(16 Aug 2022, 4:48 pm)deanmachine wrote Both the X20 and the 20 have decent loads on an early evening, I really hope they don't bin off the X20 but it wouldn't surprise me if it's gone for good after this.

(16 Aug 2022, 4:48 pm)deanmachine wrote Both the X20 and the 20 have decent loads on an early evening, I really hope they don't bin off the X20 but it wouldn't surprise me if it's gone for good after this.

(16 Aug 2022, 5:00 pm)Adrian wrote Which is a shame really. Continue to overbus Rainton at the detriment of those wanting a faster link.

I know on paper it isn't that much faster between Durham and Houghton, but because it uses the A690 until Rainton Bridge, it gives a perception its faster. I've been using it ever since they let someone draw a new route for the 50 out with crayons and a map.

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(16 Aug 2022, 5:07 pm)Unber43 wrote How much time was added to the 50 in the July changes?

(16 Aug 2022, 5:14 pm)Malarkey wrote An additional 8 Minutes between Washington Galleries and Chester-Le-Street, iirc correctly it was 16 minutes prior to changes and now it's a 24 minutes journey.

Then you have the additional 12 minutes on a Sunday from South Shields to Marsden Bay.

(16 Aug 2022, 5:29 pm)Adrian wrote The journey time is one thing, but you actually start to lose the will to live, if you've got any sense of direction.

I can't believe that this route has been used by whoever came up with it, otherwise they'd never have thought this is a good way to encourage people to use buses.

n.b. the car journey would take 8 minutes.

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(16 Aug 2022, 5:36 pm)Malarkey wrote I think the commercial team took one of my "Malarkey Marathon" suggestions seriously, my bad 

(16 Aug 2022, 5:37 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Just think, you could have been one of them.

(16 Aug 2022, 5:40 pm)Malarkey wrote Well thank god, i'm not.

(16 Aug 2022, 4:39 pm)Adrian wrote Currently on board an apparently disposable X20 service. Despite leaving a couple mins after a 20 with a decent load, we're almost into Houghton with just about every seat in a Citaro taken up.

And I know its a peak journey out of Durham, but its on the same corridor that is getting 2 of the 6 buses per hour cut.

Whilst I'd obviously take a disruption free timetable over one full of disruption and gaps, I wonder whether these Streetlites on the 20 will have the same ability at managing loads, versus say the reduction on the combined 10 services with deckers.

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(16 Aug 2022, 5:07 pm)Unber43 wrote How much time was added to the 50 in the July changes?

(16 Aug 2022, 5:29 pm)Adrian wrote The journey time is one thing, but you actually start to lose the will to live, if you've got any sense of direction.

I can't believe that this route has been used by whoever came up with it, otherwise they'd never have thought this is a good way to encourage people to use buses.

n.b. the car journey would take 8 minutes.

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(16 Aug 2022, 5:40 pm)Malarkey wrote Well thank god, i'm not.

(16 Aug 2022, 7:47 pm)Drifter60 wrote You think the 50 is bad, should try a trip on the 61! Go up Woods Terrace to only back down the same street some 15 minutes later… Now the increase journey time is one thing in both cases but more so is as you say just loosing the will to live. 

And with the changes in July there seems to be a few very bizarre routing suggestions that have been brought up here the 12 around Winlaton, the 50 in Washington and the 61 in Murton. All just seems to point to decision makers who don’t seem to have a good enough grip on the routes and areas in questions and also no sense of how negative these magical merry-go-round bus journeys are perceived by passenger. 

(16 Aug 2022, 6:29 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I've never been on a quiet X20. Or 20, for that matter. Even off peak, on a quiet day, they seem to average half full across the journey.

(16 Aug 2022, 7:53 pm)Andreos1 wrote What's the betting they laughed and sniggered when they got your application?

Heard they're like that.

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(16 Aug 2022, 7:57 pm)Adrian wrote Me neither. I've noticed waiting for the X20 too, there's always several that will let the 20 go and get the X20, and they'll still be on either to Houghton or beyond.

It's a much better service. Why must everything we have weave in and out of every estate on route. I'd get on a tour bus if I wanted to see the sights.

(16 Aug 2022, 8:06 pm)Unber43 wrote Its the same in Park Lane when i've been there, if I was waiting for the X20 at Houghton or Durham and a 20 pulled up I would wait for the X20. 

However I only realised recently that the X20 only takes like 10 mins less than the 20, but I also think the X20 has nicer buses , and they are more comfortable.

I mean this new 20/20A idea was idealised by children, extending the 20 to Langley Park, when the 20A does the X20 route whoever made that decison needs to be fired.

(16 Aug 2022, 5:29 pm)Adrian wrote The journey time is one thing, but you actually start to lose the will to live, if you've got any sense of direction.

I can't believe that this route has been used by whoever came up with it, otherwise they'd never have thought this is a good way to encourage people to use buses.

n.b. the car journey would take 8 minutes.

(16 Aug 2022, 8:06 pm)Unber43 wrote Its the same in Park Lane when i've been there, if I was waiting for the X20 at Houghton or Durham and a 20 pulled up I would wait for the X20. 

However I only realised recently that the X20 only takes like 10 mins less than the 20, but I also think the X20 has nicer buses , and they are more comfortable.

I mean this new 20/20A idea was idealised by children, extending the 20 to Langley Park, when the 20A does the X20 route whoever made that decison needs to be fired.

(16 Aug 2022, 9:32 pm)DeltaMan wrote The 20A won't be running in the evenings though.

(16 Aug 2022, 10:02 pm)Unber43 wrote That still doesn't change the fact that the 20A does the X20 route, the 20A should be during the day, 20 on an evening. Sorted.

(17 Aug 2022, 8:07 am)cbma06 wrote There was not much reason to keep the prefix X on the X20 even though it was only a matter of minutes quicker than the normal 20, but if x20 delayed coming from Langley park then you be thinking I should of got the 20.

Regarding the 65 pulled back to hourly service, don’t forget the service was doubled due to get passengers back onto buses but with the unforeseen driver shortages this was going to happen.

This won’t be the last of the services cuts, and you have members making new service suggestions for new routes and I like to know where the money and drivers coming from to operate the suggestions, or what services will be reduced again  ( suggestions all in good nature but the wrong time and place for any bus companies to think of). And can’t see gne operating new routes in stagecoach territory in Sunderland and vice versa while both companies are feeling the pinch , might look good and exciting for the bus enthusiasts but don’t forget the bus companies are there to make business and profits for there shareholders.


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(15 Aug 2022, 12:17 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I think they're fairly sensible changes tbh.

Great to hear they're changing the QAQB back to just the Q3, I hope whoever came up with that name has been given the sack!

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(17 Aug 2022, 8:12 am)Storx wrote Wasn't the 65 always every 30 minutes but by a merger of the Peterlee / Seaham / Durham triangle services, forgot the numbers off the top of my head albeit a slightly different route in some areas in particular Seaham.

(17 Aug 2022, 8:52 am)Drifter60 wrote The 65 become half hourly after the 208 Durham to Peterlee bus was curtailed at Easington/62 came into existence replacing the 202. Also now the 62 itself is gone, the 65 reduction means there’s now only 1 bus ph to Murton from Seaham. So while yes the 65 was increased during the day, it didn’t actually need extra resources they were just redeployed.

(17 Aug 2022, 8:12 am)Storx wrote Wasn't the 65 always every 30 minutes but by a merger of the Peterlee / Seaham / Durham triangle services, forgot the numbers off the top of my head albeit a slightly different route in some areas in particular Seaham.