(24 Mar 2024, 12:07 pm)Storx It's a shame someone couldn't use their brain and make Brafferton Lane, one way towards Aycliffe so there wouldn't be any time penalty at all...

No doubt everyone else, will be rat running along there regardless.

(24 Mar 2024, 1:21 pm)Jimmi No doubt that will happen, be a nightmare trying to get round there as parts of that route ain't the widest either.

Buses aside, anyone with a brain and knowledge of the area would take alternative routes anyway to completely dodge it although this has been suddenly sprung on us with little to no communication, despite the bridge being coned off down to one lane for about 2 years now.

(24 Mar 2024, 2:17 pm)Storx Yeah you're right there mind, I haven't seen it mentioned it anywhere and it's quite a big closure aswell considering it's the main route out of Darlington North and also to large parts of Teesside aswell without using the Sadberge / Great Stainton rat run.

(24 Mar 2024, 6:01 pm)ross13 Brafferton was considered as a diversion but the residents and Darlington borough council didn't want buses and hgvs going through especially if u meet on the little bridge then your stuck

(25 Mar 2024, 5:57 pm)Andreos1 https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/transport/new-saturday-bus-services-linking-alnwick-with-ellingham-and-morpeth-set-to-begin-after-arriva-timetable-update-4550919?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0TkQod8g4FegGBUTm86Fai21BCN11XX5TwkWNIu3QPkFtnK1nc4qYlmew#Echobox=1711360896

More on the new Saturday services

(25 Mar 2024, 6:43 pm)mb134 Dropping countless runs per day on all their other services but can find the staff for this. Should be stripped of all recent contract awards given they can't run any of them without decimating their other services.

(26 Mar 2024, 7:39 am)Ianthegoon Thing is, if they're running all the contracted services, but dumping the commercial stuff to do it, the folks overseeing the contracts will have nothing to complain about, as the work is being correctly done.  The "passengers" on the commercial routes are well stuffed, but nothing's going to happen about that unless the Traffic Commissioner gets involved, which could take some time.

(26 Mar 2024, 9:19 am)mb134 The worst part is they're not even running all of the contracted services. Countless Morpeth 43 extensions (BSIP funded) and 57A extensions (BSIP funded) have been dropped over the past few weeks.

(26 Mar 2024, 9:27 am)Storx Happy to be corrected but apart from a breakdown the other week, I don't believe there's been any cancellations on the 57A. Some of the buses, especially 1538, are just a bit dodgy on the tracking.

It's a bit of a mess today with multiple buses tracking on multiple routes, namely 1538 and 1574 plus two spare machines.

(26 Mar 2024, 9:49 am)mb134 From memory the other Saturday was particularly bad on the 57/A, with multiple 2 hour gaps. It's certainly nowhere near as bad as the 43s, which got to the point that the same evening (contracted) trip was cancelled virtually daily. Agreed that it's not been as bad recently, but they certainly have dropped them.

(13 May 2024, 1:54 pm)mb134 Arriva are consulting on a route change to the X12, which would see it serve Fishburn but omit Teesside Park.

Quote of the Facebook post, and a link to the survey, below:

"Proposed changes to Service X12 in the Sedgefield/Fishburn Area.

We are proposing to make changes to the X12 that subject to feedback may come into effect from October this year.

? For full info and to provide feedback on the proposed changes visit bit.ly/3QJAD5E"

(13 May 2024, 3:40 pm)Andreos1 That's an interesting one. 
Bit of a gamble too, assuming there is a greater demand for travel to/from Fisburn, than there is people inconvenienced travelling to/from Teesside Park or the extended journey for Sedgefield punters.

(13 May 2024, 6:19 pm)Storx This is wild speculation, but it seems like they're covering the X22, in areas without a service. Future withdrawal coming soon or more cutting it short somewhere, ie Peterlee to Trimdon only and working with the 22B/23? It seems to be struggling as an understatement with the recent cuts.

(13 May 2024, 7:37 pm)Jimmi Seeing that plan for the X12 did raise the cynicism in me to think X22 could be getting scaled back, hourly Peterlee to Trimdon Village running off 22B is certainly plausible, I would say it would almost entirely eliminate a direct bus from Trimdons towards Sedgefield but doubt that bothers Arriva too much.

Unsure if there's ang contractual requirements on any portion of the X22 in the daytime? Evenings are, so could wind up like the 35A which serves areas which doesn't even have a daytime service/links.

(13 May 2024, 8:45 pm)Unber43 quite tight timing

(13 May 2024, 11:36 pm)Ambassador They could quite easily withdraw the northern route of the X12 past Durham.

It’s so lightly loaded aside a match day or if GNE has one of its 21 melt downs

That would help timings