(19 Sep 2013, 9:17 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote The flaw in the GNE approach seems obvious to me. Look at the X3 route from Sunderland city centre (on Metro line) to Monkwearmouth (on Metro line) to Newcastle Road (on Metro line) to the Boldons (on Metro line). Metro every 15 mins (on a good day), X3 twice an hour with no evening or Sunday service.
Sorry to repeat previous rambles, but an Express bus to Newcastle from Sunderland would likely be more successful if it addressed unmet need rather than duplicating routes. There are clear alternative corridors they could use out of Sunderland: Chester Road being the obvious example. The X95 was successful for years and the X2 likewise was a well used commuter & shopper link – but they wanted the Citaros for the X1 expansion, so severed the (direct) link. Even something along the lines of whichever X it was that years ago went from Ryhope – Silksworth – Herrington – Shiney – Washington – Newcastle would be more innovative than 'how else can we run a bus parallel to the Metro'.
You have hit the nail on the head and it is something I have mentioned previously.
The only place there isn't competition from the metro with the x3 is Boldon.
Which is also where the x34 and x36 pick up/drop off passengers...
GNE even said as much in the feedback they gave following the consultation