Daytime journeys only, will work out evening and Sunday journeys another time:

X21 / X22 (PVR 15):
- X21 re-routed to serve the Hartlands rather than Nedderton.
- No route change to service X22
- X21 / X22 EXACTLY every 10 minutes between Bedlington Red Lion and Newcastle for most of the day.
- Up to 6x buses per hour from Ashington to Newcastle (7x including X20)
- Section of the X21 in it's current form between Bedlington and Fisher Lane replaced by NEW service 43.

42 (PVR 5):
- Replaces current 43 with NO route change.
- Frequency every 20 minutes between Newcastle and Cramlington continuing to Morpeth hourly.

43/44/45 (PVR 9):
- NEW 43 every 30 minutes serving same route as X21 between Bedlington Red Lion and Fisher Lane before serving Seaton Burn Front Street and continuing through Wideopen, Gosforth Park, Great North Road, Regent Centre, Gosforth and Newcastle. Journeys towards Bedlington Red Lion will operate clockwise via Glebe Road, Schalksmuhle Road and Vulcan Place and will call at the stop on Glebe Road.
- Services 44 / 45 remain in current form and with same frequency still offering up to 4x buses per hour between Dinnington and Newcastle.
- Services 42 / 43 offer up to 5x buses per hour between just after the Dudley Lane junction on the B1318 and Newcastle.
- Services 43 / 45 offer up to 4x buses per hour between the Travellers Rest and Newcastle.
- Services 42 / 43 / 45 offer up to 7x buses per hour between the Travellers Rest and Newcastle.
- Services 43 / 44 / 45 EXACTLY every 10 minutes between the bottom of Coach Lane and Newcastle for most of the day.
- Services 42 / 43 / 44 / 45 will offer up to 9x buses per hour between the bottom of Coach Lane and Newcastle.

Service 46 (PVR 5):
- Will operate every 20 minutes throughout whole route with no route change.
- Services 42/43/44/45/46 offer a bus up to every 5 minutes between Great North Road / Polwarth Drive roundabout and Newcastle for most of the day on top of the usual express services and more!

Current Total PVR's = 15(X21/X22), 11(43/44/45), 8(46) giving a full total of 34
New Total PVR's = 15(X21/X22), 5(42), 9(43/44/45), 5(46) giving a full total of 34 meaning NO PVR INCREASE!

(17 Feb 2016, 3:43 pm)2bagstew wrote Wheatley Hill, Thornley and Shotton Colliery lost there links to Trimdom Sedgefield section.
Divert 21A Wingate A181 Thornley Crossways to Wheatley Hill front ST omitting Henderson Ave section to Shotton Colliery Terminate at the Peterlee bus station Opposite direction from Wingate normal route but terminate at Stockton Hight ST instead of Middlesbrough

The 21A did Thornley etc for a year or so. It's Sedgefield and Darlington we miss the quick links to the most (21 used to do Sunderland-Darlo), though Husband could have taken the bus to work, while we had the 21A, as it virtually went past the building that's now Cubic, on Stockton Riverside.

I think the problem is that it already takes ages and part of the route change picked up villages that would have otherwise lost links to Peterlee and beyond.

Services X7/X8/X9/X10/X11/X14/X15/X16/X18/X20/X21/X22/X30:-
In Tyne and Wear, these services will be drop off only between Brunton Lane/South Gosforth and Newcastle Haymarket, and pick up only between Newcastle and Brunton Lane/South Gosforth.

DaveyBowyer's 42/43/44/45/46 idea would provide a bus every five minutes between Polworth Drive and the Haymarket, meaning that there is no need for the express services to stop at these places and pick up people which causes delays when a bus is held at a bus stop and can't get out due to traffic.

This will ultimately increase reliability slightly and will also take off the pressure of these services on match days, where most passengers are travelling to the Gosforth area meaning more seats are available for passengers travelling to Northumberland.

Service 821 should be reinstated between Stakeford and Bedlington Station and run twice to Bedlington Station in the morning and twice returning to Half Moon in the afternoon. How Arriva have got away with pulling the 821 is beyond me, as passengers are often left to the brunt of small fights, shouting and litter when the schoolkids board.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:35 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Service 821 should be reinstated between Stakeford and Bedlington Station and run twice to Bedlington Station in the morning and twice returning to Half Moon in the afternoon. How Arriva have got away with pulling the 821 is beyond me, as passengers are often left to the brunt of small fights, shouting and litter when the schoolkids board.

Presumably 'got away with it' as it wasn't a supported service? Lack of buses available to continue operating it I suspect.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:35 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Service 821 should be reinstated between Stakeford and Bedlington Station and run twice to Bedlington Station in the morning and twice returning to Half Moon in the afternoon. How Arriva have got away with pulling the 821 is beyond me, as passengers are often left to the brunt of small fights, shouting and litter when the schoolkids board.

I think, but I'm not sure on this, that the vehicle operating the 821 in the morning, went on to operate the 434 later on in the day. When GNE took it over, that's when it was withdrawn, as Ashington's PVR dropped one?

(01 Mar 2016, 6:49 pm)RobinHood wrote Presumably 'got away with it' as it wasn't a supported service? Lack of buses available to continue operating it I suspect.

It was introduced between Ashington and Bedlington Station in May 2014 in the morning to start with, then it was curtailed between Stakeford and Bedlington Station only then it was scrapped last September, it was introduced by Arriva to combat delays in the morning.

There has to be more vehicles available spare in the region that see little use. Both the X21 and 1 routes are being delayed due to the schoolkids getting on.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:55 pm)mb134 wrote I think, but I'm not sure on this, that the vehicle operating the 821 in the morning, went on to operate the 434 later on in the day. When GNE took it over, that's when it was withdrawn, as Ashington's PVR dropped one?

The vehicle that operated the 295 ran onto the 34. The 821 was standalone.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:59 pm)GX03 SVC wrote The vehicle that operated the 295 ran onto the 34. The 821 was standalone.

Ah okay, then perhaps run the X21 that is used by those kids 5 minutes earlier from Ashington, adding more time into the timetable, and have it leaving Bedlington Station at the time it is currently meant to.

Might not have been worthwhile running that bus? If the school kids preferred getting the X21 so they could use WiFi etc. I don't think the 821 ran in the afternoon either, so if they were unsure as to whether they could use 821 returns on the X21, they may just go with the safe option.

With my place of work (Sitel) due to be moving from the Balliol Business Park over to the Quorum in the coming month or two, equaling 600+ Staff moving, it could mean a loss of passengers on the X7/X8, the suggestion is a simple one and have the X7/X8 serve the Quorum, otherwise the majority of passengers will simply get on the SNE X63.

Myself personally I get on whatever turns up first due to having a Network One Pass, but if the X7/X8 were not to serve to the Quorum in the future, then I would be getting on the X63 on a Permanent Basis, furthermore Greggs Bakers are also moving all of there Customer Service Sites off the Balliol to the Quorum as well, so yes the X7/X8 would lose quite a lot of passengers I would imagine if it did not serve the Quorum in the next few months.

(06 Mar 2016, 8:02 pm)Malarkey wrote With my place of work (Sitel) due to be moving from the Balliol Business Park over to the Quorum in the coming month or two, equaling 600+ Staff moving, it could mean a loss of passengers on the X7/X8, the suggestion is a simple one and have the X7/X8 serve the Quorum, otherwise the majority of passengers will simply get on the SNE X63.

Myself personally I get on whatever turns up first due to having a Network One Pass, but if the X7/X8 were not to serve to the Quorum in the future, then I would be getting on the X63 on a Permanent Basis, furthermore Greggs Bakers are also moving all of there Customer Service Sites off the Balliol to the Quorum as well, so yes the X7/X8 would lose quite a lot of passengers I would imagine if it did not serve the Quorum in the next few months.

The X7/X8 don't serve the Quorum due to reliability issues. It isn't even far from the Quorum Retail to where the X7/X8 stops anyway, a two minute walk!

(06 Mar 2016, 8:02 pm)Malarkey wrote With my place of work (Sitel) due to be moving from the Balliol Business Park over to the Quorum in the coming month or two, equaling 600+ Staff moving, it could mean a loss of passengers on the X7/X8, the suggestion is a simple one and have the X7/X8 serve the Quorum, otherwise the majority of passengers will simply get on the SNE X63.

Myself personally I get on whatever turns up first due to having a Network One Pass, but if the X7/X8 were not to serve to the Quorum in the future, then I would be getting on the X63 on a Permanent Basis, furthermore Greggs Bakers are also moving all of there Customer Service Sites off the Balliol to the Quorum as well, so yes the X7/X8 would lose quite a lot of passengers I would imagine if it did not serve the Quorum in the next few months.

I would rather the X7/X8 only running slightly late than having it run really late due to running through Quorum because people can't be bothered to walk 2 minutes from the stop.

(06 Mar 2016, 8:24 pm)DavidSBrough wrote I would rather the X7/X8 only running slightly late than having it run really late due to running through Quorum because people can't be bothered to walk 2 minutes from the stop.

I think I'd rather potential customers use my service, by ensuring that the supply meets the demand. It may only be a two minute walk, but there'll be plenty people wait for the Stagecoach bus coming into Quorum instead. This was indeed something raised by a few people when Arriva done the launch, and it's mainly due to pedestrians having to negotiate several sets of traffic light to get across.  

The reliability issue is not enough resource in the timetable, not because it has to swing round Quorum.

(06 Mar 2016, 8:38 pm)Adrian wrote I think I'd rather potential customers use my service, by ensuring that the supply meets the demand. It may only be a two minute walk, but there'll be plenty people wait for the Stagecoach bus coming into Quorum instead. This was indeed something raised by a few people when Arriva done the launch, and it's mainly due to pedestrians having to negotiate several sets of traffic light to get across.  

The reliability issue is not enough resource in the timetable, not because it has to swing round Quorum.

Have to agree with you there. As with many of Blyth's routes, if a few extra buses were added with more time in the timetables, then late running would reduce compared to now.

Arriva currently work on the basis that if it runs late, just get another bus out as seen with all the rare and odd workings.

(06 Mar 2016, 8:38 pm)Adrian wrote I think I'd rather potential customers use my service, by ensuring that the supply meets the demand. It may only be a two minute walk, but there'll be plenty people wait for the Stagecoach bus coming into Quorum instead. This was indeed something raised by a few people when Arriva done the launch, and it's mainly due to pedestrians having to negotiate several sets of traffic light to get across.  

The reliability issue is not enough resource in the timetable, not because it has to swing round Quorum.

I certainly wont be walking to the Quorum Business Park Entrance to catch the X7/X8 in the Evening after I finish work, when the chances are an X63 will go past me half way anyways, as is always the case whenever I get a Bus anywhere.

With regards to the Launch of the X7/X8 on the Quorum, has it served much purpose since in terms of passengers numbers rising, I can honestly say I havent noticed a difference, either way with upwards of 800+ Staff from Sitel & Greggs all moving over to the Quorum in the coming months I would certainly argue there is more than enough demand for the X7/X8 to serve the Quorum, even if it was only during the Morning (6am to 10am) then Evening (3pm to 7pm), similar to how the 555 operates.

Quite a few people actually walk to the stop outside of Quorum to get the x7/x8 currently as it's generally quicker than waiting for the x63 at the stop inside the business park, especially at rush hour.

X7 and X8 stop at Killingworth to compete with the X63

Regarding the X7/X8, why not extend the 554 to Haymarket or have some equivalent shuttle service similar to the X6 to meet morning/evening demand inside the business parks?

I don't know about the X7, but I know the X8 already suffers huge delays (areas like Moor Farn roundabout near Annitsford and Cramlington serve as significant bottlenecks) at peak times to the extent that further extending the service without extra vehicles or timetable frequency would be a really bad idea.

(06 Mar 2016, 8:38 pm)Adrian wrote I think I'd rather potential customers use my service, by ensuring that the supply meets the demand. It may only be a two minute walk, but there'll be plenty people wait for the Stagecoach bus coming into Quorum instead. This was indeed something raised by a few people when Arriva done the launch, and it's mainly due to pedestrians having to negotiate several sets of traffic light to get across.  

The reliability issue is not enough resource in the timetable, not because it has to swing round Quorum.

The X7/X8 don't exist to cater to the every whim of Quorum workers though. Creating further delays and elongated timetabling would just result in passengers already on the services from Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Sluice having their journeys take longer just because it would be slightly more convenient for Quorum.

(08 Mar 2016, 7:43 pm)X8X9X10 wrote The X7/X8 don't exist to cater to the every whim of Quorum workers though. Creating further delays and elongated timetabling would just result in passengers already on the services from Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Sluice having their journeys take longer just because it would be slightly more convenient for Quorum.

There are plenty more options to go to Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Sluice, most of which are MAX, too.

(08 Mar 2016, 7:43 pm)X8X9X10 wrote The X7/X8 don't exist to cater to the every whim of Quorum workers though. Creating further delays and elongated timetabling would just result in passengers already on the services from Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Sluice having their journeys take longer just because it would be slightly more convenient for Quorum.

To be fair, that's like saying stopping at the Regent Centre is inconvenient for passengers travelling from Morpeth and heading to the town.

Or for the X12 stopping at Gateshead Interchange when all passengers from Durham want to do, is get to Eldon Square.

Then there are the Coast Road slip road stops.

(08 Mar 2016, 7:39 pm)X8X9X10 wrote Regarding the X7/X8, why not extend the 554 to Haymarket or have some equivalent shuttle service similar to the X6 to meet morning/evening demand inside the business parks?

I don't know about the X7, but I know the X8 already suffers huge delays (areas like Moor Farn roundabout near Annitsford and Cramlington serve as significant bottlenecks) at peak times to the extent that further extending the service without extra vehicles or timetable frequency would be a really bad idea.

If Blyth wanted to sort issues out with the X7 / X8 with no PVR increase whatsoever, they could do this with evening and Sunday journeys remaining the same on all routes. Extra time would be given to all services mentioned bar services X6 / X9.  Monday to Saturday journeys would be like this:

- Current X6 renumbered to 9X. No other changes.
- Current X9 renumbered X6. No other changes.

- No route change to service X7 but with extra time added in timetable to improve reliability.

- Current X8 during Monday to Saturday daytime only running between Newcastle and Cramlington. Evening and Sunday journeys continuing to Blyth via normal route. Extra time added in timetable to improve reliability. X7 / X8 interwork in Newcastle.

- NEW X9 replaces northern section of the X8 between Blyth and Cramlington before continuing to Newcastle via the same routes as the X10 / X11. Extra time added on both sections of route to improve reliability. Buses running every 30 minutes during Monday to Saturday.

- X10 / X11 reduced to every 30 minutes each with extra time added to improve reliability. Evening and Sundays unchanged for both.

- X9 / X10 / X11 would run:
* Every 8-12 minutes from Blyth like this: 00:00; 00:10; 00:18; 00:30; 00:40; 00:48
* Every 15 minutes from Newsham in both directions like this (X10 / X11): 00:00; 00:15; 00:30; 00:45 very similar to the way that the 10/10B worked to and from Prudhoe when the TEN group of services were first revised.
* Every 9-11 minutes between Parkside and Newcastle in both directions like this: 00:00; 00:10; 00:21; 00:30; 00:40; 00:51

(08 Mar 2016, 7:46 pm)S813 FVK wrote There are plenty more options to go to Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Sluice, most of which are MAX, too.

There's pretty substantial areas in those towns where the nearest stop for the X9/X10/X11 is quite a distance away without having to connect. For example, in east areas of Cramlington near Klondyke and High Pit, the only service to Newcastle is the half-hourly X8. On the other hand, Quorum is served by the X7 too (meaning twice as many MAX Arriva buses) and Stagecoaches' X63 (quarter-hourly). Throw on the 52 and there's an extra two buses an hour. If one bus is delayed, it doesn't have such a substantial knock on effect.

My point being there are people who use and rely on the X7/X8 that can't feasibly use other Blyth-Newcastle MAX routes and it's not fair to elongate/delay those routes just to serve more of Quorum when the current setup, according to previous posters in this thread, is still accessible.

(08 Mar 2016, 7:50 pm)Andreos1 wrote To be fair, that's like saying stopping at the Regent Centre is inconvenient for passengers travelling from Morpeth and heading to the town.

More like taking the existing services that stop there and adding a bunch of unnecessary delay to their timetables so they can loop around inside Regent Centre proper because Regent Centre's workers are too inconvenienced by a couple minutes' walk.

(08 Mar 2016, 10:05 pm)X8X9X10 wrote More like taking the existing services that stop there and adding a bunch of unnecessary delay to their timetables so they can loop around inside Regent Centre proper because Regent Centre's workers are too inconvenienced by a couple minutes' walk.

But you say that, whilst arguing that other users of the X7/X8 would be inconvenienced by the minute and a half it'd take to serve the Quorum loop?

Guys, the simple problem with the X8 is the lack of time the service gets between Blyth and Quroum because of the following:
- Bebside
- Shankhouse / Three Horse Shoes / Horton Road
- Cramlington
- Moor Farm (F*****g nightmare that one is)
- Annitsford Roundabout
- West Moor / Camperdown / A189

If extra time was added with the route running between Newcastle and Cramlington only during Monday to Saturday with the section between Blyth and Cramlington covered by a sister service to the X10 / X11, it would solve many of the issue with all of Blyth's services (bar the 308 and the Blyth / Wansbeck / Morpeth locals) with no PVR increase.

(08 Mar 2016, 10:19 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Guys, the simple problem with the X8 is the lack of time the service gets between Blyth and Quroum

The X12 had similar issues, and those between Sedgefield and Durham suffered as a result, losing a third of their hourly services.

You can only cut so much, before you lose sight of your purpose as a business - to serve the customer.

(08 Mar 2016, 10:19 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Guys, the simple problem with the X8 is the lack of time the service gets between Blyth and Quroum because of the following:
- Bebside
- Shankhouse / Three Horse Shoes / Horton Road
- Cramlington
- Moor Farm (F*****g nightmare that one is)
- Annitsford Roundabout
- West Moor / Camperdown / A189

If extra time was added with the route running between Newcastle and Cramlington only during Monday to Saturday with the section between Blyth and Cramlington covered by a sister service to the X10 / X11, it would solve many of the issue with all of Blyth's services (bar the 308 and the Blyth / Wansbeck / Morpeth locals) with no PVR increase.

I think there needs to be a simplification of the X8 service, perhaps:

Run it Blyth to Bebside ASDA as it usually does, then straight down the Spine Road to the Moor Farm roundabout, and continue the usual route from there?

The 43 can take passengers from Shankhouse etc to Newcastle, where they can change onto a bus to Quorum?

(08 Mar 2016, 10:25 pm)Adrian wrote The X12 had similar issues, and those between Sedgefield and Durham suffered as a result, losing a third of their hourly services.

You can only cut so much, before you lose sight of your purpose as a business - to serve the customer.

But if people want to go south of Cramlington on the X8 route from Blyth during the day, they can easily get the X9 (or even the X6/X10/X11) to Cramlington then change. Splitting the route would solve many of the reliability issues and even open an opportunity to improve the other services too.
No route would be cut as such, it would just be split to improve the reliability with added time given.

Look at the old Diamond routes that GNE had and yes, there is teething issues with the Northern 6 which GNE should address during the April changes. The 43/44 ran fine between Durham and Stanley but anything North of Stanley was making the route out to become a Bermuda Triangle. GNE tried and tried and tried adding time to the 43/44/44A but they got to a stage that no matter what they did, the reliability wasn't going to improve with all the traffic blackspots between Stanley and Newcastle with the passengers between Stanley and Durham having to face major delays as a result of such incidents.

(08 Mar 2016, 10:28 pm)mb134 wrote I think there needs to be a simplification of the X8 service, perhaps:

Run it Blyth to Bebside ASDA as it usually does, then straight down the Spine Road to the Moor Farm roundabout, and continue the usual route from there?

The 43 can take passengers from Shankhouse etc to Newcastle, where they can change onto a bus to Quorum?

The actual section between Cramlington and Newcastle would certainly improve with extra time given to cope with the blackspots such as Moor Farm Roundabout. But the Northern section needs absorbed into another service for this to happen which would mean no PVR increase at all.