(Yesterday, 7:52 pm)Storx wrote None of those routes are comparable at all though, they're rural routes along country roads mostly with very little road traffic and end to end journeys exists, X12 aside and that thing in unreliable as an understatement at the Birtley side (or used to be)
It's not the length which is the issue, it's the lack of through journeys at the Redcar side and a serious bottle neck (Dixon Bank area) on the route with no regulation point for the Redcar operated vehicles. It's all good saying there's time to have a nap at Marske but the bus has to get there first.
The Redcar to Middlesbrough is a good move tho imo.
The 57/57A is horrific for it (but the timetable is tight) and so are all the Blyth routes because of their interworking but credit to the ground staff they regulate them well at Blyth Bus Station so it's not an issue (there's no option for this here on Redcar operated boards).
But if they have 15-20 min sit up at Marske then where’s the issue? That should be enough to cover most delays! Anything beyond that would destroy most services…