10 Apr 2020, 3:24 pm
#947
Well I've got the passenger times for the following suggestion routes as well as my responses to some of the feedback:
- X19 (incl X20 between Wansbeck Hospital and Newcastle)
- X21
- 20
Storx
"
You do realise the X21 and X22 run different bus routes between Bedlington and Ashington..."- Yes and they also run different routes between Bedlington and Newcastle too. Service 20 would cover the X22 route between Ashington and Bedlington then the current X21 route to Newcastle.
"Anyone who lives on the X22 route between Bedlington and Ashington is getting an extremely raw deal here, reduced to every 30 minutes"- The X22 (and former guises) has never warranted a 20 minute service between Ashington & Bedlington. Most of the passengers on the X22 are between Bedlington and Newcastle due to it running 6 minutes before the X21.
"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."- See attached suggestion timetable for more details. Mainly Sunday evenings would see a reduction in service (and rightly so). Monday to Saturday evening service levels would be mainly unaffected bar requiring a change in Bedlington if travelling from Newcastle after 9.00pm.
MB134
"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."- This is the rationale behind the changes. The X19/X20 & X21 would be the 'core' group of services between Ashington and Newcastle. The role of the 20 would be a similar role that GNE's 6 plays in serving the awkward and slow sections of route. The rationale behind numbering the service as the "20" will be to ensure that the X19/X20 & X21 stand out as the 'core' group of routes and reduce confusion. For example, if I wasn't bus savy and was travelling to Sunniside or Stanley from Eldon Square, I wouldn't give the 6 a thought. I would most likely either use the X30/X31.
"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. "- A 30 minute fast service from Ashington and North Seaton to Newcastle would certainly provide an attractive proposition to passengers. The X19 would also provide a quicker and more pleasant journey than the current X21.
"I think the current Ashington service setup is pretty much spot on"- Whist I agree to some extent, the X21 only gets 2 minutes of layover at Newbiggin and unless the service was either terminated at the Cresswell Arms or omits the Cresswell Arms, then not much more time could be added without increasing the PVR of the X21 / X22. The revised X21 will offer the same journey times as current however, more time will be added en-route due to the faster route between Bedlington and Newcastle. Bedlington would also be treated as a major stopping point and layover time has also been added there.
