I'd like to see the X8 have some changes even just if it was to take away the X. Even then u have the X7/X8 follow each other after Annitsford anyway. Yea its a 30 min connection but you have other routes along that route that go the same/similar way

Stagecoach X63,62,Arriva,52,54 all after the Quorum. The X7/X8 seem an odd route. Especially going back to when Killingworth Road was getting done.

I don't and will not understand why the X8 had to serve the Quorum/BT Business Center yet the X7 went straight along after the Quorum straight past FLE as the X8 had to sever Longbenton. Whatever sense that was

Like does nobody on the X7 route between Blyth and Annitsford use the Quorum/BT area. If that's the case. Send it straight up and through Longbenton. But then that's just the 54

Plus the X7/X8 are becoming less and less of an express with two more stops been added after Camperdown and Quorum

Express part is Killingworth Road to Newcastle Barris Bridge and that's it.

53 to Blyth I'd personally like to see. Dudley area used to have tons of buses going to Blyth. One only being the X8 now as its hard for people who live in Dudley have to travel up to Cramlington to Change to X9/X10/X11/X8

I only done the 1 last week so can't say but it was an okay journey after the "Hype" I had riding it

I don't understand the X9 at all. What's it meant to be..another competition route of the X10/X11 of who can get to Cramlington/Blyth Faster so I'm all for the withdrawal of that route

X19 sounds like a really good route. It would make a quick link to Newcastle

(16 Jun 2021, 12:56 am)Micheal Aaron wrote I'd like to see the X8 have some changes even just if it was to take away the X. Even then u have the X7/X8 follow each other after Annitsford anyway. Yea its a 30 min connection but you have other routes along that route that go the same/similar way

Stagecoach X63,62,Arriva,52,54 all after the Quorum. The X7/X8 seem an odd route. Especially going back to when Killingworth Road was getting done.

I don't and will not understand why the X8 had to serve the Quorum/BT Business Center yet the X7 went straight along after the Quorum straight past FLE as the X8 had to sever Longbenton. Whatever sense that was

Like does nobody on the X7 route between Blyth and Annitsford use the Quorum/BT area. If that's the case. Send it straight up and through Longbenton. But then that's just the 54

Plus the X7/X8 are becoming less and less of an express with two more stops been added after Camperdown and Quorum

Express part is Killingworth Road to Newcastle Barris Bridge and that's it.

53 to Blyth I'd personally like to see. Dudley area used to have tons of buses going to Blyth. One only being the X8 now as its hard for people who live in Dudley have to travel up to Cramlington to Change to X9/X10/X11/X8

I only done the 1 last week so can't say but it was an okay journey after the "Hype" I had riding it

I don't understand the X9 at all. What's it meant to be..another competition route of the X10/X11 of who can get to Cramlington/Blyth Faster so I'm all for the withdrawal of that route

X19 sounds like a really good route. It would make a quick link to Newcastle

53 went to Blyth before,it was then curtailed at Cramlington

(16 Jun 2021, 5:50 am)V514DFT wrote 53 went to Blyth went before,it was then curtailed at Cramlington

53 used to be Blyth to whitley Bay via Cramlington & Killingworth, from Cramlington it done the normal 53 route to new York then down to Whitley Bay via NT hospital. From Blyth it went around 1st, 2nd & 12th avenue, please road, Newsham black diamond, Delaval crescent, high pit & eventually Cramlington. Sure it took about 2 hours end to end or somewhere close to that so about 4-6 times longer than the 308 & 309 for the same journey. From what I recall it used a mix of MPDs and beavers.

(16 Jun 2021, 12:56 am)Micheal Aaron wrote I don't understand the X9 at all. What's it meant to be..another competition route of the X10/X11 of who can get to Cramlington/Blyth Faster so I'm all for the withdrawal of that route

The X9 serves Beaconhill in Cramlington, through High Pit, along the eastern side of Eastfield before serving South Beach in Blyth. It also provides east-west connections across Cramlington, X10/X11 is north-south.

Don't know what the obsession is on this forum with thinking that every route is solely for people travelling from one end to the other... 

(16 Jun 2021, 3:26 pm)GNE6312 wrote 53 used to be Blyth to whitley Bay via Cramlington & Killingworth, from Cramlington it done the normal 53 route to new York then down to Whitley Bay via NT hospital. From Blyth it went around 1st, 2nd & 12th avenue, please road, Newsham black diamond, Delaval crescent, high pit & eventually Cramlington. Sure it took about 2 hours end to end or somewhere close to that so about 4-6 times longer than the 308 & 309 for the same journey. From what I recall it used a mix of MPDs and beavers.

I know,then it went to Renowns and ALX 300's when the 53A was introduced full time to North Shields,think at was at some point in 2012, but the 53 retained its route to Whitley Bay,both went as far as Cramlington, the 53 was the old 343 and 344,with the 343 going to Morpeth and 344 going as far as Cramlington,then it became its current setup (which is crap)

I'd like to see Arriva run a service from Metrocentre to Wallsend and Cramlington/Whitley Bay. I'm surprised Arriva don't run a service in Wallsend Town Centre as they operate the 306/308 to Wallsend/Silverlink and operate services to Cramlington and Whitley Bay, same as GNE. Arriva could run a service from Wallsend/Battle Hill to Gosforth. The 553 should merge with the Q3, extending from Wallsend to Battle Hill and Freeman Hospital to Great Park, operated by GNE.

(08 Jul 2021, 8:26 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote I'd like to see Arriva run a service from Metrocentre to Wallsend and Cramlington/Whitley Bay. I'm surprised Arriva don't run a service in Wallsend Town Centre as they operate the 306/308 to Wallsend/Silverlink and operate services to Cramlington and Whitley Bay, same as GNE. Arriva could run a service from Wallsend/Battle Hill to Gosforth. The 553 should merge with the Q3, extending from Wallsend to Battle Hill and Freeman Hospital to Great Park, operated by GNE.

They used to operate the 337 that ran from wallsend to whitley bay. Was that popular.

(08 Jul 2021, 8:26 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote I'd like to see Arriva run a service from Metrocentre to Wallsend and Cramlington/Whitley Bay. I'm surprised Arriva don't run a service in Wallsend Town Centre as they operate the 306/308 to Wallsend/Silverlink and operate services to Cramlington and Whitley Bay, same as GNE. Arriva could run a service from Wallsend/Battle Hill to Gosforth. The 553 should merge with the Q3, extending from Wallsend to Battle Hill and Freeman Hospital to Great Park, operated by GNE.

The 553 already operates from Battle Hill to the Freeman Hospital and Regent Centre via Wallsend Town Centre.

(08 Jul 2021, 8:26 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote I'd like to see Arriva run a service from Metrocentre to Wallsend and Cramlington/Whitley Bay. I'm surprised Arriva don't run a service in Wallsend Town Centre as they operate the 306/308 to Wallsend/Silverlink and operate services to Cramlington and Whitley Bay, same as GNE. Arriva could run a service from Wallsend/Battle Hill to Gosforth. The 553 should merge with the Q3, extending from Wallsend to Battle Hill and Freeman Hospital to Great Park, operated by GNE.

I'm not sure there's much point in a service from Wallsend or Whitley Bay to the Metro Centre as they'd run via Newcastle so wouldn't make much sense.

Mind if they we're feeling ambitious be nice to see if they could try a Metro Centre service from SE Northumberland running around school services especially this board: https://bustimes.org/vehicles/188485?date=2021-07-06

Have something like:

07:30: 105
Run empty back to Blyth
09:30: X13 to Metro Centre via Cramlington
10:40: X13 to Blyth via Cramlington (don't expect much on this but it's better than running empty)
12:30: X13 to Metro Centre via Cramlington
13:40: X13 to Blyth via Cramlington
Run empty to Annitsford
15:15: 698
Run empty to Metro Centre
16:40: X13 to Blyth via Cramlington

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Blyth/...14!1m0!3e0 - Doing that route.

It's quite similar to GNE's X22, not sure how well it would do but could see a few people using it once in awhile and it gives links to other places missing Newcastle.

First suggestion:

X30 made to run every 30 minutes all day including the Bebside extension, this will also be numbered to X12 to be in line with the other Blyth to Newcastle expresses so it goes X7-X12

To try ease delays on the expresses I'm proposing an additional 2 routes out of Newcastle for the expresses which will see a split.

Services X9: Stick to current route

X10, X20, X21, X18, X14 : Rerouted between Newcastle & the first stop after the A19 via the following route: via St Thomas Street, Queen Victoria Road, Claremont Road, A167, A167 (Ponteland RD) & Exit the A1 on junction 77 then via the A1 to the normal route it will operate via the same route in both directions
Buses will serve all stops on the new route (however will not serve moorhead towards Newcastle)

X11, X15, X22, X12 (X30) : Rerouted via: via St Thomas Street, Queen Victoria Road, Claremont Road, A167, Stamfordham Road then access the A1 from junction 76 then normal route from the A1
Buses will operate this route in both directions
Buses will serve all stops on the new route (however will not serve moorhead towards Newcastle)

(21 Jul 2021, 10:35 pm)GNE6312 wrote First suggestion:

X30 made to run every 30 minutes all day including the Bebside extension, this will also be numbered to X12 to be in line with the other Blyth to Newcastle expresses so it goes X7-X12

To try ease delays on the expresses I'm proposing an additional 2 routes out of Newcastle for the expresses which will see a split.

Services X9: Stick to current route

X10, X20, X21, X18, X14 : Rerouted between Newcastle & the first stop after the A19 via the following route: via St Thomas Street, Queen Victoria Road, Claremont Road, A167, A167 (Ponteland RD) & Exit the A1 on junction 77 then via the A1 to the normal route it will operate via the same route in both directions
Buses will serve all stops on the new route (however will not serve moorhead towards Newcastle)

X11, X15, X22, X12 (X30) : Rerouted via: via St Thomas Street, Queen Victoria Road, Claremont Road, A167, Stamfordham Road then access the A1 from junction 76 then normal route from the A1
Buses will operate this route in both directions
Buses will serve all stops on the new route (however will not serve moorhead towards Newcastle)

The point of the expresses running through Gosforth is for a connection at the Regent Centre, if you don't want to serve anything you'd be better running the Blyth expresses via the X7/X8 route into Newcastle as it's the shortest route and you'd get stuck at Cowgate and on the A1 which are both bad at rush hour and no worse than the X7/X8 bottlenecks.

(21 Jul 2021, 10:47 pm)Storx wrote The point of the expresses running through Gosforth is for a connection at the Regent Centre, if you don't want to serve anything you'd be better running the Blyth expresses via the X7/X8 route into Newcastle as it's the shortest route and you'd get stuck at Cowgate and on the A1 which are both bad at rush hour and no worse than the X7/X8 bottlenecks.

I've been thinking about past suggestions I've made.

Funnily enough, I've been thinking perhaps a half hourly 'fast' Ashington to Newcastle service (X19 introduced from Newbiggin alongside X20) would work with the following route from North Seaton:

North Seaton *Non stop* > Eastfield > High Pit > Annitsford *Non stop* > Barras Bridge & Haymarket

Obviously would lose link to and from Gosforth & Regent Centre but time saved running more direct via A189 would simply be re-allocated to the three places mentioned. Would also allow changes to replace the X8 & X9 in parts.

Been thinking is there anything the X14 could be merged with or give it a better destination,i know there used to be a 14 that went to where the current X14 goes to from Morpeth

(10 Aug 2021, 7:39 pm)V514DFT wrote Been thinking is there anything the X14 could be merged with or give it a better destination,i know there used to be a 14 that went to where the current X14 goes to from Morpeth

Could merge it with the phoenix 15 to extend to Alnwick and have another common point with the X15/X18 aswell as create new links and reinstate lost links, could even interwork it with one of the X15, X18 or X20 at Alnwick.

(10 Aug 2021, 7:39 pm)V514DFT wrote Been thinking is there anything the X14 could be merged with or give it a better destination,i know there used to be a 14 that went to where the current X14 goes to from Morpeth

The X14, the last I knew anyway, is at least partially subsidised north of Morpeth. Realistically there's no way they could change it even if they wanted to do so.

Ashington
X21:
- Same route as present between Newbiggin Cresswell Arms and Bedlington Front Street West then same route as current X22 between Bedlington Front Street West and Newcastle.
- Every 30 minutes between Newcastle and Ashington continuing hourly to Newbiggin.

X22:
- Same route as present between Ashington and West Ford Road then same route as revised X21 between Stakeford Half Moon and Newcastle.
- Every 30 minutes combining up to every 15 minutes with X21 along common sections of route.

57/57A:
- Both routes unchanged between Cramlington and Whitley Bay. Evening and Sunday 57A will no longer extend to North Shields.
- 57A extended to Ashington.
- Both services between Ashington and Cramlington will operate via the current 57 route to West Ford Road. From there, will then follow the current X22 route via Wansbeck Estate and Guide Post to Bedlington Front Street West. From Bedlington Front Street West, will continue to Cramlington but operate via Nedderton instead of the Hartlands.

X20:
- Will omit Gosforth Regent Centre and Gosforth High Street; instead running via Eastfield, High Pit and Annitsford. This will partially replace services X8 & current X9.

X19:
- Will operate from Newbiggin Cresswell Arms via Woodhorn to Wansbeck Hospital and then follow the same route as service X20 to Newcastle.
- Every 60 minutes combining up to every 30 minutes with X20 along common sections of route.

35:
- Will operate between Newbiggin Seacrest Road and Morpeth only.
- Every 20 minutes using single deckers.

X14/X15/X18:
- Will all be re-timed to form a common 20 minute frequency between Morpeth and Newcastle.


Blyth
X7:
- Revised to operate every 20 minutes.

X8:
- Withdrawn and replaced in parts by 43A, X7, new X9 and X19/X20.

Current X9:
- Withdrawn and replaced in parts by 43A and X19/X20.

New X9:
- Same route as current X8 between Blyth and Cramlington then same route as X10/X11 to Newcastle.
- Every 30 minutes combining up to every 10 minutes with X10/X11 along common sections of route.

X10/X11:
- Both reduced to every 30 minutes each.

2:
- Extended to Kirkhill to replace X16

308:
- Revised to operate every 20 minutes and will interwork with service 306; both being jointly operated by Blyth & Jesmond.


Jesmond
306:
- Revised to operate every 20 minutes and will interwork with service 308; both being jointly operated by Blyth & Jesmond.
- Will omit Battle Hill Drive to create a simple 10 minute common combined frequency with service 308 between Billy Mill and Newcastle.
- Will no longer operate between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. Marden Estate served by revised and extended service 51A.

51A:
- Extended from Holystone Park to Marden Estate via Northumberland Park Metro, New York Road, Murton Village, Rake Lane and Preston Grange Morrisons. Will also replaced Nexus tendered service 359.

43:
- Revised to operate every 30 minutes between Newcastle and Cramlington continuing hourly to Morpeth. Will combine with new service 43A to provide a 15 minute frequency between Newcastle and Seaton Burn Bridge Street. No changes to 44 and 45.

43A:
- Same route as 43 between Newcastle and Seaton Burn Bridge Street. Then via Seaton Burn Front Street, A1068, A1172 and Station Road to Dudley Lane. From there, will follow same route as current X8 to Village Road via Dudley Lane and Northumbrian Road then same route as current X9 to Blyth.
- Will operate every 30 minutes between Newcastle and Cramlington continuing hourly to Blyth.

---

Footnotes
- 57/57A would increase links between Ashington and Cramlington, also offering customers in Guide Post & Nedderton connections to Newcastle either via Bedlington (X21/X22) or Cramlington (X9/X10/X11). Bus size increased from minibus to full size single decker.
- X19/X20 would create additional links (stopping nearby) to the Northumbria Emergency Care Hospital.
- Monday to Saturday X19 journeys would interwork with service X21.
- Evening & Sunday X19 journeys would operate using single deckers running of service 35 earlier in the evening. Whole day allocation on Sundays unless deckers needed.

I've always thought the 51A going to Northumberland Park Metro would be a good link

Fleet suggestions for above changes (deckers now for 35)

New vehicles:
- 6x Scania N250UD ADL E400MMC 10.9M - X18
- 4x Scania N250UD ADL E400MMC 10.9M - X15
- 4x Scania N250UD ADL E400MMC 10.9M - X20
- 6x Scania N250UD ADL E400MMC 10.9M - X93/X94
- 3x Scania N250UD ADL E400MMC 10.9M - Ashington Spare
- 12x Dennis Trident 2 ADL E400MMC ZF S/S 10.9M - X19/X21/X22
- 13x Dennis Trident 2 ADL E400MMC ZF S/S 10.9M - X9/X10/X11
- 2x Dennis Trident 2 ADL E400MMC ZF S/S 10.9M - 306/308 (Blyth)
- 2x Dennis Trident 2 ADL E400MMC ZF S/S 10.9M - Blyth spare

Cascades:
- 7541-47 - 306/308 (Jesmond)
- 7548 - Jesmond Spare
- 7549-52 - 306/308 (Blyth)
- 7522-28 - X7 after refurb (7523 would need replacing at Belmont?)
- 7529-33 & 7553-56 - 43/43A
- 7628-32 - 44/45
- 7633-37 - 35
- 7401-03 - X14
- 7404-06 - Ashington / Redcar (Whitby) floats

NK61*** VDL DB300s from Blyth replace older miscellaneous deckers

My suggestion is to have the X30 run every 30 mins mon-sat through the day and hourly on a Sunday & evenings via the current route for the full route (Bebside to Newcastle) this gives Cowpen, Blyth town centre & Newsham a quicker bus to Newcastle twice an hour mon-sat and hourly on a Sunday & evening

(21 Aug 2021, 11:14 pm)GNE6312 wrote My suggestion is to have the X30 run every 30 mins mon-sat through the day and hourly on a Sunday & evenings via the current route for the full route (Bebside to Newcastle) this gives Cowpen, Blyth town centre & Newsham a quicker bus to Newcastle twice an hour mon-sat and hourly on a Sunday & evening

I'd say hourly would be enough but definitely an evening & Sunday service though.

X30 I'd say operate after Newsham via Portland Wynd then via A192 & East Cramlington before running non stop via A189.

Only trouble is what could an hourly service (that does the journey in 40-45 mins) be interworked with? I actually do have an idea how it could be interworked efficiently but would be part of wider changes.

Would there be any demand for a Oakenshaw to Durham Service

Spennymoor to Durham via Whitworth Hall, Brandon & Langley Moor.
Tow Law to Durham via East Headleyhope & Esh Winning.
Durham to Shildon via Bishop Auckland (Did the 5 do this at one point???)

(06 Sep 2021, 4:30 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Spennymoor to Durham via Whitworth Hall, Brandon & Langley Moor.
Tow Law to Durham via East Headleyhope & Esh Winning.
Durham to Shildon via Bishop Auckland (Did the 5 do this at one point???)

Wouldn't that just duplicate the 6 until Bishop, then duplicate either the 1 or the 5? I think that would only make sense if the frequency of the 6 between Durham and Bishop was reduced

(06 Sep 2021, 4:30 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Spennymoor to Durham via Whitworth Hall, Brandon & Langley Moor.
Tow Law to Durham via East Headleyhope & Esh Winning.
Durham to Shildon via Bishop Auckland (Did the 5 do this at one point???)

The 5/5a continued through to Durham pre-April 2011, from which point the 6 took over between Durham and Bishop and was then extended to Cockfield in January 2012.

(06 Sep 2021, 9:41 pm)peter wrote The 5/5a continued through to Durham pre-April 2011, from which point the 6 took over between Durham and Bishop and was then extended to Cockfield in January 2012.

Make the 6 every 10 mins then extend 2 of those to shildon

New Service: Durham City, Langley Moor, Brandon Co-Op, Brancepeth Village, Oakenshaw, Willington, Sunny Brow, Hunwick, Toronto, Bishop Auckland.

Would replace DCC 109. Would run up to every 30 mins.

(07 Sep 2021, 3:20 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote New Service: Durham City, Langley Moor, Brandon Co-Op, Brancepeth Village, Oakenshaw, Willington, Sunny Brow, Hunwick, Toronto, Bishop Auckland.

Would replace DCC 109. Would run up to every 30 mins.

This service more or less used to exist a few years ago - was numbered the 50A. It then got extended to Evenwood via Toft Hill replacing the 86 before being withdrawn and split into the 86 to Toft Hill and 87 to Wear Valley View. By that point the 108 was introduced combining half hourly with the 109 and the 87 was quickly withdrawn. Can't see Arriva re-introducing that service at all unless it was fully DCC supported.

---

(06 Sep 2021, 9:49 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Make the 6 every 10 mins then extend 2 of those to shildon

Can't see that working as it would leave West Auckland with an irregular service - no need to make things unnecessarily complicated when passengers from Shildon can change quite easily at Bishop.

X60: BIshop Auckland to Hartlepool via Coundon, Chilton, Bradbury, Sedgefield, Wynyard, Wolviston & Rift House.
Could be Branded as The A689 Flyer.

(10 Sep 2021, 9:50 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote X60: BIshop Auckland to Hartlepool via Coundon, Chilton, Bradbury, Sedgefield, Wynyard, Wolviston & Rift House.
Could be Branded as The A689 Flyer.

Can't see the demand being there tbh, there have previously been services from Bishop Auckland to Stockton and Bishop Auckland to Sedgefield for example which haven't survived. Also think you'd need something a bit catchier than A689 Flyer - not that Arriva really do branding apart from Max, Sapphire etc so wouldn't happen anyway - but there's hardly much to be celebrated about an A-road.

I love that your suggestions hark back to services of yesteryear but I don't think they'd be realistic in the present!

I like the "simplicity" of the 22/23/24, providing a fifteen minute service from Peterlee to Sunderland/ Durham/ Hartlepool but the 22 seems a bit of an oddity compared to the other two routes

Durham to Hartlepool is a fairly straight line - or would be if the 24 didn't try to be a Town Service for half of Peterlee - Hartlepool to Sunderland is a fairly straight line - but Durham to Hartlepool is a ig of a "dog leg"

The only two things that the 22 has got going for it (AFAICS) are that it's a direct link from Durham to Dalton Park and that it might as well run as a through service because the Durham - Peterlee and Peterlee - Sunderland routes both deserve a fifteen minute service, so you might as well link the two halves together to dovetail with the Durham - Peterlee bit of the 24 and the Peterlee - Sunderland bit of the 23)

The half hourly GNE 65 provides a faster Durham - Dalton Park service, which got me wondering whether the Peterlee - Sunderland bit of the 22 would be better served by extensions of the X21/X22 through to Wearside instead?

That would at least provide some links like Newton Aycliffe/ Sedgefield to Dalton Park/ Sunderland - probably not going to be huge markets, but there can't be many people who are sitting on a 22 all the way from Durham to Sunderland at the moment given the frequency of the GNE 20/ X20

(apologies if this is a subject that's been debated to death - I've only recently joined so am reading through some of the long running threads!)