25 Oct 2017, 9:44 pm
#410
My own suggestion for the X55 is as below:
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While it does involve using two buses, the core service pattern of 3 long journeys is roughly the same, so operational costs should be about the same.
I would propose disposing of 54045 and using the capital realised to refurbish 2 of Stockton's E300s with leather coach seats & wi-fi. Branded along an aspirational leisure shopping theme, think stress-free no parking, Prosecco lunches etc. They would pick up standard 36/37/38 duties during the week and as such advertise the service to general passengers.
I'd think the target market for the X55 would be people like my mum & dad. Own a car, but dislike driving to Newcastle or the Metro due to the traffic. Equally, however simple it is, having to change buses at Peterlee or Gateshead to reach either destination fills them with dread. The same theory applies for Teesside Park, even with a frequent Saturday service from Stockton, they'd just see changing as too much fuss. Consequently, they opt to suffer a Pacer to visit the big city or drive to Teesside Park.
My suggestion would also open Teesside Park to visitors from Newcastle or those who can connect at Dalton Park form County Durham. I can't for the life of me understand why, but those who shop for leisure tend to be happy to travel to different shopping centres, despite the same brands being available in their local commercial district.
Extending the service to all the major shopping hubs in the region, paired with a strong 'Shopper Express' brand and slightly tweaked times to be more user friendly could do the X55 a lot of favours.
