18/08/2026
BUS SERVICES UPDATE
It’s been a while since my last update on bus services. In that, I explained that along with my ward colleague Ian Catchpole, I was continuing to campaign for the reinstatement of a direct link from this ward to Newton Aycliffe and Darlington, and we now have some news on that. One of the options that has been considered and explored by Durham County Council for some years is the idea of using the council’s own home-to-school fleet to run services when those vehicles are not transporting children. There are distinct challenges in doing that (such as adapting drivers’ shift patterns), and of course it comes with significant restrictions. However, this idea does open up some possibilities. I know that Ian had recognised that and pushed for the idea to be pursued. We’re both grateful to officers who have been able to devise a new, limited weekday service between Sedgefield and Newton Aycliffe that will launch soon, initially for a trial period of a year.
DCC bus service 121 will run from 9:00am-2:30pm on Mondays to Fridays, starting on 1st September, in the size and style of vehicle in the photo with this post. I’m afraid that this means that wheelchair access will be limited to collapsible chairs. The service will be cash only (rare in this day and age!), with flat fares for a journey of £2.50 for adults and £1 for children (of course, passengers with bus passes can travel for free after 9:30am). The minibus has 12 seats, which should be enough, based on the average user numbers for the previous Arriva service. The service will start/finish near Sedgefield Sainsbury’s. The timetable has been devised so that passengers on the X22 from the Trimdons and Fishburn who want to go to Aycliffe will be able to hop off that service and then get onto the 121.
Let’s be clear – this is not the comprehensive long-term solution that our community needs. It won’t help people who want to commute, or access further education or apprenticeships, and it does not repair the broken connection from Fishburn all the way to Darlington. Meanwhile, as NETPark continues to grow, it is even more ridiculous that there is no proper public transport connection to places such as Aycliffe and Darlington, for all sorts of compelling business related reasons. However, I know that there are residents in the ward who will welcome and use the new 121, and I certainly appreciate all of the work that DCC’s Integrated Passenger Transport Team has done to make this happen, supported by the council’s administration.
So, this is a measure of progress, but it cannot be the end of the story. I hope that the level of use of the 121 will demonstrate residents’ appetite and need for better direct links to other places, but regardless, we must keep campaigning for much more. This community should be served by a full, regular bus service to Newton Aycliffe and Darlington that runs at times that are useful for everyone. I don’t think that will happen as long as most bus services are in the hands of private companies, and as things stand, what Arriva North East offers residents here in this ward is simply not fit for purpose.
I will continue to lobby Arriva to do better in the short term, but I will also continue to actively support North East Mayor Kim McGuinness in her project to bring bus services back under public control. If that happens, she has committed to there being no bus cuts for a decade. That’s not an easy or quick fix, but I believe that it is the most likely route to delivering the network of routes that our community demands and deserves. Since her election, I have been in regular contact with Mayor Kim’s office, advocating on behalf of residents here to ensure that what is needed in this corner of County Durham is very much on her radar.
Don’t forget that Mayor Kim wants to hear from you through the North East MSA’s public consultation about bus services in the region, which is an opportunity for all of us to express our views on what we want. Let’s make our voices heard about what we require here. You can take part in the consultation at www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/consultations/haveyoursay.
Through public consultations, we invite people to share feedback on proposed policies and projects that shape life here in the North East.
