(03 Dec 2014, 7:15 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Would need a Shave by the time you get off that, think you have completely outdone any of my so called Marathons.Coming from the person who suggested a service to Gretna and Dumfries
The Sunderland-Seaham-Durham bus was the 254 in the early/mid 90's, iirc, the 254 came into being after the Drivers Strike in 1991 to squeeze out competition by Bleanch Travel in Hetton who ran the 154 during that strike. Lasted till about 1997/98 when the route was modified to follow the 152 to Sunderland and was re-numbered 151, which itself lasted till about 2006/07 when the 61/62 was introduced, the 62 went on to become the 162 and a little while later 202
As for routing a potential Durham service round Murton, the 61 as it is could be kept on it's clockwise loop round Murton and another service could routed on the anti-clockwise loop of Murton...
This would be my suggestion...
61A...X7 Route to A19-Dalton Park-Woods Terrace-Cornwall Estate-Barnes Road-Station Road-Easington Lane-Elemore-Pittington-Gilesgate-Durham
Sunderland-Dalton Park could probably be done in around 20 mins
Dalton Park-E.Lane about 15 mins
E. Lane-Durham about 20 minutes
I am probably being quite generous with timing, so give or take a few minutes
I would say between 60-70 minutes, at the lowest guess it would be a similar time to the 20 and would always probably beat the 22...
The question I have to ask though, is there any financial sense in another service from East Durham to Durham City, what brand would it be, would it be an extension of 61 Simplicity, Prince Bishops or East Durham...
Personally I would like to see Murton and East Durham better connected, nowhere North of Peterlee within County Durhams boundary has a service to Newcastle or Teesside or Darlington