RE: Stagecoach North East: Service Suggestions
(11 Jan 2015, 10:10 am)Andreos1 wrote However, what SNE would be doing would be totally different to GNE.
By running alongside (or guaranteeing connection) two successful services, the market is already there, ditto passengers too. Over the years, the number of SNE services linking South Tyneside and Sunderland have increased from the E1, to what we have now.
This is in contrast to GNE's attempts in the past or more recently, which has usually involved an extension of a 'via Houghton' service into a new market OR a new service, like the X3, into a new market.
The problem (as far as I am concerned), is the speed and frequency of the metro, with passengers paying the associated premium to travel via bus initially, rather than choose the slower, less frequent bus and using the bus operators ticket.
The key element are the villages not connected to the Metro, such as Boldon, with both the village/population growing and the willingness of operators in exploiting that - in all directions.
Between Sunderland and Boldon, not connected you have Southwick, Castletown, Downhill, Red House, Town End Farm, but I reckon the 56 will only be an hour from the Hylton Castle end of Washington Road(whatever it is called)...The X36 already goes round the places I named and does not perform in a spectacular fashion.
It would be good if someone could find a solution to it and if SNE ever decided to give it a shot, then fair play to them, we dont know what would happen till it is tried.
In my opinion The Metro will always dominate buses because of speed