(15 Jul 2022, 9:44 pm)DeltaMan wrote GNE has a pretty pathetic footprint in Sunderland if truth be told. They've always been the "out of town" operator with the odd inner city route like the 39 nowadays.
The reason the X1 has survived and expanded is because you can get from virtually any part of Sunderland to Doxford with one bus change on a cheap Megarider ticket. That is unbeatable.
Surely the other reason is most people can get there with GNE without going to Sunderland at all. Anyone in the Ryhope / Grangetown area arguably there biggest market can go direct with the 39/39A and anyone from the South West can get there direct with the X20 and now anyone from the Washington area can get the new 39 extension.
After that who else is there really, like you said they're more likely going to use Stagecoach anyway as GNE is awful in North Sunderland other than Chester Road and people from Seaham and the South will drive as it takes 2 days.
Speaking of which didn't realise the 39A is being extended to Houghton hourly all day.