(23 Aug 2015, 2:12 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote I've just come up with an idea. If Arriva are struggling to source extra DECENT deckers for the X20 and have a good few pulsars spare, here's what I suggest they do. Arriva would need 13 MAX spec pulsars in total (4x for the X20 and a further 9x for my suggestion):
- X20 would continue as it is with no board changes.
- Current X30 would be renumbered X89. No other changes would happen to this service.
- Service 35 between Morpeth and Newbiggin would remain the same but with extra running time to improve reliability during Monday to Saturday daytime. Evening and Sunday journeys would continue to interwork with service X21.
- Service 35a would operate hourly Monday to Saturday daytime between Morpeth and Newbiggin Front Street. Buses would then call at the Cresswell Arms with a bit of layover time before changing into service X30 between Newbiggin Cresswell Arms and Newcastle via Woodhorn, Wansbeck Hospital then the same route as the X20 to Newcastle. Through fares would be available to and from Woodhorn anywhere on the 35a route and through fares onto service X30 would be available anywhere between Sandy Bay and Cresswell Arms. More info about the X30 further down. Extra running time would also be given to service 35A to improve reliability.
- Service 35B would operate hourly Monday to Saturday daytime via the current 35A route. Extra running time would also be given to service 35B to improve reliability.
- Services 35/35A/35B would continue to provide a great 15 minute frequency between Morpeth and Newbiggin Front Street. Services 35A (X30 between Cresswell Arms and Woodhorn) and 35B would continue to provide a 30 minute frequency between Morpeth and Woodhorn albeit a slight timing deviation (every 24-36 minutes) between Newbiggin Front Street and Woodhorn.
- NEW service X30 would operate of 1x 35A board per hour from Newbiggin Cresswell Arms to Newcastle via Woodhorn, Wansbeck Hospital and then the same route as the X20 from there to Newcastle via Ashington, North Seaton, Regent Centre and Gosforth High Street. Through fares onto service X30 would be available anywhere between Sandy Bay and Cresswell Arms.
Benefits from Service Changes:
- Improved reliability on services 35, 35A, 35B and due to new service X30 helping out, service X20. Improved layover and running time on services 35, 35A and 35B.
- New fast service from Newbiggin to Newcastle and also a new direct service from Woodhorn to Newcastle.
- Increased frequency between Wansbeck Hospital and Newcastle with services X20 and X30 running every 30 minutes combined.
- All journeys on services 35, 35A, 35B, X20 and X30 would operate using MAX spec single deck Pulsars.
Here is an example board (note that the timings haven't been customised to the X20 but it would work out fine):
- Service 35a from Morpeth to Cresswell Arms (00:00/00:45)
- Service X30 from Cresswell Arms to Newcastle (00:48/01:45)
- Service X30 from Newcastle to Cresswell Arms (01:52/02:49)
- Service 35a from Cresswell Arms to Morpeth (02:52/03:37)
- Service 35 from Morpeth to Seacrest Road (03:45/04:30)
- Service 35 from Seacrest Road to Morpeth (04:37/05:22)
- Service 35b from Morpeth to Woodhorn (05:30/06:15)
- Service 35b from Woodhorn to Morpeth (06:22/07:07)
- Service 35 from Morpeth to Seacrest Road (07:15/08:00)
- Service 35 from Seacrest Road to Morpeth (08:07/08:52)
Nice to see a change in your ideas, Davey. Although could you explain the logic in renumbering the X30 as the X89? If the X30 is now a new service number, I'd not re-allocate it to an express version of another service.