Tees Valley bus rollout links Port Clarence and rural villages to hospitals and towns

Tees Valley Combined Authority began rolling out new and improved bus services across Tees Valley, England, on 28 September 2026, adding direct links from Port Clarence to Billingham and the University Hospital of North Tees and from Long Newton and Elton towards Stockton and Darlington. The changes give residents new routes to hospitals, education, jobs and shops, although the full operating timetable for Port Clarence’s new Service 31 has not been verified.

The authority says the changes follow a review of its supported bus network. It has committed more than £8.6 million to secure services until at least March 2028, using increased government funding for buses. That commitment describes support for the network; it does not establish that every departure time will stay the same throughout the period.

Service 31 connects Port Clarence with Billingham and North Tees hospital

The new Stagecoach Service 31 links Port Clarence with Billingham and the University Hospital of North Tees, according to the Combined Authority’s rollout notice. For residents of Port Clarence, the Billingham connection addresses a long-standing gap described by BBC News: people had campaigned for a direct route rather than making longer, more complicated journeys by other means.

Before the launch, the BBC described Service 31 as an hourly service, but its report did not provide a complete timetable. The available records therefore establish its destinations and reported frequency, but not exact departure times, operating days or journey times. Passengers planning a specific trip will need the operator’s current timetable for those details.

Stockton councillor Katie Zagoria called the planned hourly service ‘genuinely life-changing for many people’ in the BBC report. That describes her expectation of the route’s value to residents; the available reporting does not provide post-launch passenger figures or measured changes in travel times.

X60 runs between Teesside Park and Darlington on weekdays and Saturdays

The new Stagecoach X60 connects Long Newton and Elton with Stockton, Teesside Park and Darlington, the Combined Authority says. Teesside Park’s travel information also identifies Darlington town centre and railway station, Teesside International Airport and Thornaby station among the places served along the route. These are practical connections for people travelling to shops, onward rail services and other destinations along the corridor.

Teesside Park says the X60 runs hourly from Monday to Saturday, excluding bank holidays, and is operated by Stagecoach on behalf of the Combined Authority in partnership with the shopping park. It describes the Darlington-to-Teesside Park journey as taking under an hour. The service information does not establish that every individual journey serves every stop, so passengers should check the timetable for the trip they intend to take.

Other hospital and college links in the rollout

The changes extend beyond the two new Stagecoach routes. The Combined Authority says Services 39 and 39A improve connections to James Cook University Hospital from Park End and North Ormesby. It also says Arriva Service 19 is being extended between Newton Aycliffe and Darlington via School Aycliffe, West Park and Faverdale to improve access to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College.

The hospital links matter to patients, visitors and staff who rely on public transport. Matt Neligan, deputy chief executive and chief strategy officer at University Hospitals Tees, welcomed the investment in the authority’s announcement, saying bus services provide transport for thousands of people accessing its hospitals. He said the investment should make access to North Tees and James Cook easier; that remains an expected benefit rather than a measured result of the new routes.

How long the supported bus services are funded

The Combined Authority says its commitment of more than £8.6 million secures supported services until at least March 2028. Its announcement lists other connections retained to that date across Darlington, Stockton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and East Cleveland. It separately identifies some service extensions secured until at least March 2027, including the Middlesbrough-to-Teesport Service 101 and Sunday or evening extensions elsewhere.

The authority says almost £26 million in government bus funding is available across Tees Valley until April 2029. That wider funding figure covers more than the specific supported-service commitment and should not be read as the cost of Service 31 or the X60 alone. The authority also says its £1 fare cap for passengers aged 21 and under and its £3 day-ticket offer continue.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said the changes are intended to improve access to work, college, hospitals and shops. For riders, the immediate distinction is between the published route connections and the details needed to make a particular trip: the X60’s broad operating pattern is available from Teesside Park, while Service 31’s exact departures and operating days remain to be checked against an operator timetable.