(01 Sep 2026, 9:34 pm)Adrian wrote The Metro will take you into Sunderland in about 12 minutes, frequent, and each train can hold hundreds. The 56, 2 and 8 take 40+ minutes from the bus stations.

If people didn't have a desire to get places faster, fewer people would bother with a car, and we'd have a bus service to London instead of a train. Unless you're going to tell us something that we don't know.

How is an interchange with Washington North missing? I agree that I'd prefer a through loop, but there's really nothing preventing interchange here.

Aye but you've got to get to the Metro Station first.

The 56 is only 30 minutes from Concord to Fawcett Street btw, and the 8 could easily be the same from the Galleries if it didn't piss about with Teal Farm. Assuming it takes 5 minutes to get to Metro, 8 minute interchange and then 12 minutes; there's not much savings here but it's a bit of a piss on and that's been quite generous timings wise. Neither have peak time issues either since there's not really traffic problems.

Just seems a bit pointless; surely money would be better trying to speed up the buses instead? Like you could easily knock off another 5/10 minutes if you send some over the Spire Bridge; even if they were peak only. 

Obviously Newcastle the other way is a whole different kettle of fish because traffic is a nightmare at peak times so 100% makes sense and there's loads of unique connections anyway.