(22 Aug 2022, 7:35 pm)Rapidsnap wrote Metro Tickets will be available onboard due to the stations being closed for other work taking place.

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Thing is Heworth Interchange is capable of handling large exchanges of passengers between metro and bus (and vice versa) where as Fellgate station doesn't really have the facilities or the set up to handle the amount of traffic in various forms. As if it was from Fellgate, all the South Shields passengers would be boarding the Sunderland trains which can be busy enough as it is.

Granted people for Jarrow and South Shields may just jump on the first bus that comes whether it's a 900 or X900. Think between Heworth and Jarrow there isn't much time difference between the two unless the roads are dug up again which is more than likely. But between Jarrow and South Shields, the X900 doesn't have to double back on itself to service Simonside or go around the houses to service Tyne Dock or Chichester, just needs to head along the main road into South Shields.

Aye fair points about Heworth mind, didn't think of that. Wonder if omitting Jarrow would be a better idea then still save substantial time for those further way, it's only an extra 6 minutes extra than Fellgate going direct anyway. It'll be still quicker than the route now for South Shields, give all the extremity stations a better service at the same time and avoid the snail between Jarrow / Heworth which will happen.

Btw the route for Simonside / Tyne Dock / Chichester only actually adds 2 minutes, it's quite a direct route.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Heworth,...b4!1m0!3e0 - Something like that (it's the route 900 does anyway at the South Shields end).