(2 hours ago)Busadvocate wrote I appreciate that having to change buses has disadvantages too, but anything more than an hourly service at somewhere like Burnhope is pretty unrealistic. In any case, I strongly suspect most Burnhope passengers don't travel across Stanley on the 6, so would be unaffected (ie they are just travelling locally or changing onto other services). The buses to Newcastle etc are obviously much more frequent than hourly, so it's essentially the return that is the potential problem if the incoming bus runs late. If we are dreaming of a more perfect world, there could be a system of a guaranteed taxi back-up for a failed connection, which seems more realistic. Or even better, more radical bus priority to avoid the delays. Or failing that, an operating regime with more back-up resources to allow a substitute bus to come into service when needed.

Aye can't disagree, not sure how feasible it would be but I'd always love to see connections with the trains rather than Stanley for connections. Like Chester Le Street is just down the road in the other direction. 

Can we not create a little transport hub here and connect buses with the trains considering they go in both directions 5 minutes apart and are generally a hell of a lot more punctual.

If you gave them enough layover they could easily offer guaranteed connections and it's a connection I'd happily make - especially considering the train takes 9 minutes from CLS to Newcastle and 6 minutes to Durham. Even if it was only a couple of journeys a day as there's not probably not unlimited demand to Newcastle; with your local service doing that local links.

Similar discussion for the likes of 71 and 700's aswell. You could be home to Great Lumley in 25 minutes, if there was a connection and would make the 71 much more sustainable whereas the idea of trodding on the X21 for 40 minutes, then connecting isn't attractive imo.