(21 May 2015, 12:25 pm)Malarkey A Monday to Friday Inter-working Suggestion to save a Driver sitting around for 3 Hours in Hexham.

09:00 - 15 - Durham to Consett - 09:40
09:45 - 689 - Consett to Hexham - 10:39
11:10 - AD122 - Hexham to Haltwhistle - 12:06
12:08 - AD122 - Haltwhistle to Hexham - 13:04
13:41 - 689 - Hexham to Consett - 14:35
Driver Changeover
14:45 - 15A - Consett to Durham - 15:25

A few other Suggestions

X2 - Newcastle Eldon Square - Gateshead - Low Fell - Angel of the North - Washington Galleries - Shiney Row - Penshaw - Hastings Hill - Grindon - Royal Hospital - Sunderland City Centre(Fawcett Street/Holmeside)

X45 - Newcastle Eldon Square - Scotswood Road - Swallwell - Rowlands Gill - Shotley Bridge - Blackhill - Consett

48 - Stanley - Tanfield Lea - Tanfield - Burnopfield - Rowlands Gill - Swalwell - MetroCentre - Newcastle Eldon Square

(28 May 2015, 3:14 pm)Tom Got a new service suggestion for the Tyne Valley:

682 – Hexham-Kielder

Connecting service from Newcastle
Newcastle Eldon Square…… 0800 1210 1340
Hexham Bus Station…………. 0847 1257 1440

682
Hexham Bus Station………… 0900 1300 1455
Hexham Railway Station…. 0903 1303 1558
Wark Village…………………… 0936 1336 1531
Bellingham Parkside Place. 0952 1352 1547
Stannersburn Village………. 1009 1604
Leaplish…………………………... 1019 1614
Kielder Castle………………….. 1027 1622

Kielder Castle………………….. 1033 1623
Leaplish…………………………… 1043 1633
Stannersburn………………….. 1051 1641
Bellingham Parkside Place. 1109 1400 1659
Wark………………………………. 1124 1415 1714
Hexham Railway Station… 1156 1447 1746
Hexham Bus Station………. 1159 1450 1749

Connecting service to Newcastle

Hexham Bus Station…….. 1202 1502 1753
Newcastle Eldon Square…. 1302 1602 1840

(04 Jun 2015, 3:22 pm)Malarkey Following on from those tremendous 194/294 Poems I have came up with the following.


X1 - Easington Lane - Hetton le Hole - Houghton le Spring - Shiney Row - Washington Galleries - Springwell - Wrekenton - Q.E. Hospital - Gateshead - Newcastle

X2 - Easington Lane - Hetton le Hole - Houghton le Spring - Fencehouses - Bournmoor - Shiney Row - Washington Galleries - Springwell - Wrekenton - Q.E. Hospital - Gateshead - Newcastle

Operating Every 10 Minutes Combined.

4 - Houghton le Spring - Fencehouses - Bournmoor - Shiney Row - Fatfield - Biddick - Glebe - Washington Galleries - Albany - Concord - Usworth College - Heworth

4A - Houghton le Spring - Grasswell - Philadelphia - Shiney Row - Fatfield - Biddick - Glebe - Washington Galleries - Albany - Concord - Usworth College - Heworth

Operating Every 10 Minutes Combined.

86 - Coach Road Estate - Concord - B&Q - Blackfell - Oxclose - Washington Galleries - Sainsburys Car Park - Glebe - Washington Village - Barmston Court - Fatfield - Barnwell - Shiney Row - Success - Newbottle - Burnside Estate - Houghton le Spring - Fencehouses

Every 30 Minutes

(04 Jun 2015, 3:40 pm)cbma06 have the X2 terminus at Hetton-le-hole bus interchange, to compensate for the longer route via Fence Houses and Bournmoor, there would still be a 20 min freq on service X1 and a 30 minute freq on X35 between Hetton Interchange and Easington Lane.

Would of liked to see service 4 from Houghton down to Burnside then the route of the old 160 service to fence houses then normal 4 route to Heworth. the proposed X2 would cover the section between Houghton and Fence Houses connection.

(04 Jun 2015, 4:02 pm)Malarkey I actually hadnt taken into account the extra running time, but that is a good idea I reckon.

As for the 4A, Coming out of Houghton it will go down Station Road onto Drinkburn Cresent and along Blind Lane and up Success Road to Philadelphia, alternatively could it turn right off of Blind Lane and go up Coaley Lane to Newbottle and down to Philadelphia, either way the routing is a various of the old 294/493, used to use the 294/493 to my Grandparents when they were Alive as they lived on Blind Lane, we used to go to the Beehive for Lunch sometimes also.

(11 Jun 2015, 7:49 am)Andreos1 I made a suggestion a few weeks back, when first mentioning the lack of a bus from Northside into Birtley.
This involved the X25 reducing to an hourly frequency, but an X26 being introduced at the other end of the clock.
It would follow the X25 route, but rather than operate via Portmeads, it would operate via Birtley - reinstating the link lost with the 82/82A shambles.

However, another option would be for GNE to work with Nexus, overhauling the Birtley services.
In Vigo and Barley Mow, the 23 runs more or less the same time into Birtley as the 82.
My proposal would see:

The 23 operating as is between Washington and Station Lane, via Eighton Banks etc.
It would turn left at the top of Station Lane, go along Durham Road and turn right into Sanders Gardens - working its way onto Blackfell Way and onto Northside, continuing onto Portmeads, Birtley Lane (serving Lord Lawson) and onto Harrass Bank.
This would mean the end of the TB18.

The 82/82A would operate as as circular service, on a half hourly frequency.
It would operate as it does between the Galleries and The Drive - one would turn right, continuing up Windermere and its present route to Fell Bank. It would turn right, onto Birtley Lane, operate through Birtley and then via Dorset Ave (replacing the 23).
The other, would follow the opposite direction, covering the loss of the 23 via Dorset Ave and then onto Birtley, Fell Bank etc.

Each estate in Birtley, would have a link to the Galleries and Birtley Town Centre and the duplication and gaps we see presently - removed.

(07 Jun 2015, 12:14 am)Busman69 What about an N27 service? Between Newcastle and South Shields I'm sure there is demand for a night time service, I know many people who would pay for a ticket on this as opposed to a taxi, same goes for the 20 service, but this would only warrant a hugely reduced service, as it could serve people between Sunderland and Durham, a link that I'm sure doesn't exist during the night yet

• Newcastle to Low Fell - £3
  
  
• Newcastle to Wrekenton - £3
  
  
• Newcastle to Birtley - £4
  
  
• Newcastle to Washington - £4
  
  
• Newcastle to Durham - £5
  

• £2 single from bus stops in Durham on North Road, Millburngate or Claypath (N20 only)
  
  
• Must show your Durham University ID card                                                                                                                                          
  Lothian Buses on the other hand offer the following for their large range of successfully operated Nightbus Services.All Night Ticket: £3.00

(11 Jun 2015, 1:14 pm)Malarkey That is correct, the current N20 only operates between Durham - Gilesgate Moor - Belmont - Carrville - Durham only inter-working with the N21 I think.

The reason there isnt many Nightbus Services in the North East is because if your in a Group of say 4-6 People and a Taxi costs less than £20, the cost of that split between the group is cheaper than getting on the Nightbus Services on offer, perhaps GNE should promote these Services more across the Region at Bus Stops and Online etc as they have done recently in Sunderland promoting Tickets/Fares available.

Fares and Tickets

• Newcastle to Low Fell - £3
  
  
• Newcastle to Wrekenton - £3
  
  
• Newcastle to Birtley - £4
  
  
• Newcastle to Washington - £4
  
  
• Newcastle to Durham - £5
  

Special fare for Durham University students

• £2 single from bus stops in Durham on North Road, Millburngate or Claypath (N20 only)
  
  
• Must show your Durham University ID card                                                                                                                                          
  Lothian Buses on the other hand offer the following for their large range of successfully operated Nightbus Services.All Night Ticket: £3.00

With RIDACARD: FREE

Your NIGHTticket can be used on multiple NightBus services.

Perfect after a night out or for getting somewhere (very) early

NIGHTtickets are available from your bus driver. When boarding the bus place the correct change into the red fares box. Please have your correct fare ready as our drivers do not have access to cash and cannot give change. Your NIGHTticket is valid for travel all night.

Also available as m-tickets in our app.

(11 Jun 2015, 1:57 pm)Andreos1 Tickets are valid in some areas, rather than just cash fares.

As you say, very little incentive to use it, if a taxi to your door is a similar cost.

(11 Jun 2015, 7:49 am)Andreos1 I made a suggestion a few weeks back, when first mentioning the lack of a bus from Northside into Birtley.
This involved the X25 reducing to an hourly frequency, but an X26 being introduced at the other end of the clock.
It would follow the X25 route, but rather than operate via Portmeads, it would operate via Birtley - reinstating the link lost with the 82/82A shambles.

However, another option would be for GNE to work with Nexus, overhauling the Birtley services.
In Vigo and Barley Mow, the 23 runs more or less the same time into Birtley as the 82.
My proposal would see:

The 23 operating as is between Washington and Station Lane, via Eighton Banks etc.
It would turn left at the top of Station Lane, go along Durham Road and turn right into Sanders Gardens - working its way onto Blackfell Way and onto Northside, continuing onto Portmeads, Birtley Lane (serving Lord Lawson) and onto Harrass Bank.
This would mean the end of the TB18.

The 82/82A would operate as as circular service, on a half hourly frequency.
It would operate as it does between the Galleries and The Drive - one would turn right, continuing up Windermere and its present route to Fell Bank. It would turn right, onto Birtley Lane, operate through Birtley and then via Dorset Ave (replacing the 23).
The other, would follow the opposite direction, covering the loss of the 23 via Dorset Ave and then onto Birtley, Fell Bank etc.

Each estate in Birtley, would have a link to the Galleries and Birtley Town Centre and the duplication and gaps we see presently - removed.

(11 Jun 2015, 5:00 pm)Malarkey Would be alright if a Roundabout was inserted at the Red Lion allowing Buses to turn around, seems to be quite a lot of space at the junction also, nevertheless I quite the sound of those suggestions.

(11 Jun 2015, 9:14 pm)LeeCalder That bus stop is still there mate - 28/A and TB14 stop there

(12 Jun 2015, 5:56 pm)Malarkey 1 - Gateshead - Newcastle - Byker - Wallsend - North Shields - Tynemouth - Marsden - Whitley Bay
Every 15 Minutes

82/82A - Heworth - Leam Lane - Wardley - Usworth - Donwell - Concord - Barmston - Biddick - Washington Galleries - Haratton - Rickleton
Every 15 Minutes

24 - Newcastle - Gateshead - Low Fell - Harlow Green - Wrekenton - Eighton Banks - Washington Galleries 

25 - Newcastle - Gateshead - Low Fell - Angel of the North - Birtley - Portmeads - Portobello - Vigo Lane - Ayton - Lambton - Washington Galleries

26 - Newcastle - Gateshead - Low Fell - Angel of the North - Birtley - Barley Mow - Rickleton - Haratton - Ayton - Lambton - Washington Galleries
Every 10 Minutes Combined