Stagecoach North East is starting a Sunderland-Newcastle X24 inter-urban express route from 30 January,
The half-hourly service runs Monday-Saturdays from Fawcett Street in Sunderland City Centre to Pilgrim Street in Newcastle.
At £2.80 adult single or £13.35 all week, the X24 is speedy and cheap. It uses newly-liveried buses with a striking and present an alternative to the Metro.
Steve Walker, Managing Director, Stagecoach North East, said: “After listening to our customers, we are delighted to launch this new service to benefit passengers travelling between Sunderland and Newcastle.
“The new X24 service represents a further investment from Stagecoach North East and demonstrates our commitment to delivering more choice, more value for money and more opportunities to travel whether business or pleasure.”
To launch the new X24 service, the bus company is offering an introductory fare exclusive to passengers on the route, with a one week ticket for £5 from 30 January to 4 February and £10 from 6 February to 11 February.
For onward journeys, X24 passengers in Newcastle can connect to the Metrocentre, Quorum Business Park, Colbalt Business Park and more.
Further demonstrating its response to customer demand, earlier this month Stagecoach North East brought on board return fares for residents in the south of Sunderland, bringing cheaper journeys for passengers travelling within the city, on routes 12 and 13.
The X24 launch follows the recent introduction contactless payment and m-ticketing technology, making bus travel a more attractive and stress-free option than commuting by car.
Within the past year Stagecoach North East has also implemented integrated smart ticketing across the region as well as a brand new website and smartphone app which allow customers to receive real-time journey information.
Stagecoach North East employs over 1400 people across the Sunderland, Hartlepool, Teesside, Newcastle and South Shields areas within the region.
