(07 Jan 2014, 10:58 am)Greg in Weardale wrote And the X3 isn't run by just one vehicle so the reason it stops at Monkwearmouth isn't as I had assumed because that was as far as the bus could get in the time available, but it presumably runs empty into Sunderland and does something else. It is perhaps the worst case of bus service design I can remember. Why not just kill it off now. The X3 was a perfectly good service when it first started, although it did suffer from the disappearance of buses at school times, but even after it was cut to hourly to Newcastle it was quite well used - better than X36 for intermediate passengers between Sunderland and Boldon.
From what I can see;
Board 1:
7:30 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
Runs dead to depot to pick up a scholar. Then returns onto the X3's.
9:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
10:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
There's a gap.
13:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
14:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Picks up a scholar.
17:20 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
2nd board;
Picks up the scholar.
10:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
11:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Then there's a gap.
12:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
13:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Picks up scholar.
Very strange workings. I can't quite make out if I'm right with what I've said, and the gaps in the middle of the day are strange. Not sure what buses will be used. I've guessed that these will interwork with the scholar the 99 used to do, 'board 1' pick that one up. I've said before about a scholar in Seaham which uses an MPD, it's possible that this bus will now be used on X3's during daytimes.
I can't see anything more than MPD been needed for this service I'm guessing we'll see 547 & 542 used on this with 544 & 561 used on the 99. Obviously with the East Durham branded examples, 541 & 543 been used on 238's. This does mean all Deptford MPD's are required daily with only 1 spare at Peterlee. I can see shortage of these vehicles in coming months, maybe more cadets on some MPD routes?