(7 hours ago)Andreos1 wrote Whether it's as connected or not, it still needs to be taken in to account.
Theres the X26/27.
The X4 and X93/94.
They're all carrying healthy loads between NY and TVCA and are offering a pretty frequent combined frequency on each.
Then you've got the likes of the 72 between Darlo and Northallerton.
Or the 89 between Boro and Northallerton.
You can't just say 'ah it doesn't matter, because it's not as connected'.
Of course it matters.
How easy it is to fix, is one thing.
But lumping one area in with another, isn't the fix.
For years, people would get on/off the X5 at Snippersgate garage to save the fare difference between Easington Lane and South Hetton.
It was the same at Barley Mow in Birtley and I imagine other places too.
Thankfully, a lot of those fare issues/barriers to travelling are in the past.
They don't need to come back.
Aye no arguments on transport, I was talking more economic more than just transport though.
Arguably Hartlepool is the county town for some of East Durham and Darlington is the county town for some of South West Durham but there's absolutely no control over either from a region point of view because we've split it in half.
Obviously there's going to be some issues with transport wherever but these exist already anyway.
What we don't have right now is a depot in Darlington with routes being franchised in another county. God knows what the plan is for these as you can't have the whole SW Durham / East Durham network running from Belmont. There's literally currently not another depot for any reasonable size of work. No doubt it's something they haven't thought about it either and will scramble for a solution last minute.