(14 May 2025, 10:10 pm)GrahamD83 wrote There have been multiple route 5's. The original was City Centre to Red House. A few other routes I remember:
2 - The current 3 route, when the original 3 terminated at Gilley Law and served Plains Farm
9/9A - Ran alongside the 8 to South Hylton
14/14A - Docks - City - Helmsdale Road via High Barnes. Was outsourced to Redby in the late 90s
15 - Ran alongside the 16 to Hastings Hill
17 - A minibus service to Seaburn via Roker
27/28/29 - The northern sections of the current 3 and 13
104 - the current 4 route, the original 4 terminated at Farringdon
139/140 - Circular routes jointly operated by Go North East

I remember at one point every number between 2 and 29 was in use. There has never been a route 1 in Sunderland post deregulation.

(14 May 2025, 7:35 pm)N391OTY wrote Is it definitely 003 ? Just asking because I saw 57002 (SJ74 UPC) on the outskirts of Sheffield today so it maybe heading south for demonstration work, or a visit to a dealer.

(14 May 2025, 9:02 pm)Michael wrote I think the 6 was:

Witherwack - Southwick - Pallion - Holburn Road - Springwell Road - Premier Road - Grangetown ASDA - Grangetown

I'm not sure where in Grangetown it terminated.

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(15 May 2025, 10:47 pm)Hi I stagecoachbusdepot wrote The 6 didnt go along Premier Road, it operated as you said Witherwack to Springwell Road then down Durham Road to the Barnes, along Queen Alex Road past St Aidans and the Eye Infirmary to Grangetown and then along Corporation Road to CBS.  What was until recently the 18A was the last remnant covering the schools at peaks.

It was the 19 toward Grangetown and 18 toward Grindon that operated along Premier Road, back when they were circulars. Mad to think how many options thre were for links back then, bit like the number of services to Roker/Seaburn compared to just the Es really now.

There was a period when it was joined up with the 7 to run as circular type services, connecting I think at Grangetown, this would have been early 2000s.

The 6 was butchered with the closure of the QA bridge then used as excuse to bin off entirely.

In the early Busways years it retained the 106 number as it was not operated commercially by Busways, and the northern terminus was initially Southwick, later extended to Seaburn (by then operated commercially as the 6) and didnt switch to Witherwack until later.

(14 May 2025, 8:41 pm)S830OFT wrote Can anybody remember the original route of the 6 in Sunderland? Just going off other people's version it started at Witherwack went over the QA Bridge via Pallion & ended up at Grangetown but can't find any old timetables or even photos that show the route & where it went.

(14 May 2025, 9:02 pm)Michael wrote I think the 6 was:
Witherwack - Southwick - Pallion - Holburn Road - Springwell Road - Premier Road - Grangetown ASDA - Grangetown
I'm not sure where in Grangetown it terminated.
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I remember seeing it pass me on Springwell Road when finishing school.
The 6 and the 18/19 routes were destroyed when they did work on the Queen Alex Bridge.

(14 May 2025, 9:34 pm)Acky81 wrote The 6 actually went from central bus station to grangetown then to witherwack via the route mentioned. Weird as I thought about it whilst driving along Holborn road the other day

(15 May 2025, 8:56 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote service 6  off memory went. Witherwack Carley hill (hannaman court area) into southwick green. over the QA bridge  and when Pallion Retail Park first opened used that stop outside iceland) up to St lukes church right  all the way up st lukes Road to Front road and went all the way along to leechmere asda down to Grangetown bus stops then did corporation road (bottom road past old littlewoods call centre) into town

(15 May 2025, 10:47 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote The 6 didnt go along Premier Road, it operated as you said Witherwack to Springwell Road then down Durham Road to the Barnes, along Queen Alex Road past St Aidans and the Eye Infirmary to Grangetown and then along Corporation Road to CBS.  What was until recently the 18A was the last remnant covering the schools at peaks.


There was a period when it was joined up with the 7 to run as circular type services, connecting I think at Grangetown, this would have been early 2000s.

The 6 was butchered with the closure of the QA bridge then used as excuse to bin off entirely.

In the early Busways years it retained the 106 number as it was not operated commercially by Busways, and the northern terminus was initially Southwick, later extended to Seaburn (by then operated commercially as the 6) and didnt switch to Witherwack until later.

(16 May 2025, 10:34 am)ReDemPTiion wrote I’ve had a thought. What if Stagecoach are planning to go fully electric with Slatyford like they’ve done Stockton. We (Slatyford) keep pushing back the date for our Yutongs and I think it’s because they don’t want to have to knock the building down and rebuild it. So the other option is fully electric and take the roof off then the neighbours don’t have to worry about noise. They might be waiting to see how this Yutong Double Decker does at Stockton as they’ll need something like that for the 62/63. Definitely something to think about and could be the way we’re heading it would save them money not having to knock down a building that has been there for decades.

(16 May 2025, 10:46 am)Storx wrote Can't see it personally, you have to remember that Stagecoach is going to lose the depot soon, so unless NECA wants to fork the money out - what's the point for them. It's probably why Stockton got done as it's the most profitable depot they will definitely have in 5 years time, unless something changes fast.

It's probably the reason why they don't want to spend money on Slatyford as they'll get no return on it.

(16 May 2025, 11:24 am)ReDemPTiion wrote No guarantee that Stagecoach are going to lose the depot. Yes the buses look to be going into public control but the mayor Kim McGuinness is a Labour mayor and the way things are going I don’t think she’ll be in control after the next election. So really who knows what’s going to happen it’s all up in the air atm.

(16 May 2025, 8:49 pm)Glen1974 wrote Dose Anyone know when u11dd is coming to Stockton depot?

(14 May 2025, 6:24 am)stagecoachfan wrote It's one of 5 supplied by Alexander Dennis to the "big 5" groups as seed vehicles.

AR/FB/GA/NX/SC74ZEB for Arriva, First, Go-Ahead, National Express (West Midlands) and Stagecoach respectively.

(14 May 2025, 8:41 pm)S830OFT wrote Can anybody remember the original route of the 6 in Sunderland? Just going off other people's version it started at Witherwack went over the QA Bridge via Pallion & ended up at Grangetown but can't find any old timetables or even photos that show the route & where it went.

I know some of the original Sunderland routes had included;
5/5A (Docks - City - Gilley Law - Doxford Park)
7 (Sunderland - Newcastle Road - Witherwack)
12 (Sunderland - Barnes - Silksworth) - Was originally every 10 minutes, combined or competed with the 35 to offer up to 12 buses per hour between the two points & then 18 buses per hour with the 13 once at every 10 minutes between Sainsbury's and Sunderland.
18/19 The original circular version of the route that covered (Sunderland - Roker Park - Seaburn - South Bents - Fulwell - Southwick - Pallion - Royal Hospital - Barnes Park - Springwell - Grindon - Thorney Close - Premier Road - Ashbrooke - Grangetown - Sunderland)
22/23/24 - I believe the 22 was the Evening & Sunday variation that went down to Seaburn Camp via Dene Estate. That still happens on the 23s on a Sunday Daytime. The 23 was how it is now & I believe the 24 missed out Dene Estate & instead just operated down to Seaburn after Fulwell.

There's possibly more routes that were originally there too, although those ones are the ones I remember the most...

(17 May 2025, 12:37 pm)DunsBus wrote 17, as I recall, was Central Bus Station to Seaburn Camp. This followed much of the 18/19 route as far as Seaburn, the difference was between Roker Avenue and Roker Park Road with the 17 going via Ripon Street and Roker Baths Road rather than Harbour View, Roker Terrace, St George's Terrace and Park Parade as per the 18/19.

(17 May 2025, 1:58 pm)Retro Nero wrote Did the 17 not serve Seaburn ( South Bents Estate) behind what was the Bay Hotel just past the old Seaburn Camp Terminus

(07 May 2025, 2:42 pm)ReDemPTiion wrote Yes they will be using the Yutong E12’s

(17 May 2025, 11:57 pm)ross13 wrote Darlington service 16 passes to arriva from June 30th,  I know it will be because Stockton is going fully electric but why didn't arriva just take it over when hodgsons lost it

(17 May 2025, 11:57 pm)ross13 wrote Darlington service 16 passes to arriva from June 30th,  I know it will be because Stockton is going fully electric but why didn't arriva just take it over when hodgsons lost it

(17 May 2025, 8:39 am)Scottish city buses wrote When you stop asking.

(13 May 2025, 7:34 am)LVK 404L wrote E300 27631 looks to have joined sister 27632 at Sunderland from Shields.

(20 May 2025, 10:24 am)Scottish city buses wrote Apparently all Diesel buses at Stockton are to move on by the 26th of May
The depot be no longer diesel

(20 May 2025, 10:24 am)Scottish city buses wrote Apparently all Diesel buses at Stockton are to move on by the 26th of May
The depot be no longer diesel

(16 May 2025, 8:49 pm)Glen1974 wrote Dose Anyone know when u11dd is coming to Stockton depot?

(20 May 2025, 1:36 pm)Andreos1 wrote Interested to see how that works on the likes of the 1 and 2.
Miles from any recharging facilities and tbh, routes which I'd say aren't suitable for electrics.

Then there's the Teesflex vehicles...