Travel News & Updates
Cancellation of Treasure Walk, 15 May 2013
Please note that today's Walk to Work activity, the Treasure Walk around Durham, has been cancelled due to the bad weather.
Urgent notice of Bus Stand changes in Stockton during May 2013 (evenings only)
We have been advised that due to continuing infrastructure roadworks in Stockton High Street, there will be a closure of certain bus stops affecting evening services of the X1 on the following dates;
Friday 3 May 2013
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Wednesday 8 May 2013
Thursday 9 May 2013
Friday 10 May 2013
Please note that on the above dates, the bus stands at the south of Stockton High Street and the stops at Rialto Court will not be served after 20:00.
On the above dates, journeys from Middlesbrough heading towards Durham after 20:00 will operate normal route to Harvard Avenue observing the normal stop towards Durham outside the campus, then continue via University Blvd and Council of Europe Blvd to Stockton and observe Stand 18 as normal at the north end of Stockton High Street before continuing to Durham as usual.
Journeys from Durham after 19:00 will arrive into Stockton, turn at the north end of the High Street outside the Arriva office and observe Stand 17 (the old bus stand pre route changes last October), before heading to Middlesbrough via Church Road, Council of Europe Blvd, University Blvd and Harvard Avenue.
Click on this link to view a map of the bus stands on Stockton High Street. Updates regarding any other changes and delays etc, can also be found on the Arriva facebook pages at http://www.facebook.com/arrivanortheast
Updates for the Inter-campus Bus Service and Other Public Transport
Just a reminder to staff and students that from 22 April 2013, the X1 Intercampus Bus now stops at Victoria Bridge (Bridge Road) adjacent to Rialto Court student accommodation at Stockton.
Please note also that the X1 Intercampus bus now serves ALL bus stops between Durham Bus Station and Belgrave Avenue, Coxhoe.
To view the X1 timetable, click on this link.
New! Go North East have just announced their X7 service travelling from Sunderland to Middlesbrough including stops in Seaham, Peterlee, Stockton High Street and Queen's Campus.
For timetable information, please click on this link.
GoNorthEast also have a facebook page and regular updates can be accessed at http://www.facebook.com/simplyGNE?v=wall
Passenger news updates can also be accessed at http://www.simplygo.com/news/
For anyone using the trains, live departure and arrival updates can be found at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ldb/?fs_departures.asp
Travel alerts can also be found at http://www.travelinenortheast.info/jplanner/usp.nsf/pws/Traveline+North+East+and+Cumbria+-+Travel+Alerts
Changes to bus services in County Durham can be found at the Durham County Council webpages.
ARRIVA UPDATE:
NEW!! Following a number of comments from staff and students relating to overcrowding on the 16:31 X1 Inter-campus bus heading from Durham to Queen's Campus, Stockton, we are pleased to announce that we have negotiated with Arriva to provide an additional bus on this particular journey. The additional bus will commence from the Three Tuns Hotel, New Elvet at 16:27, and follow its normal route to Harvard Avenue at Stockton, picking up at the Science Site at 16:31. This bus will terminate at Harvard Avenue.
This new service will run Monday to Friday, in term-time only, commencing Monday 16 January 2012.
Regular updates for Arriva bus services can be accessed on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/arrivanortheast and on twitter at http://twitter.com/arrivanortheast.
To assist with bus travel between Durham Bus Station to Coxhoe at peak times in the morning, Arriva is allowing staff and students to travel free on their 56 & 57 services before 10am during term time. Please note that free travel is only available from bus stops also serving the Inter-Campus bus. Please also note however, that from 2 January 2012, the 55 service has been withdrawn.
Information is also available at http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/ and there is a service update link at the bottom of the notice.
The customer services number for Arriva is 0844 800 44 11 which is available between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday.
Durham Park and Ride Service
Please note that all Durham Park and Ride services fares increased on 2nd April 2012. This daily price rose from £1.70 to £2. You can purchase a smartcard which will give you 20 tickets at a cost of £34 which works out at £1.70 per day.
Students using the bus service from Howlands will be able to purchase a ticket for £1.
Major Road Improvements to Begin in Stockton
Work begins on Monday July 23 on a £9 million scheme to improve access to Stockton town centre, as contractors start advance works to remove the roundabout at the junction of Stockton's Riverside and Bridge Road (near the Halfords store). However, the main works and associated traffic management will not begin until Monday 6 August, to allow the Stockton International Riverside Festival to take place.
Two new linked signal-controlled junctions will take the place of the roundabout to improve traffic flow through the junction, whilst realignment of Riverside will straighten out its connection with 1825 Way, which links central Stockton with the A66 trunk route and Ingleby Barwick.The improved junction will be known as St John’s Crossing, after the point nearby where the Stockton & Darlington Railway once crossed Bridge Road and where the first rail was laid in 1822.
Stockton Council has appointed Birse Civils Ltd to carry out the works, which are part of the wider Tees Valley Bus Network Improvement Scheme to improve journey times for buses on key routes across the area. The new junctions, along with dedicated lanes, will create a priority bus route between Bridge Road and Stockton High Street. A number of cycle lanes will also be created and new energy-efficient street lighting installed.Construction should be complete late in 2013. The proposed layout for the improved junction can be viewed here.
Councillor Mike Smith, Stockton Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, said: "These improvements will form another stage in the £20 million regeneration of Stockton town centre by making it easier for buses, their passengers and other motorists to reach its shops and other attractions."Birse Civils engineers will carry out most of the work during the daytime and they will make every effort to keep any disruption to a minimum. As with any major scheme, there may be delays at certain times but we will limit the majority of traffic management to the hours of 9:30am–3:30pm. There will be occasional need for some night-time work and this will be advertised in advance."
The junctions will feature a sculpture of 'Locomotion No1' hauling the first train on the Stockton and Darlington Railway – an impression of how this artwork could look can be seen here. The historic 1870-built Head Wrightson & Co locomotive currently sited on the roundabout will move to Preston Hall Museum for refurbishment, while the Council investigates a new, permanent home for it.
National Bike Week
As part of national bike week - 18th to 26th June 2011, Durham University held various activities at both Durham and Queen's Campus. Events during the week included a cake sale, free entry to the Botanic Garden, organised cycle rides and bike maintenance sessions. Further information about National Bike Week 2012, can be found at the cycling web site.
Smartmoves Newsletter
Smartmoves Newsletter has taken over from Travel Plan News. To view all the issues currently printed to date, these are available by following the link on the right hand side.