I travel to Sunderland on Saturdays for work so I do get to use the services. But there are some things that niggle me. I'm not keen on the duplication of route shared by 36/36A and 99 around North Sunderland. Last Saturday, a Cadet on the 36A broke down in Hylton Castle, and passengers ended up boarding the 99 instead of waiting for the replacement bus. This section of route didn't need the increase in frequency from 2 an hour to 3. 36/36A now also duplicates the 73 between Sunderland and Enterprise Park/Castletown via Trimdon Street.
The 73 is a bit of an oddball service I reckon, the route is just too messy and the only serving Coach Road Estate in one direction baffles me. The 99 has been ruined now by no longer serving Morrisons car park. I believe the route to Seaburn Morrisons has been under threat for some time due to the recent opening of Sainsbury's at Castletown, and now the new Tesco at Wheatsheaf. I think the route should be just pulled out of Seaburn once and for all and re-directed to the new Wheatsheaf development and the city centre. I'd quite like to see a re-organising of the 73, the 99, and the 37 in Washington.
99 would be withdrawn in its present form. Hourly service 37 would operate clockwise from Washington Galleries to Coach Road Estate, Concord, Waterview Park, Castletown, Enterprise Park, Southwick, Wheatsheaf (for new Tesco retail development), Sunderland city centre, Trimdon Street B&Q, Pallion, Royal Hospital, Silksworth, Doxford International and Shiney Row; before returning to Washington Galleries. Hourly service 73 would operate this circular route in the anticlockwise direction. 37/73 would operate in continuous circles, operating across Washington Galleries in both directions.
A new service 99 would operate hourly between Hylton Castle and Silksworth via Southwick, Sunderland city centre, Pallion, and Royal Hospital. The 99 would combine with 37/73 to form a 30 minute service between Southwick, Wheatsheaf, Sunderland city centre, Trimdon Street, Pallion, Royal Hospital and Silksworth. 99 also coordinates with existing X36 to offer a bus every 30 minutes between Downhill, Red House, Ramsgate Road, Marley Pots, Southwick, and Sunderland. 37/73 would also coordinate to offer an improved 30 minute frequency between Concord and Coach Road Estate. There is also a new direct link from Silksworth to Doxford Park Shops, Doxford International, and Washington.
37/73 retains the link between Castletown/Enterprise Park and Pallion/Royal Hospital/Silksworth on existing 99. New 99 retains the link provided by the existing 99 from Hylton Castle/Town End Farm/Downhill/Red House to Pallion/Royal Hospital/Silksworth. 37/73 and 99 also provides a brand new direct service from Pallion to the new Tesco retail development at Wheatsheaf every half hour. By routing 37/73 via Southwick and Wheatsheaf between Castletown and Sunderland, this provides a new direct link from Wheatsheaf and Southwick to the Enterprise Park, and also increases the number of buses from Castletown to the new Wheatsheaf Tesco from 2 to 3 when combined with the 26.
To give passenger numbers on the southern section of 36/36A a boost, I'd quite like to see buses divert to serve the Clacton Road terminus in Hylton Castle. This is a huge catchment area and would only add two minutes to running times, leaving a still decent four minutes layover at Sunderland.
I think these services could be partly commercial, with Nexus perhaps securing certain journeys and paying a contribution towards the running costs of other trips.
I believe the overall PVR would increase from 5 to 6, but for the new links generated I think it would be worth it. Just an idea anyway, I've had a quick jot of the running times if anyone is interested
