(07 Jun 2018, 8:04 pm)S830OFT Had a shocking and very unusual experience on-board the X24 today. I boarded the 15:22 departure to Newcastle from holmeside and was surprised to see it only had a few passengers on-board, most passengers alighted at the Hospital with only me and a young woman who disembarked at The Broadway. I was even more shocked when we hit the A19 and it was only me left as a passenger on-board. I left the service at Gateshead High Street to where several boarded for the short journey across the bridge to Newcastle.
If that particular journey is not gaining passengers would it not be easier making that a X24A and aiming to pick workers up who leave work at 16:00. I also noted at Hastings Hill after this journey there is no X24s for four hours, surely Stagecoach should extend the X24A up to Hastings Hill then down the A19 to Doxford Park.
I don't understand either why the x24a can't serve both Hastings hill and Doxford Park. It currently turns off at Springwell Road and misses out a few stops on Chester Road, and normally takes about ten minutes to get from Springwell Road to Doxford. If it went to Hastings Hill and then down the A19, I don't even think it would take any longer than it currently does. So, basically they've created a big gap in service without even saving much journey time.
