RE: Go North East: Upcoming Service Changes
MichaelCampaign to extend bus route grinds to a halt
http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/pru...91112e7-ds
Unless GNE were willing to increase the PVR to 15 vehicles I believe, then it would be a no go. As unfortunate as it is, many operators are amalgamating traditional services into more frequent and combined services but with some drawbacks.
However and this is not a service suggestion but more from a business aspect, GNE could depending on passenger numbers run the Tyne Valley / West Gateshead network like this if passengers wanted a regular service back:
Monday to Saturday daytime:
- 10 in current form every 30 minutes (PVR of 6).
- 10A in current form every 30 minutes.
- 10B replacing current service 11 between Blackmill Mill and Blaydon and operating via the Metro Centre to Newcastle every 30 minutes (PVR of 10A and 10B should remain at 8 vehicles).
- 11 in near or exact former 604 guise every 30 minutes (PVR of 4 or 7 combined with the 96) but with new stopping arrangements in Newcastle if interworking with the 96. Buses would also run via Greenside Road rather than the Main Road.
Evenings and Sundays:
- Service 11 doesn't run and instead, service 10C runs but in the guise of the current 10B. Exactly the same PVR and frequencies as now.
Drawbacks include:
- Less frequent service between Prudhoe and Metrocentre despite faster travelling opportunities to Newcastle.
- Slower route for passengers between Blackhall Mill and Greenside travelling to Newcastle (via Metro Centre rather than Scotswood Road) which could put slightly more pressure on an already overstretched service 47.
- Less consistency.
Benefits include:
- Introduction of higher specification vehicles and more streamlined route may improve viability of the Blackhall Mill section of the route.
- If capacity was not to be an issue (not exactly sure of the loads taking into account the shared Ryton / Newcastle corridoor via Scotswood Road and Newcastle Business Park running up to every 15 minutes during peak times), service 11a could be withdrawn and instead, all peak time journeys provided by service 11 on a regular 30 minute timetable with the resources currently used on the current rota being used elsewhere.
- Potential evening and Sunday service introduced on new service 10B at a later date. Would mean the 10A reducing to 1x bus per hour throughout all evenings and Sundays.