(03 Jun 2023, 9:56 am)Unber43 What about all the frequency reductions? The main ones 10/10A/10B, 39/39A/39B, 57, X20, plus the other ones with smaller freq reductions,53/54, 60? Are they still temp?
Also what is the plan for the X20, will it ever go back to Durham/ Langley Park, a proper express is needed tbh, between Sunderland & Durham arguably is one of the busiest routes without a train line a proper express is needed.
I’m not sure what else I can say other than what I said in my previous post. Go North East seem to be gradually re-building their network and reversing many of the frequency reductions which they said were temporary - the 65 in January, the 8 in May, and the X6 will follow in July.
They seem to be planning these enhancements by using existing resource much more efficiently - the 65 was PVR neutral (they already had 4 buses out in the peak), but saved a massive amount of wasteful resource by interworking with the 20 (which in turn removed remote driver reliefs); the 8 was PVR neutral (there was already one peak-only bus on the 8, and there was also two peak-only buses on the 4 and 28S which now run the 8 inter-peak, and driver reliefs now take place at The Galleries instead of Chester-le-Street due to a rota change); and it has been suggested that the X6 will be PVR neutral (by using the 807/877 school bus).
A much more careful and considered approach to network planning takes time, and it is no surprise therefore that each iteration of frequency enhancement has taken a little bit of time to mobilise.
If this approach can be taken towards other services, then I’m sure it will be at some point. Are there any other services with obvious inefficiencies? Service 39 surely has to be a contender - and isn’t the contract for the 39B to Washington due to expire from 22 July? I’d hazard a guess that with a revision to the timetable, you could reinstate the frequency of service 39 by removing the near 40-minute layover the service has at The Galleries, and by making use of the existing peak-only buses which operate the service.
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