(08 Nov 2023, 10:22 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Whereas the Metro has been reliable, with absolutely no issues ?. It always turns up, well apart from when it's raining, windy, foggy or there's low rail adhesion. We haven't seen any line closures and replacement buses for ages. The antique fleet is perfect, faultlessly running a issue-free Metro service every day...
Of course just ignore the expensive Metro fares, whether for just Metro or multi-modal (before the new TNE day ticket), and the fact I used to volunteer in Sunderland and spout out the same old lines, Metro is perfect and everyone should use it no matter the cost or the shit reliability, it's quick when it turns up, and if the line is open.
Exactly the same argument can be made about buses and, IIRC, don't you boycott Stagecoach for some of the same reasons as you outline above?
Storx is right. The majority of people travelling between Sunderland and Newcastle are going to opt for the Metro every single time. It's probably why express buses have never been that successful between the two, erm... one city and the other fake, wannabe city.