Your guide to our service changes from Sunday 26 October 2025
8 months ago
Your guide to our service changes from Sunday 26 October
We’re introducing changes to our services across Northumberland, Gateshead, County Durham, Sunderland, Washington and South Tyneside from Sunday 26 October 2025.
What’s new?
- Changes to 20/X20 corridor with new service 14
- Route changes for services 10B and 686
- Updated route for service 61
- New timetables to improve reliability across many services
How did feedback from customers influence these changes?
Before finalising these service changes, we invited our passengers and stakeholders to share their feedback on the proposed routes and timetables. Thank you very much to everyone who shared their thoughts, your feedback has had a positive impact on our plans:
- Service 4 – We have adjusted some departure times at Follingsby Amazon so they coincide with the shift finish times, giving passengers enough time to reach the bus stop in sufficient time.
- Service X20 – Following your feedback, we have re-routed the new X20 via Belmont Link Road, retaining links to Sunderland and Durham.
- Service 14 and X20 – We have retimed some of the 14 journeys to ensure a quick connection in Durham to the new X20.
- Service 700, 701, 702, 703 – We have opted against going ahead with the proposed CL1/CL2 services due to feedback on the routes.
Summary of the changes
The changes are detailed below, by area:
Sunderland & South Tyneside
Service 9 (Sunderland – Jarrow): This service will now depart from Stand T in Sunderland Interchange.
Service X20 (Sunderland – Durham): The X20 will operate with a faster journey between Sunderland and Durham. The service will operate on a limited stop basis, stopping at:
- Sunderland Interchange
- Royal Courts
- Burn Park Road – Durham Road
- Durham Road – Riversdale Terrace
- Barnes Park
- Durham Road – Sunderland College
- Durham Road – Lidl
- Durham Road – North Moor Roundabout
- East Herrington Board Inn
- Durham Road – Parkside South
- Houghton-le-Spring – Hillside Way
- Houghton-le-Spring – Newbottle Street
- Houghton-le-Spring Church
- Carville Dene Drive
- Grange Court
- High Street
- Belmont Sportsman’s Arms
- Belmont Link Road
- Millburngate Bridge
- Durham Bus Station
Doxford International will still be served at peak times. Following your feedback, we re-routed the new X20 via Belmont Link Road, retaining links to Sunderland and Durham.
Service 20/20A (Sunderland – Durham): There will be major timetable changes for this service to improve punctuality.
Service 20A will now operate every 30 mins during daytimes Mon-Sat replacing links to Rainton Bridge.
Service 20 will now operate every 30 mins.
Most journeys will operate to Durham Bus Station. Customers can still travel to Framwellgate Moor and University Hospital of North Durham on several other Go North East services.
Service 24 (Sunderland – South Shields): This service will now depart from Stand S in Sunderland Interchange.
Service 56 (Sunderland – Newcastle): There will be a small change to the Route in the Newcastle direction, buses will operate from Pearth Hall Road via Stoney Lane to Springwell Road.
This service will now leave Sunderland from Stand F.
Service 60 (Sunderland – Parkside): There will be minor timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion.
Service 61 (Sunderland – Murton): Monday - Saturday journeys will no longer operate between Sunderland and Pennywell. Pennywell will continue to be served by service 62/62A Monday-Saturday, with 61 journeys extending to Pennywell on Sundays only.
There will also be timetable changes for this service to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion.
Service 62/62A (Doxford Park – Pennywell): There will be minor timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion.
Service 65 (Seaham - Durham): There will be minor timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion.
Washington
Service X1 (Newcastle – Peterlee): The 07:30 departure from Newcastle will be replaced by the 85A service from Gateshead – Oxclose.
There will also be minor timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion.
Service 4 (Heworth – Amazon NCL1 - Houghton-le-Spring): There will be minor timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion. New timetable to improve reliability. We’ve adjusted some departure times at Follingsby Amazon so they coincide with the shift finish times.
The 15:00 departure from Houghton-le-Spring Hillside Way towards Concord will now depart from Houghton-le-Spring Church.
Service 8 (Sunderland - Stanley): There will be minor timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion.
Service 28/28B/29 (Newcastle – Chester-le-Street): There will be minor timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion.
Service 34 (Chester-le-Street - Ouston): There will be minor timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality at times of the day with high traffic congestion.
Service 50 (South Shields - Durham): There will be major timetable changes for these services to improve punctuality.
Service 50S will be withdrawn and replaced by a journey on service 50.
Service 84 / Service 85 (Washington circular): Following the reopening of Craigside Road, these services will once again serve the bus link at B&Q Washington. When the store is closed the service will omit this bus link.
Service 85A (Gateshead - Oxclose): The morning journey will now be started at Gateshead Interchange, it will follow the route of the X1 to Springwell, serving all stops. From Concord to Parsons Road this journey will operate via Blue House Lane.
The afternoon journey will be changed to operate from Pearth Hall Road via Stoney Lane to terminate outside School on Springwell Road.
County Durham
Service 14 (Durham – Langley Park): This route replaces the Durham – Langley Park section of the X20, following the same route. There have been timetable adjustments to improve reliability of this section.
Gateshead
X32 (Stanley - Lobley Hill - Newcastle): Following local consultation, this service will now call at stops between Team Valley North and Bensham Court Flats, allowing local journeys between Lobley Hill and Gateshead.
Service 58A (Newcastle – Wardley): Certain evening journeys on service 57 will now operate as service 58A, extending from Heworth to Wardley. This will provide a direct connection from Newcastle and Gateshead to Wardley.
Service X66 (Metrocentre– Gateshead Interchange): During busy periods in the October and Christmas school holidays, the service will operate at an enhanced frequency- providing extra capacity on the route and ensuring a reliable service be delivered even when traffic congestion is at its worst.
Northumberland
Service 10B (Newcastle – Prudhoe): This service will now serve West Wylam Estate in both directions, replacing the 686. Evening journeys will omit West Wylam Estate.
Service 686 (Prudhoe - Wylam): This service will omit West Wylam Estate, with this section of route being replaced by revised service 10B. All journeys will now additionally serve Prudhoe Transport Interchange.
How can I stay up to date with the new timetables?
Our new routes and timetables will begin on Sunday 26 October 2025. There are a few different ways to check if your usual journey will be affected and to plan your journey:
- The timetables are available on our website. To see the new timetables, change the date to the 26 October or later, then click 'update'.
- Download the Go North East app to check fares, buy tickets and plan your journey.
- If you still have questions, please contact our customer service team on 0191 420 5050, available Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.