(19 Oct 2024, 8:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Previously, it was 4bph on service 21 and 2bph on service X21 (6 bph with extra X21's at peak times) - a few months prior to covid, they experimented with running the X21 every 15 mins between Newcastle & Durham during off peak (half hourly still towards Bishop) but was something which never returned post covid.Would there be much impact if Low Fell was binned off the X21 during Monday to Saturday daytimes? The X21 never used to stop in Low Fell until 2016 when the first StreetDecks were introduced. Would give flexibility to come off at Lobley Hill and then via Lobley Hill Rd & Bensham Road as an alternative if Low Fell is packed.
Their arguments probs being that there's 6bph between Durham Bus Station & the Arnison Centre on the 21/50/X20 then after that it's nothing till CLS and suggests 4bph is enough to head from Durham to Newcastle - anyone with a degree of sanity would get the train which takes 10-15 mins rather than crawl through Low Fell at peak times, I have started doing the train to reach Newcastle from Durham as the 21/X21 feels slower and slower each time I do it (and can't keep to time) - Arriva cutting the X12 to hourly between Durham and Newcastle also hasn't helped. Sure enough, last time I did a hop on the train to Newcastle, passengers who alighted from the same 7 at Durham as me also used the train to reach Newcastle.
RE: Reversing the decline in passenger numbers