09 Apr 2020, 8:40 pm
#943
(09 Apr 2020, 5:16 pm)Storx You do realise the X21 and X22 run different bus routes between Bedlington and Ashington...
Anyone who lives on the X22 route between Bedlington and Ashington is getting an extremely raw deal here, reduced to every 30 minutes, no night service at all and a longer journey to put the cherry on the cake. You'd also leave Stakeford and the Green Lane area of Ashington without a bus service at all at night, the X22 is all they've got. They don't want a bus service between Bedlington and Ashington it's Newcastle which they'd be interested in.
Terrible idea no offence not to mention an express X20 and a 20 which aren't linked at all.
Added to that, I think the current X21/22 setup is pretty solid.
The X22, while quieter between Ashington and Bedlington, being timed before the X21 through Bedlington front street takes majority of passengers there - spreading the load between both services evenly.
The X21 on the current route links all Bedlington schools, as well as giving the expanding west end of Bedlington a frequent bus service.
As well as that, the X20 route probably only demands an hourly (or at most half hourly) frequency. While runs are busy, if you then further increase the frequency then they run the risk of running below a sustainable level.
I think the current Ashington service setup is pretty much spot on, the only possible suggestion I'd make would be for the Morpeth routes:
X14: Current route. All journeys operate to Thropton.
X15: Current route. 2 journeys on a Sunday extend to Berwick.
X16: Axed.
X17: Newcastle - Morpeth - A1 - Alnwick - Seahouses via coast (X18 route) in summer peak (every 2 hours).
X18: Current route and timetable, except 22:18 ex-Alnwick continues to Morpeth.
Rough timing suggestions, during the summer at least, would be:
X18 X15 X14 X17 X18 X15 X14 X17 X18 X15 X14 X17
Newcastle: 10:00, 10:15, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00, 11:15, 11:30, 11:45, 12:00, 12:15, 12:30, 12:45
Morpeth: 10:37, 10:52, 11:07, 11:22, 11:37, 11:52, 12:07, 12:22, 12:37, 12:52, 13:07, 13:22
Alnwick: 11:57, 11:42 12:57, 12:42, 13:12, 13:57, 13:42
Thropton: 11:51 12:51 13:51
Seahouses: 12:58 14:13, 14:58
Berwick: 13:48, 12:37 15:48, 14:37
Berwick: 14:00, 13:00, 16:00, 15:00
Seahouses: 15:00, 14:15, 17:00
Thropton: 12:00 13:00 14:00
Alnwick: 16:05, 14:05, 13:05 13:05 15:25, 18:05, 16:05
Morpeth: 17:30, 15:00, 12:45, 11:25, 14:30, 14:00, 13:45, 16:25, 19:30, 17:00, 14:45, 13:25
Newcastle: 18:10, 15:35, 13:20, 11:50, 15:05, 14:35, 14:20, 17:05, 20:05, 17:40, 15:20, 13:50
X17 timed as such so that short workings from Morpeth to Newcastle also help to relieve pressure from the southbound X18.
All vehicles will interwork at Newcastle, with the exception of the X14. Though later on with different timings X14 vehicles may run onto different services.
Forgot to put in layover time on northbound journeys, so included it in terminus layover.
