NEW bus operators will be providing extra services for passengers in the Darlington area from Monday.

The services are being subsidised by Darlington Borough Council following changes to Arriva and Stagecoach timetables.

Catterick Minibuses will now operate Monday-to-Friday early morning journeys on service 21 to Firthmoor and service 23/23A to Harrowgate Hill, Whinfield and Skerne Park.

The company will also be running the Monday-to-Saturday daytime rural service 97/97A, which will operate direct to Heighington instead of via Walworth.

In the evening and on Sundays, it will provide service 23 to Skerne Park and service 30/31 to Mowden and Albert Hill.

The company will also operate rural service 74 on Sundays.

Hodgson's Coach Operators will be running an early Saturday morning service 24 to Lascelles and Firthmoor, and a Monday-to-Saturday daytime service 17 each hour to The Broadway and Memorial Hospital. Journeys to The Broadway and Memorial Hospital on the alternate half hour will be operated by Scarlet Band Motor Services as service 19, and will continue to Willow Road and Cockerton. They will then extend via Stooperdale Avenue to Walworth.

Scarlet Band will also be providing a half-hourly Monday-to-Saturday daytime service to Hundens Lane, Albert Hill and North Road on service 18.

In addition, it will operate Saturday morning service 21 buses to Firthmoor, Haughton and Whinfield, and service 26A from Red Hall and Firthmoor, plus a Monday-to-Saturday early evening service 31 to Mowden and Albert Hill.

These services will run at, or near to, their existing times, but timetables will be available from Monday on 0870 6082608.

Further improvements to these services and a number of others are planned from November 30, when new company Green Bus begins operations.