(17 Aug 2023, 10:13 am)Adrian wrote I don't quite understand this statement. I'd say that most travel in Washington is from residents travelling to nearby Cities, mainly Newcastle, for commuting and leisure. The queues for the X1 at most times of day would back this up. The footfall at the Galleries will be predominantly from locals, and I'd guess from no further out than Penshaw or Springwell Village.

Chester Road has the hospital, and for a long time now, has been the main bus route in and out of Sunderland from Washington. Even when there were several services, the vast majority used Chester Road.

2A covers Biddick (Titchfield Road), which has had a Sunderland bus for as long as I can remember.

Think you misread that,

I meant in the sense that it's arguably better to have the Newcastle expresses actually serving people at their doors rather than having to change at the Galleries which will be unpopular for most. Fair point on the 2A, maybe they could send the 8 through there to keep the Sunderland links? and have the X2 doing the other route instead.

I know most people use the Chester Road corridor but with decent advertising and a number close to it, maybe renumber the 2 as the 7. There's no real reason why people can't be using the 8 instead as it's clearly not the busiest route around.

Other than the Biddick to Royal Hospital direct links, as far as I can see there's no lost links in Washington at all other than speeding the 50 up but I'd imagine Ayton would prefer the X3 anyway. Biddick would gain links through to Chester Le Street though.

I always think the expresses work well in Cramlington and they're arguably more popular aswell since there's more of them.