Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Major Bus Scheme

A review of the operation of bus services in the Tees Valley sub-region was carried out by specialist public transport consultants the TAS Partnership in 2004. This network review identified the need to create a stable network based on the development of high quality links between the main urban centres.

Alongside the network review, work has been going on to develop a complementary package of measures aimed at improving the whole journey by bus, known as the Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements. A Core Network of bus routes has been developed for a package of improvements. Highway improvements are being developed to improve journey times and punctuality. The package also includes improved passenger facilities and improved bus stops, priority routes for low floor buses, and also fare and ticketing improvements.

The proposals offer significant potential benefits to user, non-users and transport providers. The anticipated journey time savings will reduce operating costs and make the bus a more attractive alternative to the car for local journeys. Improved punctuality will make bus journeys more reliable.

Within Stockton-on-Tees Borough, the Core Route network is focused on Stockton town centre, as shown in the table below:

Service Number	Route	Operator
7(part)	Stockton - Yarm	Arriva
15	Roseworth - Stockton - Thornaby	Arriva
17/17A/17B/17C (part)	Middlesbrough - Thornaby	Arriva
36/37/38 (part)	Park End - Middlesbrough - Stockton - Norton	Stagecoach
52	Stockton - Billingham	Stagecoach
58	Stockton - Hardwick	Stagecoach
59	Stockton - University Hospital of North Tees	Stagecoach
61	Stockton - Elton Park (Fairfield)	Stagecoach
X6	Stockton - Ingleby Barwick - Middlesbrough - James Cook University Hospital	Arriva

Follow the link at the bottom of the page to a PDF map of the core bus routes proposed for improvements and there is also a link to the "Timescale and Key Milestones" of the proposed improvements.

Follow the link at the bottom of the page to a PDF map of the core bus routes proposed for improvements and there is also a link to the "Timescale and Key Milestones" of the proposed improvements.

The Government is providing grants to contribute to the costs of the proposals; the grants will be going to the five local authorities across the Tees Valley region which includes: Stockton, Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar & Cleveland and Middlesbrough.

The bus operators are also contributing both through investments in vehicles and training and by meeting the ongoing cost of operating the enhanced levels of service that underpin the proposals.

Conditional Approval for the scheme is expected in August 2008. A Borough-wide publicity campaign will then be carried out over the remainder of the year and works 'on the ground' will start early in 2009, with completion scheduled for mid-2011/12.

The next steps in the process are to carry out detailed design and consultation for "Year 1" schemes (i.e. those programmed for implementation during the 2008/09 financial year); and also to review and develop the proposals further as the project moves towards the delivery phase.

The Partners firmly believe that there is an overwhelming case for the development and implementation of the Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements in order to deliver a 'step change' in the quality of public transport provision and help support the economic regeneration aspirations of the City Region.