(22 Jul 2026, 7:56 pm)Rapidsnap wrote Never ran as the 557, for a while that was used on number 57s that was extended from Heworth to South Shields after South Shields depot closed (https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...4178710837), though the 558 would eventually replace the section of the 557 from Boldon School to Heworth Interchange.
For a while in the early noughties, the 558 only ran on Sundays between Heworth and Seaburn operated by Jayline using various Mercedes Minibuses and Dennis Dart SLF / Plaxton MPD (sadly before I had a decent camera). As on Monday to Saturday daytimes, Go North East operated the X97 which ran from Newcastle to Seaburn. (Back then the 558 ran via the dual carriageway from Heworth to Testos and didn't bother with Fellgate Estate.) This all changed when the Metro was extended to Sunderland. The X97 bit the dust and was kind of partly replaced briefly by the X98 which went from Boldon to Southwick via Downhill and Red House Estate. The 558 then went to daily operation between Seaburn Dene Estate and Boldon Asda, though I think it was extended to do a loop around the Cotswold Estate. After Jayline it was operated by Stanley, then Redby got the contract usually using a Merc at first before going Low Floor with Darts or Solos, at one point Redby also ran the school run on the 558.
Stagecoach may have ran the long one briefly around 2002/2003 before the contract passed to Stanley Travel, but prob didn't use the 04 plated Darts.
Classic ran a weird variation known as the 559 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...0932321736
Operators I've managed to photograph on the normal 558 with my camera are....
Compass Community Transport - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...2987518893
Gateshead Central - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6544670559
Go North East - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1142403582
Northstar - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...5408118780
Redby - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...9424322247
Stanley Travel - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...2791528258
Veolia Durham - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...0612629863
Def was operated by Redby as the 557 with Ok Travel also doing similar with 559 as I mentioned previously elsewhere. Think this was early 90s
The 557 Redby was Mon to Sat Daytimes
Seaburn to Fellgate Estate
The 559 OK Travel was Seaburn to South Shields (one hour round trip) Mon to.Sat Daytimes
The 558 at same time was Seaburn to Heworth Evening and Sundays, again OK Travel
Also incorporated was the 526 OK Travel evening and Sundays Seaburn to Jarrow (always remember this hitting news at time as a 526 driver was stopped and arrested in Whitburn area for driving whilst under influence of alcohol
The 526, 558 and 559 were all operated out of OK Travel Hunter Road depot Peterlee using a variety of single and double deck, buses, coaches and anything else at the time