Scarlet Band

[RELL6L]

It is reported on another forum that Scarlet Band is to close at the end of October having lost a number of Durham tenders. I can't find out much but there is a report in the Darlington press along the same lines, although just referring to the Darlington local service 16.

Anyone know what is happening here? Durham county website doesn't say anything and the timetables section has gone from excellent to rubbish almost overnight!

Pledge to ‘explore all options’ as bus operator is to close

Councillors have pledged to ‘explore all the options’ following news that a bus service in Darlington’s West End will cease to run after the owner of operator Scarlet Band decided to close the business.

www.darlington.gov.uk

Councillors have pledged to ‘explore all the options’ following news that a bus service in Darlington’s West End will cease to run after the owner of operator Scarlet Band decided to close the business.

Scarlet Band has operated the hourly ‘Pink Bus’, service 16, from Hummersknott and Mowden to North Road/Glebe Road via the hospital and the town centre for almost a decade, as a supported service which is funded by a Government grant.

Scarlet Band will cease to operate on Saturday, October 29. The company will continue to run the number 16 service until that date. Following the shock announcement, council officers are already working to look at all the options for the affected area.

Members of Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet had agreed only in September to continue the grant funding, provided by the Government’s devolved Bus Service Operators Grant and Bus Recovery Grant, which would have supported the number 16 service for a further two years.

The owner of Scarlet Band has said the decision to close was not made lightly but that they were struggling to maintain their fleet due to supply chain issues and the departure of a number of driving and engineering staff – a situation felt by many bus operators across the UK following the impact of covid lockdowns.

Councillor Andy Keir, cabinet member for local services, said: “The closure of Scarlet Band is a terrible shame as they have been a key supporter of services and a highly regarded operator in Darlington for almost a decade.

“We are now exploring all options available to us and we will keep service users updated as much as possible in the coming weeks.

“Bus services have been badly impacted across the board by the restrictions placed on them during covid, as well as the change in working patterns and the loss of drivers from the industry. We will continue to support and challenge bus operators in Darlington to ensure they are providing the best service possible to the passengers who rely on them.”

 

[David 90825]

It is reported on another forum that Scarlet Band is to close at the end of October having lost a number of Durham tenders. I can't find out much but there is a report in the Darlington press along the same lines, although just referring to the Darlington local service 16.

Anyone know what is happening here? Durham county website doesn't say anything and the timetables section has gone from excellent to rubbish almost overnight!

Pledge to ‘explore all options’ as bus operator is to close

Councillors have pledged to ‘explore all the options’ following news that a bus service in Darlington’s West End will cease to run after the owner of operator Scarlet Band decided to close the business.

www.darlington.gov.uk

Scarlet Band's employees were informed on 10th October 2022 that the company would cease trading after operating on Saturday 29 October 2022 when the existing Durham County Council contracts expire. Numerous reasons were given including difficulties retaining staff, difficulties obtaining spare parts and vandalism. Scarlet Band also lost various Durham County Council contracts including the Durham Park & Ride and the Barnard Castle area services 84, 85, 95, 96. They were awarded new contracts which amounted to a small reduction in the Peak Vehicle Requirement, but they decided to turn them down. The item does say that their owner took the decision to close after many weeks of serious thought and careful consideration about what was best for the company and its employees. The photograph, hopefully I have managed to put it on here, was forwarded to me just after the announcement had been made; it is not a particularly good copy but hopefully the main points can be ascertained. I have asked my contact if he could provide a copy of the full letter but that has not been forthcoming. If anyone has a better copy, including full details of the letter, then it would be appreciated if you could post it on here.
In late September Darlington Council announced that funding was being provided for Scarlet Band's Darlington town service 16 to continue until September 2024. Weardale Motor Services has announced that they will take over the Bishop Auckland-Willington Wear Valley View/Oakenshaw services 108, 109 which I understand were commercial services. Also, I understand 112 West Cornforth-Spennymoor was the only other commercial service operated by Scarlet Band; there is no reference to it in the contract results.

 

[RELL6L]

Good information but a shame. Do we know who has won the contracts they lost and whether timetables are changing?

 

[darloscott]

Good information but a shame. Do we know who has won the contracts they lost and whether timetables are changing?

Weardale are taking:
9 Bishop to Woodhouse Close
84/85 Barnard Castle to Darlington/Bishop Auckland
95/96 Barnard Castle to Middleton
99 Shildon to Spennymoor
108 Bishop to Willington
109 Crook to Willington (merging part of the 84 and 109 together)
111 Willington to Spennymoor

From my friend who’s in charge of the service network there. Quite an expansion on what they run now!
Happily they have also already taken a number of ex Scarlet Band staff. I believe Hodgsons have also taken on a few of the contracts but unsure on the detail.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A bit of a shock there but highlights the fact that the problems affecting the bus industry aren't confined to the big operators. Scarlet Band had grown substantially, filling the void by the retreat of Arriva over the last 15-20 years.

Whilst the ownership had changed to Graham Torrance from the Blenkinsopp family, it really was the last of the old central Durham independents that dated from the 1920s. Sad to see them go. Part of the 112 covers the original SB service from Bowburn to Ferryhill, IIRC.

 

[northern506]

Weardale are taking:
9 Bishop to Woodhouse Close
84/85 Barnard Castle to Darlington/Bishop Auckland
95/96 Barnard Castle to Middleton
99 Shildon to Spennymoor
108 Bishop to Willington
109 Crook to Willington (merging part of the 84 and 109 together)
111 Willington to Spennymoor

From my friend who’s in charge of the service network there. Quite an expansion on what they run now!
Happily they have also already taken a number of ex Scarlet Band staff. I believe Hodgsons have also taken on a few of the contracts but unsure on the detail.

Good to see Weardale picking up a number of contracts, they are a great operator.

Gateshead Central Taxis will be operating the Durham P&R, taking over from Scarlet Band.

 

[RELL6L]

Still not much information about what is happening to some of these routes. Gateshead Central Taxis are picking some up and they show on BusTimes.
Nothing on Durham County Council's website that i can find.

However looking at Weardale's vehicles this morning I note that Solo YJ13HHP appears to be working on the Scarlet Band 95/96 starting with the 07.09 from Middleton in Teesdale, with a 'dead' run out from Crook first. Presumably they are helping out in Scarlet Band's last week and will take over formally next week. Yesterday B6WMS worked on the 95/96, the 85 and the 108, all Scarlet Band routes.

 

[Darandio]

Having grown up in Ferryhill but left there nearly 20 years ago this seems like the end of an era, at least in terms of the 112. Originally it was the town service operated for donkeys years by Martindales, every 00 and 30 around the town and every 15 and 45 to Chilton and Windlestone and back.

If nobody takes over the 112 does that mean there is no service at all that calls around the Duncombe Terrace area?

 

[northern506]

Still not much information about what is happening to some of these routes. Gateshead Central Taxis are picking some up and they show on BusTimes.
Nothing on Durham County Council's website that i can find.

However looking at Weardale's vehicles this morning I note that Solo YJ13HHP appears to be working on the Scarlet Band 95/96 starting with the 07.09 from Middleton in Teesdale, with a 'dead' run out from Crook first. Presumably they are helping out in Scarlet Band's last week and will take over formally next week. Yesterday B6WMS worked on the 95/96, the 85 and the 108, all Scarlet Band routes.

Hodgsons have the ones that Weardale won’t be operating.

 

[Kuyoyo]

In full summary, the Durham County Council tenders from Sunday appear to be as followed:

9 Bishop Auckland to Woodhouse Close - Weardale (retained)
35A Bishop Auckland to Ferryhill and Spennymoor via Chilton- Hodgsons
40/40A/41 Durham Cathedral links (41 peak time only to Durham University Science Park) - Gateshead Central Taxis (presently Go North East)
42 Durham Railway Station to Mount Oswald - Gateshead Central Taxis (presently Go North East)
47 New Brancepeth to Ushaw Moor via Langley Moor and Brandon - Gateshead Central Taxis
52 Durham to East Hedleyhope via Langley Park/53 East Hedleyhope to Langley Park - Gateshead Central Taxis
59 Arnison Centre to Thornley and Wheatley Hill Sunday daytimes only - Arriva (running as 58 between Durham and Station Town) (presently Go North East)
61 Whitesmocks Circular/62 Durham to Brasside Adventure Valley - Gateshead Central Taxis (presently Arriva)
70/71/72 Barnard Castle Town service - Hodgsons
74/83 - Hodgsons
81/89 - Hodgsons (presently Weardale)
84 Darlington to Barnard Castle via Ingleton and Staidrop/84A Darlington to Bishop Auckland via Ingleton and Evenwood/85 Barnard Castle to Bishop Auckland 95/96 Banard Castle to Middleton-In-Teesdale- Weardale (with revised timetable)
99 Shildon to Spennymoor - Weardale
104 Newfield to Ramshaw via Bishop Auckland - Hodgsons (presently Gateshead Central Taxis)
108/109 Bishop Auckland to Willington Wear Valley Estate (108) or Oakenshaw (109) - Weardale although as mentioned previously they are some changes to this
111 Spennymoor to Willington/115 Spennymoor Greenways Estate Circular - Weardale
113 Sedgefield to Ferryhill - Hodgsons
239 Peterlee to Sedgefield via Shotton, Wingate and The Trimdons - Arriva (running as X21 - reinstating the direct evening link after it was split due to anti-social behaviour in the Trimdons last year) (Presently Go North East between Peterlee and Station Town, and Elliots Taxis of Trimdon between Wingate and Sedgefield)
PR1/PR2 Durham Park and Ride - Gateshead Central Taxis

The 112 (Spennymoor to West Cornforth Stobbs Cross) is Scarlet Band's only commercial route and, given it didn't appear to be operating last week while I was in Spennymoor, it may have already been withdrawn but it has not been taken on by any other company nor has the Council raised a tender to replace it.
Likewise, as it stands, the Darlington service 16 (Mowden or West Park to Harrowgate Hill via the Town Centre) is presently due to cease operation on Saturday as no operator has been confirmed to be taking over the contract.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Having grown up in Ferryhill but left there nearly 20 years ago this seems like the end of an era, at least in terms of the 112. Originally it was the town service operated for donkeys years by Martindales, every 00 and 30 around the town and every 15 and 45 to Chilton and Windlestone and back.

If nobody takes over the 112 does that mean there is no service at all that calls around the Duncombe Terrace area?

Very much my feelings in that it is the end of an era. SB was the last of the line of the South Durham independents after The Eden, TMS, Martindales and OK all packed in (and I can just about remember Lockeys in West Auckland). Of course, Weardale is a long established business.

Quite astonished about how much work Hodgsons are taking on. Some irony that 84/85 and 95/96 are going to Weardale rather than Hodgsons, and Hodgsons get Bishop locals. Ahhh well....

One from my flickr friend John Carter - exactly as I remember Martindales

 

[AlexG99]

It was announced yesterday that Hodgsons are to take on Scarlet Bands service 16 in Darlington - service which has currently not run for 2 weeks now.

Where was it announced? - Mod

It was announced yesterday that Hodgsons are to take on Scarlet Bands service 16 in Darlington - service which has currently not run for 2 weeks now.

Where was it announced? - Mod

 

[David 90825]

It was announced yesterday that Hodgsons are to take on Scarlet Bands service 16 in Darlington - service which has currently not run for 2 weeks now.

Where was it announced? - Mod

This is Darlington Council's press release concerning Hodgson's taking over service 16.

Replacement found for key town bus service​

27 October 2022
A replacement operator has been found to allow a key bus service in the town's West End to continue running.
The hourly Service 16 from Hummersknott and Mowden to North Road/Glebe Road via the hospital and the town centre, has been running for almost a decade as a supported service which is funded by a Government grant.
However, earlier this month the owner of Scarlet Band announced that the business was to close on Saturday, October 29.
Following the shock announcement, council officers began work to look at options for the affected area and we can now reveal that Hodgsons Coaches, of Barnard Castle will take over the contract from Monday (31 October).
Councillor Andy Keir, deputy leader and cabinet member for local services, said: “We’re delighted to be able to confirm that Hodgsons will be taking over as contractor from Monday, which will enable this key service in the town to continue.
“The closure of Scarlet Band is a terrible shame as they have been a key supporter of services and a highly regarded operator in Darlington for almost a decade, but it’s good news that we have been able to find an alternative operator for this service.”
He added: “Bus services have been badly impacted across the board by the restrictions placed on them during covid, as well as the change in working patterns and the loss of drivers from the industry. We will continue to support and challenge bus operators in Darlington to ensure they are providing the best service possible to the passengers who rely on them and would also urge people to support their local bus services.”
Mark Hodgson, director at Hodgsons Coaches, said: “We are pleased to be working with Darlington Borough Council to ensure the continuation of this service, continuing our mantra of ‘Connecting local communities’. This service is a vital link for work, education, shopping and leisure travel, and we look forward to being at the service of the many loyal passengers.“
Members of the council's cabinet had agreed in September to continue the grant funding, provided by the Government’s devolved Bus Service Operators Grant and Bus Recovery Grant, which will support the number 16 service until February 2024.
The owner of Scarlet Band said the decision to close was not made lightly but that they were struggling to maintain their fleet due to supply chain issues and the departure of a number of driving and engineering staff – a situation felt by many bus operators across the UK following the impact of covid lockdowns.

Photo caption L-R: Graeme Bainbridge-Hutchinson, depot manager and driver with Hodgsons Coaches and Cllr Andy Keir.

Replacement found for key town bus service

A replacement operator has been found to allow a key bus service in the town’s West End to continue running.

www.darlington.gov.uk