(09 Oct 2023, 3:24 pm)d RMF1254 wrote The long distance services I remember were as follows:

220 (57) Sunderland - Durham - Bishop Auckland 
230 (40) Newcastle - Sunderland - Hartlepool
231 (45) Newcastle - Houghton - Hartlepool 
721 (42) Newcastle - Durham - Crook
722/723 (46) Newcastle - Durham - Darlington
724 (56) Newcastle - Durham - Bishop Auckland 
X1 (55) Newcastle - Durham - Middlesbrough 

All were jointly operated by United and Northern, plus the 230/220 (40/57) also had journeys operated by Sunderland District. All Journeys from Newcastle were from Worswick Street except the 724 (56) which left from Marlborough Crescent. OK’s Bishop Auckland service also left from Marlborough Crescent but operated via Neville’s Cross not Durham. 

United also also had the Scottish services jointly operated with Eastern Scottish.
504/505/506 Newcastle - Berwick - Edinburgh
508 Newcastle - Jedburgh - Edinburgh
510 Newcastle - Wooler - Kelso - Edinburgh
515 Whitley Bay - Newcastle - Jedburgh - Glasgow

It’d be great to see a newcastle-Edinburgh long distance bus brought back. Maybe an extension of the X74 would be most commercially viable (I’m fully aware that it wouldn’t be in times like this, but maybe in the future) a double decker with coach spec (eg Harrogate 36 sort of thing) could work nicely for that imo.

Ik there’s been a lot of talk about loosing the X10 with the angel network but (in my opinion!!) expanding long distance services could be quite beneficial for the north east regardless of weather the routes are fully neca based, and I don’t necessarily see routes like that being part of the angel network but hopefully supported by it and other relevant authorities.