(28 Jan 2023, 9:27 pm)Storx wrote The 33 isn't gone, it's just the 36/37/38 now instead but going further in the other direction. The idea was give the Hetton area a faster service to Sunderland without going on a magical mystery tour around every single estate in Sunderland and give them a link through to Dragonville and the Arnison direct which absorbing in the 82A, 39B, 82A, 79 and 79A which are just awful services into the 33. The 35 is running direct by the A690 instead btw.I think you could divert 35/36/37 via Prospect Lidl it would add a couple mins but add numerous more connections, meanwhile the 38 can continue on straight.
I think the X6/X7/X8 is better personally but suppose the numbering wouldn't make much difference. Think the 60 would be fine with those as people in the centre of Seaham would naturally move across to them which should reduce the 60 numbers enough for it to cope. I only added the X8/62 to even it out otherwise you'd have 3 buses an hour with the X6/X7 and an awkward 20/40 timetable in Murton.
Maybe an alternative could be to have the X6 run via Northleas running non-stop from the town hall but upped to every 30 minutes as a compromise for Peterlee passengers, think I'd personally prefer a slightly slower service by a couple of minutes but twice the frequency - hourly is hopeless, might make it sustainable.
I did have the bus through to South Hetton originally but then it would make the 62/X8 a little bit pointless as it would be duplicating other services.
This would lead to better connections, I also think extending it to the royal can be quite awkward.
Something you could do is extend the bus to bolden to Sunderland to Pennywell and therefore you can have some short 39s to Sunderland. Doxford Park every 30 mins, Bolden every 30 mins.
Its quite awkward really, as you would like to have possibly X62/62/X62 And have 00/15/30 frequency. And the 62 could run via Ryhope/New Seaham/Northlea which adds links to that service. I guess you're right about the 60, I would also move the 62 to Parkside I know people don't want to do it, but it adds a couple mins and it opens new connections to Dalton Park & Peterlee that wasn't their before.