Have found out following contacting Nexus, that there are plans waiting to be finalised to extend service 700 along Roker Baths Road via Roker Park to Seaburn for this summer, which will essentially be a replacement for service 18 along that section, although this is only to be for the summer, with no plans for an all-year round service.

And aside from that, it doesn't look like there will any additional bus provision to replace service 18, with Nexus reiterating; "we are not in a position to fund/subsidise alternatives where viable links are otherwise available through interchange." So anything simple like tweaking an existing service, very unlikely to happen...

Surely it would make sense to divert the 99 to Seaburn opposed to Hylton Castle & Castletown, especially seeing as they already have the 599 & many other services in that area at the moment. Simple timetable tweaks, even making the service run every 70 minutes to allow better reliability & flexibility, alike they did with the 516 when it had timekeeping issues, would mean the service & important links would still be there for those who need the service...

Usually i'd sit and laugh at Sunderland, but its not funny, I know what its like from experience what its like to have your links taken, looks like its your turn this time around

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3d4pmrj723o

Service axed.

(24 May 2025, 9:19 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3d4pmrj723o

Service axed.

Who would have thought it.  A service that runs 1 journey each direction, four days a week, was a failure.  Intrigued how it costs £80 a day in labour costs alone to run a service which is 32 mins long, so just £80 for 1hr04 mins a day, not bad.

(24 May 2025, 10:45 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Who would have thought it.  A service that runs 1 journey each direction, four days a week, was a failure.  Intrigued how it costs £80 a day in labour costs alone to run a service which is 32 mins long, so just £80 for 1hr04 mins a day, not bad.

Likely minimum daily pay terms, possibly 4 hours. 
The £80 won't just be the driver rate, but also on costs, such as employer NI etc.

It's the sort of service where there should be a DRT imo. Oh wait, it doesn't serve Billingham or the Clarences...

I really don't understand why you can't use Teesflex in the urban areas personally, as long as there's no competing service. There's loads of missing links which they'd cover and who knows - they might actually have some passengers...

(24 May 2025, 10:45 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Who would have thought it.  A service that runs 1 journey each direction, four days a week, was a failure.  Intrigued how it costs £80 a day in labour costs alone to run a service which is 32 mins long, so just £80 for 1hr04 mins a day, not bad.

Doomed to fail from the beginning. 
It was never going to work.

(25 May 2025, 9:22 am)Storx wrote It's the sort of service where there should be a DRT imo. Oh wait, it doesn't serve Billingham or the Clarences...

I really don't understand why you can't use Teesflex in the urban areas personally, as long as there's no competing service. There's loads of missing links which they'd cover and who knows - they might actually have some passengers...

Reading the latest TVCA report it seems that Flex struggles to provide enough capacity and is actually turning away customers - I think it said it can only handle 64% of requests. 
The service is only funded until August and who knows what will happen beyond this time.

Interestingly also in the same report there is a section on supported services and services 13/13b, 35 and 39 have all recently been added to the list for three months until August. I can only assume it’s evening and/or Sunday services being supported given the funding attributed to each service.

EDIT: Further clarification in the latest TVCA report confirms it to be services 13, 35 and Hartlepool’s 3/3a that have been chucked in wholly, with TVCA now funding those until March 2026.

20th July 2025


PB0002404/422
Cancellation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 99 (99) Grangetown ASDA Hylton Castle

(12 Jun 2025, 1:33 pm)Michael wrote 20th July 2025


PB0002404/422
Cancellation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 99 (99) Grangetown ASDA Hylton Castle

They lost it again

(12 Jun 2025, 1:58 pm)Aaron21 wrote They lost it again

Sadly.

No info on who's won it yet.

(12 Jun 2025, 2:09 pm)Michael wrote Sadly.

No info on who's won it yet.

Go North East has won the 99

(12 Jun 2025, 2:47 pm)Retro Nero wrote Go North East has won the 99

Would of been nice for someone else to have it for once..........


Also its a shame, Stagecoach tickets aren't accepted on the route, I would of defo used it more, if they were and I bet others would.


Be the same when GNE take it over.

Best Company to win it would of been Northstar to run alongside their 599

(12 Jun 2025, 3:03 pm)Michael wrote Also its a shame, Stagecoach tickets aren't accepted on the route, I would of defo used it more, if they were and I bet others would.

They are.

(12 Jun 2025, 5:03 pm)F114TML wrote They are.

Are they?, when did that change?

I thought u couldn't haha

(12 Jun 2025, 5:03 pm)F114TML wrote They are.

Another Stagecoach Sunderland service bites the dust. The company seems to be in a doom loop at the moment.

(12 Jun 2025, 5:57 pm)Michael wrote Are they?, when did that change?

I thought u couldn't haha

Usually in the first week of taken over of the service, the new company honour the previous company tickets, but baring in mind a lot of people in the Sunderland area will have the Sunderland Smart Zone ticket which can be used on Stagecoach,Go North East and Arriva in the Sunderland City Centre.

(12 Jun 2025, 5:58 pm)Economic505 wrote Another Stagecoach Sunderland service bites the dust. The company seems to be in a doom loop at the moment.

Wonder if the bus allocated to the 99 will go in to a spare role or move depot.

Still think the 99 should be merged with another route.. shame the 18 has gone, would of merged those together to make 1 massive loop service.

(12 Jun 2025, 5:57 pm)Michael wrote Are they?, when did that change?

I thought u couldn't haha

When we won the contract back, it's accepted sun/tw dayriders and megariders and the sunderland smartzone.

---

(12 Jun 2025, 9:16 pm)Michael wrote Wonder if the bus allocated to the 99 will go in to a spare role or move depot.

Still think the 99 should be merged with another route.. shame the 18 has gone, would of merged those together to make 1 massive loop service.

I did do a suggestion in the SC suggestions thread extending it to Seaburn via Hendon and Town.

(12 Jun 2025, 10:50 pm)UF114TML wrote When we won the contract back, it's accepted sun/tw dayriders and megariders and the sunderland smartzone.

---

I did do a suggestion in the SC suggestions thread extending it to Seaburn via Hendon and Town.

No reason why SC can’t create a route based off the 99 and 18. There must some mileage in an amalgamated route. Besides, the Sunderland SC network has to grow at some point. Might not be tomorrow, or next month , but it will happen.

(12 Jun 2025, 11:01 pm)Economic505 wrote No reason why SC can’t create a route based off the 99 and 18. There must some mileage in an amalgamated route. Besides, the Sunderland SC network has to grow at some point. Might not be tomorrow, or next month , but it will happen.

They should bring back the old 18/19 circular from the Busways days.

(13 Jun 2025, 9:39 pm)GrahamD83 wrote They should bring back the old 18/19 circular from the Busways days.

No they shouldn't in it current format at the time it served a purpose now it doesnt   however I am in favour of looped services 

The 18 and 19 was iconic but so was the 139 140 loop

(13 Jun 2025, 10:52 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote No they shouldn't in it current format at the time it served a purpose now it doesnt   however I am in favour of looped services 

The 18 and 19 was iconic but so was the 139 140 loop

Yes, the 139/140 was a top route. The 99 bollocks, swapping between the major operators year on year is stupid.