(29 Apr 2020, 1:50 pm)Andreos1 wrote Im not sure there's no demand for an express service between the two points, I just don't think it would work.
Assuming you live in North Sunderland. It is still going to be quicker and easier to get a 56 and then a 4. Than it would be to go to Park Lane and come back on yourself.
Someone, living in Fatfield but working in Sunderland City centre would probably find it quicker getting a 2 or an 8 all the way; than a bus to the Galleries and then wait for an express.
To make it quick, would mean limiting the number of places it stops. Which would then limit how many fares it would take on short hops, which could supplement the longer fares and boost viability.
As attractive as it may be for some, I think any failure would be a legacy of the current network model.
I think the old Newcastle/Washington - Sunderland services started to suffer when the metro extension to Sunderland opened in 2002. They were very popular before then. Even still the X2 always seemed to have decent loadings, even until it was axed. If I remember rightly the Washington to Sunderlandpart of the X2 became was merged with the 773/4 and became the Silver Arrows 2A/C and was initially given a 10 minute frequency. I think there must be some demand for a Newcastle to Sunderland express service as Stagecoach's X24 has been going for a while now, so I think Go North East should never have scrapped the X2.