(15 Jun 2015, 8:25 pm)aureolin wroteI think people prefer the convenience of having one bus going from A to B rather than changing onto other bus services and/or the Metro.aureolin wroteBut why would they use it if the journey times would potentially be longer? I'm using the 27 route between Heworth and Newcastle to calculate timings, as there's nothing else to go from:
Bus + Metro
4 - Galleries to Washington = 17 minutes
Metro - Heworth to Newcastle = 9 minutes
= 26 minutes (minus connection time)
4 Direct
4 - Galleries to Washington = 17 minutes
27 - Heworth to Newcastle = 19 minutes
= 36 minutes (minus connection time)
X1 Direct
X1 - Galleries to Newcastle = 32 minutes
I can't see why people wouldn't just jump on the X1 at the Galleries if they were headed for Gateshead or Newcastle? They'd save themselves a bit of time in the process, and it's not too far from the Metro when you take into account connection times.
I can't speak for others, but personally I'd be prepared to put up with a journey time of 5 or 10 minutes more if it meant being able to stay on the same bus, and use a Go North East ticket.