(12 Feb 2024, 10:59 pm)V514DFT wrote The X4/X5 definitely went via Station Road/Northumbrian Way after the 2010 "big shakeup", not forgetting the X6, no idea when it changed after that, i only used it once and it was the X5 that turned up first,it was November 2010
Sorry missed there, aye that's when it changed I believe as they flipped it for the X5/X6 via Fern Drive and the X4 skipping it going direct to Burradon. Was absolute hell on at the top end of Blyth, from what I can remember, as they extended the route massively.
Believe it was the time it started serving Cramlington aswell with the 3/101 scrapped.
(12 Feb 2024, 11:30 pm)solsburian wrote Oh yes, I'd certainly be all for the resurrection of the X36! Given the fact that the X7 and X8 are stopping at more stops these days, especially in the evenings with Matthew Bank etc., it is probably time they dropped the X prefix on these services.
Yeah tbh, I don't understand now why they don't have a few expresses in the morning and off peak serve Matthew Bank aswell, for the few minutes it would add, it really wouldn't be the end of the world tbh. Maybe all 7/8's during the day, then a few X7's at peak time, don't really need the express 8 as the X7 covers most of South Beach anyway.
Personally I'd take the compromise tbh and they could probably get away with full single decker running (bar the 2 school runs) as let's be honest there's no Decker's needed any other time of the day. Obviously just need the buses from somewhere, could maybe just drop '7' boards and run them as the X7 instead, whenever I use it there's very very few people getting on between Newcastle and Seghill heading towards Blyth, excluding Quorum.