(29 Aug 2023, 10:33 pm)Adrian wrote I'd suspect the issue here is about covering as much, with as little resource as possible. Splitting the 2 in Sunderland is not only an extra bus, but it's significant waste in layover time, and it's confusing for passengers who have a through service all day.
Yes, I recall it (the 8) ran all the way to Sunderland, but I believe it was fully commercial.

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I thought it was when GNE won the contact for evening Sunderland-Castletown instead of stagecoach that the 8 was extended to cover the full route. When they then lost it again it was cut back.