(13 Nov 2024, 2:31 pm)logidoodah wrote Attatched is how I would improve the Blyth Expresses...
Yellow - X7, changes = new links (everything north on route) to Killingworth and gives Killingworth Dr a bus service otherwise no change
Red - X8, changes = new loop around Cramlington Town Centre opposed to the confusing village road X8/X9 (current routing) being on opposite sides for the same destination
Green - X9, via Dudley Lane (reduces the amount of buses to Newcastle as really how many buses an hour do they need when some places don't have any. They still have the frequent 43, the less frequent 37/352, and the express X9
Orange - X10 via Beacon Lane (the link road doesn't exist yet) and Horton Drive
Pink - 43, Extended 2 bph to Cramlington Hospital & 2bph to Blyth (via Bebside) (rerouted current X9 route). New connections to Chase Farm Dr (short walk from Swaledale Ave (hence the reroute)
Light Blue - 1 slightly rerouted to improve local connections (not everyone wants to travel to Newcastle)
Dark Blue - 2 slightly rerouted to improve local connections (not everyone wants to travel to Newcastle)
Possibly could renumber the 1/2 to 41/42 to link with the 43 in the cowpen/bebside areas...
I am aware of the reduction in service so you could either up the X9/X10 to every 20 mins/10 comb or add in extra peak journeys, which is probably best. The X7/X8 would stay every 30 mins. And you would have enough deckers to put on all the boards - with the introduction of the electrics for the 43/44/45. This also makes vehicle and driver changes easier at Blyth bus station as opposed to needing remote reliefs.
I'm not going to comment on the Blyth to Cramlington part but assuming franchising partially here, I'd look at merging the X7, X8 and X63. The X63 since it's frequency reduction has become a right old basketcase of a route nowadays since everyone has moved to the X7/X8 from Quorum now and do something like this:
X7: Newcastle - Quorum - Killingworth - Seghill - Seaton Delaval - New Hartley - Seaton Sluice - Blyth (Every 20 Minutes)
X8: Newcastle - Quorum - Killingworth - Burradon - Dudley - Cramlington (Every 20 Minutes)
X7/X8: Every 10 Minutes, Newcastle to Killingworth
38: West End - Newcastle - Freeman - Four Lane Ends - Quorum - Burradon - Annitsford - Cramlington Hospital - Cramlington (Every 30 Minutes)
38A: West End - Newcastle - Freeman - Four Lane Ends - Quorum - Killingworth (Every 30 Minutes)
38B: West End - Newcastle - Freeman - Four Lane Ends - Benton (Every 30 Minutes)
19: Upped to every 30 Minutes, full route
57/57A: Both via Seghill, direct from Annitsford to Cramlington omitting High Pit
352: Withdrawn
353: Upped to Every 30 Minutes, Killingworth to North Shields only
354: Withdrawn
X63: Withdrawn
308: Curtailed at Whitley Bay
309: Head to Blyth via 308 route.
The 308/309 is also way too overbused between Blyth and Whitley Bay, so having an enhanced X7 would partially cover these.
For the Cramlington to Blyth section of the X8, who knows, extend a 43 instead?