(15 Mar 2026, 2:58 pm)Superman wrote Too much duplication. The 5 would be all over the 63, absolutely no need for it to be. The hospital isn't the significant driver of traffic people seem to think it is. Cranmore Road would lose a service completely, along with most of Cargo Fleet Lane in this option.

The route suggested through Skelton Industrial Estate is logical, but not optional, its private land and the management company will not allow buses to do this (Arriva 5A did at once point in the dim and distant past, but was quickly changed within weeks for this reason). Apparently buses damage their unadopted roads (but seem to forget about the HGV's that do it daily). This is why Skelton ASDA is served in the odd way it currently is by everything that does (1/2 and Sunday 3).

No service to Hunters Hill?
Saltburn and Lingdale lose their direct links to Skelton ASDA?
Almost certainly more than the 2 PVR currently used by the 1 and 2.

The elephant in the room is that even drivers of the 1 and 2 say publicly (on the various FB posts about this that are around), the services are not used in any sensible volume at all. Appreciate they might not be perfect and people want small amends, but its providing for a majority of requested links and people still don't bother.


For me the answer is arguably simple. Do something with an extension of the X3 to extend from Lingdale to Skelton ASDA, Brotton, Loftus and Easington (=1 PVR)
Divert the 62 to cover Cranmore Rd in Middlesbrough and send the 5 fast from Cargo Fleet Lane (saves enough time to serve Skinningrove again).
Extend the X2 to Skelton ASDA, and then across to Easington via similar route to X3 (=1 PVR). Massovely increasing bus availability in the area, all linked to Redcar or Middlesbrough as a minimum.
Liverton and Moorsholm (with the greatest of respect to them) shouldnt dictate about 1 third of the mileage, when the remainder of the populated area could be served significantly better. The current 1 and 2 waste time doing weird routes just to serve these areas. X93 could divert off peak for example for Moorsholm.

I would have  x2 to Easington  via Redcar  Saltburn Skelton retail park  but then have the x2 not interworking with the 64 64a 

X3 Lingdale via Redcar and new Marske  Which gives Newmarske a choice between Middlesbrough Redcar or Saltburn  via Skelton retail park  that way both east Cleveland folks have a direct link to asda


Then obviously x3a scholars carry on as normal