(07 Mar 2015, 10:56 pm)Jimmi wrote In fairness the 21 the short journeys don't do the diversion the X2 does (although leaves from a different stop to normal) and the Durham 21's have lots of layover in Durham Bus Station often see a 21 leave then see another one arrive. Although the X21 seems to cope fine and GNE can send another bus out from Bishop Bus Station if it looks like the X21 will arrive back late, Arriva can't really do this in Middlesbrough Bus Station with the X12/X2 especially on Belmont operated journeys.
I imagine Stockton's journeys seem to go more smoothly as they use Pulsar's on their journeys which handle the route well while the Gemini's are pretty slow especially on hills on the X12 route. Also Stockton don't change drivers in Durham Bus Station like Belmont depot does on journeys leaving as the X2 and journeys leaving as the X12.
Other than that all I can say is possibly traffic related issues especially in the Durham area at times and how many stops it actually makes between Durham and Coxhoe.
The diversion isn't *that* much of an issue though. It's a couple of minutes, along a route with zero congestion. You'd expect there to be room in a timetable to accommodate that couple of minutes, otherwise how would you expect the timetable to cope with anything other than a skeleton traffic flow?
I'd ask how long a driver change should realistically take? Again, should be accounted for in a realistic timetable. Mind you, it doesn't help when the bus is still standing there with it's ignition off, minutes after it should have departed, with a driver nowhere in sight. Too much of a common sight when it comes to Durham changeovers.
Stopping between Durham and Coxhoe is practically every stop, but that extends to the 56/57/57A too. I sound like a broken record, but a realistic timetable should account for this. It also indicates that the demand is a lot higher than the supply.