(28 Feb 2014, 6:08 pm)citaro5284 wrote In years gone by, was it not just the 722/723/735 that operated from Worswick Street through Low Fell to CLS. The 722/723 left Newcastle 00, 10, 25, 40, and the 735 was hourly, so 5 buses an hour along the Low Fell corridor to CLS, and if I remember correctly, the 735 terminated in CLS somewhere and 2 of the 722/723 services terminated at Durham whilst the other 2 carried on to Darlington. Compare that with now when you have a 21 every 7/8 minutes, 8 an hour to CLS, and 4 an hour to Durham.

The X1 was hourly (when it was linked to the X10 operated by Chester depot and Arriva), which is now half hourly, so there is an increase again from Newcastle to Durham via Low Fell.

It was only when Classic started to operate a service to compete with the 722/723 (the 21) that the services were increased.

Re: Durham Road/Low Fell Corridor

The following information is taken from the June 1989 'G4' Bus Timetable which covers Wrekenton/Birtley and Gateshead.



In 1989, before Classic introduced their 21 route, the services listed below ran from Gateshead/Newcastle along Durham Road through Low Fell to various destinations (with Mon-Sat peak time frequency included):

24: Newcastle - Allerdene Estate (half hourly - left Worswick Street at 02/32)
25: Newcastle - Wrekenton (half hourly - left Worswick Street at 09/39)
26: Newcastle - Barley Mow Estate (half hourly - left Worswick Street at 17/47)
28: Newcastle - Kibblesworth (half hourly - left Worswick Street at 24/54)
Cross Tyne (LFC): Newcastle - Allerdene (half hourly - left Newcastle St Thomas Street at 05/35)

231: Newcastle - Hartlepool (hourly - left Worswick Street at 50 mins past the hour)
709: Newcastle - Stanley (hourly - left Worswick Street at 23 mins past the hour)
722: Newcastle - Darlington (hourly - left Worswick Street at 10 mins past the hour)
723: Newcastle - Darlington (three per hour - left Worswick Street at 00/25/40)
728: Newcastle - Stanley (hourly - left Worswick Street at 50 mins past the hour)
735: Newcastle - Houghton-le-Spring (hourly - left Worswick Street at 20 mins past the hour)

X1: Newcastle - Middlesbrough (hourly - left Eldon Square at 15 mins past the hour)
X46: Newcastle - Crook (hourly - left Eldon Square at 47 mins past the hour)
OK (724): Newcastle - Bishop Auckland (hourly - left Newgate Street at 05 mins past each hour)

With the obvious exception of the Cross-Tyne and OK services, these services were operated either jointly or wholly by the Northern group. Not including the 724, 8 buses per hour operated between Newcastle and Chester; 6 buses per hour operated between Newcastle and Durham; and 10 per hour between Newcastle and Birtley. Between Newcastle and Low Fell, there were 18 buses per hour - 21 if you include the Cross-Tyne and OK services.