(27 Jan 2016, 12:31 am)Davie wrote Yet again I know these won't work but:
A. A service between Morpeth and Metrocentre
B. Service 18 withdrawn and replaced by the X21.
C. Service 17 joins the North Tyne Links brand, but no changes to the route.
D. I'm not sure if this would work; but service X25 withdrawn and replaced by services 25 & 26 which would see them run from Newcastle - Durham, replacing the X25 from Newcastle - Langley Park then replacing services 13 & 14 between Langley Park & Durham.
I can't personally see a gap in the market that justifies a service between Morpeth and the Metrocentre. There are plenty of buses linking Newcastle with the Metrocentre, and then a fairly frequent service between Newcastle and Morpeth. Although, that said, I think Arriva could attempt to snatch some customers from Go North East and Stagecoach, by providing a service (possibly every 15 or 20 minutes) for connecting customers to use between Haymarket Bus Station and the Metrocentre, with customers having the option to use that as opposed to a service operated by a competitor.
The 18 is a local bus service while the X21 is an express passenger service, and I think it's best that they stay that way, the only thing I can think of would be to alter the times of the 18 so that services connect with inbound X21s and outbound X21s, to try and promote customer usage.
I think having the X25, 13 and 14 amalgamated into one service wouldn't be a bad idea, but it would result in a big change of the driver duties, as a lot of 13/14 journeys interwork with the X22 at Durham.