Sunderland to Durham bus route set for major upgrade with faster express journeys introduced

From Sunday 28 January 2024, Go North East is making a major upgrade to its Sunderland to Durham bus routes which serve East Herrington, Houghton-le-Spring, and Carrville.

Go North East will introduce a new express route, numbered X20, offering an increase of 50% in the number of buses per hour, and with journey times up to 17% faster than the current routes.

The X20 service, which will be an express route, will run between Sunderland, Houghton-le-Spring, Durham and Langley Park, calling at East Herrington, Rainton Bridge, Carrville, Arnison Centre, and Sacriston.

At peak times, the X20 will additionally call at Doxford International, improving commuter links between Sunderland and Doxford.

The new service is being introduced in partnership with Nexus and Durham County Council with financial support from the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.

The new route will run with low-emission, environmentally friendly Euro VI double-deck buses, as part of the company’s premium interurban X-lines brand, providing a next-level service for its customers on longer distance routes across the North East.

Will Sewell, General Manager of the Sunderland Depot said: ‘We are thrilled to be introducing this new express service to passengers between Sunderland and Durham. The X20 will provide a fast, affordable, and convenient way for people to get around the region.’

With a frequency of up to every 30 minutes, the buses run fast and direct getting customers from Sunderland to Durham in as little as 46 minutes, and connect into the wider X-lines network serving Bishop Auckland, Consett, Chester-le-Street, Gateshead and Newcastle.

Travellers can also sit back and relax as these state-of-the-art buses come with all the latest mod-cons, including free Wi-Fi, USB charging, next-stop audio-visual announcements and tables on the upper-deck.

The addition of the X20 service not only improves transport links in Sunderland but it also represents great value for money. Like the rest of our network, single bus fares are capped at £1 for those aged 21 and under, it’s £2 for adults, and eligible older or disabled people who hold a Concessionary Travel pass can use the bus for free.