This is not the longest , but just a starter


558 Heworth Interchange Stand D-Seaburn Dene Estate , Dovedale Road

Without using the "follow the crow" method according to google maps the journey is 12 miles.

(22 Jun 2026, 3:21 pm)EastGatesheadRider wrote This is not the longest , but just a starter


558 Heworth Interchange Stand D-Seaburn Dene Estate , Dovedale Road

Without using the "follow the crow" method according to google maps the journey is 12 miles.

Are we counting historical routes? The old 202 Peterlee - South Hetton - Seaham - Sunderland has to be up there - 1h14m each way.

X18, from Berwick to Newcastle is the longest bus route in the North East surely?. Roughly 80 mile from end to end on the long runs.

Mind there's absolutely no reason logically why you'd do it though.

Assume the 685 will be the longest where it kinda makes sense to do it, but I'd personally be on the train.

AD122 from Wallsend to Bowness on Solway , usually using a Optare Solo.

Wallsend end - http://flic.kr/p/jafB8p

Bowness end - http://flic.kr/p/GWaDFu

There used to be X50 Newcastle to Darlington.

X15/X18 Newcastle Haymarket- Berwick

X11 Newcastle- Scarborough

X46 Stanhope Market Place - Framwellgate Moor (College)

Weardales twice weekly X21 Stanhope to Newcastle/MetroCentre.

638 - Sunderland to Crawcrook

Two current ones...
X16 - Newcastle to Kelso - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...4681195004
X74 - Newcastle to Jedburgh - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...3945328698

Used to be a few from Teesside.
X3 - Loftus to Leeds - https://flic.kr/p/2q3DmkQ (Photo by Tim Jennings)
X95 - Loftus to Keswick / Kendal - https://www.flickr.com/photos/45726467@N02/11294671573 (Photo by David Beardmore)

Others
638 - Sunderland - Crawcrook (although entirely with in T&W, a very lengthly route) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...7224727944
714 - Newcastle - Kielder Castle - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...0810132793
131 - Edinburgh /Galashiels / Jedburgh - Newcastle - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photogenic/6197368343
888 - Metrocentre / Newcastle - Keswick - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...4100818797 (Used to be so much more frequent)
X3 - Whitehaven - Metrocentre - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...9879718142
710 - Galashiels - Metrocentre - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photogenic/9392801550
X90 - Newcastle / Metrocentre - Darlington - York - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jncarter1962/8427425913 (Photo by John Carter)
X99 - Hartlepool - Metrocentre - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6761175455
(X)100 - Teesside - Metrocentre - https://www.flickr.com/photos/solenteer/55241225070


This one was an obscure one, and I only managed to ride it due to a loop hole with the Network Travel ticket. It was operated by Compass Travel, I think it's one of the earlier varients of the 318 before it got condensed to Ashington to Silverlink. Basically the morning journey was Newcastle Pilgrim Street up to Bedlington and Ashington along the X31 route, then it went through North Seaton past Ashington college before heading down the Spine Road before turning off to go into Cramlington, it then went back to the A19, came off at Holystone and went though Cobalt and Silverlink before heading through the Tyne Tunnel, down the A19 coming off at Chester Road in Sunderland, it would head down Springwell Road to Durham Road before terminating at Bede Campus of Sunderland College. The return trip in the afternoon would only go as far as Ashington, and would head from Cramlington to Ashington through Bedlington. Needless to say, very few people used it, and it only lasted a very short time. This would have been around late 2002 to early 2003.

1/301 Whitley Bay- Metrocentre
10/11 South Shields- North Shields
10 Newcastle- Hexham
17 Cramlington- Whitley Bay
43 Newcastle- Morpeth
44 Newcastle- Morpeth
43/44/44A Newcastle- Durham
52 Newcastle- Ashington
62 Killingworth- Throckley
63 Killingworth- Middle Callerton
310 Blyth- Sunderland
319 Cramlington- Sunderland
355 Newcastle- Whitley Bay
356 Newcastle- North Shields
685 Newcastle-Carlisle

42A North Shields to Kingston Park

Idk if this would count but it didn't pass through the North East but the longest one in the UK was no doubt the Megabus M84 from Glasgow to Portsmouth. Someone said the full route was 14/half hours

(23 Jun 2026, 8:55 am)Nerd4321 wrote Idk if this would count but it didn't pass through the North East but the longest one in the UK was no doubt the Megabus M84 from Glasgow to Portsmouth. Someone said the full route was 14/half hours

Going down that route, Aberdeen to London with Flixbus has be longer surely or very close at least, stops at Newcastle aswell that.

(23 Jun 2026, 1:42 pm)Storx wrote Going down that route, Aberdeen to London with Flixbus has be longer surely or very close at least, stops at Newcastle aswell that.

Possible but I believe someone said the M84 was longer as it went absolutely everywhere

(22 Jun 2026, 5:41 pm)F114TML wrote Are we counting historical routes? The old 202 Peterlee - South Hetton - Seaham - Sunderland has to be up there - 1h14m each way.

They count.

From "olden days" :
The Primrose Newcastle-Blackpool service was a road service licence throughout. Ran every day, in winter via Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale, which was 20 min slower than the route via Tebay. Took 4hr 50min to Blackpool. Route included Morecambe (all year).

United had some long services radiating from Darlington, such as Newcastle 722/723 (1hr50 to Worswick St), and Sunderland 213 (1hr 56). The 268 Darlington- Saltburn was 1hr 50 too, but for some years wasn't it extended beyond Saltburn (to Moorsholm?). I guess must have been about 2hours 20 min.

The 722/3 and 213 were faster than current services, partly reflecting skipping stops in Darlington and Gateshead / Sunderland (as Andreos often advocates). Also benefitting from no 20mph limit in Birtley, and no diversion off the A167 via Durham Gate

Full Length 21 from Brandon to Newcastle looks to take just under 2 hours for the full journey but if you count the amount of times it stops it wil probably feel a lot longer.

(22 Jun 2026, 6:09 pm)Storx wrote X18, from Berwick to Newcastle is the longest bus route in the North East surely?. Roughly 80 mile from end to end on the long runs.

Mind there's absolutely no reason logically why you'd do it though.

Assume the 685 will be the longest where it kinda makes sense to do it, but I'd personally be on the train.

(23 Jun 2026, 4:33 pm)Busadvocate wrote From "olden days" :
The Primrose Newcastle-Blackpool service was a road service licence throughout. Ran every day, in winter via Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale, which was 20 min slower than the route via Tebay. Took 4hr 50min to Blackpool. Route included Morecambe (all year).

United had some long services radiating from Darlington, such as Newcastle 722/723 (1hr50 to Worswick St), and Sunderland 213 (1hr 56). The 268 Darlington- Saltburn was 1hr 50 too, but for some years wasn't it extended beyond Saltburn  (to Moorsholm?). I guess must have been about 2hours 20 min.

The 722/3 and 213 were faster than current services, partly reflecting skipping stops in Darlington and Gateshead / Sunderland (as Andreos often advocates). Also benefitting from no 20mph limit in Birtley, and no diversion off the A167 via Durham Gate

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The Morecambe service (Primrose) was separate to the Blackpool service, the Morecambe service terminated at "Pontins" at Heysham in Morecambe

Im probably wrong but  if were talking about terminating in the north east
 888 Newcastle-Keswick 85-90 miles

(23 Jun 2026, 5:33 pm)Retro Nero wrote

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The Morecambe service (Primrose) was separate to the Blackpool service, the Morecambe service terminated at "Pontins" at Heysham in Morecambe

That is not how it is stated in the timetable I am looking at (for winter/spring/summer 1986).  In those days it was not timed as as Newcastle - Blackpool - Newcastle round trip. The core timetable was 0900 from Newcastle (Marlborough Cres) and 0850 from Blackpool (Talbot Road). 

On busy days when several duplicate coaches operated on each departure there may very well have been a separate coach for Morecambe that either terminated there, or was the only one to run to Blackpool via Morecambe. But as I understand it in the depths of winter when only one coach ran it covered all the stops, and the timetable seems to allow for that. (If there was no-one booked to Morecambe, I would not be surprised if it was actually missed out, especially southbound.)

Or perhaps the timetable was simply misleading, and someone who has close personal knowledge of how this ran 40 years ago can cast more light?

Co Durham has its fair share of routes that are a slog.

Previously mentioned 21.
The 50 from Durham to South Shields. Feels even more of a slog when it loops back on itself.
X12 Middlesbrough to Newcastle
X21 West Auckland to Newcastle.

From days gone by;
505, 506 Newcastle - Edinburgh via Berwick; 5 hours+ each way, 5 services a day
508 Newcastle - Edinburgh via Jedburgh, around 5 hours each way, 3 services a day
510 Newcastle - Edinburgh via Kelso, around 5 hours each way, 3 services a day
515 Whitley Bay - Glasgow via Jedburgh, Galashiels and Peebles, around 7 hours each way, up to 2 services a day.

I remember taking the 505 to Edinburgh with my parents and the bus was pay as you enter, just a normal service bus.

Back in the 1980s there was the daily Barton buses service X81 which went from South Shields to Coventry via Newcastle, Leeds and Nottingham. Was later amended to start/end at Newcastle

(23 Jun 2026, 10:37 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Co Durham has its fair share of routes that are a slog.

Previously mentioned 21.
The 50 from Durham to South Shields. Feels even more of a slog when it loops back on itself.
X12 Middlesbrough to Newcastle
X21 West Auckland to Newcastle.

Some runs the 50 goes from South Shields-Chester-Le-Street
Some runs the 50 goes from Marsden Redwell Lane-Durham making the route even longer.

(Yesterday, 4:56 am)LVK 404L wrote Back in the 1980s there was the daily Barton buses service X81 which went from South Shields to Coventry via Newcastle, Leeds and Nottingham. Was later amended to start/end at Newcastle

Barton even had an outstation in Coronation Street in South Shields  which is where Asda is now.

(23 Jun 2026, 10:37 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Co Durham has its fair share of routes that are a slog.

Previously mentioned 21.
The 50 from Durham to South Shields. Feels even more of a slog when it loops back on itself.
X12 Middlesbrough to Newcastle
X21 West Auckland to Newcastle.

Wasn't the X12 previously the X2 at some point

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425 Ashington-London

(Yesterday, 8:49 pm)V514DFT wrote Wasn't the X12 previously the X2 at some point

Yes, originally X1 Middlesbrough - Durham - Newcastle but when split registrations became a thing, the Durham to Newcastle stretch was renumbered as X2, the Middlesbrough to Durham stretch would be renumbered to X12 in January 2015 as it was considered "confusing" having two X1 services in close(ish) proximity, the other being X1 Darlington to Crook which was introduced in 2013 when GNE started the OK1 which was quicker than Arriva's 1 service, once Arriva seemed to clock that each section of split route didn't need to have a different route number, they renumbered the whole service to X12.  Dalesbus was especially silly when Arriva gave each split a different number, think they ended up with 4-5 different route numbers at one stage.

Crossing out of region but some other long routes:

Dalesbus 831: Middlesbrough to Hawes (continues to Kirkby Lonsdale as 832)

Moorsbus M3 Darlington to Pickering

6 Durham to Barnard Castle with the recent introduction of the summer 873 service taking things a step further by doing a similar route to the 6 but continuing all the way up to High Force. In a similar vain, one from the past being when the Darlington 5/5A replaced the 6 for a little while creating one through bus from Darlington to Durham via Bishop Auckland which ended up taking just shy of 2 hours from end to end.

(Yesterday, 8:49 pm)V514DFT wrote Wasn't the X12 previously the X2 at some point

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425 Ashington-London

Yes, changed number at Durham to X1.

The 6 to Barnard Castle has a run that starts at Framwellgate Moor, making it even longer.

(23 Jun 2026, 10:37 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Co Durham has its fair share of routes that are a slog.

Previously mentioned 21.
The 50 from Durham to South Shields. Feels even more of a slog when it loops back on itself.
X12 Middlesbrough to Newcastle
X21 West Auckland to Newcastle.

If only they did not merge the 50 with the 50A. Extra 20 Minute extension. Would of love to see how it would of ran if it was a Single Decker allocation still.
When it used the A1 it took the same amount of time as the 20 from Durham to South Shields. Now even with 2 Bus Journeys from Durham to Sunderland to South Shields (24 Route) You could probably get there before the 50 with the added Picktree extension

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With the mentions of South Shields. Go North East had its fair run of long routes.

Crusader 26: Newcastle - South Shields (Glad they removed the Jarrow to Newcastle extension)
Fab Fifty 57: South Shields - Newcastle
50: Long time between Durham - South Shields
Whey Aye Five (No O) 5 between North Shields - South Shields
South Tyne 57B South Shields - Heworth
Prince Bishops 20/20A South Shields -Durham
Laser 35 South Shields - Low Moorsley

BTW so we can narrow it down no pre-booking coaches eg.ember route around scotland
Routes that have been Withdrawn for more than 10 years

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(Today, 12:09 am)Jimmi wrote Yes, originally X1 Middlesbrough - Durham - Newcastle but when split registrations became a thing, the Durham to Newcastle stretch was renumbered as X2, the Middlesbrough to Durham stretch would be renumbered to X12 in January 2015 as it was considered "confusing" having two X1 services in close(ish) proximity, the other being X1 Darlington to Crook which was introduced in 2013 when GNE started the OK1 which was quicker than Arriva's 1 service, once Arriva seemed to clock that each section of split route didn't need to have a different route number, they renumbered the whole service to X12.  Dalesbus was especially silly when Arriva gave each split a different number, think they ended up with 4-5 different route numbers at one stage.

Crossing out of region but some other long routes:

Dalesbus 831: Middlesbrough to Hawes (continues to Kirkby Lonsdale as 832)

Moorsbus M3 Darlington to Pickering

6 Durham to Barnard Castle with the recent introduction of the summer 873 service taking things a step further by doing a similar route to the 6 but continuing all the way up to High Force. In a similar vain, one from the past being when the Darlington 5/5A replaced the 6 for a little while creating one through bus from Darlington to Durham via Bishop Auckland which ended up taking just shy of 2 hours from end to end.

I do agree on the 873