(19 Jun 2014, 3:21 pm)ifm001 wrote There used to be an X97 service operated many moons ago by Redby Travel which could easily be re introduced by stagecoach as X33 and operate in addition to X34. This operated Seaburn - Whitburn - Cleadon - Boldon Asda - Gateshead - Newcastle. As this does not directly follow the metro system perhaps it wouldn't fail as miserably as the X3 has done.
yes, their used to be a X97 operated by Redby travel, When it first started it used to go between Sunderland and Newcastle via the old Northern route X96, after a short period the X97 was extended to commence from Silksworth to lure passengers of Northern 133 between Silksworth and Sunderland, then Northern put on the X91 5 minutes in front of Redby X97, this was many moons ago, When the 538 was withdrawn Sunderland to Heworth, Northern put on a X98 Southwick to Newcastle going along most of the 538 route: http://northeastbuses.net78.net/archive/...ch2002.jpg
Then Northern put on the X97 Seaburn to Newcastle daytime replacing the daytime 558 and X98 http://northeastbuses.net78.net/archive/...e2001a.jpg
I was told by Stagecoach about a year ago that their have no intentions to run a service between Sunderland and Newcastle due to the higher frequent of service from the metro and train services. Also told me that their had no intention to run a service between Sunderland and Hartlepool to join up the areas and for passengers with megariders etc... to travel between Newcastle/Sunderland/Hartlepool/Stockton/Middlesbrough.