(31 Oct 2016, 4:49 pm)cbma06 wrote I wouldn't be surprised if service 20 gets split on Hylton road with half doing the pennywell shops circular and other half turning right and going to south Hylton to replace service 8, there was a mention in the air that service 5 will retain the 30 minute route between Chester road and town but hourly from Chester road to gilley law while the other does hourly from Chester road to south Hylton via Holborn road, Helmsdale road (old 13/14 terminus) Hylton road to south Hylton, soon find out more info when the changes appear on VOSA in a couple of weeks.


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(28 Oct 2016, 9:05 pm)ifm001 wrote Let the speculation begin.

Xciting Xpress to.............

28039 has been in Newcastle this afternoon, just saying....   

(01 Nov 2016, 9:08 am)Michael wrote Only service which i could see getting an increase, would they have enough gas buses though, in total,  they only have 5 spares out of the 40 gas buses. 


Unless its the 18/19 getting increased....



Have those Enviro's from Scotland entered service yet?, if not, maybe they can used on the new Sunderland express service?

(01 Nov 2016, 3:48 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote 28039 has been in Newcastle this afternoon, just saying....   


Earmarked for the 71 tubs if things haven't changed. They have ticket machines fitted so ready to go - being MANs they require a bit of work before service much like the Kinetics.

(01 Nov 2016, 3:57 pm)Michael wrote Probables just route learning, still think we won't see gas buses allocated.   

"Earmarked for the 71 tubs if things haven't changed.", tubs? lol

(01 Nov 2016, 4:12 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote My home region of Cumbria & North Lancs has had it's share of ex-Scottish MANviro dumped on them. They're pretty poor, with some having been gave up on and now disposal - awaiting sale to other regions or even externally purchased...... high depreciation costs resulted in them being offloaded. The North East hasn't even banged on the door of C&NL for them. But you never know, the NE ones might not be bad....

(01 Nov 2016, 4:18 pm)Michael wrote I was confused by the word you used, haha 

Hopefully, i just think using gas buses is a massive risk, more likely just normal enviro's, but i wonder if they would offer WIFI.... 


Do you know the route of the express in Newcastle?, like where it'll end?, in Sunderland it should start from Wilkinsons and then have it leave via Holmeside and Green Terrance - not sure on Park Lane, to me that's to far to walk from where other Stagecoach Sunderland buses stop.

(01 Nov 2016, 4:18 pm)Michael wrote I was confused by the word you used, haha 

Hopefully, i just think using gas buses is a massive risk, more likely just normal enviro's, but i wonder if they would offer WIFI.... 


Do you know the route of the express in Newcastle?, like where it'll end?, in Sunderland it should start from Wilkinsons and then have it leave via Holmeside and Green Terrance - not sure on Park Lane, to me that's to far to walk from where other Stagecoach Sunderland buses stop.

(01 Nov 2016, 8:59 pm)V514DFT wrote Green Terrance,im not Green

(01 Nov 2016, 9:05 pm)ifm001 wrote One thing to remember though. the south shields route to Newcastle service X34 does not operate actually into South Shields so it may be possible the Sunderland operation may not operate into the City of Sunderland either. I've mentioned before the original idea for the X34 was to serve areas that did not have a metro nearby. 

But I do agree we now need to move this chat to the upcoming service change thread.

Admin can you sort this please?

(01 Nov 2016, 9:23 pm)Michael wrote For it to work, it needs to go where people will go for it, no point in having start at Park Lane when no other Stagecoach Sunderland service goes in (expect for the X1), means people have to walk back up to Park Lane for it, think that might put people off.

(01 Nov 2016, 9:56 pm)Tom wrote Wonder if it will maybe start at somewhere else other than the city (not a clue where though) and not service Sunderland at all?

(01 Nov 2016, 4:18 pm)Michael wrote I was confused by the word you used, haha 

Hopefully, i just think using gas buses is a massive risk, more likely just normal enviro's, but i wonder if they would offer WIFI.... 


Do you know the route of the express in Newcastle?, like where it'll end?, in Sunderland it should start from Wilkinsons and then have it leave via Holmeside and Green Terrance - not sure on Park Lane, to me that's to far to walk from where other Stagecoach Sunderland buses stop.

(01 Nov 2016, 11:10 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote I think the fact that a Gas Bus present in Newcastle, and that Sunderland's only likely connection to an unlinked SC region would also be Newcastle, is about as close to the wibble that can be said for now. But if this happened to be pulled off... I'd hope SC tackle it head on with competitors, as we've seen the cutting and culling of services like the X3/X35, plus train and Metro to compete with.

(02 Nov 2016, 11:09 am)Andreos1 wrote Just to pick up on a few things about the new express service.

Don't the E services use Park Lane?

I'm also wondering if they will stick to the same method that has proven successful with the X34 and terminate the service in an estate. Those city-centre to Estate type services have been around for years. One benefit to the X34 is Boldon. Shoppers and workers can use the X34 locally or to travel in to Newcastle. It is also close to the major road network.

Assuming the same model will be transferred to this new service, where in Sunderland doesn't have access to the metro, where is there significant housing and where is there a decent retail or employment opportunities?
Doxford Park/International is jumping out and hits similar criteria to the ones that Boldon does. 
If it is serving Doxford Park/International, are we looking at a Ryhope or Grangetown type terminus?

(02 Nov 2016, 11:24 am)Michael wrote Didn't think about Doxford intentional.

Doxford Park shops- Doxford International - A19 - Newcastle Eldon Square? - Hourly  (only went to Eldon Square because it just appeared)


So i went on Google maps and did a map, it came to around 1 hour 10-1 hour 20 minutes on the route above.... so the PVR would be 3  (not sure the time is right though)

(02 Nov 2016, 11:42 am)Andreos1 wrote I could be miles off! Just based this new route on a similar model to the X34. Doxford Park just seems to hit the same criteria.
There was an Express to Newcastle years ago, before it was developed and the likes of Morrisons and the business park appeared.

(02 Nov 2016, 11:42 am)Andreos1 wrote I could be miles off! Just based this new route on a similar model to the X34. Doxford Park just seems to hit the same criteria.
There was an Express to Newcastle years ago, before it was developed and the likes of Morrisons and the business park appeared.

(04 Nov 2016, 7:33 pm)Dans_bus_photos wrote 22574 parked up in Sunderland with a surprise branding. Apologies for the poor photo I only had my phone with me

(04 Nov 2016, 7:38 pm)Michael wrote Looks like its heading for the 100?

(04 Nov 2016, 7:56 pm)Dans_bus_photos wrote Yeah looks like it. Didn't realise they were pulling the other E300s off the 100.

(04 Nov 2016, 9:10 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote Good luck Stockton...
The MANviro have had the full works done to their interior too. Hopefully they prove reliable...

(04 Nov 2016, 9:24 pm)Dans_bus_photos wrote Is that a hint that 27506-10 are moving to Stockton?

(04 Nov 2016, 9:34 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote Nothing concrete received myself, but suggestion is that's the case to replace their older MANs. 
They could have done with being shifted out the Group if I'm honest. Good for capacity if nothing else.

(04 Nov 2016, 9:46 pm)Dans_bus_photos wrote Id have probably kept them at Slatyford if I'm honest and put them on the X87/X88s along with the E400s. I know there not the most reliable at the minute as they seem to be frequently off the road but atleast Slatyford's engineers are familiar with them and their faults.