This is just a thread where you can jot down your ideas about former running routes.

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Does anybody remember the old TB1


Cowan Terrace-Mariville West VIA City Hall , Roker Marina , Ashbrooke , Ryhope Village

(23 Jun 2026, 4:44 pm)EastGatesheadRider wrote This is just a thread where you can jot down your ideas about former running routes.

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Does anybody remember the old TB1


Cowan Terrace-Mariville West VIA City Hall , Roker Marina , Ashbrooke , Ryhope Village

I do and I also remember every time I timed it at Fawcett Street it never showed up (or identified itself as a Taxi bus)

Many people could agree and many people could disagree this sometimes pops up when seaburn rec does one of them bus model fairs next to the grand hotel the usually model is a at seaburn rec is a optare solo SR Busways


18 Grindon-Seaburn Camp

325/326!!

18 and 19 Grindon Circular the proper one

638 Sunderland to Crawcrook?

X50 Durham - Washington - South Shields

Restore the link to South Tyneside District Hospital and express route from Boldon - Washington - Chester le Street

(25 Jun 2026, 1:50 pm)LVK 404L wrote X50 Durham - Washington - South Shields

Restore the link to South Tyneside District Hospital and express route from Boldon - Washington - Chester le Street

Was the route much different to the now 50 route?

121/122 ( original numbering Back in the PTE days): Tunstall Rd / Leechmere Rd - Grangetown- City Centre 

Then 

121 via Roker Park Rd and Park Avenue to Seaburn Hotel 
122 via Sea Front to what was then Seaburn Camp terminus. 

Both routes withdrawn in 1983 and merged into existing 118 and new 119.

(25 Jun 2026, 3:29 pm)X919 WGR wrote Was the route much different to the now 50 route?

Yes much different

X50 was
South Shields
Westoe
South Tyneside District Hospital
Whiteleas Bridge
Boldon Asda

Fast to DWP Waterview Park
Fast to Washington Galleries
Fast to Chester le Street

Then if I am correct all stops to Durham

The section South Shields to Boldon was limited stop also.  

Much quicker than the 50

Hail and Ride TB43 around the metrocentre

(25 Jun 2026, 5:18 pm)LVK 404L wrote Yes much different

X50 was
South Shields
Westoe
South Tyneside District Hospital
Whiteleas Bridge
Boldon Asda

Fast to DWP Waterview Park
Fast to Washington Galleries
Fast to Chester le Street

Then if I am correct all stops to Durham

The section South Shields to Boldon was limited stop also.  

Much quicker than the 50

Continued onto X20 to Shields.

(25 Jun 2026, 1:50 pm)LVK 404L wrote X50 Durham - Washington - South Shields

Restore the link to South Tyneside District Hospital and express route from Boldon - Washington - Chester le Street

Not sure there'd be much demand for an X50.

What needs sorting out is the mess which is Washington and let it go express or semi fast between CLS and Washington again.

The 22/81/82/82A farce is where the magical tour on the 50 should be part of imo since it's covering those services. There's been a million variants of those though. Generally the whole Washington service is crap though imo. Has to be the biggest place in Tyne and Wear where a chunk of the place doesn't have a connection to Newcastle or a 15 minute+ connection service. Rothbury has a better service than some areas!

(11 hours ago)Storx wrote Not sure there'd be much demand for an X50.

What needs sorting out is the mess which is Washington and let it go express or semi fast between CLS and Washington again.

The 22/81/82/82A farce is where the magical tour on the 50 should be part of imo since it's covering those services. There's been a million variants of those though. Generally the whole Washington service is crap though imo. Has to be the biggest place in Tyne and Wear where a chunk of the place doesn't have a connection to Newcastle or a 15 minute+ connection service. Rothbury has a better service than some areas!

That's your opinion though.  The 50 has always been complained about the time of sections and when we did have the X50 previous, it was full loads regular on full size single deckers 

I believe the custom is there, even if the regular 50 got cut back to hourly as a result

(5 hours ago)LVK 404L wrote That's your opinion though.  The 50 has always been complained about the time of sections and when we did have the X50 previous, it was full loads regular on full size single deckers 

I believe the custom is there, even if the regular 50 got cut back to hourly as a result

I get but what your saying but I think speeding the 50 up by removing the dogleg route via Washington would be better and make that express instead.

Like messing around with the 8/22/81/82/82A could you maybe look at 3 new routes doing something like:


It sorts out the 50 slow issues between Washington and CLS and also the express 8 issues since both are going on a magical tour around the world right now and removes pointless terminus points like the QE or Teal Farm which are poor points. I can't see any negatives bar a small section of SE Washington losing the CLS links. There's a few new links aswell, especially to Southwick, Newcastle and the Stadium of Light which don't exist currently. 

Just think it's better than duplicating the 50 and having hourly services etc. The missing 81/82 is the issue history services in Washington imo. 

(The now missing Birtley links are another discussion - I'm aware).

44 hazlerigg to Whitley Bay bus station