Just spotted this post on Facebook from a councillor for Pegswood Ward, confirming a new engineering manager at Ashington and the new buses for 2026

? Update on Arriva Bus Services ?

Today I met with Arriva to discuss the ongoing issues with driver shortages and bus breakdowns meaning an unacceptable service of the 35 bus.

To their credit, they were open and honest, acknowledging that the current situation is simply not good enough. I left with them every single bit of correspondence I have had on this matter.

There is a lot to process so I have bullet pointed the best I can:

They have improved pay and conditions and have recruited more drivers.
They admitted that an aging fleet has caused problems, with buses not running
They are looking at the bus timetable to build in "more slack" so that buses do not run late and therefore there is not a knock in effect for other services.
Previously, one engineer manager covered two depots, which meant maintenance suffered. In the coming weeks, Ashington Depot (home of the 35 bus) will have its own dedicated engineer manager.
More staff have also been recruited to work on the buses.
For children who are receiving detentions, I have been advised that if you contact school and ask them to contact Arriva they will ensure the school are aware of the issues they are having.

I asked for a realistic timeline for improvements, as I don’t want to give false hope. Arriva assured me that residents should start to see progress within a few weeks, once the new engineer manager settles in. The 35 bus has been made a priority.

Looking further ahead, Arriva confirmed that in 2026 a new fleet of 120 buses for the north east will be introduced, which should bring significant improvements across the network.

I know this is not necessarily an instant improvement, but lets keep and eye on it in the New Year and see where we are.