(29 Oct 2025, 8:58 pm)Kimlfixit wrote True enough. No disrespect to Stockton, but I would think Darlington would be a bigger draw. One assumes at the time they withdrew the X21 they thought about either Darlington or Stockton and plumbed for Stockton and now Stockton is a building site and Darlo is upwardly mobile

Yeah, to be honest, the Trimdons are probably partially moaning because Arriva are attacking them again. Seems every time they're doing service changes they're getting something cut from the area; with Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Durham, Newton Aycliffe, Darlington, Hartlepool and now Stockton all lost over the past 10 year or so. 

Obviously some links are kept with the 59 being ran by the council though and they're regaining the Aycliffe / Darlington links, potentially but I'd be pretty annoyed aswell to be honest.

(57A (https://api.arrivabus.co.uk/routes/servi...r-2021.pdf) and the X21 heading to Sunderland being those routes for reference)

The X22 when I used to drive it (10 years ago now…) used to carry decent numbers and especially on market day would be full & standing. I’m told it’s effectively dead now though. As Jimmi says they need to be able to do it with 4 buses though and the extra mileage to Darlington won’t allow this I don’t think.

(29 Oct 2025, 8:12 pm)Jimmi wrote Views are very mixed on the proposed changes, some want the Aycliffe & Darlo link back, but understandably there's opposition to the removal of the current X22 to North Tees Hospital and Stockton, more for North Tees as is often the way when hospital links are removed.

Biggest issues with the routes are the fact it's essentially dead south of Sedgefield, not helped by the gaps of anywhere to pick up/drop off passengers for about 15 minutes, current X22 not being helped by the fact it largely dupes the X12 for the remainder of the route for Stockton aside from Thorpe Thewles which risks losing its bus service as a result and North Tees which is typically not a daily link for most aside from people who work there and the X12 stops close by. At very least the X21 provides a link which is now a nightmare to undertake, especially from Newton Aycliffe.

Comments are still being made wishing for the X12 to additionally serve Fishburn which Arriva suggested about doing in a survey a few year back but was left as it was.

If it was going to be running to/from Darlington again, not sure how it would work resource wise given the extra time it takes to run to Darlo via Aycliffe vs the current X22 to Stockton which requires 4 buses, unless it somehow got worked in with the 22/23/24 cycle.

Sorry I missed this, yeah I could imagine that would be the case to be honest but I guess it depends how many people are really using it or if it's people moaning for the sake of moaning. 

Wonder if there might be additional changes coming to Darlington as part of this, mainly involving the 8/17 as it could easily work with one of them, if say the 8 was changed in some way.

I don't know what the loadings are like these days, but I guess the X21's could be ran using the MMC's if they'd rather keep them up here? I'm sure they'd be fine for the 17 aswell.