(09 Dec 2022, 6:01 pm)Lollist wrote [ -> ]Hodginsons should try extend round Teesside I think maybe they can run something to Teesside park or Stockton/norton/Billingham as there is a lack of services thst go from Teesside to places outside of Teesside
Why? Hodgsons aren't even based anywhere near Teesside.
(09 Dec 2022, 6:01 pm)Lollist wrote [ -> ]Hodginsons should try extend round Teesside I think maybe they can run something to Teesside park or Stockton/norton/Billingham as there is a lack of services thst go from Teesside to places outside of Teesside
they to far away also if bus service to Teesside park was needed so badly stagecoach or arriva would of already started a route doing it
Ah so we're back on the obsession with sending unnecessary buses through Teesside Park again are we? ?
(11 Dec 2022, 7:48 pm)tcts24 wrote [ -> ]Ah so we're back on the obsession with sending unnecessary buses through Teesside Park again are we? ?
it looks like it yes lol
Fresh into service today is Volvo B11R/MCV eVoTor SJ23 HRO.
Also recently entered service is Optare Solo M970SR KP63 RHE.
Another fresh from the box at Hodgsons is Mercedes Sprinter 517/EVM Cityline RX23 TFZ.
Also added to the fleet are two VDL Synergy double deckers from Kings Ferry, WA65 EKU and WA65 EKV.
Now here are Scania Omnicities YR10 AZF and AZJ, along with Enviro 200MMC SK68 LXY.
Not mentioned earlier was the arrival of RX23 TFY, a second Mercedes/EVM Cityline.
(11 Dec 2022, 7:48 pm)tcts24 wrote [ -> ]Ah so we're back on the obsession with sending unnecessary buses through Teesside Park again are we? ?
Hodgsons would never do service buses there, they have coaches and could easily do day trips there if they wanted
Now on the school bus fleet is Scania Omnidekka SN05 HWE, ex First Scotland East/McGills.
A few more previously unreported additions earlier in summer were Volvo B10M Plaxton Panther HJI855 from Maudes of Barnard Castle, DAF VanHool MA03 XDE (VIL 9733) from Spencer Graham in Cumbria, and Volvo B10M Plaxton Panther Y336 AUT. All 3 were utilised on the school fleet.
With the North Yorkshire tender changes being announced, and all of Hodgsons changes now through Notices & Proceedings, here's a full list of the Hodgsons changes from 8th April 2024:
Cancellation of service 53 Northallerton to Leeming Village (passing to another operator)
Variation to service 54 Northallerton to Kirkby Fleetham (route and timetable)
Variation to service 55 Northallerton to Richmond (timetable)
New service 18 Stokesley to Guisborough (currently operated by Coatham Coaches)
New service 59 Ripon to Oulston Circular (currently operated by North Yorkshire Council)
New service 60/60A Thirsk to Sessay Circular (currently operated by North Yorkshire Council)
New service 70/X70 Northallerton to Ripon (currently operated by Reliance Buses)
New service 80/89 Northallerton to Stokesley (currently operated by Coatham Coaches)
New service 147 Ripon to Thirsk (currently operated by North Yorkshire Council)
New service 150 Ripon to Thirsk (currently operated by North Yorkshire Council)
New service 155 Bedale to Leyburn (currently operated by North Yorkshire Council)
New service 159 Richmond - Leyburn - Ripon (currently operated by Procters)
A few fleet additions in the past week:
Neoplan Tourliner OY24 ZXA
![[Image: 53635167297_efb84a5cb2_w.jpg]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53635167297_efb84a5cb2_w.jpg)
Flickr link
Mercedes Sprinter FJ67 EYC
Mercedes Sprinter KP69 BFO
another new addition is Neoplan Tourliner OY24 ZXB
According to Bustimes.org they have another Volvo B8RLE MCV Evora joined the fleet as 153 - HC26 BUS
Bishop Auckland services 35A & 104 are to be withdrawn, effective 1 November - there's believed to be no replacements for these services as the council have decided to cut these routes citing 'low passenger numbers'
(21 Sep 2026, 12:15 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Bishop Auckland services 35A & 104 are to be withdrawn, effective 1 November - there's believed to be no replacements for these services as the council have decided to cut these routes citing 'low passenger numbers'
That must leave Coundon as one of the largest places in the country, never mind North East, with no evening service now.
So well for improving public transport. Mind they'd be better off having the 8 and 56 running all the time instead of the bizarre 35A. It's the sort of routes which should've been funded by BSIP imo.
(21 Sep 2026, 12:51 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]That must leave Coundon as one of the largest places in the country, never mind North East, with no evening service now.
So well for improving public transport. Mind they'd be better off having the 8 and 56 running all the time instead of the bizarre 35A. It's the sort of routes which should've been funded by BSIP imo.
Assuming no alternative backfill that we don't know about yet (perhaps evening 56 extensions?):
- Loss of 104 means Newfield won't have any buses; it's only a quite small community, but there are very few such places in County Durham with literally no regular bus service.
- Loss of 35A means also without evening services are Chilton Lane, Kirk Merrington and the Dean Bank area of Ferryhill, and there will be no evening service linking Ferryhill and Spennymoor. 35A was an odd route, but it was giving at least a limited evening service to these various communities. In pre-Covid years it ran hourly for the full evening, and did have fair use. Wasn't it still meant to be hourly when the contract was awarded to Hodgson in succession to Scarlet Band, but a combination of driver shortage plus anti-social behaviour (stone-throwing etc) meaning the service dropped from a 2 bus to a 1 bus operation on a token two-hourly timetable?
But in the end, perhaps the truth is that for whatever reason the demand for such services has withered away - pubs and clubs closing, Bishop Auckland not being the place it once was, etc - so regrettably money in subsidy budgets doesn't stretch that far any longer? I fear there are other cases in the region where that will be coming into question.
Regarding BSIP: it seems not to be generally appreciated that throughout the region, a significant part of the BSIP and successor funding had to be allocated to cover the increasing subsidy required to maintain existing services in the face of reduced passengers, including picking up services that previously had been operated without subsidy. Effectively, as part of that, 35A and 104 were being kept afloat with BSIP. Hopefully some backfill may yet emerge, but perhaps a weekday daytime link between Sedgefield and Newton Aycliffe is actually a more important alternative use of the money.
(21 Sep 2026, 4:48 pm)Busadvocate wrote [ -> ]Assuming no alternative backfill that we don't know about yet (perhaps evening 56 extensions?):
- Loss of 104 means Newfield won't have any buses; it's only a quite small community, but there are very few such places in County Durham with literally no regular bus service.
- Loss of 35A means also without evening services are Chilton Lane, Kirk Merrington and the Dean Bank area of Ferryhill, and there will be no evening service linking Ferryhill and Spennymoor. 35A was an odd route, but it was giving at least a limited evening service to these various communities. In pre-Covid years it ran hourly for the full evening, and did have fair use. Wasn't it still meant to be hourly when the contract was awarded to Hodgson in succession to Scarlet Band, but a combination of driver shortage plus anti-social behaviour (stone-throwing etc) meaning the service dropped from a 2 bus to a 1 bus operation on a token two-hourly timetable?
But in the end, perhaps the truth is that for whatever reason the demand for such services has withered away - pubs and clubs closing, Bishop Auckland not being the place it once was, etc - so regrettably money in subsidy budgets doesn't stretch that far any longer? I fear there are other cases in the region where that will be coming into question.
Regarding BSIP: it seems not to be generally appreciated that throughout the region, a significant part of the BSIP and successor funding had to be allocated to cover the increasing subsidy required to maintain existing services in the face of reduced passengers, including picking up services that previously had been operated without subsidy. Effectively, as part of that, 35A and 104 were being kept afloat with BSIP. Hopefully some backfill may yet emerge, but perhaps a weekday daytime link between Sedgefield and Newton Aycliffe is actually a more important alternative use of the money.
Yeah some fair points and definitely can't argue. They badly need something though imo; it's effectively cutting off communities completely and no malice to the places they're not exactly some of the most thriving places so the sort of places where people are likely actually need a bus.
I do think having random routes at night is confusing though, it badly needs to be the day time service really as arguably Durham and Darlington are more likely where people want to be anyway but obviously money and a council which is falling apart by incompetence is a bit of an issue really.
(21 Sep 2026, 12:51 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]That must leave Coundon as one of the largest places in the country, never mind North East, with no evening service now.
So well for improving public transport. Mind they'd be better off having the 8 and 56 running all the time instead of the bizarre 35A. It's the sort of routes which should've been funded by BSIP imo.
No where near, many larger places in the midlands and south don’t posses an evening service. And if we talk UK, that crown would by far go to Llanelli Neath and vast parts of Port Talbot.
(21 Sep 2026, 12:15 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Bishop Auckland services 35A & 104 are to be withdrawn, effective 1 November - there's believed to be no replacements for these services as the council have decided to cut these routes citing 'low passenger numbers'
104 will likely be partially replaced with a rerouted 111 and the 35A likely replaced partly with later 56 journeys to Tindale Crescent.
(21 Sep 2026, 12:51 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]That must leave Coundon as one of the largest places in the country, never mind North East, with no evening service now.
So well for improving public transport. Mind they'd be better off having the 8 and 56 running all the time instead of the bizarre 35A. It's the sort of routes which should've been funded by BSIP imo.
Interestingly, there is timetable variations registered for the 8/8A & 56 from that date, so who knows, maybe?
Newfield on the 104 route wouldn't be the first place to lose it's DCC supported service recently, the 773 from Consett was very quietly changed recently to terminate at Blanchland instead of Townfield at the end of August.
(21 Sep 2026, 7:12 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Interestingly, there is timetable variations registered for the 8/8A & 56 from that date, so who knows, maybe?
Newfield on the 104 route wouldn't be the first place to lose it's DCC supported service recently, the 773 from Consett was very quietly changed recently to terminate at Blanchland instead of Townfield at the end of August.
Seems likely to be connected. Hodgson seemingly have not been told - their website announces the ending on their operation of 104 and 35A and specifically says they have not been told of any replacement.
I doubt if there had been a passenger on 773 to or from Townfield in the last decade, apart from perhaps someone who went out and back just for the ride. The "place" is literally about 4 posh houses with multiple cars.