(10 Aug 2025, 4:50 pm)Malarkey wrote The 168 has always carried fresh air as it's just there for the Elderly between East Rainton and Easington Lane to go to the shops in Hetton-Le-Hole.
You could extend the service from East Rainton Estate via the A690 up to Houghton-Le-Spring via Rainton Bridge Industrial Estate and Dairy Lane which would open further options for extensions perhaps through to the new Houghton-Spring-Retail Park.
Pretty sure it only came about when the 535/536 were re-cast in the mid 2000s. Pretty sure Classic won it initially and ran Nexus branded Optare Alero's. They had a Nimbus allocated regularly too off memory.
It's hung around for a good while now and whilst not perfect, it does what it needs to for those people who don't have an alternative.
Tbf, the entire Nexus network around Houghton should be looked at.
Not just the 168.
Whether that be short, cross-town links like you mention, or combining things like the 79 with the 168.
Ultimately, those routes only exist because the likes of GNE diddled off.