I think there needs to be a simplification of the X8 service, perhaps:

Run it Blyth to Bebside ASDA as it usually does, then straight down the Spine Road to the Moor Farm roundabout, and continue the usual route from there?

The 43 can take passengers from Shankhouse etc to Newcastle, where they can change onto a bus to Quorum?

So you're suggesting the X8 omits Cramlington and have the 43 pick up the slack, but ignoring the fact that the 43 follows the same route as X10/X11 from Cramlington Shops out of the town meaning there'd then be no Newcastle service at all for the areas where only the X8 serves?

So you're suggesting the X8 omits Cramlington and have the 43 pick up the slack, but ignoring the fact that the 43 follows the same route as X10/X11 from Cramlington Shops out of the town meaning there'd then be no Newcastle service at all for the areas where only the X8 serves?

I'm sure that, for the bits of Cramlington that the X8 currently serves, at least one other bus serves them?

The 57 serves Klondyke, the X9 and 57 serve High Pit.

Changing buses is something lots of people have to do on a daily basis

The actual section between Cramlington and Newcastle would certainly improve with extra time given to cope with the blackspots such as Moor Farm Roundabout. But the Northern section needs absorbed into another service for this to happen which would mean no PVR increase at all.

I think you're overall idea seems sound and with some tweaking in conjunction with the 57/57A, they could probably even get rid of the 58 which might free up a driver (though I may be being too optimistic there).

You could have the X8 go Cramlington-Quorum-Newcastle, even taking the time to make the Quorum loop while the X7 ignores it.

I'd suggest though that, even in the current X8 route, services could omit Moor Farm entirely by passing the turn onto the roundabout and continuing up to Dudley Lane roundabout on the A1171 (where the X10/X11 go onto the A19) and then looping back on themselves past the Business Park and McDonalds, into Annitsford on the B1505.

I'm sure that, for the bits of Cramlington that the X8 currently serves, at least one other bus serves them?

The 57 serves Klondyke, the X9 and 57 serve High Pit.

Changing buses is something lots of people have to do on a daily basis

Okay, so say you have people in these areas use other services like the 57A to change at Cramlington Shops onto the X9/X10/X11, what is the net gain for your proposed changes? It would eliminate a route that is certainly used through Cramlington for, what, to further convenience Quorum users who are served by many more buses/hour than stops affected by your proposed cuts.

If anything, why not have the non-express services like the 52 and 54 serve more of Quorum and leave the express services how they are? The 52/54 would provide a connection to and from Newcastle four times an hour (the current frequency of the X7/X8), give a direct journey to those travelling to Cramlington via Burradon, and allow those wanting to travel into Blyth an opportunity to connect to a MAX service at either Burradon or Cramlington.

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There's really no need to be cutting huge chunks of the X8 route out with a "just connect and deal with it" attitude just to try and slightly improve service to an area being serviced by the 554, 555, 52, 54, X7, X8 and StageCoach's X63.

I'm sure that, for the bits of Cramlington that the X8 currently serves, at least one other bus serves them?

The 57 serves Klondyke, the X9 and 57 serve High Pit.

Changing buses is something lots of people have to do on a daily basis

Having to change bus can turn a 30 minute journey into a hour. That's 5 hours a week lost for someone working full time with the possibility of more expensive travel.

Having to change bus can turn a 30 minute journey into a hour. That's 5 hours a week lost for someone working full time with the possibility of more expensive travel.

Have to agree here, the amount of time that can be added onto journeys with having to connect between two or more buses can be significant even on services with fairly high frequencies, even on my journeys home from New College Durham at Framwellgate Moor - Newton Aycliffe when the 7 started terminating at Durham Bus Station instead of Framwellgate Moor (except a few peak runs) My journey times saw an increase from 55 minutes to around 1 hour, 30 minutes, some nights it was closer to two hours! This was all down to bad connection times between buses and the 64 being a pile of garbage as it was always late or never turned up!

Having to change bus can turn a 30 minute journey into a hour. That's 5 hours a week lost for someone working full time with the possibility of more expensive travel.

Have to agree here, the amount of time that can be added onto journeys with having to connect between two or more buses can be significant even on services with fairly high frequencies, even on my journeys home from New College Durham at Framwellgate Moor - Newton Aycliffe when the 7 started terminating at Durham Bus Station instead of Framwellgate Moor (except a few peak runs) My journey times saw an increase from 55 minutes to around 1 hour, 30 minutes, some nights it was closer to two hours! This was all down to bad connection times between buses and the 64 being a pile of garbage as it was always late or never turned up!

Exactly!

If the X8 were to omit Cramlington (as has been suggested here), there would be ridiculous connection times. It's not as simple as saying "oh the 57/57A exists, you can just connect there" considering that service runs hourly in the evenings and is even being reduced further due to the Northumberland council cuts.

By not having the X8 serve at least Cramlington Whitelea through to Annitsford, you'd have no services at all for a substantial residential area past about 8pm (whereas the X8 currently serves here until 11:10pm). So Quorum workers can't walk five minutes to the stop outside but existing X8 users just need to suck up the potential half-hour work every night?

I used to live in East Cramlington and was a regular user of the old x25/x26 (x5/x6) now numbered x8, it used to provide a direct service into Newcastle operating directly via the spine road and South Gosforth after serving Annitsford. However Arriva then started messing around with the route, as well as the service number sending it around everywhere adding easily another 20 minutes to the journey time. It has since been sped up missing out some of the longer diversions, like the freeman, but I now find it much quicker and easier to drive to Ilford road and get the metro.

Most areas not to sure so may not get it exactly wright.
X17. Newcastle -kingston park-Ponteland -morpeth-ashington -wansbeck hospital
Monday to sunday
Mon to sat every hour
Sunday every 2 hours
The whole route would take around 1 hour 25 mins so a bit longer than the x21.
This route will run to kingston park providing a link to northumberland then the 79 route this would mean more frequent service in morpeth the service will run direct to Ashington handy for commuters then down to wansbeck hospital with the service extending to the hospital one 1 will ternamate at Ashington.
Mon to sat the service could be ran by ashington using mpds
Sunday jesmond could run it using a solo but interworking with another service.
With this service introduced the 1 will decrease by 1 vehcile

Most areas not to sure so may not get it exactly wright.
X17. Newcastle -kingston park-Ponteland -morpeth-ashington -wansbeck hospital
Monday to sunday
Mon to sat every hour
Sunday every 2 hours
The whole route would take around 1 hour 25 mins so a bit longer than the x21.
This route will run to kingston park providing a link to northumberland then the 79 route this would mean more frequent service in morpeth the service will run direct to Ashington handy for commuters then down to wansbeck hospital with the service extending to the  hospital one 1 will ternamate at Ashington.
Mon to sat the service could be ran by ashington using mpds
Sunday jesmond could run it using a solo but interworking with another service.
With this service introduced the 1 will decrease by 1 vehcile

Newcastle Airport-Morpeth was poorly used on the 100. I can't see it making a comeback. 

What MPDs are available like? Only got five at Ashington, 4 on the 57s and one spare.

Newcastle Airport-Morpeth was poorly used on the 100. I can't see it making a comeback. 

What MPDs are available like? Only got five at Ashington, 4 on the 57s and one spare.

Wasnt the 100 a collage service

Wasnt the 100 a collage service

Yes, but it was open to the public. It used to run from Ashington College to Kirkley Hall Campus, then it got cut between Morpeth and Kirkley Hall with connections to service 35, then it interworked with the 35 and was extended to Cramlington via Blagdon and also went to Blyth at peak times.

It was withdrawn last year.

Yes, but it was open to the public. It used to run from Ashington College to Kirkley Hall Campus, then it got cut between Morpeth and Kirkley Hall with connections to service 35, then it interworked with the 35 and was extended to Cramlington via Blagdon and also went to Blyth at peak times.

It was withdrawn last year.

Seen it once with 7492

ooooh I remember the 101, Blyth - Newcastle Airport

So, do I but it started at Kingston Park, not the Airport

Most areas not to sure so may not get it exactly wright.
X17. Newcastle -kingston park-Ponteland -morpeth-ashington -wansbeck hospital
Monday to sunday
Mon to sat every hour
Sunday every 2 hours
The whole route would take around 1 hour 25 mins so a bit longer than the x21.
This route will run to kingston park providing a link to northumberland then the 79 route this would mean more frequent service in morpeth the service will run direct to Ashington handy for commuters then down to wansbeck hospital with the service extending to the  hospital one 1 will ternamate at Ashington.
Mon to sat the service could be ran by ashington using mpds
Sunday jesmond could run it using a solo but interworking with another service.
With this service introduced the 1 will decrease by 1 vehcile

I could see some points as to why this would make sense to rival the metro. The 79 COULD be withdrawn. The alternative is it being every fifteen minutes using Pulsars between Newcastle and the Airport continueing hourly using MPDs freed up by the X16 changes to follow the rest of the route as far as Morpeth because as GX03 SVC will back me up the route between Morpeth and Ashington is to popular for MPDs and the roads between Ponteland and Morpeth on the 79 route are not suitable for vehicles above MPD size

I could see some points as to why this would make sense to rival the metro. The 79 COULD be withdrawn. The alternative is it being every fifteen minutes using Pulsars between Newcastle and the Airport continueing hourly using MPDs freed up by the X16 changes to follow the rest of the route as far as Morpeth because as GX03 SVC will back me up the route between Morpeth and Ashington is to popular for MPDs and the roads between Ponteland and Morpeth on the 79 route are not suitable for vehicles above MPD size

I see your point but most people would use the metro or that stagecoach service that goes up to ponteland? Forgot the number

I see your point but most people would use the metro or that stagecoach service that goes up to ponteland? Forgot the number

The X78 serves Darras Hall and Ponteland every 30 minutes and doesn't actually serve the airport. They could also have the X17 as a MAX service to make it more appealing to the slightly better well off people of that part of Northumberland. The Pulsars could have luggage racks fitted as well

The X78 serves Darras Hall and Ponteland every 30 minutes and doesn't actually serve the airport. They could also have the X17 as a MAX service to make it more appealing to the slightly better well off people of that part of Northumberland. The Pulsars could have luggage racks fitted as well

The 131 might compete especially with free sweets

The 131 might compete especially with free sweets

I don't like sweets

The Morpeth X17 could be scheduled to be departing exactly half an hour after the Morpeth 44

I don't like sweets

I believe the driver wants to make every one cheerful for a journey to Jedburgh especially if the stuck on a solo

The Morpeth X17 could be scheduled to be departing exactly half an hour after the Morpeth 44

Bus Services from Newcastle Airport could be like :

Arriva X17 could extend to Ashington if it used Pulsars.
Add that to diverting the X77/78/79 into the Airport and if they can the 74 too and then you have a better connected Airport.

Though diverting the above might need funding from the Airport.

There was a regular TWPTE (Blue line? ) service that went to the airport years ago.
Really reaching in to the dark recesses here, but pretty sure it went via Fawdon to Kingston Park/Bank Foot, before scooting through Woolsington.

It wasn't very fast and the airport was quiet then.

It also didn't have the option of using the bypass (as it wasn't built!).

There is already a comprehensive service through the estates, maybe the route this X17 takes to the airport is the key?

There was a regular TWPTE (Blue line? ) service that went to the airport years ago.
Really reaching in to the dark recesses here, but pretty sure it went via Fawdon to Kingston Park/Bank Foot, before scooting through Woolsington.

It wasn't very fast and the airport was quiet then.

It also didn't have the option of using the bypass (as it wasn't built!).

There is already a comprehensive service through the estates, maybe the route this X17 takes to the airport is the key?

Yeah there definitely was. Sure it was still going strong after the Metro extension too

Could you run the service from the Airport to Morpeth straight along the A1?

I think a quick journey time would be key to getting passengers onto the service, instead of using a taxi.

The 77X, don't know much else about it

http://www.keithstransportpics.co.uk/Leyland-Buses.html#

Yeah there definitely was. Sure it was still going strong after the Metro extension too

The 77X, don't know much else about it

http://www.keithstransportpics.co.uk/Leyland-Buses.html#

I am sure Blue Bus Services or TWOC had a run to the airport too, using their Bristol's.

I am sure Blue Bus Services or TWOC had a run to the airport too, using their Bristol's.

They did, they ran the 77X. Not sure why the 77 or Busways X77 kicked in

Bus Services from Newcastle Airport could be like :

Arriva X17 could extend to Ashington if it used Pulsars.
Add that to diverting the X77/78/79 into the Airport and if they can the 74 too and then you have a better connected Airport.

Though diverting the above might need funding from the Airport.

Well, the 74 runs through Westerrhope and Callerton not Newcastle Airport and is VERY infrequent and unreliable. 
Pulsars could not cope on some of the roads in places north of Ponteland such as Kirkley, Ogle, Whalton and Mitford and to be more popular instead of diverting to Bolam it could go through Tranwell.

MPDs could be freed up by the 57/57A receiving Streetlites to comply more with the tender saying the service needs a capacity of 36+.
A P.V.R of three MPDs and three Pulsars is necessary, 1 free Ashington MPDs could transfer to Jesmond for service 55 with the other being a MAX spare. 1 pulsar from the 55 is then freed and some cascades from Belmont with the 46 being MAXED could find other pulsars

Service X5 Middlesbrough to Easington.

We have 4 service 5/5A Sapphire buses per hour running from Middlesbrough to Skelton all following the same route. At Skelton the 5A's divert to ASDA and finish in Brotton. The 5's run to Easington, one via Skinningrove and the other via Liverton Mines. Surely one of the 5's could run as an express X56, cutting down the journey time by 10 minutes into East Cleveland.

If one of the 5's ran via the X66 and limited stop to Guisborough [as the X93 does now] the journey would be 27 minutes -not 37 minutes. Then the new X5 could do both the Skinningrove and Liverton Mines detours- or have more lay-over time in Easington. The only passengers to miss out would be in North Ormesby and on Cargo Fleet Lane- which does have quite a few other buses.

I know the X5 has been tried before but the route via Marske was silly. Years ago the old X56 could do the route in an hour!  Perhaps a morning and evening trial to start with.