North East Buses

(05 May 2023, 12:15 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]LOL. Actually come to think about it when the 44 used to stop at St Marys place I once had the driver shout he'd be there for at least 5 minutes so the bus emptied.

A route that could actually do with being brought back either as a commuter service or a half hourly spin off to the 308 & 309.

X38 - Whitley Bay Town Centre - same as 308 to Lynn Road - Regent Terrace - Verne Road - Norham Road Retail Park - Willington Square then non-stop to St Mary's Place. 

Would give a faster service than the 308 in parts and also give Verne Road a faster service than the 307 to Newcastle as well as cater for the new builds on Norham Road.

Could even 'dock' services in the according oppostie flow direction to form the X39 runs.

(07 May 2023, 1:49 pm)L469 YVK wrote [ -> ]A route that could actually do with being brought back either as a commuter service or a half hourly spin off to the 308 & 309.

X38 - Whitley Bay Town Centre - same as 308 to Lynn Road - Regent Terrace - Verne Road - Norham Road Retail Park - Willington Square then non-stop to St Mary's Place. 

Would give a faster service than the 308 in parts and also give Verne Road a faster service than the 307 to Newcastle as well as cater for the new builds on Norham Road.

Could even 'dock' services in the according oppostie flow direction to form the X39 runs.

Send it via Marden Estate as per old 44 then withdraw the useless extention of the 306 between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay.

(08 May 2023, 10:13 am)ian foster wrote [ -> ]Send it via Marden Estate as per old 44 then withdraw the useless extention of the 306 between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay.

Something like the following......

https://goo.gl/maps/FWGZ7kMJQf2qnVYp9

Service X38 - Marden Estate Loop - Hillheads - North Tyneside Hospital - Billy Mill Lane - Lynn Road - Regent Terrace - The Quadrant - Verne Road - Norham Road then non-stop to St Mary's Place and Newcastle Haymarket.

Should be do-able with a PVR of 3x

* Covers Marden Estate and still offers links to shops and restores the link to North Tyneside Hospital from Marden.
* Covers the 308 between Hillheads and Billy Mill
* Covers the 307 through the Quadrant, Verne Road and Norham Road

(08 May 2023, 11:33 am)L469 YVK wrote [ -> ]Something like the following......

https://goo.gl/maps/FWGZ7kMJQf2qnVYp9

Service X38 - Marden Estate Loop - Hillheads - North Tyneside Hospital - Billy Mill Lane - Lynn Road - Regent Terrace - The Quadrant - Verne Road - Norham Road then non-stop to St Mary's Place and Newcastle Haymarket.

Should be do-able with a PVR of 3x

* Covers Marden Estate and still offers links to shops and restores the link to North Tyneside Hospital from Marden.
* Covers the 308 between Hillheads and Billy Mill
* Covers the 307 through the Quadrant, Verne Road and Norham Road

See personally I'd do something like:
X50 (Every 30 Minutes) - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.04518...95!1m0!3e0
59 (Every 30 Minutes) - Tynemouth to Murton - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.01771...95!1m0!3e0

51 - Terminate at Holystone
306 - Terminate at Tynemouth
W2 - Withdrawn
317 - Wallsend to North Shields only
335 - Withdrawn on Eastern Side

Other than the Preston Village to Whitley Bay there's no major links lost.

Cleans up a lot of marginal services and creates 2 routes, one linking the routes away from the Metro / 308 / 309 to Newcastle and the other linking up the main corridors to North Shields with connections to most the main links and also a link for ferry go'ers from North Shields Ferry to Tynemouth for day trippers (could be popular imo).

I've noticed over the past few weeks Go North East having been doing driver training through Gosforth to Regent Centre before heading up Regent Farm Road onto Wansbeck Road which got me wondering if they could have a variation of the Q3 on the cards.

(11 May 2023, 11:04 pm)Malarkey wrote [ -> ]I've noticed over the past few weeks Go North East having been doing driver training through Gosforth to Regent Centre before heading up Regent Farm Road onto Wansbeck Road which got me wondering if they could have a variation of the Q3 on the cards.

could just be a new route for delegated examinations or a preference for driver trainers

(08 May 2023, 11:33 am)L469 YVK wrote [ -> ]Something like the following......

https://goo.gl/maps/FWGZ7kMJQf2qnVYp9

Service X38 - Marden Estate Loop - Hillheads - North Tyneside Hospital - Billy Mill Lane - Lynn Road - Regent Terrace - The Quadrant - Verne Road - Norham Road then non-stop to St Mary's Place and Newcastle Haymarket.

Should be do-able with a PVR of 3x

* Covers Marden Estate and still offers links to shops and restores the link to North Tyneside Hospital from Marden.
* Covers the 308 between Hillheads and Billy Mill
* Covers the 307 through the Quadrant, Verne Road and Norham Road

no send X38 to Whitley Bay via the old 44 route non stop between St. Mary's Place and Norham Rd. to replace the useless extension of 306 between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay

Should bring back the X9 was so much quicker to get to newcastle

Hopefully if passenger numbers continue to improve, which I assume the £2 max single fare is massively helping with, there is potential for it to return.

Service 57 currently has over 20 minutes sitting at Market Street, which is clearly inefficient.

Either operate it to a similar route as the Coaster 1 from Gateshead to Newcastle. This would provide a direct link to Central Station from Old Durham Road and East Gateshead.

Or on arrival in Newcastle, operate up John Dobson Street, St Mary's Place, Percy Street and Newgate Street, in a similar fashion to the old 'City Loop' that Go Ahead Gateshead used to have, offering alternative stop locations in the city for customers travelling to/from East Gateshead, while opening up easier connections to/from the north of the city.

Anything has to be better than having a driver earning zero money for that long!

Idea to replace Arriva's 306 between Whitley Bay and Tynemouth (more Marden)

- 306 Tynemouth to Newcastle only - PVR of 306/308 reduced to 13x

- NEW X38 operated by Go North East - Every 30 minutes Mon - Sat daytime
* Marden Estate Loop (clockwise) - Broadway - Hillheads - NT Hospital - Billy Mill - Norham Road then non-stop to St Mary's Place & Haymarket (doesn't serve St Mary's place Eastbound).

- PVR increase of 1x for the overall Coast Road network, but faster journeys for most of the outer parts of the 308/309 which don't have a nearby Metro or alternative 'X' service.

- Link restored from Marden to NT Hospital. Link to Preston Grange Morrisons lost but links to other shops including an alternative Morrisons gained.

- Interworks with 307 & 309 - avoids driver changeovers at Formica to keep journey times fast.

- Could be 'docked' in the according peak flow direction to provide X39 boards.

(25 May 2023, 5:14 pm)L469 YVK wrote [ -> ]Idea to replace Arriva's 306 between Whitley Bay and Tynemouth (more Marden)

- 306 Tynemouth to Newcastle only - PVR of 306/308 reduced to 13x

- NEW X38 operated by Go North East - Every 30 minutes Mon - Sat daytime
* Marden Estate Loop (clockwise) - Broadway - Hillheads - NT Hospital - Billy Mill - Norham Road then non-stop to St Mary's Place & Haymarket (doesn't serve St Mary's place Eastbound).

- PVR increase of 1x for the overall Coast Road network, but faster journeys for most of the outer parts of the 308/309 which don't have a nearby Metro or alternative 'X' service.

- Link restored from Marden to NT Hospital. Link to Preston Grange Morrisons lost but links to other shops including an alternative Morrisons gained.

- Interworks with 307 & 309 - avoids driver changeovers at Formica to keep journey times fast.

- Could be 'docked' in the according peak flow direction to provide X39 boards.

I know you keep making these suggestions but ignoring operators surely ditching the 308/309 would be better they're not ideal bus routes. Just to pluck something up and I'm numbering them in the 70's and 80's as I cba with big numbers something like this would be much optimum:

X70 (SD): Newcastle - NON STOP - Battle Hill (Coast Road) - Silverlink - Billy Mill - Lynn Road - NT Hospital - Morrisons (Loop) - Marden Estate - Whitley Bay (Every 30 Minutes)

70 (DD): Newcastle - Station Road - Selby Gardens - Battle Hill - Cobalt - New York - NT Hospital - Whitley Bay - Seaton Sluice - Links Road - Blyth (Every 30 Minutes)
70A (DD): Same as above, Newcastle to Seaton Sluice - South Beach - Amersham Drive - Blyth (Every 30 Minutes)

71 (DD): Newcastle - Station Road - Selby Gardens - Battle Hill - Silverlink - Billy Mill - Queen Alexander Road - North Shields - Tynemouth (Every 30 Minutes)
71A (DD): Newcastle - Station Road - Selby Gardens - Battle Hill - Silverlink - Verne Road - Central Avenue - Lansdowne Terrace - Hawkeys Lane - North Shields - Tynemouth (Every 30 Minutes)

70/70A/71/71A (Every 7.5 Minutes, Newcastle to Battle Hill)

80 (SD): Newcastle - Station Road - Wiltshire Drive - Holystone - Shiremoor - Briardene - Whitley Bay (Hourly)
81 (SD): Newcastle - Station Road - Wiltshire Drive - Holystone - Backworth (Hourly)
82 (SD): Newcastle - Station Road - High Farm - Battle Hill - Hadrian Park - Cobalt South - Norham Road - Meadowell (omit Verne Road) - North Shields - Fish Quay (Every 30 Minutes)

SD = Single Decker, DD = Double Decker

It's much better use of resources, 6 BPH is overkill between Whitley Bay and Blyth and it means Cobalt and Silverlink, arguably the most two important points on the route both have 4 BPH plus Verne Road and the areas around there don't have to go on a magical mystery tour of the North East.

It's basically how the Coast Road was for years with some small changes to reflect changes ie. Cobalt being built.

Haven’t done a suggestion in a while, but with upcoming changes to Arriva etc. just remember the farce that is the 61 and the around the world trip in Murton. Probably would be a tendered service, perhaps interworking with the 71 at Seaham?

Service 72 | Peterlee - Seaham via South Hetton, Murton & Dalton Park
> Could go Burnhope Way & Acre Rigg Road in Peterlee then onto Essington Way towards Little Thorpe, providing links to East Durham College & Lancaster Hill.
> In Murton, could run direct via Station Road then via Barnes Road, Burnip Road & Truro Avenue - providing direction buses to Seaham Town Centre from this area.
> Follow the old 62/202 route via Spectrum Business Park & Dawdon in/out of Seaham. Therefore, would reinstate buses to Princess Road, who are unserved at present.
> 61 would then revert to Sunderland to Murton only, with equal spaced timetable throughout.

(01 Jun 2023, 11:33 pm)Drifter60 wrote [ -> ]Haven’t done a suggestion in a while, but with upcoming changes to Arriva etc. just remember the farce that is the 61 and the around the world trip in Murton. Probably would be a tendered service, perhaps interworking with the 71 at Seaham?

Service 72 | Peterlee - Seaham via South Hetton, Murton & Dalton Park
> Could go Burnhope Way & Acre Rigg Road in Peterlee then onto Essington Way towards Little Thorpe, providing links to East Durham College & Lancaster Hill.
> In Murton, could run direct via Station Road then via Barnes Road, Burnip Road & Truro Avenue - providing direction buses to Seaham Town Centre from this area.
> Follow the old 62/202 route via Spectrum Business Park & Dawdon in/out of Seaham. Therefore, would reinstate buses to Princess Road, who are unserved at present.
> 61 would then revert to Sunderland to Murton only, with equal spaced timetable throughout.

They should just ditch the 61 imo.

Personally something like this would be better

X7: Sunderland - Direct - Ryhope - Direct - Seaham - Spectrum Business Park - (Garden Village) - Dalton Park - Murton

X6/X7 - Every 15 Minutes Combined.

Then try and push all the Sunderland to Seaham passengers onto the X6/X7 as it's now frequent enough to try and help out the 60 a bit so it's mostly local passengers instead.

There's no need for the number of buses via West Lea etc and Murton passengers can still get there with the 65. There's also a decent bus services for the garden village which is very much under construction now rather than it being an after thought like usual.

(02 Jun 2023, 7:11 am)Storx wrote [ -> ]They should just ditch the 61 imo.

Personally something like this would be better

X7: Sunderland - Direct - Ryhope - Direct - Seaham - Spectrum Business Park - (Garden Village) - Dalton Park - Murton

X6/X7 - Every 15 Minutes Combined.

Then try and push all the Sunderland to Seaham passengers onto the X6/X7 as it's now frequent enough to try and help out the 60 a bit so it's mostly local passengers instead.

There's no need for the number of buses via West Lea etc and Murton passengers can still get there with the 65. There's also a decent bus services for the garden village which is very much under construction now rather than it being an after thought like usual.

Since GNE was the first one to start cutting back services awhile ago before stagecoach and Arriva decided to start cutting back from July , I wonder if there be more cuts to GNE services before the end of this year.


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(02 Jun 2023, 8:45 am)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]Since GNE was the first one to start cutting back services awhile ago before stagecoach and Arriva decided to start cutting back from July , I wonder if there be more cuts to GNE services before the end of this year.


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as stated by Dan all those months ago TBF

(02 Jun 2023, 9:04 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]as stated by Dan all those months ago TBF

Even a broken clock is right twice a day

Seriously though, for all I whitter on about operators needing to adapt their networks to suit the modern age, at least the others didn't go at the network like a mad axeman given the first opportunity.

The fruit isn't going to grow if you chop the branches off the tree.

(02 Jun 2023, 10:48 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Even a broken clock is right twice a day

Seriously though, for all I whitter on about operators needing to adapt their networks to suit the modern age, at least the others didn't go at the network like a mad axeman given the first opportunity.

The fruit isn't going to grow if you chop the branches off the tree.

Theres a market there, the book of Andreos quotes

(02 Jun 2023, 9:04 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]as stated by Dan all those months ago TBF

Some have hairy balls, others have crystal…


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(02 Jun 2023, 8:45 am)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]Since GNE was the first one to start cutting back services awhile ago before stagecoach and Arriva decided to start cutting back from July , I wonder if there be more cuts to GNE services before the end of this year.


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Aye it'll definitely be interesting, especially in Co. Durham which the 60/61/65 are all in with the reduction in English National Concessionary funding. The cuts with Arriva are pretty hard in some areas and the routes which are getting cuts there ie. the Darlington locals always seem stronger than the likes of the 61 and 65 on an evening and Sunderland. Heard there's similar due for Stagecoach aswell.

Some of the Consett routes could be seriously at risk aswell as they're never exactly the busiest routes especially at night, the likes of the 6 in particular which is constantly meddled with.

I'm usually quite critical but reducting the funds, regardless to there being less passengers or not, is just wreckless imo. The sad thing is whichever smart arse thought the small savings was clever is now dumped with the issue of subsidising some of them or leaving whole towns stranded in the case of Barnard Castle on a Sunday. Suppose in the case of Teesside they can just plowing money on the fantasy airport which ironically doesn't have a bus service now...