(20 Oct 2024, 7:33 am)L469 YVK wrote 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.
You'd be better having them all doing the X12 route between Newcastle and Chester Le Street imo.
The best timetable really would be having:
R1: Newcastle to Middlesbrough (Every 30 Minutes)
R2: Newcastle to Cockfield / West Auckland (Every 30 Minutes, Newcastle to Durham - Every 10 Minutes Durham to Cockfield / West Auckland)
R3: Newcastle to Brandon (Every 30 Minutes, Newcastle to Durham - Every 15 Minutes Durham to Brandon)
21: All services curtailed short at Chester Le Street
I know some will moan about direct links to Durham but there's an easy connection from a 7.5 minute service to a 10 minute service and the X12 limited stop nature provides links anyway.
Having 3 different infrequent services doing different routes is just naff timetabling imo. The 43/44/45 and X10/X11 are some of the strongest routes around which basically do the above. No-one in Gosforth whines because there's not a direct bus to Blyth they just get off and change.