(18 Mar 2014, 1:37 pm)cbma06 wrote l received an email from DCC Transport section before GNE took the services on commercial and their said in the email that GNE still has to maintain the key links where it wasn't commercial and also the early journey times in certain timetables.
ive sent loads of proposed routes and changes for the East Durham area over the past few years.
The extension of the 260 via Easington Colliery was one of them, even though their extended service 208 to replace the 260, I told GNE that by the time the 260 arrives at Easington Lane to Peterlee that the X35 is always just in front or running together with the 260 and its the same route to peterlee minus the 260 diverted to the old South Hetton terminus which takes in about 2 minutes on journey time, and since awhile ago the Easington MP and residents complained about Arriva withdrawing their direct service to Durham, then GNE might get more passengers going to Durham from Easington Colliery as the 260 wasn't hardly picking up passengers between Easington Lane and Peterlee due to the X35.
Ive already mentioned about proposed X36 to Hartlepool some time ago, copy:
Hello Go North East,
Just a couple of suggestions:
options on service X35/X36:
option A:
Why doesn't GNE run the X35 as a through service at Sunderland Interchange? the service has 7minutes layover before it goes out onto X36 to Newcastle which is nothing and it has about 20 minutes layover in Sunderland before it heads off to Hartlepool (it roughly takes about 10 minutes to get the passengers on board at Sunderland Interchange anyway as most passengers wait for this service to Houghton etc... instead of the 35 series), and run it as X35 between Hartlepool and Newcastle with it a split service at Sunderland Interchange as what GNE did with registering the X7 twice at Peterlee.
option B:
Run the X35 hourly between Hartlepool and Newcastle but half hourly between Peterlee bus station and Sunderland Interchange and run the X36 Newcastle to Hartlepool with a half hourly between Sunderland and Newcastle with X35, and extend the X36 from Sunderland to Hartlepool via Grangetown, Ryhope, Seaham Inn, Dalton Park, Easington Village to Peterlee bus station, then the X35 and X36 still be a joint 30 minute service between Peterlee and Hartlepool. it would take in customers off the Arriva 23 from Hartlepool and the Arriva service 24 between Peterlee and Sunderland and it would be more limited stop between Peterlee and Sunderland.
Well I personally I think the Sunderland-Hartlepool down the coast is worth thinking about...
Just a thought on it, does it have to include Peterlee, why not just follow the 23 as far as Hardon and keep on going, didn't United/Arriva 230 do that at some point
Sunderland-Grangetown-Ryhope-New Seaham-Dalton Park-Easington Village-Easington Colliery-Horden-Blackhall-Hartlepool
Pygalls claimed to do Sunderland-Hartlepool in 50 minutes, surely with a bit of effort GNE could match that no problem