(24 Jul 2022, 10:29 pm)F114TML wrote Tbh, recently I (or rather my grandparents who live next to the line) have noticed Durham Coast services being a lot busier than previously, so it's probably the former.

Aye I heard it's picked up along there, wonder if Horden might have helped it out and people have moved across. Then again the loss of the X84/X85 pretty much sums up where from the West have come from and the frequency reductions on the 25 (Waldridge), X21 and 21 have probably said where people from the South have gone.

(24 Jul 2022, 10:31 pm)Unber43 wrote Wasn't it meant to go to every 30 mins. 

Why are people chosing the train over the bus? The train is like 2/3/4x more expensive? Is it the quickness? How many passengers are getting on from where?

As far as I'm aware no, the other service was going to be Newcastle - Chester Le Street - Durham - Stockton - Thornaby - Middlesbrough via the Stillington Line and offer a much quicker service.

Reliability though if a train says it'll take 30 minutes, it'll take 30 minutes. A bus might say it takes 40 minutes but that depends on traffic, people running to the bus, buses stacking and so on and it might take 60 minutes and that's no use if your 5 minutes late for work and if a train happens to be late it's much easier to prove whereas using the bus was late is a dog ate my homework excuse.