(6 hours ago)GrahamD83 wrote There have been multiple route 5's. The original was City Centre to Red House. A few other routes I remember:
2 - The current 3 route, when the original 3 terminated at Gilley Law and served Plains Farm
9/9A - Ran alongside the 8 to South Hylton
14/14A - Docks - City - Helmsdale Road via High Barnes. Was outsourced to Redby in the late 90s
15 - Ran alongside the 16 to Hastings Hill
17 - A minibus service to Seaburn via Roker
27/28/29 - The northern sections of the current 3 and 13
104 - the current 4 route, the original 4 terminated at Farringdon
139/140 - Circular routes jointly operated by Go North East

I remember at one point every number between 2 and 29 was in use. There has never been a route 1 in Sunderland post deregulation.

Stagecoach have butchered the Sunderland network since 2005. I have quite a few old route maps from 1990s and the difference to the present is stark.

A late 90s version of the 5 saw it run from Doxford Park to Boldon Asda using Mercedes minibuses.
There was also the 31, Doxford Park to Interchange via Sainsburys in Silksworth and the back roads of Ashbrooke.

(9 hours ago)N391OTY wrote Is it definitely 003 ? Just asking because I saw 57002 (SJ74 UPC) on the outskirts of Sheffield today so it maybe heading south for demonstration work, or a visit to a dealer.

I assume so, 003 was here last week.

31 was a great route and very handy. There was also a 32 at one point