(03 Jan 2014, 12:34 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote It would also cause a serious ruffle in Stagecoach's feathers by competing directly with arguably their most profitable service on Teesside!
Given that and the fact Stagecoach park up a few double deckers during the day between schools, Arriva likely assessed that the retaliation from Stagecoach using these spare 'off peak' buses would have the potential to hurt them more than any benefit gained from linking down to Middlesbrough.
That is why I suspect it hasn't been done as of yet.
Passengers in Hartlepool are very insular, in that they stay in the town unless they need to go somewhere else.
I have even heard stories of residents from The Headland, never leaving The Headland.
Those who do use the current buses to Stockton, Middlesbrough etc complain they take too long.
Going back to the previous point on handovers, is there nothing via Hartlepool that could work?
Haven't looked at timings here, but:
Durham - Hartlepool. Hartlepool - Sunderland. Return - rest period.
Or
Durham - Sunderland. Sunderland - Hartlepool. Hartlepool - Durham - rest period.