(08 May 2020, 1:11 am)BoroLad wrote I'm not local to the area, so don't know if there'd be demand, but could a Consett - Tow Law - Crook - Bishop service work? The southern part would compete with Arriva which isn't ideal, but much of the route is quite an obvious gap in the bus network. The timings on current services along the corridor would indicate a journey time of about 58 minutes is possible - if you can shave a few minutes off you might be able to get away with a PVR of 2 for an hourly service. I would probably have it as part of the Venture network, numbered V7 or V8, because while it isn't a Consett town service, the V9 goes up to Chopwell but still forms part of the brand.
At present service 764 from Weardale is the nearest equivalent to this proposed route. However, this terminates in Wolsingham, a much less significant destination than Crook or Bishy, has a fairly sparse timetable, and doesn't have very much marketing. Would a more regular service to busier destinations be able to sustain itself?
I've thought about that as well as it's straight up the A68 although I can't really see there being that much demand with there being sod all in between Tow Law and Consett (for most of the journey anyway) and very little reason for leisure trips between Bishop and Consett. I could only see it being viable as a commuter service in the mornings and evenings as I know a few people who do that commute. It'd be quite interesting to see the data for the people who currently do that journey (ie. X21 then X5/X15). I think I've only ever been to Consett once on the bus, and that was because it was the only Argos store to have what I wanted!
If they were to introduce a service linking them I think it would be better off being branded as an Xlines service as most of the journey would be non-stop and would follow the same route you'd take in the car
I'd gladly take it over the X21 even if it takes longer because the views are quite nice (The A68 I mean, not Consett
). It would also bring back a GNE connection between Bishop and Crook which would be very handy for me.Then again, I would say there's probably little demand for a service between Hexham and Consett yet there is a service running between them, even if it is very infrequent (and by the looks of it subsidised). I mean, if they introduced a service between Hexham and Bishop that would probably be my new favourite route!