(09 Dec 2014, 1:34 pm)MAcky81 wrote Totally random route in my opinion this 36 plan. Previous 36 never worked as stagecoach dominate with 4 and 13
Well it's not random as such. I do understand your point that route from Chester to Town End Farm seems on paper very long and no ones ever going to use it point to point, but it's the local links that's important.
The main section of route that has become popular is the 29 ie Town End Farm-City Centre which is why they've icreased the frequency on this route. Town End Farm-Boldon Asda is less used but the connections should remain which is why it drops to 30 minutes by 35 only.
The idea has come to amalgamate service 29/35 to create more cross city connections in Sunderland. I believe the 35/36 will both run same route? (Royal Hospital, Durham Road, Herrington & Newbottle to Houghton). The idea to merge service 71 into this service aswell is to improve services for FenceHouses residents by giving the area a link to sunderland that was lost when 71 was last curtailed- GNE probably hope this will help passengers on the Houghton-Chester stretch which isn't the most profitable of routes.
Also the numbering of this 36 hasn't really got anything to do with previous 36's- it's a new route not bringing back an old one, just simply using that service number.