We have now received an initial progress report from the transport team setting out the first stages of proposed improvements. This is reproduced in full below:
With reference to our meeting on 19 September, following discussion with Simon Day and myself Go North East have agreed to make some adjustments to the service 206 timetable.
From the 27 January (8 weeks notice is required) there will
be an additional journey commencing Peterlee 0915 which will give a 1015
arrival back into Peterlee filling an otherwise quite large gap that was
referred to in the meeting, and the afternoon journey commencing 1515 from
Peterlee will operate the complete round trip to Peterlee instead of
terminating Hutton Henry as now.
The rest of the timetable will be adjusted by a few minutes
to enable the timetable to work and this will include reassigning the running
time to take the perceived stress out the timetable in the Hesleden/Castle
Eden area. Connections with service 201 to the Industrial Estates will also be
improved.
These changes come at a modest cost of £16 per day, but, by
reassigning a similar payment for journeys recently cancelled in Durham, the
overall payment to Go North East does not increase.
We do not yet have the definitive timetable but as soon as
we have something we will share it with you.
Meanwhile, I hope you agree that these modest changes do
address a number of the concerns raised at the meeting.
How to serve the lower part of Castle Eden has been
considered but a viable solution that uses the 206 does not exist. We will
continue to look for other opportunities to address that specific concern.
We will continue to monitor progress and keep residents up to date but in the meantime please let us know if you have any comments to make with regard to this matter.