(06 Jan 2021, 1:02 am)deanmachine wrote The Seaham to Sunderland journey isn't that long in reality either. There's already a half hourly express service that isn't used much anyways, just look at how long it kept it's X-Lines spec Solos.
Also in response to other people's posts, it's absolutely laughable that people don't see South Shields to Sunderland as being a type of service people use. Stagecoach have 3 services and the 20 being every 12 minutes shows how used it is, and it is, even during a lockdown.
Fair points tbf, I wouldn't really do it anyway tbh it was just more sensible if we had to cut something (there's an obsession on here) over the 20.
(06 Jan 2021, 1:21 am)ifm001 wrote I'm not saying that Shields to Sunderland is not a used service. Quite the opposite. Offer an Express in addition to the normal service (all other GNE areas have Xs why not Shields). But I have to ask the question. A 36-40 seat vehicle every 12 mins or a 50- 70 seat vehicle every 20/30 mins would still benefit surely not, and release other vehicles and drivers to be used elsewhere that may be struggling more than the Shields to Sunderland route.
You're kind of missing the point of an Express service. They're generally there to give further out points a quicker route to a major hub where most people are travelling. That isn't the case between Sunderland and South Shields so by creating an express all your doing is cutting the service for a particular area for a time saving of approx 5 minutes max and it's not worth it. There's also a fair chunk of GNE's 'express' network which is rather questionable about whether it's express at all (X45/X46/X47/X5/X15).
From GNE's point of view maybe but as a passenger there's a very big difference between a bus every 12 minutes and a bus every 30 minutes. Especially on the South Shields end where people would opt to use the slower but more frequent E service to Sunderland and 3/4 into South Shields so you'd lose passengers in the end and also at the Sunderland end with the E2. If the bus route makes a profit of £500 a day lets say now, by moving those buses off that service onto another service isn't going to make that route more profitable. You are taking a massive risk at decreasing that £500 a profit on the 20 though when it's not needed. If a bus route is making money why change it?
If you really want to make a positive change have a look at the 9 because the services which Boldon get lately are an disgrace for the size of town with a half hourly service and that's your lot now (used to be every 15 minutes with the X3 aswell).
Personally I'd go for an express bus route like this - https://goo.gl/maps/ppRbZY8d87LbEaBe8 and if you wondering why the weird route along Follingsby it's so you create a bus link to the new massive Amazon centre which is being built from Newcastle and Sunderland and metro connections from East Boldon and Heworth which atm doesn't have any bus services at all and at the same time improving areas which generally have a poor service.