(09 Feb 2026, 11:34 am)Arriva7446 wrote If that number 3 service in Blyth is standalone it would be good use of a single decker, but it will probably work with the Newcastle services.

If it is Standalone then this would be another route for Blyth to use if they have a bus that cant enter town and the 553 already has it allocated for the day

(09 Feb 2026, 11:07 am)tyresmoke wrote Only thing I know of is the 81 being renumbered 28. Probably timetable changes to line it up with the 28. 
As for Redcar depot one 64a will be extended every hour to Guisborough via Flatts Lane.

And a Sunday 62 service!

(09 Feb 2026, 11:07 am)tyresmoke wrote Only thing I know of is the 81 being renumbered 28. Probably timetable changes to line it up with the 28. 
As for Redcar depot one 64a will be extended every hour to Guisborough via Flatts Lane. 

Taxpayer funded?

(03 Feb 2026, 12:05 pm)robisdave4554 wrote Thanks for that reply. I'm afraid I'm something of an outsider when it comes to such things and it's good to hear from someone who has more knowledge and information. Always good to be able to pass on this information to those who think, as was what I was hearing on the 81 yesterday, that Arriva are simply out to lose services.

(09 Feb 2026, 6:45 pm)Andreos1 wrote Taxpayer funded?

Be Section 106 with all the new houses I’d imagine

Just read the Arriva response to the Pegswood councillor. Reading between the lines, I can't see anything but frequency cuts coming for the Ashington routes - "We are also working on revised timetables...even where faster resolution would be preferable in this case".

Looking at the network over the past few years, it's clear that the current staff do not know how to grow a network. There have been no frequency improvements in Northumbria that haven't been council/BSIP funded. Indeed, I can't think of a single Arriva Northumbria route which has got better (commercially, not subsidised) over the past 10 years?

My expectation is that, given Ashington have barely ran any services for the past year on the 35, X21, and X22, they'll see reduced passenger numbers and assume reduced demand - and slice the frequencies of at least some of these routes.  I'd be fairly confident that they keep the 35 every 20 minutes and slice the other two (a minimum of one of them). They don't have the intellectual capacity to realise that passenger numbers will be reduced due to services not running - and definitely don't have the capacity to realise that reducing the frequencies will put even more people off using the services.

It's a shame really, I'd have hoped the new investment and new overall leadership would have seen a change in approach - but it seems the managed decline of Arriva NE will continue.

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(09 Feb 2026, 6:45 pm)Andreos1 wrote Taxpayer funded?

Do the ANE commercial team know how to extend a route without some form of subsidy?

(09 Feb 2026, 11:07 am)tyresmoke wrote Only thing I know of is the 81 being renumbered 28. Probably timetable changes to line it up with the 28. 
As for Redcar depot one 64a will be extended every hour to Guisborough via Flatts Lane.

It's going all of the way to Lingdale every hour, with the 5A coming off.

(09 Feb 2026, 8:42 pm)Superman wrote It's going all of the way to Lingdale every hour, with the 5A coming off.

I hope this is not true as it will take ages for people from Lingdale to get to places like Ormesby, Middlesbrough, James Cook Hospital. The 5A offers the best service they've ever had to get to Middlesbrough. The X3 is only useful to get to saltburn, skelton and redcar because it takes well over an hr to get to Boro.

The 5A does it in less than an hour so I don't think this will happen. People will be very frustrated to get to middlesbrough via eston and south bank. People want a service direct to James Cook Hospital, not eston square xD. But if it does ever happen, it will be revised very quickly. Also, if its true it just shows Arriva simply don't have a clue. They're really trying to congest everything down. 

Again, I mentioned before that Arriva doing this sort of stuff is only going to get Stagecoach and other operators to point out to the authorities that Arriva ain't fit for purpose.

(09 Feb 2026, 8:54 pm)Mike_98 wrote I hope this is not true as it will take ages for people from Lingdale to get to places like Ormesby, Middlesbrough, James Cook Hospital. The 5A offers the best service they've ever had to get to Middlesbrough. The X3 is only useful to get to saltburn, skelton and redcar because it takes well over an hr to get to Boro.

The 5A does it in less than an hour so I don't think this will happen. People will be very frustrated to get to middlesbrough via eston and south bank. People want a service direct to James Cook Hospital, not eston square xD. But if it does ever happen, it will be revised very quickly. Also, if its true it just shows Arriva simply don't have a clue. They're really trying to congest everything down. 

Again, I mentioned before that Arriva doing this sort of stuff is only going to get Stagecoach and other operators to point out to the authorities that Arriva ain't fit for purpose.

I see it differently. The link to Middlesbrough is still provided. Connections to everywhere can still be made as per the 5A, only North Ormesby is really lost (arguably Eston at least has bus shelters to connect into the 63). A new link is provided during the day between Eston and Guisborough, which is always been shouted for.

Taking the bus off of the car park that is Cargo Fleet Lane is also almost certainly within the decision making process.

The draft I've seen, has a half hourly morning service from Lingdale and a half hourly evening service back, which is better than the 5A currently too.

Your last point makes absolutely no sense. Who is pointing out what and to who? Outside of a franchised bus area, bus operator decisions are accountable to nobody except themselves.

Where do you guys get all stuff about service changes from ? Are these fact and actually going happen or fiction, what people would like to see happen. And then why change something that works?   
For example. The 28/81 plan. It's one hell of a journey if its leaving Middlesbrough via its present route, trundling through the estates in Guisborough before setting of for the estates of Redcar and Marske and then back again!! Reads like a drivers delight.
A 64 trip from Middlesbrough through South Bank does,on paper look like a good idea, even the extending to Lingdale part.
It'll be interesting to see what actually happens.

(09 Feb 2026, 8:54 pm)Mike_98 wrote I hope this is not true as it will take ages for people from Lingdale to get to places like Ormesby, Middlesbrough, James Cook Hospital. The 5A offers the best service they've ever had to get to Middlesbrough. The X3 is only useful to get to saltburn, skelton and redcar because it takes well over an hr to get to Boro.

The 5A does it in less than an hour so I don't think this will happen. People will be very frustrated to get to middlesbrough via eston and south bank. People want a service direct to James Cook Hospital, not eston square xD. But if it does ever happen, it will be revised very quickly. Also, if its true it just shows Arriva simply don't have a clue. They're really trying to congest everything down. 

Again, I mentioned before that Arriva doing this sort of stuff is only going to get Stagecoach and other operators to point out to the authorities that Arriva ain't fit for purpose.

tbf, the 5A and 64A will be neglible on how long it'd take from Guisborough to Middlesbrough, be roughly 5 mins or so difference max.

Just hope they number it the 65 as saying thr 5/65 go to Guisborough is easier to understand than the 5/64A.

(09 Feb 2026, 8:54 pm)Mike_98 wrote I hope this is not true as it will take ages for people from Lingdale to get to places like Ormesby, Middlesbrough, James Cook Hospital. The 5A offers the best service they've ever had to get to Middlesbrough. The X3 is only useful to get to saltburn, skelton and redcar because it takes well over an hr to get to Boro.

The 5A does it in less than an hour so I don't think this will happen. People will be very frustrated to get to middlesbrough via eston and south bank. People want a service direct to James Cook Hospital, not eston square xD. But if it does ever happen, it will be revised very quickly. Also, if its true it just shows Arriva simply don't have a clue. They're really trying to congest everything down. 

Again, I mentioned before that Arriva doing this sort of stuff is only going to get Stagecoach and other operators to point out to the authorities that Arriva ain't fit for purpose.

It’s rather clear you have absolutely no clue how any of this works and all you’ve managed to do here is make yourself look a tad foolish. If the local authority (Connect Tees Valley) were fit for purpose themselves, their funded bus network would actually be fit for purpose rather than just a political scoring exercise.

(10 Feb 2026, 1:39 pm)220631612 wrote It’s rather clear you have absolutely no clue how any of this works and all you’ve managed to do here is make yourself look a tad foolish. If the local authority (Connect Tees Valley) were fit for purpose themselves, their funded bus network would actually be fit for purpose rather than just a political scoring exercise.

To be fair, I don't think the wording was really great from me trying to explain the point I was trying to make. But yes, thats also true about authority. For some reason, I was thinking they (local authority) actually care about the people they serve but yeh, they don't. 

Kind of a shame the way things are at the moment, but I wouldn't think it can get any worse.

(10 Feb 2026, 3:47 pm)Mike_98 wrote To be fair, I don't think the wording was really great from me trying to explain the point I was trying to make. But yes, thats also true about authority. For some reason, I was thinking they (local authority) actually care about the people they serve but yeh, they don't. 

Kind of a shame the way things are at the moment, but I wouldn't think it can get any worse.

Let’s see what comes out to tender for July. They’ve shown a statement of intent with the two services starting in March, let’s hope it improves in East Cleveland too… a Sunday service on the 62 is a good move and I can’t imagine that is commercial (happy to be corrected if wrong!)

(11 Feb 2026, 10:23 pm)tyresmoke wrote Let’s see what comes out to tender for July. They’ve shown a statement of intent with the two services starting in March, let’s hope it improves in East Cleveland too… a Sunday service on the 62 is a good move and I can’t imagine that is commercial (happy to be corrected if wrong!)

The Sunday 62 is commercial, it will be interworking with the 3 at Redcar

(11 Feb 2026, 11:31 pm)220631612 wrote The Sunday 62 is commercial, it will be interworking with the 3 at Redcar

Would be great if they could reinstate the 62 to marske or new marske. 
Only.having 1 bus an hour isn't really substantial to new marske. 
Think redcar need a renumbering for most of its services

The conversations about the proposed service changes in March is as interesting as its confusing. Does anyone have any accurate info on what is actually happening, particularly in the Tees Valley/East Cleveland area. Thanks.

This is a brief on what is coming:

+ 64A is renumbered 65 and extended to Guisborough and Lingdale, via Hutton Lane. Hourly, but half hourly at peaks.
+ 5A is withdrawn completely
+ 62 reinstated on a Sunday, hourly.
+ 29A variation via the Parkway Centre and Gunnergate Lane  hourly (funded)
+ 28 and 81 merge into one big through route
+ 10 in Darlington extended hourly to Stilington (funded)
+ X94 starts again for 2026
+ Whitby P&R starts again also.

Thanks for your reply. Nothing really for me to worry about. The 64a change is a good idea. Still think the 28/81 combination reads like a proper day out!

(12 Feb 2026, 7:05 pm)robisdave4554 wrote Thanks for your reply. Nothing really for me to worry about. The 64a change is a good idea. Still think the 28/81 combination reads like a proper day out!

It’s no worse than previous versions of the 28

I must assume from this that the current service 5 to Easington is now dropping to a half hourly frequency? Daytime Off Peak I guess this is ample for the amount of traffic using it but what will happen during the morning and evening peaks when those trips see some heavy loadings. Was there not scope to bring back some X5 trips at these times?

(Yesterday, 8:14 am)robisdave4554 wrote I must assume from this that the current service 5 to Easington is now dropping to a half hourly frequency? Daytime Off Peak I guess this is ample for the amount of traffic using it but what will happen during the morning and evening peaks when those trips see some heavy loadings. Was there not scope to bring back some X5 trips at these times?

The 5 already operates at a half hour frequency, it's just the 5a is going. Reducing the 5a to 1 an hour and having a 30:15:15 split and saying the X93 fills the other gap always was an odd move imo. X5 hasn't run for years can't see it coming back as a peak extra cause it's a waste of resource and when there's only 2bph anyway running an X5 would mean some stops drop down to hourly.

(12 Feb 2026, 10:13 am)Ryland wrote Would be great if they could reinstate the 62 to marske or new marske. 
Only.having 1 bus an hour isn't really substantial to new marske. 
Think redcar need a renumbering for most of its services

I know it's not really a suggestion thread but imo they'd be better terminating the X3 at New Marske running direct via Grewglass Lane after Greenstones Road instead (only way to keep the PVR 4) with the rest of the X3 bolted onto the 81 (terminating short at Redcar so it's not crazy long on the 28). 

There's not really any lost links as the rest of the links to Middlesbrough are covered by the X4/5/65 anyway so reduces delays elsewhere for the local journeys.

Only really the Redcar estates to Saltburn/Skelton that's lost and it's pretty new with the 62 cut anyway.

(Yesterday, 2:35 pm)Storx wrote I know it's not really a suggestion thread but imo they'd be better terminating the X3 at New Marske running direct via Grewglass Lane after Greenstones Road instead (only way to keep the PVR 4) with the rest of the X3 bolted onto the 81 (terminating short at Redcar so it's not crazy long on the 28). 

There's not really any lost links as the rest of the links to Middlesbrough are covered by the X4/5/65 anyway so reduces delays elsewhere for the local journeys.

Only really the Redcar estates to Saltburn/Skelton that's lost and it's pretty new with the 62 cut anyway.

Cutting the X3 to New Marske would be removing the direct link between Lingdale/Skelton and Redcar which would be a no go. Bear in mind that once upon a time the 28 did Middlesbrough-Saltburn via Guisborough and Lingdale.

(10 hours ago)220631612 wrote Cutting the X3 to New Marske would be removing the direct link between Lingdale/Skelton and Redcar which would be a no go. Bear in mind that once upon a time the 28 did Middlesbrough-Saltburn via Guisborough and Lingdale.

Aye no arguments, sorry was too clear on the cutting bit. The rest of the X3 from Marske to Lingdale, would be on an extended 81 instead so the links would be kept.

So it'd be like:
X2/X3: Middlesbrough to New Marske
28: Middlesbrough to Redcar
81: Redcar to Lingdale (81 from Redcar to Marske Estate, extended to Lingdale via the 3/X3 route)

If you felt New Marske didn't need 2 buses an hour you could potentially do this either:
X2: Middlesbrough to New Marske
X3: Middlesbrough to Marske Estate
28: Middlesbrough to Redcar
81: Redcar to Lingdale (81 from Redcar to Marske, omitting the estate, extended to Lingdale via the 3/X3 route)

I dont think the 28 is aimed at people going end to end. Instead, it logical to connect together to get the bus back to Middlesbrough perhaps for relief and for improvements such as Marton and Nunthorpe direct to Redcar, West Guisborough direct to Redcar for example.

(9 hours ago)Superman wrote I dont think the 28 is aimed at people going end to end. Instead, it logical to connect together to get the bus back to Middlesbrough perhaps for relief and for improvements such as Marton and Nunthorpe direct to Redcar, West Guisborough direct to Redcar for example.

Surely it would be better to split it at Redcar though, even if they interwork?

Least then the thing can be regulated when it's goes tits up from Middlesbrough to Nunthorpe with the large timetable gap being stuck between the 28 -> 81 and if things go so tits up, you can just get an extra resource for the 81 running on it's own and start turning the 28's at Redcar back without doing the 81 bit so they effective get an extra 25 minutes or so. 

This is just the X21/35 again which is being split because it doesn't work.

That's an interesting concept given current operating issues in and out of Middlesbrough. People who are used to using the present stand alone Redcar to Guisborough 81s are going to be inconvenienced if they start dropping or turning the "new" 28/81 combination. The service is bad enough as it is!

(5 hours ago)robisdave4554 wrote That's an interesting concept given current operating issues in and out of Middlesbrough. People who are used to using the present stand alone Redcar to Guisborough 81s are going to be inconvenienced if they start dropping or turning the "new" 28/81 combination. The service is bad enough as it is!

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.