(17 Aug 2025, 1:22 am)V514DFT wrote You me the GNE X22?, did you forget about Northstars X22?

Yeah, the X22 is more leisure based to be fair. This was more more about linking Team Valley to the Metrocentre and Birtley / Washington, all day, for workers really, as it's a bit of a mission right now which just happens to do the full links. 

I'm sure there'd be a few people who would use the bus to Retail World if it existed, just like people weren't going to go to Teesside Park, yet they're well loaded and are now getting more services...

You know what i'd do, i'd utilise and divert the 22

(17 Aug 2025, 11:56 am)V514DFT wrote You know what i'd do, i'd utilise and divert the 22

I'm not sure how workable it would be but I'd always love to see the 56 split in the middle into 3 different routes.

So you'd end up with something like this:


With each of them every 20 minutes combining every 10 minutes in the core replacing the 82, 84 and 85 and killing off the stupid Washington local services giving people direct services to places where they might actually want to be and the 28 doing the current 22 route merging with the 29 to give a 30 minute service from Prince Consort Road to Newcastle.

Note it's also setup for the future if the Metro ever came with it being the links to the new Metro station which is where all 3 meet.

You could even make a case of scrapping the 57 as it's clearly struggling and merge it into the other local Gateshead services.

I have an idea which involves bringing the 73 (CLS/Stanley, but as 737) 724 (to Spennymoor Only), 726, 727, 733, 739/740 back.
Not sure if this is a GNE thing, or would be better operated by someone else.

The 701D would be withdrawn and replaced by the 726.
The 700D would be withdrawn and replaced by the 733.
The 702D would be mergered with the TB14 (Barley Mow - Northside Estate Only) and renumbered to 730.
The 703D would be withdrawn and replaced by the 739/740.

The 739/740 could be extended to Newcastle in the future.
The 727 & 730 could be merged at some point.
You could also extend the 737 to Houghton alongside the 71.

724 (PVR 3)
726 (PVR 2)
727 (PVR 1)
730 (PVR 1)
733 (PVR 2)
737 (PVR 1)
739/740 (PVR 1)

(17 Aug 2025, 5:57 pm)Storx wrote I'm not sure how workable it would be but I'd always love to see the 56 split in the middle into 3 different routes.

So you'd end up with something like this:


With each of them every 20 minutes combining every 10 minutes in the core replacing the 82, 84 and 85 and killing off the stupid Washington local services giving people direct services to places where they might actually want to be and the 28 doing the current 22 route merging with the 29 to give a 30 minute service from Prince Consort Road to Newcastle.

Note it's also setup for the future if the Metro ever came with it being the links to the new Metro station which is where all 3 meet.

You could even make a case of scrapping the 57 as it's clearly struggling and merge it into the other local Gateshead services.

You could easily merge the 2, 4, 56, 57, 58 and 84/85 into three or four core services linking Newcastle, Washington and Sunderland via local estates with a few suggestions below.

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
55 - via Southwick, Hylton Castle, Nissan, Sulgrave, Concord, Donwell, Blackfell, Oxclose, Washington, Lambton, Ayton, Birtley, Wrekenton, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
56 via Southwick, Hylton Castle, Nissan, Sulgrave, Concord, Donwell, Springwell, Wrekenton, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
57 - via Royal Hospital, Hastings Hill, Penshaw, Barnwell Estate, Fatfield, Harraton, Lambton, Glebe, Washington Village, Barmston, Concord, Usworth, Wardley, Heworth, Leam Lane Estate, Whitehills Estate, Ellen Wilkson Estate, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead.

Newcastle via Houghton and Washington to Sunderland
58 - via Gateshead, Felling Square, Windy Nook, Whitehills Estate, Leam Lane Estate, Heworth, Follingsby Park, Usworth, Concord, Albany, Washington, Glebe, Biddick, Fatfield, Barnwell, Shiney Row, Bournmoor, Fencehouses, Houghton and A690 Durham Road.

Also with you mentioning merging the 57 into other Gateshead Locals I think the 53/54 would be a great suggestion opening up direct connections from/to local estates into Gateshead and Newcastle.

53/54 - Wardley, Heworth, Leam Lane Estate, Whitehills Estate, Ellen Wilkson Estate, Q.E. Hospital, Gateshead, Quayside, Newcastle, Bensham, Saltwell Park, Gateshead, Q.E. Hospital, Ellen Wilkinson Estate, Whitehills Estate, Leam Lane Estate, Heworth and Wardley.

(17 Aug 2025, 7:42 pm)Malarkey wrote You could easily merge the 2, 4, 56, 57, 58 and 84/85 into three or four core services linking Newcastle, Washington and Sunderland via local estates with a few suggestions below.

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
55 - via Southwick, Hylton Castle, Nissan, Sulgrave, Concord, Donwell, Blackfell, Oxclose, Washington, Lambton, Ayton, Birtley, Wrekenton, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
56 via Southwick, Hylton Castle, Nissan, Sulgrave, Concord, Donwell, Springwell, Wrekenton, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
57 - via Royal Hospital, Hastings Hill, Penshaw, Barnwell Estate, Fatfield, Harraton, Lambton, Glebe, Washington Village, Barmston, Concord, Usworth, Wardley, Heworth, Leam Lane Estate, Whitehills Estate, Ellen Wilkson Estate, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead.

Newcastle via Houghton and Washington to Sunderland
58 - via Gateshead, Felling Square, Windy Nook, Whitehills Estate, Leam Lane Estate, Heworth, Follingsby Park, Usworth, Concord, Albany, Washington, Glebe, Biddick, Fatfield, Barnwell, Shiney Row, Bournmoor, Fencehouses, Houghton and A690 Durham Road.

Also with you mentioning merging the 57 into other Gateshead Locals I think the 53/54 would be a great suggestion opening up direct connections from/to local estates into Gateshead and Newcastle.

53/54 - Wardley, Heworth, Leam Lane Estate, Whitehills Estate, Ellen Wilkson Estate, Q.E. Hospital, Gateshead, Quayside, Newcastle, Bensham, Saltwell Park, Gateshead, Q.E. Hospital, Ellen Wilkinson Estate, Whitehills Estate, Leam Lane Estate, Heworth and Wardley.

Aye you could do, I did think about merging the Sunderland services all across to Newcastle but kind of went against it. There's quite big problems with the 56, as it's so long that when something goes wrong, ie every match day. It leaves the other end of the route with a complete shambles of a service (take your pick which match here). 

Least if you had some shorter ones, at least half the boards won't be affected at what's happened at the other end of the route.

Seen quite a few people moaning about the 56 in Gateshead because of issues in Sunderland, and it's a fair complaint really. 

Obviously it all depends how many people are going from the two ends, but can't imagine it being too much as it takes so long and generally people in Gateshead don't want to be in Sunderland and people in North Sunderland in Newcastle, hence the numerous express attempts have all failed miserably.

(18 Aug 2025, 12:57 pm)Storx wrote Aye you could do, I did think about merging the Sunderland services all across to Newcastle but kind of went against it. There's quite big problems with the 56, as it's so long that when something goes wrong, ie every match day. It leaves the other end of the route with a complete shambles of a service (take your pick which match here). 

Least if you had some shorter ones, at least half the boards won't be affected at what's happened at the other end of the route.

Seen quite a few people moaning about the 56 in Gateshead because of issues in Sunderland, and it's a fair complaint really. 

Obviously it all depends how many people are going from the two ends, but can't imagine it being too much as it takes so long and generally people in Gateshead don't want to be in Sunderland and people in North Sunderland in Newcastle, hence the numerous express attempts have all failed miserably.

Hence why something like the X24 works, stops from Sunderland to Hastings Hill, then nothing till Gateshead.... a actual express service.

(17 Aug 2025, 7:42 pm)Malarkey wrote You could easily merge the 2, 4, 56, 57, 58 and 84/85 into three or four core services linking Newcastle, Washington and Sunderland via local estates with a few suggestions below.

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
55 - via Southwick, Hylton Castle, Nissan, Sulgrave, Concord, Donwell, Blackfell, Oxclose, Washington, Lambton, Ayton, Birtley, Wrekenton, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
56 via Southwick, Hylton Castle, Nissan, Sulgrave, Concord, Donwell, Springwell, Wrekenton, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead

Sunderland via Washington to Newcastle
57 - via Royal Hospital, Hastings Hill, Penshaw, Barnwell Estate, Fatfield, Harraton, Lambton, Glebe, Washington Village, Barmston, Concord, Usworth, Wardley, Heworth, Leam Lane Estate, Whitehills Estate, Ellen Wilkson Estate, Q.E. Hospital and Gateshead.

Newcastle via Houghton and Washington to Sunderland
58 - via Gateshead, Felling Square, Windy Nook, Whitehills Estate, Leam Lane Estate, Heworth, Follingsby Park, Usworth, Concord, Albany, Washington, Glebe, Biddick, Fatfield, Barnwell, Shiney Row, Bournmoor, Fencehouses, Houghton and A690 Durham Road.

Also with you mentioning merging the 57 into other Gateshead Locals I think the 53/54 would be a great suggestion opening up direct connections from/to local estates into Gateshead and Newcastle.

53/54 - Wardley, Heworth, Leam Lane Estate, Whitehills Estate, Ellen Wilkson Estate, Q.E. Hospital, Gateshead, Quayside, Newcastle, Bensham, Saltwell Park, Gateshead, Q.E. Hospital, Ellen Wilkinson Estate, Whitehills Estate, Leam Lane Estate, Heworth and Wardley.

If anything, i'd merge the 57 with the 51/52 send that back to Newcastle, that pretty much allows the 57s full withdrawal or the other option is merge the 57 in with the 93/94

There should be something changed with the 61/62/63 as they simply are not catering for most people & a back to basics approach, can ensure better links can be created.

38 - Service reintroduced between Sunderland and Tunstall Bank, operating via Grangetown, Leechmere Asda, Hollycarside, Esdale Estate & Tunstall Bank up to every 60 minutes.

61 - Original route between Sunderland Interchange & Murton only up to every 30 minutes. Journeys to Peterlee transferred to revised X61.

62/62A - Revised to operate between Sunderland and Doxford, serving Ryhope Village, although will no longer serve Pennywell, Esdale Estate & Tunstall Bank Estate.

63 - Revised to serve Hollycarside via the original 2/2A route & also extended to Pennywell up to every 15 minutes, replacing the 61/62/62A.

X6 - Service dropped to hourly, although service X61 will combine to continue two buses per hour between Dalton Park and Sunderland.

X61 - Service will run between Sunderland, Seaham & Dalton Park, then run via Murton High Street, Wellfield Road & Station Estate North, then onto Easington Lane & Peterlee.

I would suggest a full network evaluation, although the routes listed above definitely need some changes & brought back to how they were originally, never hear any positive comments from customers about those routes & I'm certain anybody doing Peterlee to Sunderland on the 61 would certainly feel like it's "an explorer bus"...

(21 Aug 2025, 10:16 pm)S830OFT wrote There should be something changed with the 61/62/63 as they simply are not catering for most people & a back to basics approach, can ensure better links can be created.

38 - Service reintroduced between Sunderland and Tunstall Bank, operating via Grangetown, Leechmere Asda, Hollycarside, Esdale Estate & Tunstall Bank up to every 60 minutes.

61 - Original route between Sunderland Interchange & Murton only up to every 30 minutes. Journeys to Peterlee transferred to revised X61.

62/62A - Revised to operate between Sunderland and Doxford, serving Ryhope Village, although will no longer serve Pennywell, Esdale Estate & Tunstall Bank Estate.

63 - Revised to serve Hollycarside via the original 2/2A route & also extended to Pennywell up to every 15 minutes, replacing the 61/62/62A.

X6 - Service dropped to hourly, although service X61 will combine to continue two buses per hour between Dalton Park and Sunderland.

X61 - Service will run between Sunderland, Seaham & Dalton Park, then run via Murton High Street,  Wellfield Road & Station Estate North, then onto Easington Lane & Peterlee.

I would suggest a full network evaluation, although the routes listed above definitely need some changes & brought back to how they were originally, never hear any positive comments from customers about those routes & I'm certain anybody doing Peterlee to Sunderland on the 61 would certainly feel like it's "an explorer bus"...

Watch this space regarding 61 Sunderland to Murton/Peterlee

More changes?

Can't even give the network a chance these days............ no doubt wide spread changes AGAIN.

(22 Aug 2025, 6:19 pm)Michael wrote More changes?

Can't even give the network a chance these days............ no doubt wide spread changes AGAIN.

To be fair, the 61 does need sorting out, but on the whole I do agree. They should have already sorted it out with the recent changes however.

(22 Aug 2025, 6:19 pm)Michael wrote More changes?

Can't even give the network a chance these days............ no doubt wide spread changes AGAIN.

Changes coming in October apparently, 61 reverting back to Sunderland and Peterlee/Murton. 
Pennywell will go back to 2 per hour (62/62A)

(22 Aug 2025, 8:37 pm)Retro Nero wrote Changes coming in October apparently, 61 reverting back to Sunderland and Peterlee/Murton. 
Pennywell will go back to 2 per hour (62/62A)

Shame but I understand, the current 61 is far too long.

Wonder what other changes will happen.

(22 Aug 2025, 6:19 pm)Michael wrote More changes?

Can't even give the network a chance these days............ no doubt wide spread changes AGAIN.

Howay man Michael, if it wasn't for all the changes in Sunderland over the years, your post count would be tiny!

(22 Aug 2025, 9:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote Howay man Michael, if it wasn't for all the changes in Sunderland over the years, your post count would be tiny!

That's true haha.

Just feel like they change far too quick, don't give the changes time.

(22 Aug 2025, 8:37 pm)Retro Nero wrote Changes coming in October apparently, 61 reverting back to Sunderland and Peterlee/Murton. 
Pennywell will go back to 2 per hour (62/62A)

Hopefully they’ll see sense and make it direct without trundling through Sunderland like a local service (which it is not). They could easily split the 62/A with one running it’s current route and one via toll bar road. Being completely honest here there’s no links being lost out on, i have only seen people getting on at hollycarrside to go towards Sunderland, very rare that they’re going all the way to murton. It’s pointless really, the sooner it’s gone, the better.

If they just put the 61 back to it's original Sunderland to Murton route that would sort out the main issues. The contract section from Murton to Peterlee should never have been put onto the 61 in the first place.

The original 62/202 service or indeed proposed X61 would have been a much better way to go, or if DCC just made a 261 from Murton to Peterlee, that would make more sense locally. The fact the 61 now serves all of Murton in both directions is just baffling, it's typically 20 minutes to complete the loop, which for passengers going from Easington Lane to Sunderland (is the only bus that does that link during the day), that kind of "detour + all the estates of Ryhope & then Villette Road is just leaving the route open to losing those passengers.

The 62/62A would be a suitable alternative to offer Easington Lane & South Hetton with more buses to Sunderland, with an extension from Doxford Park via Houghton-le-Spring, although GNE would have to make sure those buses aren't going round housing estates & could easily do that by reintroducing the 38 on an hourly frequency with a PVR of 1. Also removing the South Hetton X1s to balance the frequencys out, but would also allow South Hetton to have 2x buses per hour to Newcastle & 3x buses per hour to Sunderland, including the 61 contract section.

In addition, the 63 would have been more suitable going to Pennywell opposed to 61/62/62A. There are ways to offer a good service, with minimal cost, but it just appears GNE went with the sabotage model, as it's effectively decimated the 61, especially now it seems to run late & get cancelled a lot more now it runs to Pennywell & interworks with the 62s.

I'd do something radical with the 62/62A(63), i'd turn them into part circulars
62- as now to Pennywell, then Hylton Road, B1405, Pallion New Road, Northern Way, Fern Avenue, Sunderland Road, Thompson Road, Newcastle Road, then after the Wearmouth Bridge, rejoins its route back to Doxford, 62A (renumbered to 63) does the reverse
61-remove that stupid bit in Murton, curtailed at Sunderland
63- renumbered 64
65- would need a slight tinker with in Seaham then extend that through to Sunderland
Im not from the Sunderland area, ie just wanted to participate in the conversation, so dont criticise me too much

(23 Aug 2025, 5:14 pm)V514DFT wrote I'd do something radical with the 62/62A(63), i'd turn them into part circulars
62- as now to Pennywell, then Hylton Road, B1405, Pallion New Road, Northern Way, Fern Avenue, Sunderland Road, Thompson Road, Newcastle Road, then after the Wearmouth Bridge, rejoins its route back to Doxford, 62A (renumbered to 63) does the reverse
61-remove that stupid bit in Murton, curtailed at Sunderland
63- renumbered 64
65- would need a slight tinker with in Seaham then extend that through to Sunderland
Im not from the Sunderland area, ie just wanted to participate in the conversation, so dont criticise me too much

Thing is, you can't rid of the stupid bit in Murton, it's the whole point of it going round Murton. The fact is the bus that continues from Sunderland to Peterlee via Murton, shouldn't be doing the Murton loop, it should go straight through like the 65. Basically the 61 needs to be 2 different routes in Murton. A 261 to Peterlee without doing the loop, and the 61 looping in Murton.

(18 Aug 2025, 12:57 pm)Storx wrote Aye you could do, I did think about merging the Sunderland services all across to Newcastle but kind of went against it. There's quite big problems with the 56, as it's so long that when something goes wrong, ie every match day. It leaves the other end of the route with a complete shambles of a service (take your pick which match here). 

Least if you had some shorter ones, at least half the boards won't be affected at what's happened at the other end of the route.

Seen quite a few people moaning about the 56 in Gateshead because of issues in Sunderland, and it's a fair complaint really. 

Obviously it all depends how many people are going from the two ends, but can't imagine it being too much as it takes so long and generally people in Gateshead don't want to be in Sunderland and people in North Sunderland in Newcastle, hence the numerous express attempts have all failed miserably.

You can't win when you have Sunderland and Newcastle playing at Home every weekend, I think it would be worthwhile setting up a "Matchday Shuttle Network" for football supporters of both clubs to use only direct to/from Stadium Of Light and St.James' Park which would alleviate pressure on regular passenger services like what the "BEE Network" have done in Manchester for Manchester City Matches.

I think the Clubs in partnership with Bus Companies/Nexus should conduct a survey with Supporters to see if there would be any viability to operate such a network in both Sunderland and Newcastle on Matchdays but this something that will likely not happen until our Kim sets up her "Angel Network Bus Franchising".

Could easily pull a finger out and do

61 - Sunderland to Murton as was before
62/A - Pennywell to Doxford (62 via Toll Bar & Leechmere View) (62A via Leechmere ASDA & Hollycarrside)
63 - stays as is
New 64 - old 202 route Seaham to Peterlee via Seaham garden village (when built)
55 brought back to keep sunderland - peterlee connection or have 64 do that route via B1287 but that obviously didn’t work which is why I didn’t mention it. Could always run it express between ryhope village and Park Lane following the X6.

That’s just what I would do personally and what makes the most sense to me.

Since everyone is mentioning Sunderland, personally I'd do something like this:



With it being like this:

1/2 (Yellow): Sunderland to Pennywell(1)/Washington(2) (Every 20 Minutes Each, 10 Minutes Combined)

60: No Changes
61 (Dark Blue): Murton to Sunderland (Every 30 Minutes)
62 (Green): Doxford Park to Sunderland (Every 30 Minutes)
63/63A (Orange): Sunderland Loop via Silksworth, combining part of the 33 (Every 30 Minutes Each, 15 Minutes Combined)

19 (Light Blue): Sunderland to South Hetton (Every 30 Minutes)
33 (Pink): Extend to Houghton Le Spring via 32 Route (Every 30 Minutes)

X1: Extend to Peterlee via Murton and Doxford Park instead of South Hetton (Every 30 Minutes)

It tidies everything up and sorts out the missing links which some people are moaning about currently and also opens new stuff like:

• Houghton and Washington to Dalton Park
  
• Houghton to Doxford Park
  
• Silksworth to Hospital and Doxford Park
  
• Faster journeys from Hetton and beyond to Sunderland
  
• Murton to Houghton, Washington and Newcastle
  

The 19/33/X1 changes being funded by BSIP as it's a good use of funds imo.