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(15 Feb 2020, 10:45 am)ASX_Terranova wrote If you ran a bus company, which services that dont exist anymore would you bring back?
GNE M7/M9 but Extend from Lobley Hill to Washington Galleries (Via Team Valley at Peaks)
(15 Feb 2020, 1:38 pm)ifm001 wrote Mine would be any of the South Shields to Metro centre routes
Either
M42 Stagecoach
X22 Go North East (obviously route number would need to change now)
But my preference would actually be the Nexus operated by Classic services 591/X91 which operated South Shields - Tyne Dock - Biddick Hall - Simonside - Primrose - Hebburn then non stop to Metrocentre (X91 via Team Valley) . With a bit of tweaking they were good servics but werent given the chances needed.
(15 Feb 2020, 10:39 pm)Malarkey wrote 185/X85/X8 & 638 to add to those above.638 Mon-Sat or Eves & Suns.
(02 Mar 2020, 12:07 pm)Rob44 wrote I liked the 310 when it was sunderland to blyth. Used to go out with my dad oin the 80's and see how many buses I could use my 5p transfare on before it ran out of time!The 310 Blyth to Sunderland. Now that was the route... And people did used to use quite a bit of the section. I travelled often from Boldon through to Whitley Bay and the odd occasion stopping onto Blyth just to see what was there.
(02 Mar 2020, 1:55 pm)Rob44 wrote I only ever used it on a Sunday. I'm sure it was hourly with the 318? running to cramlington half an hour later. We used to jump of at Whitley bay in get the 308 back to Newcastle, trying to guess if it would be a northumbria or Northern bus that would turn up..... although a long time ago i'm sure most of the bus we travelled on were much busier than they are today.Alternated with 319 from Sunderland to Cramlington.
(12 Mar 2020, 4:52 pm)ifm001 wrote In the 70s and early 80s it was the 174, then became the 588, then became the 526 then became the 556. Then nothing for a number of years now.
(19 Apr 2020, 5:25 pm)col87 wrote There would be a few I would bring back.
The X5 /231 services Hartlepool - Newcastle. Especially with bad the trains are under northern Hartlepool needs a service to Newcastle again and I think if done right it could successful. I know Stagecoach tried recently with the X55 but that was never going work due the Times been all wrong and been infrequent. Same with the X11 that go north east tried a few year before that was not frequent enough or advertised to let people know plus both where Saturday only services. A Monday - Saturday regular express service would work.
H1 Hartlepool - North Tees Hospital
Hartlepool desperately needs a proper regular bus service to North Tees Hospital if the Trust are going to continue to services there. Going to Hartlepool Hospital to get the shuttle bus ( which is usually a spare bus Boro taxis or 23 Taxis have ) or getting the 36 to Stockton then 37 or 59 not good enough and takes to long.
236 Hartlepool - Bishop Auckland
Even though it took a while to get there was a decent bus ride which I used to enjoy plus would link Sedgefield with Hartlepool again giving people there an extra option.
87 Hartlepool - Hartburn.
Was short lived and obviously the company no longer exists but was a nice alternative to the 36 to get to Stockton.
X24 Hartlepool - Darlington.
Again short lived and not sure how many of you remember this service as never lasted very long but was a good idea and worth trying it again as a regular service.
Service 10 Hartlepool Headland - Middlesbrough. Would need to be re numbered but a good idea a fast service between Hartlepool and Middlesbrough would take pressure off the 36 and provides an alternative to the 7 between the Headland and Hartlepool Town Centre.
(19 Apr 2020, 5:52 pm)Charles41 wrote Totally agree the X5/231 should be reintroduced. This used to be a handy service. If I want to travel to Hartlepool now from Newcastle I have to change at Peterlee or Durham.Yes it is annoying. By the time the X9 gets to Peterlee the bus is nearly full. Durham then waiting for the 21 to Newcastle takes to long a new service definitely needed.
A handy service for locals/tourists would also be the Hexham to Morpeth run which was withdrawn in about 2015. This used to be operated by Arriva and ran via Matfen and Belsay. I can't remember the number off the top of my head.
Charles
(20 Apr 2020, 4:58 pm)col87 wrote Yes it is annoying. By the time the X9 gets to Peterlee the bus is nearly full. Durham then waiting for the 21 to Newcastle takes to long a new service definitely needed.Think one of the major issues was United doing the agreement with Stagecoach and GNE to withdraw effectively from Durham Coastal work. Had the agreement routes gone the other way and United/ Tees retained the X10 and GNE retained the X12 (was X1) would there have been any scope for United/Tees/Arriva to have expanded and improved services to and from Hartlepool / Seaton Carew / Billingham / Middlesbrough / Metrocente and Newcastle.
(20 Apr 2020, 7:07 pm)Charles41 wrote Does anyone remember the summer Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday services to Cragside and Kielder. They were operated by Northumbria Motor Services and then Arriva from Gateshead and Newcastle. The Kielder bus used to connect with the Tyne Valley Coaches service to Hexham at Bellingham.
I had great days out on these services combining rambling with country pubs. It's a shame they stopped as they were rather popular. I seem to remember they also served Belsay Hall. The Cragside service also stopped at Bolam Lake, Wallington Hall and Lordenshaws.
The Kielder bus used to run back and forth between Kielder Castle and Kielder Dam before returning to Newcastle. We once walked from Kielder Dam to Falstone along the old railway and caught the bus at Stannersburn after a few pints in the Pheasant.
Charles
Kielder Bus 714 started out as OK Travel and was taken over in service by Northumbria/United. Used it once as OK Travel one of the Leyland Tiger LFT? X batch. Was a great service and definatley could do with being introduced.
(19 Apr 2020, 5:25 pm)col87 wrote There would be a few I would bring back.The H1 would never be commercially viable but it could be by diverting into Hartlepool and Billingham on the way. Still not much scope for running more than two hourly though.
The X5 /231 services Hartlepool - Newcastle. Especially with bad the trains are under northern Hartlepool needs a service to Newcastle again and I think if done right it could successful. I know Stagecoach tried recently with the X55 but that was never going work due the Times been all wrong and been infrequent. Same with the X11 that go north east tried a few year before that was not frequent enough or advertised to let people know plus both where Saturday only services. A Monday - Saturday regular express service would work.
H1 Hartlepool - North Tees Hospital
Hartlepool desperately needs a proper regular bus service to North Tees Hospital if the Trust are going to continue to services there. Going to Hartlepool Hospital to get the shuttle bus ( which is usually a spare bus Boro taxis or 23 Taxis have ) or getting the 36 to Stockton then 37 or 59 not good enough and takes to long.
236 Hartlepool - Bishop Auckland
Even though it took a while to get there was a decent bus ride which I used to enjoy plus would link Sedgefield with Hartlepool again giving people there an extra option.
87 Hartlepool - Hartburn.
Was short lived and obviously the company no longer exists but was a nice alternative to the 36 to get to Stockton.
X24 Hartlepool - Darlington.
Again short lived and not sure how many of you remember this service as never lasted very long but was a good idea and worth trying it again as a regular service.
Service 10 Hartlepool Headland - Middlesbrough. Would need to be re numbered but a good idea a fast service between Hartlepool and Middlesbrough would take pressure off the 36 and provides an alternative to the 7 between the Headland and Hartlepool Town Centre.
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(15 Oct 2020, 5:11 pm)Michael wrote Does anyone know when Arriva NE changed their Sunderland services from the 215/216 etc to the 23/24 - I found the 215 timetable from 2005 in the bygone era and then in 2013, a Durham map, which has the 24 to Sunderland on.This is from 2009:
If so, anyone got the leaflet, they'll be willing to upload?, and why did they decide to change the numbers and withdraw so many routes?
(15 Oct 2020, 5:11 pm)Michael wrote Does anyone know when Arriva NE changed their Sunderland services from the 215/216 etc to the 23/24 - I found the 215 timetable from 2005 in the bygone era and then in 2013, a Durham map, which has the 24 to Sunderland on.
If so, anyone got the leaflet, they'll be willing to upload?, and why did they decide to change the numbers and withdraw so many routes?
(15 Oct 2020, 6:23 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Have you tried searching the wayback machine for arrivas website
(15 Oct 2020, 6:27 pm)Kuyoyo wrote 2008 - round the same time they overhauled the Darlington Town Network. Peterlee of course received their last batch of new buses at the same time - some of the YK08 Solos once Darlington’s examples started arriving of course.
