Service Updates

Bus

Bus Fare Cap

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From the 1st January 2025, single bus fares will be limited at £3 until the end of 2025.

The cap means no single bus fare on routes included in the scheme will exceed £3. Routes where fares are less than £3 will only be allowed to increase by inflation in the normal way meaning that some fares will remain below the cap.

A list of bus companies and bus routes in Tees Valley which are included in the scheme can be found here – £3 national bus fare cap – GOV.UK

This replaces the previous £2 cap on single bus fares which came to an end on 31^st December 2024.

Supported Service Extensions

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With the help of cash boost from the Bus Service Improvement Plan funding received from the Department for Transport, we will continue to fund a number of bus services across our region until March 2026. These include:

Services 17/18 (Darlington), to be operated by Arriva.
Services 6/6A (Darlington & Stockton), to be operated by Stagecoach.
Services 1&2 (Redcar and Cleveland), to be operated by Stagecoach.
Service RP1 to Riverside Park (Middlesbrough), to be operated by Stagecoach.
Services X40/X41 to Wynyard (Stockton & Hartlepool), to be operated by Stagecoach.
Service 16 (Darlington), to be operated by Stagecoach.
Services 3&4 (Darlington), to be operated by Arriva.
Service 29 (Middlesbrough), to be operated by Arriva.
Service 3 (Redcar and Cleveland), to be operated by Arriva.

In addition to the above services being extended to March 2026, we are also making extensions to the below services, securing contracts until August 2025:

Service 101 to Teesport (Middlesbrough), to be operated by Stagecoach.
Tees Flex, to be operated by Stagecoach.

Please refer to the relevant operator’s website for the applicable timetables.

Rail

Northern Rail

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Due to urgent repairs to the footbridge, until further notice no Northern services in the Eastbound direction (towards Redcar/Saltburn) are able to call at South Bank station. To assist customers to complete their journey, a shuttle bus has been provided between Middlesbrough, South Bank & Redcar Central. Customers at South Bank travelling towards Saltburn should board the shuttle service and then connect at Redcar Central for Northern services towards Saltburn. Services in the Westbound direction (towards Middlesbrough) will continue to operate as normal at South Bank.

Please check the Northern website regularly for the very latest information: https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/service-updates/engineering

TransPennine Express (TPE)

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All TPE services on the Teesside route now call at Eaglescliffe. Most services start/terminate at Redcar Central with only a small number running on to Saltburn.

Throughout 2025, TPE services operating between Liverpool Lime Street and Newcastle are no longer calling at Northallerton in either direction. A new service operated by LNER is running between York and Newcastle in both directions, including a station calls at Northallerton, Darlington and Durham, at two-hour intervals. This provides alternative connectivity to Northallerton for passengers from Darlington, following the TPE change.

Due to the on-going Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), which is delivering major improvements to the rail network, primarily between York and Manchester, there may periodically be diversions or alterations to service provision and timings on the TPE routes to Teesside and through Darlington. For more information on the project and any associated TPE service implications, please regularly review the TRU website – https://thetrupgrade.co.uk/aboutus, as well as the TPE website below.

Due to engineering works on weekdays from Monday 26^th May to Friday 20^th June (inclusive), TPE services on the Teesside route will be diverted between Huddersfield and Leeds and will run between Manchester Victoria and Redcar Central only. They will not be calling at Dewsbury, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport. Replacement bus services will be running in both directions between Huddersfield and Manchester Airport, as well as between Huddersfield/Leeds and Dewsbury. TPE trains serving Darlington will also be diverted between Huddersfield and Leeds and will be running on an amended timetable.

Due to engineering works, on Saturdays 31^st May and 7^th/14^th June and Sundays 1^st/8^th/15^th June, the TPE service to Teesside will be split in two and will be running between Manchester Airport – Huddersfield and between Dewsbury – Redcar Central to an amended timetable. Bus replacement services will be available for travel between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

Due to engineering work, on the weekends of 21^st/22^nd and 28^th/29^th June, TPE services via Darlington will run to an amended timetable. On Saturday 21^st and 28^th June, TPE services to/from Teesside will terminate at Manchester Victoria rather than Manchester Airport whilst on Sunday 22^nd and 29^th June they will run to an amended timetable.

Due to engineering work, on the weekend of 5^th/6^th July, TPE services to/from Teesside will be diverted to start and terminate at Liverpool Lime Street instead of Manchester Airport. On Saturday 5^th July TPE services via Darlington will start and terminate at Manchester Victoria instead of Liverpool Lime Street whilst on Sunday 6^th July they will start and terminate at Manchester Airport instead of Liverpool Lime Street.

Please check the TPE website regularly for the very latest information: https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/planned-engineering-work

LNER

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Due to on-going engineering works on the East Coast Main Line, including at Darlington Station, there may be minor changes to service times at Darlington. Please regularly check the LNER website below for the latest information.

Throughout 2025, LNER is temporarily operating weekday shuttle services between Newcastle and York in both directions, calling at Durham, Darlington and Northallerton. However, over a four-week period (26^th to 30^th May, 2^nd to 6^th June, 9^th to 13^th June, and 16^th to 20^th June) these LNER shuttles will run to amended times. Fewer trains will call at Northallerton on the affected dates, although TransPennine Express will temporarily increase the number of trains stopping at Northallerton. Please check the website below for full details.

Due to engineering works, on Saturday 17^th May, Sunday 18^th May and Sunday 15^th June, there will be no LNER trains between Peterborough and London Kings Cross. Customers travelling to or from Central London can take a rail replacement coach service between Peterborough and Bedford to connect with other operators’ services to/from London St Pancras.

Please check the LNER website regularly for the very latest information: https://www.lner.co.uk/travel-information/changes-to-train-times/