X20. Crook - wellington - durham - non stop to Rainton bridge - fence houses - Hougton - East herrington - barnes - sunderland
This service will join the x20,46 together preventing confusion with arrivas 46.
This service can be ran by a castles express coming of the x21 at newcastle running light to sunderland .
The other board durham to crook only.
The same on the morning it runs light from Sunderland to Newcastle.
The x20 can also provide a much faster service to sunderland.
X37. Washington - shiney row - herrington burn - east herrington - Doxford international - hougton le spring - hetton downs - hetton le hole - low moorsley.
This service will run hourly from Washington depot.
This service will only serve East herrington and Doxford international once per day with all other journeys direct to houghton.
This service will have a pvr of 3.
35. Heworth - wardley - boldon cinema, asda- downhill - town end farm - hylton castle - casletown - southwick - sunderland - hospital - barnes - east herrington - herrington burn - fence houses - rainton bridge - hall lane - hougton le spring.
This service is extended to heworth to allow x36 to be replaced.
This service replaces the 238 at hall lane.
Also frequently serves rainton bridge.
36. Chester-le-Street - Great lumley - hougton le spring - fence houses - herrington burn - east herrington - durham road - lakeside village - silksworth dene street - sainsburys - barnes - hospital - park lane - stadium of light - casletown - ferryboat lane - town end farm - downhill - red house - hylton castle - casletown.
This service replaces the x36 in dowhill and red house and serves gilley law.
89. Southwick - Thompson road - witherwack - red house - downhill - boldon asda.
An hourly service serving witherwack and giving connection to service 35 at both sides.

(05 Jun 2016, 10:14 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote X20. Crook - wellington - durham - non stop to Rainton bridge - fence houses - Hougton - East herrington - barnes - sunderland
This service will join the x20,46 together preventing confusion with arrivas 46.
This service can be ran by a castles express coming of the x21 at newcastle running light to sunderland .
The other board durham to crook only.
The same on the morning it runs light from Sunderland to Newcastle.
The x20 can also provide a much faster service to sunderland.

Don't see the point in this, especially when there already is peak time X20's. Also I doubt it would be worth while running between Sunderland and Durham and running light from Newcastle to Sunderland probably wouldn't be justifiable, also the X21 stops running to Newcastle around the times the numbers heading between these places dip and the 21 starts to reduce, so running all the way to Newcastle then light to Sunderland and then onto Crook would just be silly and a waste of resources and fuel in my opinion for what is essentially a dead run.

(05 Jun 2016, 10:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Don't see the point in this, especially when there already is peak time X20's. Also I doubt it would be worth while running between Sunderland and Durham and running light from Newcastle to Sunderland probably wouldn't be justifiable, also the X21 stops running to Newcastle around the times the numbers heading between these places dip and the 21 starts to reduce, so running all the way to Newcastle then light to Sunderland and then onto Crook would just be silly and a waste of resources and fuel in my opinion for what is essentially a dead run.

There used to be a regular X20 when the Pronto brand first started but it got withdrawn so pretty much says it all really.

(06 Jun 2016, 6:57 am)South Tyne Lad wrote There used to be a regular X20 when the Pronto brand first started but it got withdrawn so pretty much says it all really.

Don't forget the X20 which ran a few years prior to that.
There were a few variations prior to it's final incarnation (before a few years pause and the Bishop extension using deckers), which included branding for the PB Swift.

56.Sunderland - southwick - witherwack - red house - hylton castle - nissan - concord - springwell - wrekenton - Gateshead - newcastle. .
This service made every 30 minutes and operating via witherwack and red house before joining back at Hylton castle.
This service wont run on sundays or evenings.
This service requires a pvr of 6 .(6085-91).
56A Murton - dalton park - seaham mill inn - ryhope village - Grangetown - sunderland - non stop to ferryboat lane - nissan - concord - washington campus - felling bypass - heworth - Gateshead - newcastle.
This service is a peak service running 2 journeys each way.
This service replaces the x36 also at the most busiest times.
The 2 boards on the x56 both run on and of scholars so likely 6099,00.
55. Birtley - lampton - washington - peel - waterview park (peak only)- concord - springwell village - wrekenton.
This service in reality replaces the 82. And also provides extra transport aswell.
76. Sunderland - southwick - hylton castle - nissan - Sulgrave - concord - springwell - wrekenton - qe hospital - non stop to Gateshead - newcastle.
This service will operate every 30 minutes monday to sunday.
The service on evenings and sundays will stop on Durham road before Gateshead.
82. Barley mow - wrekenton - springwell estate - felling squre - heworth.
This service will operate between heworth and barley mow . This service would also be 10x quicker from start to finish.
83. Barmston court - washington - oxclose - concord.then returns by finnishing at columbia.
6092 - 95. Dfds service.
This allows 66,67 to be withdrawn.
3890,91 to stanley replacing 3864 and 3876

(06 Jun 2016, 7:23 am)Andreos1 wrote Don't forget the X20 which ran a few years prior to that.
There were a few variations prior to it's final incarnation (before a few years pause and the Bishop extension using deckers), which included branding for the PB Swift.

I can just about remember, Though I would've only been about 3 or 4 at the time. ( PB Swifts )
5229-5233 were used for the PB Swifts I believe.
I also believe the PB Swift was also one of GNEs first attempts at a full route brand?

@biglugs - Whilst the enthusiasm is good to see, I'm not sure why you'd take well performing high frequency services, and turn them into very busy low frequency services, that won't be able to keep time in a million years. I'm all for passengers having choice in routes, but if there's a sufficient gap in the market, there should be a business case to make more resource available. Rather than getting into a situation where you're robbing Peter to pay Paul.

@Andreos, Jimmi, STL - I really don't think that an express to Sunderland would be well used in this day and age. Sunderland as a city centre, is certainly not what it once used to be. Go North East and Stagecoach both appear to have made PVR reductions on their Sunderland routes, and I fear that's matching the general direction of the city centre footfall.

(06 Jun 2016, 5:06 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I can just about remember, Though I would've only been about 3 or 4 at the time. ( PB Swifts )
5229-5233 were used for the PB Swifts I believe.
I also believe the PB Swift was also one of GNEs first attempts at a full route brand?

It will have been amongst the original 2006 brands - no idea if it was the first.
By my reckoning, the service (and vehicles) had been absorbed in to the normal 20 by 2009. Maybe earlier.

(06 Jun 2016, 5:17 pm)Adrian wrote @Andreos, Jimmi, STL - I really don't think that an express to Sunderland would be well used in this day and age. Sunderland as a city centre, is certainly not what it once used to be. Go North East and Stagecoach both appear to have made PVR reductions on their Sunderland routes, and I fear that's matching the general direction of the city centre footfall.

Have to agree here, based on the previous X20 attempts. I did the Pronto X20 a few times and it didn't seem to get up to much, all it seemed to do was just take the passengers who would have just got on the 20 behind if the X20 didn't turn up, seemed to be very little through through traffic beyond Durham to/from Spennymoor and Bishop Auckland.

(06 Jun 2016, 5:17 pm)Adrian wrote @biglugs - Whilst the enthusiasm is good to see, I'm not sure why you'd take well performing high frequency services, and turn them into very busy low frequency services, that won't be able to keep time in a million years. I'm all for passengers having choice in routes, but if there's a sufficient gap in the market, there should be a business case to make more resource available. Rather than getting into a situation where you're robbing Peter to pay Paul.

[b]@Andreos, Jimmi, STL - I really don't think that an express to Sunderland would be well used in this day and age. Sunderland as a city centre, is certainly not what it once used to be. Go North East and Stagecoach both appear to have made PVR reductions on their Sunderland routes, and I fear that's matching the general direction of the city centre footfall.[/b]

I don't think they ever have. Too many have been and gone over the years (like the X20 - and X3 before; X95/96, the coalfields - Newcastle via Sunderland expresses and the more recent X3 up Newcastle Road).

With regard to the X20, I don't think there was enough variation compared to the 20. It wasn't that much quicker and didn't deviate too much from the existing route. 
When you look at the 21 and X21, the difference is/was noticable and whilst the 20 can suffer with reliability, I am not sure it was ever to the extent the 21 can suffer.

(06 Jun 2016, 6:25 pm)Andreos1 wrote I don't think they ever have. Too many have been and gone over the years (like the X20 - and X3 before; X95/96, the coalfields - Newcastle via Sunderland expresses and the more recent X3 up Newcastle Road).

With regard to the X20, I don't think there was enough variation compared to the 20. It wasn't that much quicker and didn't deviate too much from the existing route. 
When you look at the 21 and X21, the difference is/was noticable and whilst the 20 can suffer with reliability, I am not sure it was ever to the extent the 21 can suffer.

It was the Durham to Houghton section that was quicker. I used it every afternoon from work when it was introduced, and you did save massively on the 20. It would do limited stop to the Belmont Sportsman arms, and then non-stop to Houghton, iirc? Perhaps it served West Rainton, but that may have been the 20X!

Sunderland suffers because the city centre is a mess. It's gone from being a thriving high street, to a pretty non-existent high street, and a shopping mall full of pound shops or cash for gold places. Binns is obviously long gone too.

(06 Jun 2016, 6:34 pm)Adrian wrote It was the Durham to Houghton section that was quicker. I used it every afternoon from work when it was introduced, and you did save massively on the 20. It would do limited stop to the Belmont Sportsman arms, and then non-stop to Houghton, iirc? Perhaps it served West Rainton, but that may have been the 20X!

Sunderland suffers because the city centre is a mess. It's gone from being a thriving high street, to a pretty non-existent high street, and a shopping mall full of pound shops or cash for gold places. Binns is obviously long gone too.

Which on balance, probably isn't the most popular section of the route.
I must admit to preferring it over the other two '20's' as it stands now, getting it regularly on a morning when heading to the station and occasionally from. It saves 5/10 mins off memory now and at that time of the morning - is ideal.

Without invading wearside with a express ive another suggestion
3. Houghton le spring - fence houses - Great lumley - chester le street - ouston - Team Valley - Whickham - metrocentre .
This service is to replace the 36 between hougton and chester.
Then up to ouston before straight to Team Valley this will allow the x32 to be withdrawn.
Then allows a connection to metrocentre.
This service is to be every 30 minutes between hougton and chester le street. And every hour onwards.
32. Sunderland - Grangetown - Ryhope - ryhope dean - seaham station - byron place - dawdon - spectrum - dalton park - murton.
This service would allow the 238 to ternamate at seaham and enable a bus to dalton park from estates in the bottom of ryhope.
Also replaces the 202 between seaham and dalton park.
202. Peterlee - Easington village - Easington lane - murton - dalton park - mill inn - ryhope village - Esdale Estate - tunstall bank.
This service will operate as normal untill dalton park.
Then the same way as the 61 enabling it to be every 20 minutes. Then replaces the 38 up to Tunstall bank.
2. Washington - lampton - shiney Row - penshaw - hospital - sunderland - villete road - Grangetown - hollycarside - ryhope stores - tunstall village - silksworth.
No change to this.
2A washington - biddick - penshaw - hospital - barnes park - sunderland interchange - Ashbrooke - leechmere Asda - hollycarside - Tunstall village - silksworth.
This service will replace the other part of the 38 and 238 route on a 30 minute frequency .
2B Evening and sunday operating the same route as service 2A.
2c Washington - waterview park - chester road- sunderland - villete road - Grangetown - Ryhope village - tunstall bank - silksworth.
This service can operate hourly providing extra transport along with the 2.
A big change would be this runs limited stop to sunderland.

(06 Jun 2016, 7:32 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote 3. Houghton le spring - fence houses - Great lumley - chester le street - ouston - Team Valley - Whickham - metrocentre .
This service is to replace the 36 between hougton and chester.
Then up to ouston before straight to Team Valley this will allow the x32 to be withdrawn.
Then allows a connection to metrocentre.

I'm pretty sure the focus of service X32 is provide peak-time links between Stanley and Team Valley as well as Ouston. I have no idea what loadings are like, but what will replace the link to Stanley if the service is withdrawn?

(06 Jun 2016, 7:43 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I'm pretty sure the focus of service X32 is provide peak-time links between Stanley and Team Valley as well as Ouston. I have no idea what loadings are like, but what will replace the link to Stanley if the service is withdrawn?

Good loadings - rode the route a few times

(06 Jun 2016, 7:43 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I'm pretty sure the focus of service X32 is provide peak-time links between Stanley and Team Valley as well as Ouston. I have no idea what loadings are like, but what will replace the link to Stanley if the service is withdrawn?

Connect with the 8

X2. Low moorsley - hetton le hole - East rainton - west rainton - bournmoor - Great lumley - chester le street - non stop to Washington - wrekenton - Gateshead - newcastle .
This service will allow service 35 to ternamate at hetton alliwing a pvr decrease.
The x2 will provide a faster link to chester le street from rainton.
The service will be hourly using a pvr of 3.
35. Newcastle - Gateshead - heworth - Downhill - red house - southwick - sunderland - hospital - barnes - silksworth - East herrington - herrington burn - hougton le spring - hetton downs - hetton interchange - Easington lane.
This service provides a direct bus sunderland to newcastle at a hourly frequency.
The service will operate as the old x36 to heworth then non stop to Downhill lane.
The service omits boldon taken 5 minutes of the journey.
The service ternamates at Easington lane.
This service runs on a hourly frequency.
35A heworth - wardley - boldon - downhill - town end farm - hylton castle - casletown - southwick - sunderland - barnes park - east herrington - herrington burn - hougton le spring - rainton bridge (monday to Saturday ).
This service will operate every hour combined with the 35 and 36 this service also serves boldon and wardley.
On Monday to Saturday the service serves rainton bridge.
The 35A also no longer serves hospital and silksworth.
36. Chester-le-Street - Great lumley - fence houses - Hougton le spring - herrington burn - east herrington - silksworth - barnes - hospital - palion - casletown - ferryboat lane - southwick - seaburn
This service will operate hourly joining with 35 and 35a to form a every 20 minute service, then serves hospital to provide the link back that was lost.
The service carrys on through palion direct to casletown then along ferryboat lane.
After ferryboat lane the service extends along wessington way to southwick.
Then to seaburn id say the route will take around 1 hour 40 minutes .
X36. ( peak morning service ).
Town end farm - downhill - red house - ramsgate road - southwick - sunderland

(06 Jun 2016, 7:58 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote Connect with the 8

Where will passengers connect with the 8?

(07 Jun 2016, 5:19 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote X2. Low moorsley - hetton le hole - East rainton - west rainton - bournmoor - Great lumley - chester le street - non stop to Washington - wrekenton - Gateshead - newcastle .

How long would it take from end to end?

(07 Jun 2016, 10:10 pm)Adrian wrote How long would it take from end to end?

In my opinion, serving Bournmoor would be fairly illogical. I can't see how a pattern of East Rainton, West Rainton, Bournmoor and Great Lumley would work out. The service would have to come down to East Rainton from Hetton-le-Hole, on to West Rainton, and then through Lumley via Leamside. Serving Bournmoor would mean effectively doubling back and adding an unnecessary amount of time to the service.

(07 Jun 2016, 9:42 pm)streetlite5402 wrote Where will passengers connect with the 8?

Chester-le-Street

(07 Jun 2016, 10:10 pm)Adrian wrote How long would it take from end to end?

1 hour 30

(07 Jun 2016, 10:33 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote Chester-le-Street

Connecting with the 8 at Chester-le-Street wouldn't restore a lost link between Stanley, Ouston and the Team Valley?

(07 Jun 2016, 10:36 pm)streetlite5402 wrote Connecting with the 8 at Chester-le-Street wouldn't restore a lost link between Stanley, Ouston and the Team Valley?

Also there already is a link between all of the them ( peak time only ) Service X32 serves Stanley, Ouston and the Team Valley.

(08 Jun 2016, 6:54 am)South Tyne Lad wrote Also there already is a link between all of the them ( peak time only ) Service X32 serves Stanley, Ouston and the Team Valley.

Thats what we are discussing. In Biglugs' suggestion, he would withdraw the X32 and replace it with service 3 which wouldn't go to Stanley, forcing people to get the 8 to CLS and change instead of having a through bus straight there.

(08 Jun 2016, 6:58 am)S813 FVK wrote Thats what we are discussing. In Biglugs' suggestion, he would withdraw the X32 and replace it with service 3 which wouldn't go to Stanley, forcing people to get the 8 to CLS and change instead of having a through bus straight there.

The suggestion is basically 36 running onto an X22 via Whickham. The X32s are packed to Ouston, so in doing so you'd be removing a popular peak trip in place for something that already exists with relatively low demand.

(07 Jun 2016, 10:32 pm)streetlite5402 wrote In my opinion, serving Bournmoor would be fairly illogical. I can't see how a pattern of East Rainton, West Rainton, Bournmoor and Great Lumley would work out. The service would have to come down to East Rainton from Hetton-le-Hole, on to West Rainton, and then through Lumley via Leamside. Serving Bournmoor would mean effectively doubling back and adding an unnecessary amount of time to the service.

Without saying the suggestion was good or not, it wouldn't need to enter Lumley from Leamside. It could scoot along through Woodstone Village the way the X23 did at one point. It could loop around at the turning circle at New Lambton (not served since the days of the 178, 160 and 163) and then follow the route of the 78 from the quirky little roundabout at Bournmoor.

89. Metrocentre - Dunston - team valley - saltwell park - qe hospital - felling squre - heworth - pelaw - hebburn - jarrow - bede - south shields.
This service will replace the 96 team valley to metrocentre then 69 to wardley before additionaly extending to South shields.
This service would run every hour.
27 renumbered 87.
Newcastle - Gateshead - heworth - pelaw - hebburn - jarrow - fellgate - primrose - tyne dock - chichester - south shields.
This service will operate a every 20 minute frequency extending back to fellgate alike a former 87 service then operate the way the x20 goes to shields.
87A *new*
Heworth - A184 - boldon cinema - fellgate - jarrow - bede - south shields.
This service will operate every 30 minutes replacing service 35;35a and x36 between heworth and boldon then replaces the 9 jarrow to boldon.
Then serving bede giving 3x buses per hour.
9 . Sunderland - fullwell - east boldon - boldon Asda - fellgate.
This service will operate a 30 minute frequency running only sunderland to fellgate with connections available to the 87,87a.
59. North Shields - jarrow - bede - chichester - harton nook - marsdern - whitburn - seaburn - roker - sunderland .
This service will operate every hour still giving a bus to north shields from Sunderland then serving new areas .
Id estamate the journey to take 1 hour 20 mins.

1. Metrocentre - Lemington - A169 - newcastle General hospital - st james park - near haymarket - coast road - cobalt - percy main - north shields - Tynemouth - whitley bay.
This service to operate every 30 minutes the service leaves metrocentre to Lemington then onwards along the A169 providing more Gne buses.
Stops near haymarket given a bus to cobalt then it replaces the 80 to North shields.
Normal route on wards.
From this the 309 will become every 20 minutes aswell as the 310.
The pvr for this service is 8 (5261-70).
1A. Wallsend - percy main - north shields - Tynemouth - whitley bay - blyth
This service will operate at every 30 minutes joining with the 1 to form a every 15 minute service.
This service can also serve Wallsend metro.
The service also operates to blyth at a every 30 minute frequency.
The pvr of this service is 6.
5251,52,71,72,73,74).
5270 is the dedicated spare for both services.
Also cobalt b9s will be freed up from this change.
6114-17 to move to Stanley for red kite services.
5410-13 to move to deptford for service 33 and 38.
Also the 309 will serve blyth on sundays and evenings.

31. Washington - lampton - fatfield - shiney row - herrington burn - east herrington - Durham road - barnes - royal hospital - sunderland.
This service will replace the 2 and 35 improving the route.
32. Washington - Biddick - penshaw - hospital - sunderland - Grangetown - Hollycarside - silksworth.
This service will fully replace the 2A.
32A.Rainton bridge (peak times )- shiney Row - penshaw - hospital - barnes - silksworth.
This service will operate at peak times to Rainton bridge with all other journeys finnishing at shiney row.
This service replaces the part of the 2 route the 31 does not serve.
Also faster journeys.
35 Low moorsley - hetton le hole - hougton le spring - A690 - Doxford international - east herrington - Durham road - Thorney close - barnes - sunderland - wheatsheaf - direct to casletown - hylton castle - downhill - boldon.
This service will replace the x35 to doxford international and provide a faster journey to casletown
36. Chester-le-Street - Great lumley - hougton le spring - herrington burn - east herrington - silksworth - barnes - sunderland.
This service will remain the same