(23 Feb 2023, 11:28 pm)Drifter60 wrote The issue with these corridors is that operators don’t take on any thing that could be a risk. I’ve long thought Arriva could have routed maybe their 23 service via Seaham Harbour, yes you’d add some journey time but you’d open up new connections and particularly when lots of other services were cut back or axed all together. Offering direct buses between Hartlepool, Easington Colliery, Horden, Blackhall, Seaham and Seaham Train Station maybe too, before Horden opened that could have been an interesting connection to the rail line northbound. For Arriva they would even still have the 22 operating the ‘quick’ route too, for Peterlee to Sunderland A to B travellers, so I don’t see many negatives. Then coordination of the 22/61 timings could give an every 15 mins service Sunderland to Dalton Park.
But instead as no one likes any element of risk, we’re stuck with up to 14 buses per hour* at one point duplicating the exact same route from New Seaham to Sunderland via Ryhope and Grangetown - which is complete overkill.
*currently 10 Mon-Fri
Yeah some fair points. See personally what I'd do if I had the buses down there is scrap the X6 completely and change the 22/23 into it.
The X6 I believe is actually slightly quicker from Dalton Park to Sunderland believe it or not than the 22/23 and buses always 'feel quicker' when they're passing stops or running express for parts of it (even known it's not).
Like you said it would open quicker routes and also give Seaham a proper express to Sunderland rather than everyone cramming on the 60 and stopping everywhere.
So you'd end up with something like
60: Every 15 Minutes
61: Every 30 Minutes, Terminate at Murton
62: Every 30 Minutes, Current 61 route to Dalton Park, old 62 route to South Hetton or Easington Lane (depending on timings), extended hourly to Peterlee
Combined Every 7.5 Minutes, Sunderland to Seaham Grange.
22/23: Every 15 Minutes express from Dalton Park to Sunderland via Seaham and the Garden Village planned.
X6: Withdrawn
Would improve most the messy links around there especially the 61 farce.