(11 Jun 2020, 7:01 pm)beefcake wrote Personally I would disagree with that. I spent 7 months commuting from Hartlepool to Doxford before passing my driving test and honestly, if there was a bus that could have got me to work for 7.45am and home after 8pm then I wouldn't have given the train a second glance. The price difference was significant, as I could use an apprentice pass on the bus, which covered me for my days off work too and not just between Hartlepool and Sunderland, had WiFi and chargers available, fewer connections and overall journey times were very similar.
I did say it would be subjective
That sounds a horrid commute though almost doing a V shape and no doubt cost a fortune since you can't get any form of train / bus combo down there surprised there's not an easier way tbh.