(15 Sep 2013, 5:30 pm)Michael wrote Wonder what option's people would of had if the 20/35 changes went ahead as GNE wanted them to.
Such as the 20 extending to South Shields - replacing the 35 - route would of taken 88 mins - PVR would of being 18 - if kept at every 10 mins.
35 - i think was run from Park lane to South Moosley etc only- remaining 10 mins - this could of being spilt.
Did GNE not once run a Durham-Sunderland-South Shields service about 15 years ago, I'm sure it was the X20, I am sure the Durham-Shields service was X20 and X50 with the X20 going to Sunderland and the X50 being what is todays 50 running half hourly combined between Durham and Shields...I'm thinking late 90's when I was living in Durham
(17 Sep 2013, 3:52 pm)W179SCU wrote ‘’Red Arrows’’ Service Change Suggestion
Service X1 would operate every 15 mins from Newcastle to Houghton, but will now only operate every 30 minutes to Hetton and Easington Lane. However, there would still be a regular service to Washington and Hetton, provided by a new ‘’Red Arrows’’ service X4, operating from Newcastle to Seaham via Gateshead, Washington, Houghton, Hetton and Murton. The X4 and 265 will provide a more regular link between Hetton and Seaham. The X4 will run fast from Newcastle to Washington only stopping at Gateshead.
e.g Departures from Eldon Square
X1 – Easington Lane (05)
X1 – Houghton (20)
X4 – Seaham (27)
X1 – Easington Lane (35)
X1 – Houghton (50)
X4 – Seaham (57)
Interesting, I would love to see better connections with Newcastle coming through Murton, but would it be worth a half hourly service, I'm not so sure, but in my mind I was thinking something like extend 1 X1 an hour to Dalton Park splitting off at Hetton, leaving Easington Lane with a 12 minute service. Other ideas I had are probably not so good, extend the Newcastle bound X3 or X36 to Dalton Park running limited stop between Park Lane and Dalton Park or a new East Durham Run Service
Murton-Dalton Park-Seaham-Seaton Lane-A19-Heworth-Gateshead-Newcastle 1p/h
I think the best Murton can hope for would be better bus links going into Dalton Park, demand rising once Phase 2 is built and the best we would ever probably get if demand is there and then it would be probably one X7 or one X9 or X10 per hour.
The old argument of good connections already comes up, East Durham is well connected to Newcastle,
202/265 half hourly combined to Easington Lane/Hetton
60 every 10 minutes Seaham-Sunderland
61 every 15 minutes Murton-Sunderland
Both Easington Lane/Hetton and Sunderland see a regular service to Newcastle and that seems to be GNE's justification for not putting on services between Seaham/Murton to Newcastle