(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?

(Yesterday, 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”

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(Yesterday, 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.

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(Yesterday, 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.

(Yesterday, 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.

(Yesterday, 5:47 pm)220631612 wrote 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… 

None of those routes are comparable at all though, they're rural routes along country roads mostly with very little road traffic and end to end journeys exists, X12 aside and that thing in unreliable as an understatement at the Birtley side (or used to be)

It's not the length which is the issue, it's the lack of through journeys at the Redcar side and a serious bottle neck (Dixon Bank area) on the route with no regulation point for the Redcar operated vehicles. It's all good saying there's time to have a nap at Marske but the bus has to get there first.

The Redcar to Middlesbrough is a good move tho imo. 

The 57/57A is horrific for it (but the timetable is tight) and so are all the Blyth routes because of their interworking but credit to the ground staff they regulate them well at Blyth Bus Station so it's not an issue (there's no option for this here on Redcar operated boards).

(Yesterday, 7:52 pm)Storx wrote None of those routes are comparable at all though, they're rural routes along country roads mostly with very little road traffic and end to end journeys exists, X12 aside and that thing in unreliable as an understatement at the Birtley side (or used to be)

It's not the length which is the issue, it's the lack of through journeys at the Redcar side and a serious bottle neck (Dixon Bank area) on the route with no regulation point for the Redcar operated vehicles. It's all good saying there's time to have a nap at Marske but the bus has to get there first.

The Redcar to Middlesbrough is a good move tho imo. 

The 57/57A is horrific for it (but the timetable is tight) and so are all the Blyth routes because of their interworking but credit to the ground staff they regulate them well at Blyth Bus Station so it's not an issue (there's no option for this here on Redcar operated boards).

But if they have 15-20 min sit up at Marske then where’s the issue? That should be enough to cover most delays! Anything beyond that would destroy most services…

(Yesterday, 9:29 pm)tyresmoke wrote But if they have 15-20 min sit up at Marske then where’s the issue? That should be enough to cover most delays! Anything beyond that would destroy most services…

From a passenger view, the delays. Arguably the timetable doesn't work if it needs 15 minutes to recover half the boards, especially if it's spent the last 40 minutes, running 15 minutes late.

Obviously no arguments about you can't have more layovers - I wouldn't expect it and I haven't seen the timetable so there might not be delays - hopefully.

All this fuss about the 81? Delays, layovers whatever.  Why not simply leave alone something that isn't, as things stand, broken but soon could be under the proposed new timetable. Service 81 provides a very important link not only between the two principal towns en route but to the estates it serves at either end.
Yes, consideration is being given to allow for delays, extra running time - nothing worse here when drivers have to sit and wait at the numerous timing points - but why so? Leave well alone is what I say.

(Today, 7:11 am)Mrobisdave4554 wrote All this fuss about the 81? Delays, layovers whatever.  Why not simply leave alone something that isn't, as things stand, broken but soon could be under the proposed new timetable. Service 81 provides a very important link not only between the two principal towns en route but to the estates it serves at either end.
Yes, consideration is being given to allow for delays, extra running time - nothing worse here when drivers have to sit and wait at the numerous timing points - but why so? Leave well alone is what I say.

Issue with leaving well alone is that the 81 is currently a very delicate operation. There’s nowhere near enough recovery time within it for a reliable operation. It’s part of the reason it’s being incorporated into the 28 as it allows both routes to be ran more reliably without the cost of extra resources.

Think I can see through that now. Correct me if I'm wrong please.  Presently it works with a 2 vehicle requirement and a fact, given my experience of it, timings aren't exactly generous. Increasing extra resources to the present model wouldn't be economically viable therefore we're getting the changes.

(7 hours ago)robisdave4554 wrote Think I can see through that now. Correct me if I'm wrong please.  Presently it works with a 2 vehicle requirement and a fact, given my experience of it, timings aren't exactly generous. Increasing extra resources to the present model wouldn't be economically viable therefore we're getting the changes.

You'll get the extra time by removing them duplicating each other in Guisborough, works out at about 15 minutes I believe. 

Both are 2 buses though, so it'll be 4 after combined.

X14 has a Variation from the 29th March so im guessing this is just the extra Cragside journeys

Evening 306 & 308 will interwork from 22nd March by the looks of things.

Took me a while and a scan of Bus Times for the penny to drop. I couldn't understand the word "duplicate?"  Its right though both services 28&81 do in fact run in and out of Guisborough thus creating unnecessary duplication. Whoever thought this one up deserves credit.
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Is the 306 still going to Whitley Bay or Marden Estate. No timetable on traveline seems to show this anymore