Arriva North East has put 13 Sapphire buses on routes 1, 5 and 5A between Darlington and Bishop Auckland.
The buses have a new livery, e-leather seating, USB ports, free wi-fi and audio/visual next stop announcements.
Members of Tees Valley Combined Authority, Darlington Council and Durham Council were invited to Redworth Hall where they were able to enjoy an exclusive tour of the one of the new buses.
Arriva North East Area MD Nick Knox says: “We are delighted to be bringing the new and improved Sapphire brand to Darlington and Bishop Auckland.
“These brand new buses offer customers a new and improved experience, we are confident that customers will be delighted with the new enhancements.”
Bishop Auckland is the second area in North East is to operate the brand new premium buses which represent an investment of over £2.2m
