd be pretty pissed if I'm waiting for a bus from Redcar to Marske Estate and it's 15 minutes late because it got stuck there.
And that's before some roadworks in Redcar, or what not - you'd have to expect some somewhere by the sheer length of the route.
Your arguement doesn’t make any sense as there’s already much longer routes in existence. I don’t see you petitioning for the X4, X12, X14, X15, X18, X93/4 to be sliced because they’re too long…
(11 Jan 2026, 5:28 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Talking about Heworth, there badly needs to be some serious discussion about how to serve Central Station coming from the South.
Since the Northumberland Line has opened, it hasn't half opened up my eyes how diabolical the links are to pretty much everywhere which isn't the Metrocentre.
Changing at Gateshead for one stop, isn't the answer either as it's a huge inconvience and nor is walking 15 minutes from John Dobson Street inbound either. It's very different
The ironic thing is already do a loop which has a bus stop nearby at the High Level Bridge but we've got an obsession of terminating everything at a bus station or the middle of nowhere which imo isn't needed for turn up and go services like the 21, 56, 58, X1 etc.
They could easily do something like:
Which would give links to every part of Newcastle ie. someone who works at the new HMRC, can get on the bus outside for Low Fell rather than having to trail across half of Newcastle, similar for Central the opposite way.
(14 Feb 2026, 3:04 pm)tvd wrote [ -> ]So, who is it that actually plans any new routes and timetable changes, is it one person or a team working together?
Are they people who know the area very well, or is it done by the same staff who will also do the same for Arriva operations everywhere else in the country? Would the local depot manager have any say whatsoever?
i think they are all ex-drivers who have worked there way up, or at least one of them is.