(16 Apr 2024, 2:14 pm)Lewis1509 wrote Would absolutely never happen at all in a million years, its a massive reach but I've thought of a cool route, just thinking of bus spotters instead of actual customers lol
Merge Stagecoach 18 with GNE 19 and 317 to operate a giant loop service
Clockwise trips would continue to run as 317 and anticlockwise trips to run as 318, also operating via Monkseaton to connect Whitley Bay with Northumberland Park. To connect the 18 with the 317, either operate it the former route to Wallsend or just the 12 route.
Cramlington to North Shields 19 trips would still run as of now, as a Service 319.
Evening trips on all services would run as normal, however I'm not too sure what to do about the numbering. 317 could operate from Whitley Bay to Wallsend as the 317, and the returning trip as a 318 maybe? Then evening 18 trips could stay as the 18 (similar to the 54 and 354).
Not sure on the point of that one personally. I always think the 317/57/57A/19 should all work together rather than what we've got now where everything is bouncing around each.
So you'd end up with something like:
Would give better round service and link the important places with Ashington gaining links to Cobalt instead of the 57/57A corridor with both routes every 30 minutes in their Southern sections (hourly services are useless).
If you wanted to create a loop, you could do this though with the 353, remaining part of the 317, Q3 and 18.