(04 Sep 2015, 4:26 pm)tyresmoke wrote Might be worth mentioning that from 4th October the X12 will once again become limited stop on the various sections where it currently serves all stops.
Between Middlesbrough & Stockton it will only serve Teesdale Uni, Thornaby Station and the student flats at Chandlers Wharf
Between Sedgefield & Durham it will only stop at Coxhoe Red Lion, Coxhoe Church, Park Hill, Bowburn Cooperage, Bowburn Hare & Greyhound, Bowburn Mary Terrace then non-stop to Houghall College, Science Site, New Inn and then all stops to Durham.
On departure from Durham the only stops will be St Leonards School, County Hall, Aykley Heads, Framwellgate Salutation, Pity Me Front Street then non-stop to Chester-le-Street Black Horse, Front Street and then the same stops as now to Newcastle.
It doesn't appear that the times will change all that much - but obviously some time will be saved by missing out various stops especially on the run into Durham where the 56, 57 and 64 will pick up more of the load (capacity issues?) from the local stops.
Watch out for more improvements coming soon though
Whilst it's probably the right idea it becomes a limited stop service, I'd question the thought that's been put into the stops.
- Does it no longer stop at NetPark in Sedgefield? Which stops in Sedgefield are actually served?
- Why does it need to serve three stops within half a mile in Bowburn? That's hardly limited stop.
- Out of three stops in Coxhoe, why serve an end stop, rather than the one in the middle?
The Sedgefield one is interesting. As I recall, the X12 (or X1 as it was back then), started serving every stop when the old Sedgefield-Durham 55/55A was withdrawn. This provided a half-hourly link between Sedgefield and Durham Bus Station, and also complimented the existing services on the corridor. Does this leave most of Sedgefield without a bus service to Durham?