(01 Apr 2015, 4:18 pm)Malarkey wrote The 56 I think we are all aware was reduced to therefore improve Reliability of the Service which is completely understandable given the the length and time it takes to go from A to B, which I might say looks to of worked, how often since the changes do you see a 56 running in twos or threes, I certainly I havent seen it occur whether that while on the 56, or passing by on another Service e.g. X1, how often has a 56 since the service changes been terminated at Gateshead and awaited time there due to being late, personally I dont know the answer to the latter but I would guess it doesnt happen at all now, and would I say the 56 is a "Loss Making Service", would it of received the investment in New Vehicles in 2013 if it was? I think not.
To be fair I have still seen the 56 and 27 a few mins apart or in 2s or 3s. Yes the reliability has improved, however they are still occasionally regulated at Gateshead. I think it was the right decision to reduce the frequency of the 56 and 27. There have been numerous times when it was carrying little more than fresh air; especially between Sulgrave and Sunderland.
In regard to the 82/82A/85/86, I do think the 85 & 86 do carry the most numbers. However I wouldn't say the services are making a loss. I can totally understand the curtailing of 82/82A as the majority of people use the 4 to get to Heworth as its the quickest option. To be fair, since the 4 was increased to every 20mins on an evening, I would say the numbers travelling toward Heworth have increased........so all in all a good decision.