(29 Dec 2019, 1:20 am)streetdeckfan wrote I've said many times in the past that I like taking the scenic route, most of the time it's to avoid other people, like taking the 1A from Gateshead to Metrocentre instead of the X66

The thing is it though for me it actually takes the same amount of time to go via Stanley than it does to go to Gateshead/Newcastle and take the X21, including the time waiting for changes. If we take out the time waiting for changes, it's actually 10 minutes faster going via Stanley.

I'm right to complain about some express services not being expresses, because they're bloody well not!

If we look at the X30, the it takes about 10 minutes longer than if you took the car. I'd say that's pretty express for a bus service.

Now look at the X21, if you wanted to drive from Eldon Square to Tindale Tesco, it would take 50 minutes (according to Google Maps anyway following basically the same route, it can be done quicker if you 'know the roads'), the X21 takes pretty much spot on 2 hours. That's more than double the time it takes in the car. The issue is that half of the route isn't actually express!

This also goes back to my other point about express services, you shouldn't be allowed to call it an express service unless there's a slower service available. And with the X21 there isn't! You could argue that it's an express 21, but then what about the Durham to Bishop part of the route. For the most part it follows the 6 (except the 6 goes via the university, and with traffic is actually faster), stopping at every stop. 

I have no issue with the route of the X21, only with the branding of it as express. I've said in the past that it should be renamed, and then if they want they can introduce an actual express service to run along side it.