Rename these..

X6 = X62
X62 = 62B
55 = 36
62 = 62
62A = 62A
201 = 63
206 = 64
204 = 66
209 = 67
210 = 68
67 = 46
69 = 48

X21 - Newcastle - Gateshead - Low Fell - Chester-Le-Street - Durham - Spennymoor - Bishop Auckland - West Auckland - Staindrop - Barnard Castle

Extended Hourly from West Auckland to Barnard Castle

25 - Newcastle - Gateshead - Low Fell - Wrekenton - Barley Mow - Chester-Le-Street - Waldridge Park - Edmondsley - Sacriston - Langley Park - Esh Whinning - East Hedleyhope - Tow Law - Crook

Extended Hourly from Langley Park to Tow Law & Crook

X72 - Newcastle - Gateshead - Lobley Hill - Tanfield Village - Tantobie - Dipton - Annfield Plain - Stanley - Quaking Houses - Lanchester - East Hedleyhope - Tow Law - Crook

Extended Hourly from Stanley to Tow Law & Crook whilst also merging with Service 30 which would be withdrawn.

M1: Washington Galleries to Winlaton via Team Valley, Lobley Hill, Dunston, Metrocentre, Swalwell, Blaydon, Hole-In-The Wall & Parkhead Estate (Hourly or Half Hourly, Not Sure Yet).

M2: Chester-Le-Street to Clara Vale via Birtley, Lamesley, Team Valley, Dunston, Metrocentre, Blaydon, Crookhill, Ryton, Crawcrook (Hourly or Half Hourly, Not Sure Yet).

M3: Fellside Park to Winlaton Mill via Whickham, Swalwell, Metrocentre, Blaydon, Heddon View, Black Lane & Winlaton (Hourly or Half Hourly, Not Sure Yet).

Was bored and seen someone mention Team Valley before so thought how you could improve links to it all day.

1 - Current route between Whitley Bay and Gateshead (Hourly)
1A - Current route between Whitley Bay and Gateshead extended to Kibblesworth via 29 route (Hourly)
1B - Current route between Whitley Bay and Gateshead extended to Ouston via 28 route but then loops round Urpeth Grange instead of continuing to Chester Le Street (replaced partially by X32) (Hourly)
28 - Withdrawn (replaced partially by 1B)
28A - Withdrawn (replaced partially by 1A / X32)
29 - Withdrawn (replaced by 1A)
X30 - Reduced to hourly
X31 - No change but works every 30 minutes with X30.
X32 - Stanley -> Beamish -> Pelton -> Perkinsville -> Ouston -> Lamesley -> Team Valley -> NON STOP -> Gateshead -> Newcastle (Every 30 minutes)
34 - Revert to old route missing Pelton.
91 - Withdrawn (replaced by X32)
93/94 - Withdraw peak extras (replaced by X32).

It has a few benefits such as:
Service between Newcastle / Stanley and Team Valley all day (X32)
New bus from Urpeth Grange to Birtley / Newcastle (1B)
Hourly bus link from Byker and beyond to the QE Hospital (1B)
Restores link between Stanley and Gateshead (X32)
Passengers on 29 route now have a service to Newcastle (1A)
Removal of the clearly unprofitable (28/28A South of Ouston).
Quicker service on the 93/94 to take pressure off them between Gateshead and Team Valley.
Removal of peak extras on 93/94.

Losses to be balanced:
Kibblesworth to Birtley with the 28A
Pelton to Chester Le Street to Birtley and the QE on the 28
Reduction of X30/X31 but other benefits brought with the X32.

I'm currently working at Royal Mail on a weekend. It takes me 30 mins max (if bad traffic). Bus would take 3 times as long.

Ive always thought,is there anyway the 93/94 could serve Birtley why still maintaining being a loop,maybe they could serve Kibblesworth hourly (30 mins combined)

Buy that current white E200 58' Plate, and create a simple 29 Livery, Kibblesworth Connect.

Well today I walked down to Deptford for some work. And it got me thinkingas it was raining..

Which got me thinking- why don't they register the staff shuttle as a circular and any passenger would be a bonus

(02 Oct 2021, 9:48 pm)idiot wrote Well today I walked down to Deptford for some work. And it got me thinkingas it was raining..

Which got me thinking- why don't they register the staff shuttle as a circular and any passenger would be a bonus

They could, they did a similar thing with the V11, however I think the Staff Shuttle for Deptford actually goes into the Bus Depot which the V11 to my knowledge didn't. Or they could register it as a free bus, wouldn't make a difference either way.

i would love to see a service from Consett to South Shields. can be a quick express if you take the quick way to Chester-Le-Street.

heres how i would set it out:

Consett - Leadgate - Annfield Plain - Stanley - Chester-Le-Street - A194 to Tyne Dock - Westoe - South Shields Interchange.
could work well for locals like me who use to get the Coach on a trip to South Shields in the summer holiday period. could work well this service during summer times. can save people time to not go to Durham, Gateshead or even Sunderland to catch the bus to Shields.

i dont know what number i would give it tho. probably the X8 or something

(29 Sep 2021, 4:49 pm)Storx wrote Was bored and seen someone mention Team Valley before so thought how you could improve links to it all day.

1 - Current route between Whitley Bay and Gateshead (Hourly)
1A - Current route between Whitley Bay and Gateshead extended to Kibblesworth via 29 route (Hourly)
1B - Current route between Whitley Bay and Gateshead extended to Ouston via 28 route but then loops round Urpeth Grange instead of continuing to Chester Le Street (replaced partially by X32) (Hourly)
28 - Withdrawn (replaced partially by 1B)
28A - Withdrawn (replaced partially by 1A / X32)
29 - Withdrawn (replaced by 1A)
X30 - Reduced to hourly
X31 - No change but works every 30 minutes with X30.
X32 - Stanley -> Beamish -> Pelton -> Perkinsville -> Ouston -> Lamesley -> Team Valley -> NON STOP -> Gateshead -> Newcastle (Every 30 minutes)
34 - Revert to old route missing Pelton.
91 - Withdrawn (replaced by X32)
93/94 - Withdraw peak extras (replaced by X32).

It has a few benefits such as:
Service between Newcastle / Stanley and Team Valley all day (X32)
New bus from Urpeth Grange to Birtley / Newcastle (1B)
Hourly bus link from Byker and beyond to the QE Hospital (1B)
Restores link between Stanley and Gateshead (X32)
Passengers on 29 route now have a service to Newcastle (1A)
Removal of the clearly unprofitable (28/28A South of Ouston).
Quicker service on the 93/94 to take pressure off them between Gateshead and Team Valley.
Removal of peak extras on 93/94.

Losses to be balanced:
Kibblesworth to Birtley with the 28A
Pelton to Chester Le Street to Birtley and the QE on the 28
Reduction of X30/X31 but other benefits brought with the X32.

I'm firmly of the belief that if operators really want to push ahead with a 'hub and spoke' model, they need to consider alternatives to the town and city centres they force on passengers now and start to consider alternatives.

Not only do people not work in the town and city centres, like they did in the past. We've seen the growth in out of town business and retail parks. 
Quite often those who work or visit there, can't get public transport to those places. Or if they can, it's usually very limited.

If operators are going to think outside the box and do something different - not too different (we know how much they struggle with change...), why don't they consider creating new hubs and as a result, new spokes.
Could the 'bus station' at Team Valley be improved, so that becomes a hub? They could operate routes to/from there, from places people actually live. Not somewhere that's a current hub, is well out of the general direction and would add 30/45mins on to an average morning commute. 

Dalton Park is seeing an upturn in people using the bus and could easily increase its potential market share and footfall, by making that investment and encouraging people to use the bus to get there from a wide variety of locations (not just Seaham or Sunderland which has traditionally always been the case for bus users). 

The Arnison Centre has similar potential imo. If not more than Dalton Park, based on the proximity of a number of key employment sites.
That's assuming operators look beyond the traditional bus to/from the city centre and Chester le Street corridor...

I'd argue these retail and business parks are the new town and city centres and I think it is time operator's looked at them in that way. 

The GNE express network clearly has a focus in/out of Newcastle. A quick look at the map would indicate it is the hub of the network. I'm not sure needs to be the main/focus/central hub of a series of duplicated routes and services. Particularly when so many of the routes/services skirt the edges of other potential hubs.

(03 Oct 2021, 2:39 pm)KingSlayerRBLX wrote i would love to see a service from Consett to South Shields. can be a quick express if you take the quick way to Chester-Le-Street.

heres how i would set it out:

Consett - Leadgate - Annfield Plain - Stanley - Chester-Le-Street - A194 to Tyne Dock - Westoe - South Shields Interchange.
could work well for locals like me who use to get the Coach on a trip to South Shields in the summer holiday period. could work well this service during summer times. can save people time to not go to Durham, Gateshead or even Sunderland to catch the bus to Shields.

i dont know what number i would give it tho. probably the X8 or something

I've mentioned somewhere in the bygone era that this used to exist back in the 90s.   It used to run from Stanley to South Shields on a morning then take the folk of Shields amd Washington to Beamish.  Return from Beamish in the afternoon back to Shields  then do fhe return from Shields back to Stanley.  It was popular at the time, but whether South Shields is still the attraction is was 20 odd years ago is another thing.

(03 Oct 2021, 3:04 pm)ifm001 wrote I've mentioned somewhere in the bygone era that this used to exist back in the 90s.   It used to run from Stanley to South Shields on a morning then take the folk of Shields amd Washington to Beamish.  Return from Beamish in the afternoon back to Shields  then do fhe return from Shields back to Stanley.  It was popular at the time, but whether South Shields is still the attraction is was 20 odd years ago is another thing.

It could do Roker, Seaburn and along the Coast road to Shields, giving people the option of several beaches, bit like how the X11 does both Whitby and Scarborough.

"The Arnison Centre has similar potential imo. If not more than Dalton Park, based on the proximity of a number of key employment sites.
That's assuming operators look beyond the traditional bus to/from the city centre and Chester le Street corridor..."

I'm not sure where else the buses from there could go. There's already the arriva 62 and 64, plus GNE X20, 21 and 50. I suppose something could hare along the A167 to give Whitesmocks, Nevilles Cross, Merryoaks and the Arriva land south of the city a direct link but the buses that already go that way never pick up much as, presumably, it's all relatively affluent.

(03 Oct 2021, 7:20 pm)BusLoverMum wrote "The Arnison Centre has similar potential imo. If not more than Dalton Park, based on the proximity of a number of key employment sites.
That's assuming operators look beyond the traditional bus to/from the city centre and Chester le Street corridor..."

I'm not sure where else the buses from there could go. There's already the arriva 62 and 64, plus GNE X20, 21 and 50. I suppose something could hare along the A167  to give Whitesmocks, Nevilles Cross, Merryoaks and the Arriva land south of the city a direct link but the buses that already go that way never pick up much as, presumably, it's all relatively affluent.

GNE 7 County Ranger, Consett - Stanley - Quaking Houses - Burhope - Pity Me - Arnsion Centre - Durham

(03 Oct 2021, 7:20 pm)BusLoverMum wrote "The Arnison Centre has similar potential imo. If not more than Dalton Park, based on the proximity of a number of key employment sites.
That's assuming operators look beyond the traditional bus to/from the city centre and Chester le Street corridor..."

I'm not sure where else the buses from there could go. There's already the arriva 62 and 64, plus GNE X20, 21 and 50. I suppose something could hare along the A167  to give Whitesmocks, Nevilles Cross, Merryoaks and the Arriva land south of the city a direct link but the buses that already go that way never pick up much as, presumably, it's all relatively affluent. 

The one that jumps out to me is something from the Lanchester/Consett direction. Csnt see why an X5/X15 couldn't head down that way. 

I would also say that it would make a bit of sense to send one of the Stanley services in to the Arnison.
North/South is covered more than enough. Not sure the West or North West is.

(03 Oct 2021, 3:00 pm)Andreos1 wrote I'm firmly of the belief that if operators really want to push ahead with a 'hub and spoke' model, they need to consider alternatives to the town and city centres they force on passengers now and start to consider alternatives.

Not only do people not work in the town and city centres, like they did in the past. We've seen the growth in out of town business and retail parks. 
Quite often those who work or visit there, can't get public transport to those places. Or if they can, it's usually very limited.

If operators are going to think outside the box and do something different - not too different (we know how much they struggle with change...), why don't they consider creating new hubs and as a result, new spokes.
Could the 'bus station' at Team Valley be improved, so that becomes a hub? They could operate routes to/from there, from places people actually live. Not somewhere that's a current hub, is well out of the general direction and would add 30/45mins on to an average morning commute. 

Dalton Park is seeing an upturn in people using the bus and could easily increase its potential market share and footfall, by making that investment and encouraging people to use the bus to get there from a wide variety of locations (not just Seaham or Sunderland which has traditionally always been the case for bus users). 

The Arnison Centre has similar potential imo. If not more than Dalton Park, based on the proximity of a number of key employment sites.
That's assuming operators look beyond the traditional bus to/from the city centre and Chester le Street corridor...

I'd argue these retail and business parks are the new town and city centres and I think it is time operator's looked at them in that way. 

The GNE express network clearly has a focus in/out of Newcastle. A quick look at the map would indicate it is the hub of the network. I'm not sure needs to be the main/focus/central hub of a series of duplicated routes and services. Particularly when so many of the routes/services skirt the edges of other potential hubs.

Yeah I totally agree if I had to be honest, but then again if we were a real innovate country then there arguably should be a tram/metro line to Team Valley. Then you could connect the buses to the new Team Valley line at the South end and get arid of half of the buses heading anywhere near Newcastle, 28/28/29 for example.

Would work for the P&R which has been rumoured in the area for ages aswell.

If you used the Hexham line I don't see even why it would cost that much, you could easily bridge it off using the abandoned bridge on Bensham Bank and then just run along the side, or the through the middle of Kingsway. Shame we're not innovate like that; The Metro Centre is another prime one and there's already a railway line there sitting to be used and get arid of the likes of 6 going to Newcastle with proper connections to the tram/metro.

I know some will say, 'but it's quicker to bus it all the way' but if we're serious about climate change they shouldn't be there and it works in pretty much every other country in Europe. It's mental how far behind our public transport is imo.

It's how a Hub and Spoke network really should work, with a hub based around a faster type of transport (train / tram / guided busway) at that point rather than like you said being in random towns no-one wants to go to.

(03 Oct 2021, 7:58 pm)Storx wrote Yeah I totally agree if I had to be honest, but then again if we were a real innovate country then there arguably should be a tram/metro line to Team Valley. Then you could connect the buses to the new Team Valley line at the South end and get arid of half of the buses heading anywhere near Newcastle, 28/28/29 for example.

Would work for the P&R which has been rumoured in the area for ages aswell.

If you used the Hexham line I don't see even why it would cost that much, you could easily bridge it off using the abandoned bridge on Bensham Bank and then just run along the side, or the through the middle of Kingsway. Shame we're not innovate like that; The Metro Centre is another prime one and there's already a railway line there sitting to be used and get arid of the likes of 6 going to Newcastle with proper connections to the tram/metro.

I know some will say, 'but it's quicker to bus it all the way' but if we're serious about climate change they shouldn't be there and it works in pretty much every other country in Europe. It's mental how far behind our public transport is imo.

It's how a Hub and Spoke network really should work, with a hub based around a faster type of transport (train / tram / guided busway) at that point rather than like you said being in random towns no-one wants to go to.

I think the Hub and Spoke method does work. But to be honest what else would they use.
What routes would you put that does't use Hub & Spoke, which will makes its money. It is okay to say that this route could go from X-Y-Z-W. But if it doesnt make any money.

(03 Oct 2021, 8:03 pm)Keeiajs wrote I think the Hub and Spoke method does work. But to be honest what else would they use.
What routes would you put that does't use Hub & Spoke, which will makes its money. It is okay to say that this route could go from X-Y-Z-W. But if it doesnt make any money.

Hub and spoke only really works if your connecting to something faster imo.

The 4 is a good example of a bus that works, you get the 4 from Concord to Heworth then get off and get on the faster Metro to finish the rest of the journey. The 19 is another you get the bus from Cobalt to Northumberland Park / Percy Main / The Ferry then change to a faster transport to get somewhere.

When you starting doing a hub and spoke networks to the wrong places when reality most people are travelling elsewhere it doesn't work. Chester Le Street / Birtley to Team Valley is a prime example of that. If using hubs you have to travel all the way to Gateshead then change back unless you want to walk and stand at random bus stops at Low Fell then the bus becomes very unattractive. That's the 'quickest' time using hubs - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.85789...00!3e3!5i2, it's way too slow and people going shopping from CLS do and will go to Team Valley rather than Low Fell which there's 10 buses an hour to.

It's similar from the likes of Washington using hubs rather than bus stops in the middle of nowhere - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.88758...00!3e3!5i1

Or you could just drive in 10 - 15 minutes and cause the congestion every morning on the A1 via the Angel.

(03 Oct 2021, 8:32 pm)Storx wrote Hub and spoke only really works if your connecting to something faster imo.

The 4 is a good example of a bus that works, you get the 4 from Concord to Heworth then get off and get on the faster Metro to finish the rest of the journey. The 19 is another you get the bus from Cobalt to Northumberland Park / Percy Main / The Ferry then change to a faster transport to get somewhere.

When you starting doing a hub and spoke networks to the wrong places when reality most people are travelling elsewhere it doesn't work. Chester Le Street / Birtley to Team Valley is a prime example of that. If using hubs you have to travel all the way to Gateshead then change back unless you want to walk and stand at random bus stops at Low Fell then the bus becomes very unattractive. That's the 'quickest' time using hubs - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.85789...00!3e3!5i2, it's way too slow and people going shopping from CLS do and will go to Team Valley rather than Low Fell which there's 10 buses an hour to.

It's similar from the likes of Washington using hubs rather than bus stops in the middle of nowhere - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.88758...00!3e3!5i1

Or you could just drive in 10 - 15 minutes and cause the congestion every morning on the A1 via the Angel.

Well I could see more smaller hubs at like Langley Park, Lanchester, Seaham, Team Valley, Blaydon.

(03 Oct 2021, 7:40 pm)Andreos1 wrote The one that jumps out to me is something from the Lanchester/Consett direction. Csnt see why an X5/X15 couldn't head down that way. 

I would also say that it would make a bit of sense to send one of the Stanley services in to the Arnison.
North/South is covered more than enough. Not sure the West or North West is.

Yes, I suppose it would work if something turned off through Witton Gilbert and/or sacriston. Not sure it would be able to use Potter House Lane, though so would probably have to head into fram and go round that way, so would end up on the same corridor as everything else. Meantime, those passengers can change at the hospital, anyhow, so don't gain a huge amount, other than not having to lug bags across the road. Alternatively, they can meet the x20 at some point.

One of the limiting factors for the arnison centre is that there's not that many ways in. Another is the choice between the bus stop next to Sainsburys and the bottleneck there or the ones by lidl that the 50 uses which are less convenient but less susceptible to delays.

(03 Oct 2021, 10:03 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Yes, I suppose it would work if something turned off through Witton Gilbert and/or sacriston. Not sure it would be able to use Potter House Lane, though so would probably have to head into fram and go round that way, so would end up on the same corridor as everything else. Meantime, those passengers can change at the hospital, anyhow, so don't gain a huge amount, other than not having to lug bags across the road. Alternatively, they can meet the x20 at some point.

One of the limiting factors for the arnison centre is that there's not that many ways in. Another is the choice between the bus stop next to Sainsburys and the bottleneck there or the ones by lidl that the 50 uses which are less convenient but less susceptible to delays.

Its because of where they put that stupid McDonalds, But also it is 1 way. It is good for a terminus. However passing through going to Durham/Sunderland you need to go over to Lidl which is a pain.

Just to add that, compared to any other retail park in the region, the arnison centre is very well served. It has a bus heading somewhere, every few minutes.

---

(03 Oct 2021, 10:11 pm)Keeiajs wrote Its because of where they put that stupid McDonalds, But also it is 1 way. It is good for a terminus. However passing through going to Durham/Sunderland you need to go over to Lidl which is a pain.

Haha. The boy racers couldn't get into macdonalds for the fuel queues, this week!

The only thing diversions into the likes of the Arnison Centre is increased journey times, passengers in Langley Park weren't best pleased that the more direct 13 service was replaced with the X20 (old 14) due to the increased journey time (but, but, Xlines... Better Than Ever?!).

I do think there is some potential for some more links to places like the Arnison Centre but some sadly do come at the cost of increased journey times although retail parks have been badly served for a long while especially in the North East, Team Valley retail Park is a bit of a walk away but Teesside Park has been the worst for years for poor accessibility by public transport where until the last few years aside from a half hourly bus from Stockton during the daytimes the nearest stopping service was the 36/37/38 with around 10 mins walk along a rather grim looking road next to the railway line.

As well as retail parks I think more services could be diverted into or at least near places of employment and education, I mean think even some X20 trips could be sent via Doxford International as from the Durham direction passengers are expected to get off on the main road with a bit of a walk to the site or change at Houghton to a 55 (assuming connection times even work well enough), Stagecoach diverting their X24 (as X24A) via Doxford hasn't done them any harm, if anything it's helped them as have actually seen people boarding the afternoon one there when I've been doing some spotting/observing there before.

Think there's still some more potential for some cross city links in Durham although more so with Arriva now than GNE such as sending either the 6 or 7 to the Arnison Centre.

(03 Oct 2021, 10:29 pm)Jimmi wrote The only thing diversions into the likes of the Arnison Centre is increased journey times, passengers in Langley Park weren't best pleased that the more direct 13 service was replaced with the X20 (old 14) due to the increased journey time (but, but, Xlines... Better Than Ever?!).

I do think there is some potential for some more links to places like the Arnison Centre but some sadly do come at the cost of increased journey times although retail parks have been badly served for a long while especially in the North East, Team Valley retail Park is a bit of a walk away but Teesside Park has been the worst for years for poor accessibility by public transport where until the last few years aside from a half hourly bus from Stockton during the daytimes the nearest stopping service was the 36/37/38 with around 10 mins walk along a rather grim looking road next to the railway line.

As well as retail parks I think more services could be diverted into or at least near places of employment and education, I mean think even some X20 trips could be sent via Doxford International as from the Durham direction passengers are expected to get off on the main road with a bit of a walk to the site or change at Houghton to a 55 (assuming connection times even work well enough), Stagecoach diverting their X24 (as X24A) via Doxford hasn't done them any harm, if anything it's helped them as have actually seen people boarding the afternoon one there when I've been doing some spotting/observing there before.

Think there's still some more potential for some cross city links in Durham although more so with Arriva now than GNE such as sending either the 6 or 7 to the Arnison Centre.

Tyneside Retail Park could benifit from a link to Hexham. But I also think Team Valley has been left for Death for about a decade really., that needs loads of regeneration.

(03 Oct 2021, 10:03 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Yes, I suppose it would work if something turned off through Witton Gilbert and/or sacriston. Not sure it would be able to use Potter House Lane, though so would probably have to head into fram and go round that way, so would end up on the same corridor as everything else. Meantime, those passengers can change at the hospital, anyhow, so don't gain a huge amount, other than not having to lug bags across the road. Alternatively, they can meet the x20 at some point.

One of the limiting factors for the arnison centre is that there's not that many ways in. Another is the choice between the bus stop next to Sainsburys and the bottleneck there or the ones by lidl that the 50 uses which are less convenient but less susceptible to delays.

I've often wondered if a stop on Rotary Way behind McDonald's/Subway would be an option. It certainly opens up access to the top end of the retail park for those using public transport.
As for the actual bus stops beside Sainsburys - genuinely don't know why they're one-way. Particularly when the roads either side of the stops aren't. 

My first thought for an X5 and/or X15 diversion was via Witton Gilbert and Sacriston, down to the Red Lion and in that way. Operate it with a clock face interval with the X20 and I think they're on to something.
Might only be needed at certain times of the dsy/week (taking in to account the college), but if it goes straight in and out, I see no reason why it can't pick up its normal route from the P&R, by heading out of the Arnson Centre via the single carriageway portion of the A167.
Ditto the 16 to/from Stanley (taking in to account school and college requirements).

If those two options are there, it may mitigate the need to duplicate loads of other stuff in the area.

Blimey... some people have changed there tune on here. I mentioned a while back that GNE should stop at gateshead an people could get off and use the metro ( as it was intended be de reg and the grief i got. Now people are suggesting the customers in Birtly Kibblesworth etc alight at team valley at 1030 on a dark wet windy evening and wait for a bus to take them to tow rather than sit on a bus that takes them direct??!!

(04 Oct 2021, 10:37 am)Rob44 wrote Blimey... some people have changed there tune on here. I mentioned a while back that GNE should stop at gateshead an people could get off and use the metro ( as it was intended be de reg and the grief i got. Now people are suggesting the customers in Birtly Kibblesworth etc alight at team valley at 1030 on a dark wet windy evening and wait for a bus to take them to tow rather than sit on a bus that takes them direct??!!

I've always been of the opinion that there doesn't need to be a chain of buses following each other in and out of the town. 

With a new, improved, fancy bus station (or rail network if storx gets his way), TVTE has an all signing/all dancing hub. It works for those working on the valley and works just as well at 10.30 at night too. Much better than a random stop on Durham Road (one of the options they encourage currently!)

(04 Oct 2021, 11:05 am)Andreos1 wrote I've always been of the opinion that there doesn't need to be a chain of buses following each other in and out of the town. 

With a new, improved, fancy bus station (or rail network if storx gets his way), TVTE has an all signing/all dancing hub. It works for those working on the valley and works just as well at 10.30 at night too. Much better than a random stop on Durham Road (one of the options they encourage currently!)

to be fair this wasn't aimed at you. I tend to agree with 99% of what you post!  But you could say Gateshead is a hub but how many buses turn around there and return to kibblesworth, birtly QE hospital, wreckenton? Not many I tell you.  I may have made this up but I'm sure when the Metro first started in the 80's the buses that did continue to Newcastle only dropped off at Gateshead metro - if you were in Gateshead and wanted to get to Newcastle the Metro ( and maybe the cross tyne service 1 ) were the only choices. Now it seems like GNE rival the metro by charging slightly less to get to Newcastle as do arriva from haymarket to regent centre.

If you are comparing team valley to a bus stop on Durham road personally i choose durham road due to the pubs i could pop into. I don't fancy sitting in McDonalds or costa then having to leg it to the bus stop for my connection. I rather be in a pub having a pint and just have to cross the road to the bus stop. Obviously talking about team valley as it sis now. If they spent ALOT of $$$ on it this may be different)

(04 Oct 2021, 11:50 am)Rob44 wrote to be fair this wasn't aimed at you. I tend to agree with 99% of what you post!  But you could say Gateshead is a hub but how many buses turn around there and return to kibblesworth, birtly QE hospital, wreckenton? Not many I tell you.  I may have made this up but I'm sure when the Metro first started in the 80's the buses that did continue to Newcastle only dropped off at Gateshead metro - if you were in Gateshead and wanted to get to Newcastle the Metro ( and maybe the cross tyne service 1 ) were the only choices. Now it seems like GNE rival the metro by charging slightly less to get to Newcastle as do arriva from haymarket to regent centre.

If you are comparing team valley to a bus stop on Durham road personally i choose durham road due to the pubs i could pop into. I don't fancy sitting in McDonalds or costa then having to leg it to the bus stop for my connection. I rather be in a pub having a pint and just have to cross the road to the bus stop. Obviously talking about team valley as it sis now. If they spent ALOT of $$$ on it this may be different)

We are thinking big. We are thinking creatively and we realise bus lanes, filled with buses going to/from the city centres and town centres aren't the future. 
We are thinking about how we could get even just a small percentage of the thousands of people using the western bypass out of their cars and on to the bus - without sending them on a tour of Gateshead just to get to work and then the same after work.

Highways England have some interesting comments about the economy in this https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/y.../#overview
And also this https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/y.../#overview

Yet transport operators don't seem to be on the same page. They have an apparent obsession with hub & spoke in to and out of the traditional centres, but mainly ignore what could be described as the 'modern centres'. 

If I'm an operator and I'm looking to grow my market, I'm going to look at traffic flows and do whatever I can to ensure my vehicles are following those flows and getting people on to my vehicles. 
I'm not going to ignore those flows and I'm not going to send my buses in different directions, away from those flows.

I'm going to push for transport hubs and partner with other private companies to set up resources and sites within those hubs so that there's stuff going on. I'm going to position those hubs in key places and integrate different modes of transport in to that hub. They're going to be pleasant environments too. 
I'm thinking big. I'm thinking beyond plugs, WiFi, tables and a copy & paste livery. I'm building a network fit for 2021 and beyond!

And anyway, it should be 100%. Not 99%