(22 Jun 2026, 3:21 pm)EastGatesheadRider wrote This is not the longest , but just a starter


558 Heworth Interchange Stand D-Seaburn Dene Estate , Dovedale Road

Without using the "follow the crow" method according to google maps the journey is 12 miles.

(23 Jun 2026, 8:55 am)Nerd4321 wrote Idk if this would count but it didn't pass through the North East but the longest one in the UK was no doubt the Megabus M84 from Glasgow to Portsmouth. Someone said the full route was 14/half hours

(23 Jun 2026, 1:42 pm)Storx wrote Going down that route, Aberdeen to London with Flixbus has be longer surely or very close at least, stops at Newcastle aswell that.

(22 Jun 2026, 5:41 pm)F114TML wrote Are we counting historical routes? The old 202 Peterlee - South Hetton - Seaham - Sunderland has to be up there - 1h14m each way.

(22 Jun 2026, 6:09 pm)Storx wrote X18, from Berwick to Newcastle is the longest bus route in the North East surely?. Roughly 80 mile from end to end on the long runs.

Mind there's absolutely no reason logically why you'd do it though.

Assume the 685 will be the longest where it kinda makes sense to do it, but I'd personally be on the train.

(23 Jun 2026, 4:33 pm)Busadvocate wrote From "olden days" :
The Primrose Newcastle-Blackpool service was a road service licence throughout. Ran every day, in winter via Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale, which was 20 min slower than the route via Tebay. Took 4hr 50min to Blackpool. Route included Morecambe (all year).

United had some long services radiating from Darlington, such as Newcastle 722/723 (1hr50 to Worswick St), and Sunderland 213 (1hr 56). The 268 Darlington- Saltburn was 1hr 50 too, but for some years wasn't it extended beyond Saltburn  (to Moorsholm?). I guess must have been about 2hours 20 min.

The 722/3 and 213 were faster than current services, partly reflecting skipping stops in Darlington and Gateshead / Sunderland (as Andreos often advocates). Also benefitting from no 20mph limit in Birtley, and no diversion off the A167 via Durham Gate

(23 Jun 2026, 5:33 pm)Retro Nero wrote

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The Morecambe service (Primrose) was separate to the Blackpool service, the Morecambe service terminated at "Pontins" at Heysham in Morecambe

(23 Jun 2026, 10:37 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Co Durham has its fair share of routes that are a slog.

Previously mentioned 21.
The 50 from Durham to South Shields. Feels even more of a slog when it loops back on itself.
X12 Middlesbrough to Newcastle
X21 West Auckland to Newcastle.

(24 Jun 2026, 4:56 am)LVK 404L wrote Back in the 1980s there was the daily Barton buses service X81 which went from South Shields to Coventry via Newcastle, Leeds and Nottingham. Was later amended to start/end at Newcastle

(23 Jun 2026, 10:37 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Co Durham has its fair share of routes that are a slog.

Previously mentioned 21.
The 50 from Durham to South Shields. Feels even more of a slog when it loops back on itself.
X12 Middlesbrough to Newcastle
X21 West Auckland to Newcastle.

(24 Jun 2026, 8:49 pm)V514DFT wrote Wasn't the X12 previously the X2 at some point

(24 Jun 2026, 8:49 pm)V514DFT wrote Wasn't the X12 previously the X2 at some point

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425 Ashington-London

(23 Jun 2026, 10:37 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Co Durham has its fair share of routes that are a slog.

Previously mentioned 21.
The 50 from Durham to South Shields. Feels even more of a slog when it loops back on itself.
X12 Middlesbrough to Newcastle
X21 West Auckland to Newcastle.

(25 Jun 2026, 12:09 am)Jimmi wrote Yes, originally X1 Middlesbrough - Durham - Newcastle but when split registrations became a thing, the Durham to Newcastle stretch was renumbered as X2, the Middlesbrough to Durham stretch would be renumbered to X12 in January 2015 as it was considered "confusing" having two X1 services in close(ish) proximity, the other being X1 Darlington to Crook which was introduced in 2013 when GNE started the OK1 which was quicker than Arriva's 1 service, once Arriva seemed to clock that each section of split route didn't need to have a different route number, they renumbered the whole service to X12.  Dalesbus was especially silly when Arriva gave each split a different number, think they ended up with 4-5 different route numbers at one stage.

Crossing out of region but some other long routes:

Dalesbus 831: Middlesbrough to Hawes (continues to Kirkby Lonsdale as 832)

Moorsbus M3 Darlington to Pickering

6 Durham to Barnard Castle with the recent introduction of the summer 873 service taking things a step further by doing a similar route to the 6 but continuing all the way up to High Force. In a similar vain, one from the past being when the Darlington 5/5A replaced the 6 for a little while creating one through bus from Darlington to Durham via Bishop Auckland which ended up taking just shy of 2 hours from end to end.