(04 Mar 2015, 10:03 am)Jimmi wrote Yeah reliability was probably one of the things that killed off the old 723.
I would love to have a direct service to Newcastle again but that said the Darlington - Durham section has improved since the Newcastle end was binned, think when that section was killed off the Arriva 723 continued to run every 30 minutes but only as far as Framwellgate Moor and Go North East did the 723 between Durham and Newcastle. Sometime after the GNE 723 was withdrawn.
The 723 was changed to run via Woodham when the 13 was withdrawn.
Then as part of the Viva Durham changes the 723 was extended to the Arnison Centre and the 713 was also introduced so now had a Darlington - Arnison Centre service every 15 minutes. The 713/723 were renumbered as 7/7A in July 2008.
Then the 7 terminated at Framwellgate Moor and the 7A was extended to Brasside.
Then in October 2012 it became just service 7 running every 15 minutes between Darlington and Durham Bus Station only and Framwellgate Moor is now only served at peak times.
So I think I prefer to have a service to Durham every 15 minutes then change to a X2 or 21/X21 when I occasionally head to Newcastle whereas in the old 723 days there was only a bus every 30 minutes and was joint operated by Arriva and Go North East and I don't think GNE accepted Arriva tickets on their 723 so that was always a pain in the arse. Much happier with a 15 minute frequency to Durham and I highly doubt I would have gone to New College Durham if it was still the old 723.
They did sometimes, I always found it depended on the driver, I travelled on Northern/GNE many times with a United/Arriva Return and vice versa, I always found it was down to if the driver was in a good mood