(29 Dec 2014, 8:57 pm)aureolin wrote X6 - Peterlee - A19 - Wingate - Station Town - Deaf Hill - The Trimdons - Fishburn - Sedgefield - A1 - A167 - Darlington
Arriva's 21 service takes 1h 23m to do a similar route, but it also serves west of the A1, i.e. Ferryhill, Newton Aycliffe, and Aycliffe Village, via the A167. I reckon serving the A1 and running a strictly limited stop service between Peterlee and Darlington, and you could get it done in an hour. If the X6 links with the X7 between Sunderland and Peterlee, then through-fares could also be made available.
(29 Dec 2014, 8:57 pm)aureolin wrote X6 - Peterlee - A19 - Wingate - Station Town - Deaf Hill - The Trimdons - Fishburn - Sedgefield - A1 - A167 - DarlingtonJust curious would this proposed 84 operate via Emerson Terrace and JFK School and then down Northumerland Way to Barmston Court, or would it operate via Oxclose Road and through Brady Square to Barmston Court.
Arriva's 21 service takes 1h 23m to do a similar route, but it also serves west of the A1, i.e. Ferryhill, Newton Aycliffe, and Aycliffe Village, via the A167. I reckon serving the A1 and running a strictly limited stop service between Peterlee and Darlington, and you could get it done in an hour. If the X6 links with the X7 between Sunderland and Peterlee, then through-fares could also be made available.
84 - Chester le Street - A1 - Ayton - Lambton - The Galleries - Biddick - Columbia - Barmston Court - Barmston Road - Pattinson Road - Waterview Park
It would remove the problem of having to have the 50 go through Ayton and Lambton, and would link both places with Chester le Street. It'd provide new links to the new housing developments and shopping units and pub/restaurant (under construction) at Teal Farm, not to mention a link between the various villages and Waterview Park. It's obviously dependent on Teal Park (development on the left of the old Teal Farm) being completed, as Barmston Road will reopen then. The route should be achievable within 30 mins, if it loops the bus station and heads out via the police link, rather than faffing on with Sainsbury's Car Park.
(29 Dec 2014, 9:33 pm)Malarkey wrote Just curious would this proposed 84 operate via Emerson Terrace and JFK School and then down Northumerland Way to Barmston Court, or would it operate via Oxclose Road and through Brady Square to Barmston Court.
(29 Dec 2014, 8:57 pm)aureolin wrote X6 - Peterlee - A19 - Wingate - Station Town - Deaf Hill - The Trimdons - Fishburn - Sedgefield - A1 - A167 - DarlingtonCould something like following the X10 to Stockton work...
Arriva's 21 service takes 1h 23m to do a similar route, but it also serves west of the A1, i.e. Ferryhill, Newton Aycliffe, and Aycliffe Village, via the A167. I reckon serving the A1 and running a strictly limited stop service between Peterlee and Darlington, and you could get it done in an hour. If the X6 links with the X7 between Sunderland and Peterlee, then through-fares could also be made available.
84 - Chester le Street - A1 - Ayton - Lambton - The Galleries - Biddick - Columbia - Barmston Court - Barmston Road - Pattinson Road - Waterview Park
It would remove the problem of having to have the 50 go through Ayton and Lambton, and would link both places with Chester le Street. It'd provide new links to the new housing developments and shopping units and pub/restaurant (under construction) at Teal Farm, not to mention a link between the various villages and Waterview Park. It's obviously dependent on Teal Park (development on the left of the old Teal Farm) being completed, as Barmston Road will reopen then. The route should be achievable within 30 mins, if it loops the bus station and heads out via the police link, rather than faffing on with Sainsbury's Car Park.
(29 Dec 2014, 11:20 pm)MrFozz wrote Could something like following the X10 to Stockton work...
Then go along the A66 to Darlington from there...Not sure about timing though, could that be achieved around the 60 minute mark?
(29 Dec 2014, 11:43 pm)Jimmi wrote If this suggestion started at Peterlee Bus Station and served the same stops as the X9 until it reaches the slip road then follows the X10 route to Stockton which would take 33 mins then possibly run via the A66 then possibly run via Great Burdon and Haughton Road and past Darlington College or via the old OK1 route the full journey time between Peterlee and Darlington would take about 56/57 minutes which is a bit tight and gives not much layover time in Darlington.
You could maybe have it continue through to Sunderland via the same route as the Arriva X21 and would provide two GNE buses from Peterlee and Sunderland an hour.
Timings are based on the X9/X10 and the old summer only Arriva service X61.
(29 Dec 2014, 11:43 pm)Jimmi wrote If this suggestion started at Peterlee Bus Station and served the same stops as the X9 until it reaches the slip road then follows the X10 route to Stockton which would take 33 mins then possibly run via the A66 then possibly run via Great Burdon and Haughton Road and past Darlington College or via the old OK1 route the full journey time between Peterlee and Darlington would take about 56/57 minutes which is a bit tight and gives not much layover time in Darlington.
You could maybe have it continue through to Sunderland via the same route as the Arriva X21 and would provide two GNE buses from Peterlee and Sunderland an hour.
Timings are based on the X9/X10 and the old summer only Arriva service X61.
(30 Dec 2014, 10:10 pm)Jimmi wrote Just thought I'd draw up an hourly frequency for this X6 suggestion.
Darlington, Tubwell Row - 33
Darlington College - 37
Haughton Green, The Gray Horse - 41
Great Burdon - 44
Stockton High Street South - 59
Stockton High Street North - 01
Norton, Red Lion - 07
Peterlee, Moorcock - 26
Peterlee Bus Station arr - 30
Peterlee Bus Station dep - 33
Essington Way, Crawford Av - 36
Ryhope, Green - 50
Sunderland, Park Lane - 59
Sunderland Park Lane - 04
Ryhope, Green - 13
Essington Way, Crawford Av - 27
Peterlee Bus Station arr - 30
Peterlee Bus Station dep - 33
Peterlee, Moorcock - 38
Norton, Red Lion - 57
Stockton High Street North - 03
Stockton Yarm Lane - 05
Great Burdon - 19
Haughton Road, The Gray Horse - 22
Darlington College - 26
Darlington, Tubwell Row - 30
Something like this will probably never happen.
(30 Dec 2014, 10:10 pm)Jimmi wrote Just thought I'd draw up an hourly frequency for this X6 suggestion.
Darlington, Tubwell Row - 33
Darlington College - 37
Haughton Green, The Gray Horse - 41
Great Burdon - 44
Stockton High Street South - 59
Stockton High Street North - 01
Norton, Red Lion - 07
Peterlee, Moorcock - 26
Peterlee Bus Station arr - 30
Peterlee Bus Station dep - 33
Essington Way, Crawford Av - 36
Ryhope, Green - 50
Sunderland, Park Lane - 59
Sunderland Park Lane - 04
Ryhope, Green - 13
Essington Way, Crawford Av - 27
Peterlee Bus Station arr - 30
Peterlee Bus Station dep - 33
Peterlee, Moorcock - 38
Norton, Red Lion - 57
Stockton High Street North - 03
Stockton Yarm Lane - 05
Great Burdon - 19
Haughton Road, The Gray Horse - 22
Darlington College - 26
Darlington, Tubwell Row - 30
Something like this will probably never happen.
(31 Dec 2014, 1:39 pm)Michael wrote You never know, who would of thought GNE would ever do the new 36 route?, Town End Farm to Chester-le-street.
(31 Dec 2014, 2:23 pm)Drifter60 wrote The 36 isn't new though it's just an amalgamation of current routes (71/35/29).
The X6 suggestion is a totally new route, albeit a frequency increase on X7 Peterlee-Sunderland, Peterlee-Stockton is evening X10 route so technically that's new route for daytime and Stockton-Darlington is a new section.
I do like the suggestion however.
(31 Dec 2014, 2:44 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote With the 56 and 27 being reduced to 12 minute frequencies, would it not be a good idea to reduce the frequency of the 21 to every 10 minutes but throughout the whole route between Durham and Newcastle with a PVR of 15? Evening and Sunday frequencies would remain unchanged.
(31 Dec 2014, 2:32 pm)Michael wrote I know but i wouldn't of thought we would see such a route come in to service.
(31 Dec 2014, 2:44 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote With the 56 and 27 being reduced to 12 minute frequencies, would it not be a good idea to reduce the frequency of the 21 to every 10 minutes but throughout the whole route between Durham and Newcastle with a PVR of 15? Evening and Sunday frequencies would remain unchanged.
(31 Dec 2014, 2:44 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote With the 56 and 27 being reduced to 12 minute frequencies, would it not be a good idea to reduce the frequency of the 21 to every 10 minutes but throughout the whole route between Durham and Newcastle with a PVR of 15? Evening and Sunday frequencies would remain unchanged.
(31 Dec 2014, 2:58 pm)Dan wrote I would also like to see this happen.
With increased layover - every 10 minutes to Chester-le-Street, every 20 to Durham. Hopefully get one (or both) of the branded Volvo B7s to become spares again, making gtom happy as fewer Presidents and Lolynes would appear!
(31 Dec 2014, 3:04 pm)Jimmi wrote The 21 used to run every 10 minutes and the reliability was poor with it often running in twos across the whole route and they had to rectify the problem by adding extra buses to the PVR and increasing the layover time in Durham and Newcastle but there was still problems then it was changed to run every 7/8 minutes between Newcastle and Chester with the service continuing to Durham every 15 minutes and this has helped with reliability, it's not perfect but still better than it was.
(31 Dec 2014, 3:14 pm)Andreos1 wrote Keep the frequency as it is, but:
21 - Pilgrim Street to Durham. Quick in/out over Tyne Bridge.
22 - Eldon Square to Chester.
X21 - Eldon Square to Bishop.
(31 Dec 2014, 3:46 pm)Jimmi wrote Problem with that is you have two services to Durham leaving from two different places, and are both a bit of a walk from each other and one is not exactly a pleasant looking area and people would not know where to go. Also having the X21 leave Eldon Square towards Durham but not the 21 could mean more people would turn to the X2.
(31 Dec 2014, 3:58 pm)Dan wrote As far as I am aware, the Angel carries far more passengers than any other service in the North East. It is for this reason why I think Go North East is reluctant to make any changes to service 21, in case of any loss of patronage to competitors as a result of a possible bad decision.
Arriva is currently refurbishing buses to "MAX" specification, featuring the provision of free Wi-Fi and e-leather seats, for allocation to services X1/X2 (the latter of which, as you know, competes with Go North East's 21/X21 services). Arriva will quite rightly expect market growth from this upgrade in specification, and there is a pretty limited scope from which the market growth can come from... Go North East management isn't stupid, and will appreciate that there's a possibility for loss of custom, so I think they'll know that they can't sit back for much longer.
(31 Dec 2014, 5:30 pm)gtom wrote Be interesting to see what they come up with. Arriva are quicker (though obviously an express - but still picks up in key points in Birtley, Allerdene and Low Fell) and cheaper
GNE moved the 21 to Eldon Square because passengers liked and wanted Eldon Square. The 723 always stopped there and the 724 (aside the original OK service stopping on Newgate St but right by the door for Eldon Square)
If you move the 21 to Pilgrim St and reliability doesn't improve (likely because of the traffic issues it encouters) your going to end up with passengers being cold wet and miserable on Pilgrim St as opposed to warm, dry and miserable in Eldon Square
The REEEEEEEAL issue and one for 2015 to seriously consider is the end of the High Level Bridge being nigh....that will bring up serious questions for bus operators
(31 Dec 2014, 5:35 pm)Dan wrote Yes, I agree.
Is there a definitive date for how much longer the High Level Bridge has? It'd be great if it could coincide with the new bus station for Newcastle, but last I read about that it seemed to be very much in the air?
Service 53 is given 12 minutes from Market Street to Gateshead Interchange, so you're looking at it being about 15 from Eldon Square (opposed to current 10).