(16 Aug 2023, 7:11 pm)Drifter60 wrote I’ve always thought that was one of the stranger outcomes of streamlined services, Washington to Newcastle was a lot busier than Washington to Easington Lane. Saturday daytimes in particular you’d struggle to get standing room from when I used the route circa 2017/2018. Have loadings decreased that significantly. 

I’d say that the current timetable works on the southern side of the route, but perhaps short runs on the Newcastle to Washington side running alongside the current timetable. I sort of hope they don’t tinker with the timetable too much, to create uneven headway on journeys to South Hetton & Peterlee.

imo they should still have shorts serving Washington. Maybe something like

X1: Same as current, Every 15 Minutes
X2: Newcastle - Washington - 2A route to Penshaw and loop, Every 30 Minutes
X3: Newcastle - Washington - 50 route to Rickleton and loop, Every 30 Minutes
X1/X2/X3: Every 7.5 Minutes, Newcastle to Washington (try and grow this)

2: Same as current, Every 30 Minutes 
2A: Same route from Silksworth to Sunderland, 39a/b route to Pennywell
39A/B: Terminate in Sunderland
50: Omit Rickleton and Ayton Road and speed journeys up.

There's barely any lost links, but connects Washington to a place arguably most people actually want to go without a change. The 2A doesn't cover anything unique as it's already covered by 8 bar Chester Road but can't imagine there's 100's of people wanting that journey.