(22 Aug 2013, 1:17 am)stagecoachbusdepot wrote The real reason was so the Citaros could be put to use on providing a 10 minute frequency on the X1 - GNE's model of giving a high frequency on one route at the expense of an entire service. Great if you live in Houghton, Easington Lane etc, unlucky if you live anywhere on the Chester Road corridor.
I remember contacting GNE via Open Line on this at the time as the X2 was well used and provided a direct link for commuters and shoppers. Waste of time as they didn't give a monkeys about providing (at that time) no direct express service between the two biggest cities in their operating area. They seemed to think the fact that the journey was still possible by getting two buses (conveniently meaning singles/returns were pointless so everyone needed to buy a GNE Buzzfare) meant overall this was an improvement. After all, who wouldn't want to get a slower, stopping service, get off half way and wait around outside a shopping centre to change to another bus. And they wonder why people drive to work.
It is a shame that the X2 was withdrawn for fare paying customers (single/return) and I do think that Go North East should have given customers the opportunity to buy a 'through single' or 'through return' to accommodate for the loss of their direct link.
I personally don't mind not having an X2 because I pay for Nexus CAT day tickets naturally (or Get Around, if going further afield). As I don't pay for singles, it really doesn't affect me. I've just woken up and am in no way prepared to go look for information myself (so do forgive me) but what were the differences in journey times between the old X2 and the new 2A/2C and X1?
FTAO those who have quoted that the loadings were good...
Were all of these people purchasing singles and returns? Or at least a majority at that..?
If not, and the service was being used by concessions that didn't buy those tickets (Here he goes again... It's like Dan's version of Fencehouses!), I can understand why GNE did withdraw it. That doesn't mean to say I agree with them doing it, but I can understand from their point of view why they did.
Without looking at the 'time machine', I don't know what tickets were like back then. Were they similar to how they are at present or were they a lot more limited (i.e. single/return with a few other options only)?