(8 hours ago)Andreos1 wrote It seems to work for the Teams - Newcastle services which divert via Centrelink on a morning peak.
Or the X24a, which diverts via Doxford International.

But, ultimately whatever the network is now, it's not working. Cutting/reducing and consolidating isn't working either. 

I'm not sure we need to go down the Moto hub route that was suggested a while back (although it was different and there were positives), but it's clear something different needs introducing. A peak time diversion, via key employment locations (to me), seems like a good starting point. 

• It won't need a dedicated resource. 
  
• It won't run once a day in either direction. 
  
• Through passengers would supplement those making shorter journeys. 
  
• It could complement the existing (but limited) services in the area. 
  
• A prefix P could be used to help identify those Peak services. 
  

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If they worked that well, they would be full and people would be using them.
You'd not have the car park through Lamesley or the need to widen the A1 either. 

Using the 937 as an example, it would only be suitable for those very few people starting at 8am and finishing at 5pm and working Monday to Friday (guessing it would take people over the WTD as well). 
Start or finish later and you've got the delights of changing at Low Fell or the Interchange. Assuming there's room to get on a 21 and it isn't beset by delays.

On a personal level, I used to work at Team Valley. 
As a fan of public transport and as a driver fed up of the A1, I tried the bus on more than one occasion. 

The journey was approx 9 miles in the car. Took anything from 30mins to an hour.
The bus - well, it always meant 2 changes. Sometimes 3 (depending which way I went).
Took 90 minutes on average. 

Max roundtrip of 2 hours in the car. Often less.
Min roundtrip on the bus of 3 hours.

That's on top of an 8 hour day at work.
It shouldn't take that long and it shouldn't be that complicated.

Realistically the full Gateshead and North Durham network needs a complete rejig from the hashed up remains of the 00’s network it currently is. A park and ride site at Team Valley for Newcastle wouldn’t go amiss either. Assuming there’s not other plans but the Site offices for the A1 Upgrades would make a suitable site.