The email says that there will continue to be four buses per hour between Boldon ASDA, East Boldon and Sunderland on the current 9/X3 corridor. Since the 9 is to be "largely unchanged", perhaps this route will continue every 30 minutes instead of the proposed 20 minute frequency. The email also says that X3 will operate hourly through to Newcastle, so I'm wondering if it would operate half hourly as far as Boldon ASDA - which would make up the four buses per hour on the East Boldon corridor (if the 9 stays at 2 an hour).

I'm also wondering if the same is planned for X36 - half hourly to Boldon ASDA, then hourly to Newcastle. While there would be an hourly service to Newcastle from East Boldon (X3) and North Sunderland (X36), passengers in East Boldon could also be able to take the alternate short working of X3 to Boldon ASDA and then hop onto the Newcastle-bound X36 to complete their journey - so in effect, a half hourly service to Newcastle is offered on both routes, (alternate buses on each route being direct, or a change being required).

I think keeping a fairly regular frequency on the existing 36 route is needed - the bus I got home this afternoon was fully seated with a couple of standees. If the X36 was half hourly through North Sunderland, that would combine with a half hourly 36 to provide the proposed 15 minute frequency. An irregular frequency of an hourly X36 and a half hourly 36 would kill the route IMO.

Best to wait and see, hopefully details will be out soon