(10 hours ago)TheClumsyPineapple wrote There really is no demand at all for the X70. Its literally dead excluding the morning and evening peak.
I politely disagree with single deckers as the entire corridor is busy on X45/47 deckers are needed for the route. As even from consett there are healthy loads. Single deckers make no sense for it as they're always rammed whenever singles are put on.
Surely that's partially an advertising issue aswell though since the X45/X70/X71 are technically 4 BPH from Newcastle to Consett but people are avoiding the 70's.
No doubt the X30/31/32/70/71/72/73 mess doesn't help things as unless you're good at timetables it's confusing.
I wouldn't want to explain which one goes to Gateshead and which ones you can't use etc.
Get rid of the X72/73 and send both the X70/X71 by Gateshead you've eliminated that issue. Not to mention Team Valley and Gateshead are places where people want to go unlike Whickham and Dunston but being hourly it's borderline unusable unless you like risks or can fix times which most people can't.