(05 Nov 2021, 4:42 pm)L469 YVK wrote [ -> ]The 309/310 are miles ahead from the "Micky mouse" underdogs they were 10 year back. Investment in Volvo B9TLs back in 2013 followed by an extensive refurbishment and now a potential pending EV order.
Yes they're now every 20 mins but that is a sensible decision. Arriva ideally should do the same (including keeping the 306 out of Battle Hill) as they'd maintain the same capacity between Billy Mill and Newcastle. The loads would be better distributed as there'd be even 10 minute gaps as opposed to 5/15/5/15.
The 306/308 is still the flagship route along there though, it's been around for decades literally. If anything was renumbered then personally it should be:
305: Every 20 minutes current 310 additionally serving Hadrian Park extended to Tynemouth via 306 route.
306: Every 20 minutes current route serving Battle Hill and additionally serving Verne Road and Norham Road, terminate at Long Sands.
307: Every 20 minutes, same as below to St Thomas Moor then do the following route -
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.01537...81!1m0!3e0
308: Every 20 minutes, current route also serves Silverlink by going up to Osprey Drive and turning around, limited stop after Holy Cross so timings are similar.
309: Every 20 minutes, current route.
311: Withdrawn
Apart from Queen Alexander Road and Meadowell no-one really loses out. The 308 is the flagship route along there and deserves the additional frequency imo with the 307. Verne Road would get a quicker service in the process aswell and Tynemouth would get an upto 10 minute service, could push the beach links and you're also giving Marden it's faster bus back to Newcastle plus new links through the estates and sorting the Morrison's link out in the process. The 306 going that route wouldn't be too much longer at peak times as it'd avoid Billy Mill.
If the buses are then too quiet then just bin off the 307 but might aswell give Marden a chance with a proper quick bus route.
(05 Nov 2021, 2:02 pm)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]Rather than merging these services together giving them a decent headway from each other and not running one 2 minutes in front of the other would be a start. Lost count of the amount of times I'm driving along on an infrequent service and another infrequent service from another operator pulls out from a side street in front of me, especially in South Tyneside. It's stupid, and I'm convinced it's intentional.
That is exactly what happens with the X6/62 from Sunderland - Dalton park. THey leave Sunderland 15 mins between, 2 mins Seaham, 2 mins Dalton park
(05 Nov 2021, 10:39 pm)Keeiajs wrote [ -> ]That is exactly what happens with the X6/62 from Sunderland - Dalton park. THey leave Sunderland 15 mins between, 2 mins Seaham, 2 mins Dalton park
That's just poor planning within the same operator though.
It's the same with the 62, 55 and X1 between Easington Lane and Peterlee. Seemingly no joined up thinking at all.
Deanmachine was on about two different operators deliberately timing different services to run alongside each other at certain points.
(05 Nov 2021, 11:12 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]That's just poor planning within the same operator though.
It's the same with the 62, 55 and X1 between Easington Lane and Peterlee. Seemingly no joined up thinking at all.
Deanmachine was on about two different operators deliberately timing different services to run alongside each other at certain points.
Agreed. Poor planning from the same operator should have been dealt with before it even made it onto the road. But it's just silly when the 30 pulls out from Blacks Cornerin East Boldon 1 minute in front of the 9 when it runs every 2 hours(!) on an evening. It happens elsewhere too, but I think that's probably the most ridiculous example I'm aware of, it's absolutely no help to passengers at all, and just makes the 30 look even worse when the 9 inevitably gets there first.
(05 Nov 2021, 11:12 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]That's just poor planning within the same operator though.
It's the same with the 62, 55 and X1 between Easington Lane and Peterlee. Seemingly no joined up thinking at all.
Deanmachine was on about two different operators deliberately timing different services to run alongside each other at certain points.
Also to Newcastle, X1 and X10 come 4 mins in between each other.
I know, but I think the same operator is much worse.
Bit of a small suggestion here. But would keeping the Coaster 1 serve the route it is currently doing now due to Church bank being closed. Would it work better going on the diversion route full time
(06 Nov 2021, 6:34 am)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]Bit of a small suggestion here. But would keeping the Coaster 1 serve the route it is currently doing now due to Church bank being closed. Would it work better going on the diversion route full time
I reckon the 11 would be better off going along there
(05 Nov 2021, 5:50 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]The 306/308 is still the flagship route along there though, it's been around for decades literally. If anything was renumbered then personally it should be:
305: Every 20 minutes current 310 additionally serving Hadrian Park extended to Tynemouth via 306 route.
306: Every 20 minutes current route serving Battle Hill and additionally serving Verne Road and Norham Road, terminate at Long Sands.
307: Every 20 minutes, same as below to St Thomas Moor then do the following route - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.01537...81!1m0!3e0
308: Every 20 minutes, current route also serves Silverlink by going up to Osprey Drive and turning around, limited stop after Holy Cross so timings are similar.
309: Every 20 minutes, current route.
311: Withdrawn
Apart from Queen Alexander Road and Meadowell no-one really loses out. The 308 is the flagship route along there and deserves the additional frequency imo with the 307. Verne Road would get a quicker service in the process aswell and Tynemouth would get an upto 10 minute service, could push the beach links and you're also giving Marden it's faster bus back to Newcastle plus new links through the estates and sorting the Morrison's link out in the process. The 306 going that route wouldn't be too much longer at peak times as it'd avoid Billy Mill.
If the buses are then too quiet then just bin off the 307 but might aswell give Marden a chance with a proper quick bus route.
no way 308 is the only service along the coast road even though it,s all stops. re introduce the 44 and withdraw the 306 between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. There are already far too many buses serving Battle Hill and Silverlink.
(07 Nov 2021, 3:52 pm)ian foster wrote [ -> ]no way 308 is the only service along the coast road even though it,s all stops. re introduce the 44 and withdraw the 306 between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. There are already far too many buses serving Battle Hill and Silverlink.
An express mirroring the 308 route (with a reduction of the 306/308 to every 20 mins each) would be the most sensible idea.
Maybe an opportunity for GNE should older decent vehicles become available if the EV bids are successful. Only issue I can foresee regarding timings would be driver changeovers at Billy Mill or Norham Road. Other issue would be "leisure" custom for passengers on Lynn Road & Billy Mill / Norham Road areas as an evening & Sunday service would be tricky from a cost POV.
(07 Nov 2021, 3:52 pm)ian foster wrote [ -> ]no way 308 is the only service along the coast road even though it,s all stops. re introduce the 44 and withdraw the 306 between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. There are already far too many buses serving Battle Hill and Silverlink.
The 307 would be along the Coast Road aswell working with the 308 there btw. Not sure most people in Marden would mind the stop at Silverlink since it's arguably somewhere they might actually want to be. It wouldn't serve any of the slip roads though other than Tyne Met as it's a right pain in the arse going up and down so it's not too dissimilar to the 44 really bar serving the estate behind Rake Lane other than Rake Lane itself which already has 6/7 buses an hour to Newcastle anyway.
If the 25 were to ever be branded it should be called the Rambler because if you ride it end to end it doesn't half go on and on.
Connect the 6 & 25 to create the 6/7
Newcastle - Metrocentre - Stanley - Lanchester (same route) - A691 - Langley Park - CLS - Gateshead - Eldon Square (same route) every 30 mins loop.
Newcastle - Gateshead - Stanley - Lanchester - A691 - Langley park - CLS - Gateshead - Eldon Square (every 30 mins)
X42 Newcastle - Metrocentre - NCL - Kingston Park
Bring back the X88 / X89
X88 Sunderland - A690 (stopping) - A19 - Concord (non stop) -Washington A2131 A194 - A184 - Heworth (non-stop) Gateshead Metrocentre Every 60 Mins.
X89 Seaham (maybe parkside) - Dalton Park (X1/X10/X89 operate eveyr 20 mins between each other) - A19 - Sunderland - A690 - Concord - Washington - Heworth - Gateshead - Metrocentre (eveyr 60 mins) follows a every 30 mins from Sunderland & Gateshead & Heworth.
Retime the X10, so it comes 20 mins after or 30 mins after the X1. Instead of 3 mins.
Extend the X22 to Brandon
21 to Bowburn for the amazon factory
Create a X23 Darlington - Durham - Arnsion Centre - Chester Le Street - Wreckton - Gateshead - Newcastle
Divert either the 16/16A or X5/X15 to serve the Arnison Centre. You could use Potterhouse Lane and/or Trouts Lane
(09 Nov 2021, 12:21 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote [ -> ] Divert either the 16/16A or X5/X15 to serve the Arnison Centre . You could use Potterhouse Lane and/or Trouts Lane
Mentioned this many a time.
No direct links to the largest retail park in the area, from the west or north west. Absolutely boat loads from the north or south - with a load of duplication on the way.
(09 Nov 2021, 12:45 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Mentioned this many a time.
No direct links to the largest retail park in the area, from the west or north west. Absolutely boat loads from the north or south - with a load of duplication on the way.
Not much from the south either, considering most of the arriva services terminate in Durham.
Also on a different note did anyone ever use the Ferryhill X22.
(09 Nov 2021, 12:21 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote [ -> ]Divert either the 16/16A or X5/X15 to serve the Arnison Centre. You could use Potterhouse Lane and/or Trouts Lane
People will disagree here but unless they make changes to the Arnison ie a bus gate, from where Greggs is onto the main road then I'd pull everything out of there. It's not worth delaying the rest of the service for the severe traffic problems, mainly caused by no-one controlling the McDonald's queue line from backing onto the main route.
I like the idea of buses from North West Durham going to Arnison. I think they'd need to sack off the Shotley Bridge extension on the X5/X15 in order to extend buses up to Arnison Centre with the same PVR, unless they can magic a bus up from somwhere
(09 Nov 2021, 4:52 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]People will disagree here but unless they make changes to the Arnison ie a bus gate, from where Greggs is onto the main road then I'd pull everything out of there. It's not worth delaying the rest of the service for the severe traffic problems, mainly caused by no-one controlling the McDonald's queue line from backing onto the main route.
I'm not sure they even need to go in to be honest. Stick a decent stop/crossing behind Subway to complement the one already by Lidl and it solves the issue of buses heading in and looping around.
Long term, I'd ensure the bus gate was adapted so it wasn't just one-way and counter the problems caused by the queues of traffic.
I'd hazard a guess quite a few of those cars are from areas such as Lanchester, Stanley etc.
(09 Nov 2021, 6:09 pm)DeltaMan wrote [ -> ]I like the idea of buses from North West Durham going to Arnison. I think they'd need to sack off the Shotley Bridge extension on the X5/X15 in order to extend buses up to Arnison Centre with the same PVR, unless they can magic a bus up from somwhere
With the Streetdecks soon being replaced with B5's, if the X5/15 were extended then 6069/70 could be painted to join 6065-68 quite easily.
(09 Nov 2021, 8:44 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I'm not sure they even need to go in to be honest. Stick a decent stop/crossing behind Subway to complement the one already by Lidl and it solves the issue of buses heading in and looping around.
Long term, I'd ensure the bus gate was adapted so it wasn't just one-way and counter the problems caused by the queues of traffic.
I'd hazard a guess quite a few of those cars are from areas such as Lanchester, Stanley etc.
I'd probably true mind, pensioners won't be happy they can't dump their trolleys and get on the bus outside Sainsbury's anymore.
Regardless to buses the whole Arnison needs redone it's a mess transport wise. The simple solution would be to force traffic to go in the Sainsbury's car park and make it one way coming out via McDonalds, there should be enough space to make it 3/4 lanes along there and make the bus road one way towards the roundabout, then one way towards the exit.
It's literally just painting lines pretty much.