(17 Jan 2024, 9:15 am)Storx wrote It's a bit bizarre route, comes across as a route designed 50 year ago and never really changed with stuff changing around it.
It's changed a fair bit over the years to be fair. Back in the day it used to be decker operated on a 20 min frequency in both directions (circular with 19) with an evening and Sunday service too. The route has changed, particularly in Grindon/Springwell (oddly abandoning the bit of Springwell Road where it was the only service, now just unused shelters outside the health centre etc), and the cut of the Durham Road/Kayll Road bit, as well as the Town/Grangetown/Leechmere/Tunstall limb which went years ago. Some of the changes happened way back when the old Service 6 was withdrawn and the 18/19 revised to replace it in part. Others more recent.
(17 Jan 2024, 11:30 am)F114TML wrote It gets a lot of St Aiden's kids too, as well as a fair few for Sandhill View and Hill View (Grangetown), also a few people who work at the industrial sites by the QA Bridge. It's not unusual for that morning 18A to be standing room only at points on a schoolday, particularly if it's a 39000 doing it.
The old Service 6 mentioned above used to carry crazy loads at peak school times and unless it was decker operated or duped (which did happen back then) would regularly leave loads standing so not surprised the 18A can still be heaving at that end of the route.