A NEW bus service between Teesdale and Darlington begins on Saturday.

Service 70, operated by Go North East under contract to Durham County Council, will link Barnard Castle with Darlington Memorial Hospital and the town centre.

The service will run five times a day, from Monday to Saturday, at two-hourly intervals.

As well as taking people directly to the hospital main entrance, the service will provide a link between Darlington and the Bowes Museum, calling at Whorlton, Little Newsham, South Cleatlam, Staindrop, Ingleton and Summerhouse, some of which do not have regular services.

Councillor Bob Pendlebury, Durham County Council's cabinet member for transport, said: "There is a high demand for a link to the hospital that is putting pressure on voluntary car driver schemes in the area, restricting their ability to meet more local needs. This new service will mean that the volunteers can take people straight to Barnard Castle, where they can transfer to the bus to go straight to Darlington.

"The bus will be a low-floor, fully accessible vehicle and we hope, in the not-too-distant future, to provide a new vehicle for the route."

The first bus leaves Galgate in Barnard Castle at 8.45am for the 19-mile journey to Darlington, then at two hourly intervals until 5.15pm. The last bus terminates at Ingleton. The first bus from Ingleton to Barnard Castle leaves at 7.55am.

Copies of the timetable are available from the county council's public transport group, on 0191-383 3337, or Barnard Castle tourist information centre. For further details call Traveline North East on 0870 608 2608, between 7am and 8pm.