(30 May 2016, 6:25 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com Well the x7 certainly isnt a express from Peterlee to boro

(30 May 2016, 6:30 pm)Jimmi These days the 'X' prefix seems to represent a 'limited stop' service in most cases which the X7 certainly is, obviously it's not as fast as the X9/X10 from Peterlee to Middlesbrough but it certainly gets from say Wingate to Middlesbrough a lot faster than the 21A does.

(30 May 2016, 7:33 pm)MurdnunoC As Jimmi points out, there are sections of the X7 route which are direct with a limited stop (or express if you will) service between points. It was, although with the introduction of the X21 I don't know if it still is, the fastest available service between Sunderland and Peterlee; and after Wingate and Station Town, the service rejoins the A19 to offer a quicker service from that area down to Stockton and Middlesbrough.

(30 May 2016, 7:33 pm)MurdnunoC As Jimmi points out, there are sections of the X7 route which are direct with a limited stop (or express if you will) service between points. It was, although with the introduction of the X21 I don't know if it still is, the fastest available service between Sunderland and Peterlee; and after Wingate and Station Town, the service rejoins the A19 to offer a quicker service from that area down to Stockton and Middlesbrough. 

As I stated in my reply to your suggestions, services with the prefix 'X' implied that the service was an express 'once upon a time'. Back in the days of yonder, when more people used bus services than today, variations existed on services operating between Point 'A' and Point 'B'. To provide an example, there were once two regular services which operated between Newcastle and Hartlepool: the 231 - which operated via Chester-le-Street, Houghton and Peterlee; and the X5 which operated via Washington, Houghton and Peterlee. Between Houghton and Peterlee, they both followed similar routes, however one was an express service which mainly stopped at timing points (with a few added stops here and there) while the other stopped at just about every bus stop on route. The stopping service took just shy of two hours from point-to-point while the express service took just shy of 90 minutes.

I understand the meaning of the prefix 'X' has become somewhat diluted over the years and, on some services, it might be argued that the prefix is irrelevant. However, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask about the justification or rationale about why you want to renumber certain services with a prefix which may suggest that the service is quicker than the service offered presently. 

With all this in mind, I'll ask the question once again: Do you intend the X42 or X65 to be express services or not? If not, why not just renumber them 42A and 65 if you strongly believe these services require renumbering?

(30 May 2016, 8:30 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com Any number would do its joining the brand with the other service and how much the services run together

(30 May 2016, 2:27 pm)Adrian I've not made a suggestion for ages, but here's a simple one for me:

Decide which route the 82/82A/82B is going to do on a Sunday, and stick with it for the whole day. Whilst I get that they may 'improve reliability' by omitting Sainsbury's car park and the retail park at the Galleries through the day, I can't understand why they'd then go to serve it again towards 7pm? I'd perhaps understand if it were the other way around, but it makes no sense to serve a supermarket and retail park that has closed 3 hours earlier.

Before the suggestion is made that it's to do with Frankie's & Benny's or KFC. The footfall for both is pitiful to what a supermarket or the retail park would attract, and it's very rare that anyone is picked up in the car park on an evening.

(30 May 2016, 9:34 pm)Washingtonian Some good points made there mate. I think the 82/82A/82B are a total mess and complicated. I also think all the local Washington services need to be improved and replanned if need be as only parts of the routes get good loadings while the other half carries fresh air half the time. The original routes W1/W2/W3 seemed to work much better and had better loadings, even on evenings and were often very reliable.

(27 May 2016, 10:21 pm)BusLoverMum I uess your 22 is replacing the 1 which has run through Wreker-Low Fell like forever (at least since the mid 90s, when it started at Kibby)

(31 May 2016, 7:24 pm)park5354 557 moves to Peterlee for service 168, with solo from service 68 used on ASDA freebus.

(31 May 2016, 7:32 pm)BusLoverMum Doesn't Arriva have the 168 any more?

(31 May 2016, 7:32 pm)BusLoverMum Doesn't Arriva have the 168 any more?

(31 May 2016, 7:34 pm)S813 FVK Go North East will be taking over the service (see Tender Discussion Thread for more info)

(31 May 2016, 7:35 pm)Michael Latest contracts from NEXUS show that GNE will take it over from the 24th July 2016.


Service 168 (East Rainton - Hetton-le-Hole - Hetton Downs - Easington Lane)
Contract Period: 24/07/2016 to 20/05/2017
Awarded to Go North East


More on the latest tenders can be found here: http://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=848&pid=168913#pid168913

(01 Jun 2016, 10:10 am)NK53 TKT I assume 626 will run that from Deptford then...

(01 Jun 2016, 10:16 am)Michael No idea, where does the 626 run to and from?

(01 Jun 2016, 10:27 am)S813 FVK 626 as in the Nexus SR, I think

I think it will depend on the Euro requirements - if Arriva run an MPD on there at present, maybe an MPD will be good enough for Go North East.

(01 Jun 2016, 10:27 am)S813 FVK 626 as in the Nexus SR, I think

I think it will depend on the Euro requirements - if Arriva run an MPD on there at present, maybe an MPD will be good enough for Go North East.

(01 Jun 2016, 10:28 am)Dan Contractual requirements available here. Service 168 is Euro 4 with a maximum vehicle length of 8.5m.

The Nexus Solos are 8.9m, ruling out this allocation, so I think it'll be an MPD allocated.