(09 Sep 2023, 9:52 am)Drifter60 wrote See I don’t know, I actually avoid the 61 when travelling from the Top of Seaham into Sunderland, something I used to do for a few years in two previous jobs, because of the city centre loop, it took too long to get to the interchange. I was connecting to the metro in one case and another bus in the other, so I always opted for the 60,22,23 because they felt much more direct. When the 61 became the 9 it was better because it at least when to the interchange first, most got off there though in my experience. Not many travelled through to alight at Fawcett Street, anyone still on the bus went beyond the city centre. 

People go on about buses being ‘white elephants’, ‘not in the right places etc’ but there still very well used, if they weren’t Go North East wouldn’t send the vast majority of buses into the interchange. I always preferred a bus station because you knew exactly what stand to wait at and buses pulled in, rather than busy City Centre stops where there’s loads of buses passing.

Aye no arguments about that, btw on the loop I meant more run straight to the interchange first so something like this, obviously the road from the interchange to Burdon Road would have to be built first though:



Then it means people would have a choice where they get on / off. All North terminators, E1/E2/E6/56 etc doing the green route.

Means everyone would get a direct link to both the interchange and the train station in particular. I agree the Burdon Road link atm sucks though.