Transport

Busses

Durham City Campus

From 29 September 2018 any Arriva bus within the Durham District Zone, shown in purple on the map below, costs £1 a day or £5 a week if you buy a ticket using your Durham student ID.

Arriva also have term (£45) and academic year (£120) tickets available online. Unlike previous years, it is NOT FREE to travel on X12, 56, 57 and 57A services. There is also no free or discounted bus service to Ushaw College. The 52 bus runs there from Durham Bus Station for £2.70 single or £4.50 return.

The 40B ‘Cathedral Service’ costs £1 per single and £1.50 for a return if you show your Campus Card. This bus goes from Durham Railway Station to the Science Site (Upper Mountjoy) and back, via the bus station and New Elvet.

Between Gilesgate and Josephine Butler College there is the ‘Durham Uni Bus-Link’, travelling via the city centre and all university departments, every 15 minutes Monday-Saturday. With a £5 top-up card travel costs £1 per day, £23 per month, or £230 per year. Be aware that the £23 per month deal is a one-year contract you are committed to. Residents of Ernest Place and Bill Free Homes have a discount on this service.

If you need to travel further afield than your £1 Arriva day ticket will take you, or you need more flexibility, Go North East also have discounted tickets for those 25 and under. They’re much pricier, at £4.50 a day or £17 a week, but with unlimited travel on any Go North East service, they can be a good investment if you need to go outside Arriva’s Durham District Zone. Don't forget to take your ID to prove you're 25 or younger - they accept UK ID cards, Young Persons 16-25 Railcards, Transport ID cards (including Stagecoach VIP, Network One Young Persons ID cards and Arriva Teen) or photographic driving licences or passports.

Stockton (Queen's Campus)

There is no longer a free bus service between Durham City and Stockton from 29 September 2018.

The X12 bus runs between Durham and Stockton but as the journey is not wholly within the ‘Durham District Zone’, be aware that a return ticket can cost up to £7.20.

Newcastle City Centre and Gateshead MetroCentre

The X12 bus to Newcastle City Centre is included in Arriva’s ‘Durham District Zone’, costing £1 per day or £5 per week for unlimited use – far cheaper than a train or coach.

Arriva also operate a ‘Durham University City + Newcastle Ticket’ that includes unlimited use of the X12 bus to Newcastle City Centre and X24 bus to the MetroCentre, as well as unlimited travel around the ‘Durham District Zone’, for £60 per term or £150 per academic year online.

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Trains

The University is serviced by Durham City Train Station, about an 8 minute walk from the City Centre and 22 minutes from the Science Site (Upper Mountjoy). Stockton (Queen’s) Campus is serviced by nearby Thornaby Train Station.

Durham County Council Concessionary Fares Scheme offers a 50% reduction on certain types of tickets for holders of Concessionary Travel Permits. It’s available for those traveling between to/from Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough, Seaham, Newcastle, and/or Chester le Street subject to some restrictions (eg may exclude the Durham Coast line). This is only available on Northern trains, not LNER, and you need to contact your local council office to access the concession.

Saving money on rail fares

Railcards can offer HUGE discounts (www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/46540.aspx):

• 16-25 Railcard – 1/3 off most rail fares, for £30 a year or £70 for 3 years. If you are not aged 16-25 you are still eligible if you are a mature student! The railcard also comes with a lot of partner offers giving you discounts for other services and products. However, this requires official ID to apply for – driving license or passport.

• Two Together Railcard – if you are travelling frequently together with another adult you may be entitled to a Two Together Railcard that gives you both 1/3 off rail fares when travelling together. The card costs £30 for the year.

• Family & Friends Railcard – 1/3 off most adult fares and 60% off kids fares that can be used by up to 4 adults and 4 kids, for applicable fares. Also comes with partner offers. Costs £30 for a year or £70 for 3 years.

• Network Railcard – If you are fare-splitting your travel to Durham, and your journeys include one in London/Southeast this may be useful. Saves 1/3 off most rail fares in this region and costs £30 for the year.

• Disabled Persons Railcard - £20 for one year or £54 for three years, gives you and one adult travelling with you 1/3 off most fares.

If you are travelling as a group of 3-9 adults you may be able to get a third reduction on off-peak fares under a GroupSave scheme, although LNER does not operate one.

It can be cheaper to buy several tickets connecting segments of your journey rather than buying one ticket for your entire journey. Trainsplit.com, Ticketclever.com and other websites can help with this.

The cheapest tickets tend to be released around 12 weeks before departure. Trainline can alert you via email for when Advance tickets go on sale for a particular route.

Other students often sell second-hand tickets they won’t use on student pages such as Overheard At Durham Uni on Facebook, sometimes at a discount.

You can buy Advance tickets even if your journey is soon – some services even up to 15 minutes before departure.

Avoid peak times such as Monday-Friday rush hours.

Buy off-peak and super off-peak tickets. They may be pricier than Advance rail fares but don’t restrict you to a specific train – useful if you need to work extra shifts, complete some unexpected work, or leave for University earlier than anticipated.

A slower route may be annoying but can work out much cheaper.

Book through train operator’s websites. Trainline and other comparison sites will charge you a booking fee – use them if necessary to find the service you want, then book directly on LNER (for example)’s website.

Some airports offer airport-train express services that could work out cheaper than flying into the UK then booking a train separately.

You need to put in a claim if your train is delayed as you are likely entitled to money back. It’s not automatic. You are usually entitled to a 50% refund if your train is 30 minutes late, and 100% if it is an hour late – this is standard across the industry, although some service providers may not abide by this rule, particularly if the delay is “out of their control” e.g. caused by the weather.

Park and Ride

Durham City is served by three Park and Ride sites (Belmont, Sniperley, Howlands). A bus from each location to City Centre runs every 10 minutes. 7am-7pm except Sundays/Bank Holidays.

Parking is free if you use park and ride, and a day ticket to and from the parking site is £2. The Cathedral Service (40B bus) from the train station to the science site is FREE for park and ride users.

A Park and Ride smartcard provides 20 days of travel for £34 (£1.70 per day)

Eri Hutchinson (2018), ed. Frank Simpson (2019)