Newcastle did seem extremely busy yesterday compared to a Normal saturday, I thought there was a match on (there wasn't). All Arriva/GNE buses I saw were all quite busy.

(02 Oct 2022, 6:20 am)Storx wrote I'm not going to hunt for your post which always mentioning it.

But I actually agree than Arriva should probably try later buses on the X7 / X11 / X21 / 308 possibly using the 43 / 44 / 45 / 52 / 53 / 54 buses which terminate in Newcastle at a night to get them back to Blyth / Ashington even if it's just a Saturday.

I'm not sure whether last night was a freak night but it's busiest I've seen all them at 11pm even before Covid. The X7 believe had 35+, there was still 24 on board at Seaton Delaval and quite a few had already left. The X11 and X21 seemed even busier. The X11 nearly filled a double decker (and I'm not talking 1 person per seat).

Mind it was noticeable how dead the Jesmond routes were on the other hand the 52 was single numbers and the 43 didn't seem much better (why on earth does the 52 and X7 leave a same time is a mystery considering the duplication of the routes and their both hourly but that's another thing).

Wonder if we might see long term the likes of the last 52 scrapped and running on the X7 instead with the inbound X7 terminating at Seghill to save buses, the inbound buses are always dead to get them back to the depot.

In a lot of instances, moving the last departutres to between 11:20 and 11:30 would work well.

If Arriva did however re-introduce a 30 minute Monday to Saturday evening service on the 306 & 308 (every 15 mins combined), I'd say the best laat departures would be:

306 - 22:42 - Sundays
308 - 22:42 - Monday to Saturday
306 - 22:57 - Monday to Saturday
308 - 23:12 - Daily
306 - 23:32 - Daily
308 - 23:52 - *Friday & Saturday only*

Note the last 308 on a Fri & Sat would work off the 44 (23:15 ex Dinnington)

(02 Oct 2022, 4:25 pm)L469 YVK wrote In a lot of instances, moving the last departutres to between 11:20 and 11:30 would work well.

If Arriva did however re-introduce a 30 minute Monday to Saturday evening service on the 306 & 308 (every 15 mins combined), I'd say the best laat departures would be:

306 - 22:42 - Sundays
308 - 22:42 - Monday to Saturday
306 - 22:57 - Monday to Saturday
308 - 23:12 - Daily
306 - 23:32 - Daily
308 - 23:52 - *Friday & Saturday only*

Note the last 308 on a Fri & Sat would work off the 44 (23:15 ex Dinnington)

Aye disagree too much really bar the 44 is going to Ashington I believe rather than Blyth or it was in the early rumours so ideally that would have to go onto an X21/X22 instead which probably wouldn't be too bad to have a later service either.

Mind I'd be tempted to say flip the 306/308 around so you have the 23:32, 308 and then have the later 306 on a Saturday maybe extended to Whitley Bay / Blyth to try and pick up a few punters from Tynemouth heading home. It would give an option home beyond midnight, the last Metro being 23:55 and 1 23:19

I do believe there's a 52 and 54 which come in as late though.

When the new railway comes to Ashington, changes to the X21/X22 to serve more areas as a 20 minute service will be overkill via Bedlington station.

X21 - X22 route to Bedlington, X21 route to Jubilee Ind. Estate, Newbiggin Road, College Road, Hawthorn Road, Ashington Bus Station, Current Route to Newbiggin (Every 30 Minutes)
X22 - Current route to Ashington then Woodhorn Road, Woodhorn Lane, Hunstanton, Garcia Drive, Pine Valley Way - Terminate (Every 30 Minutes)
X23 - X21 Route to Bedlington, X22 route to Guide Post, Stakeford Lane, Ramsheid Road, Blackthorn Way, Wansbeck Road, Green Lane, N Seaton Road, Ashington (Every 30 Minutes)

New X21 - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.18500...978252!3e0

New X22 - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.18091...63!1m0!3e0

New X23 - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.18414...63!1m0!3e0

Reasons: Faster service to Newbiggin avoiding Nedderton, serve more areas of Ashington including new housing estates which are unserved and reduces the X21 which are going to be hampered by the train.
Loses: Nedderton and Newbiggin slightly decreased service, Milburn Road loses bus but Hawthorn Road is 100m to the East.

(26 Nov 2022, 8:58 am)Storx wrote When the new railway comes to Ashington, changes to the X21/X22 to serve more areas as a 20 minute service will be overkill via Bedlington station.

X21 - X22 route to Bedlington, X21 route to Jubilee Ind. Estate, Newbiggin Road, College Road, Hawthorn Road, Ashington Bus Station, Current Route to Newbiggin (Every 30 Minutes)
X22 - Current route to Ashington then Woodhorn Road, Woodhorn Lane, Hunstanton, Garcia Drive, Pine Valley Way - Terminate (Every 30 Minutes)
X23 - X21 Route to Bedlington, X22 route to Guide Post, Stakeford Lane, Ramsheid Road, Blackthorn Way, Wansbeck Road, Green Lane, N Seaton Road, Ashington (Every 30 Minutes)

New X21 - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.18500...978252!3e0

New X22 - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.18091...63!1m0!3e0

New X23 - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.18414...63!1m0!3e0

Reasons: Faster service to Newbiggin avoiding Nedderton, serve more areas of Ashington including new housing estates which are unserved and reduces the X21 which are going to be hampered by the train.
Loses: Nedderton and Newbiggin slightly decreased service, Milburn Road loses bus but Hawthorn Road is 100m to the East.

Only issue I could foresee is a 10-6-14 service from the Red Lion unless the X23 followed a similar stopping pattern to the 'old' X22 and X33 immediately turning onto Glebe Road from Ridge Terrace.

(26 Nov 2022, 6:17 pm)L469 YVK wrote Only issue I could foresee is a 10-6-14 service from the Red Lion unless the X23 followed a similar stopping pattern to the 'old' X22 and X33 immediately turning onto Glebe Road from Ridge Terrace.

To be fair it's already like that anyway with it being 14 - 6 instead atm. Arguably it's a slight improvement in a way but I'm not sure if I'd just pull the X23 out of it altogether maybe with singles.

So the X21/X22 run every 15 minutes between Bedlington and the X23 just runs inbetween, maybe 5 minutes infront of the X21 out of Newcastle so it groups back together at Bedlington so it's every 15 minutes from there to Ashington instead with the X22.

Similar to how the X9/X10/X11 work from Blyth. Anyone with sense from Bedlington itself would take the X22 anyway rather than the detour round Nedderton if they could especially if it was 4 buses an hour.

Undecided on the X23, now thinking this https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.18093...63!1m0!3e0 would be better with the X22 terminating short instead. Would give access to the hospital across Ashington and give the top end a link to Newcastle and not kill the 57/57A by duplicating it through Stakeford.

(26 Nov 2022, 8:57 pm)Storx wrote To be fair it's already like that anyway with it being 14 - 6 instead atm. Arguably it's a slight improvement in a way but I'm not sure if I'd just pull the X23 out of it altogether maybe with singles.

So the X21/X22 run every 15 minutes between Bedlington and the X23 just runs inbetween, maybe 5 minutes infront of the X21 out of Newcastle so it groups back together at Bedlington so it's every 15 minutes from there to Ashington instead with the X22.

Similar to how the X9/X10/X11 work from Blyth. Anyone with sense from Bedlington itself would take the X22 anyway rather than the detour round Nedderton if they could especially if it was 4 buses an hour.

Undecided on the X23, now thinking this https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.18093...63!1m0!3e0 would be better with the X22 terminating short instead. Would give access to the hospital across Ashington and give the top end a link to Newcastle and not kill the 57/57A by duplicating it through Stakeford.

Totally agree about the X21 and missing Nedderton. Although I've had the same debate on here in the past and the one thing (rightly) about the X21 / X22 was that they were a mess before being simplified in 2012 and have remained very stable since. Ironically overseen by GNE's now current MD.

Big danger with the X23 is that route could turn into a 'secondary' route if not successful and overshadowed by the X21/X22 taking most of the loads.

As for the X9, if in future the 43 was split into a 43/43A with the 43 via High Pit, Annitsford and Fern Drive to replace the X8 and a 43A all stops but via Beacon Hill with an hourly extension via the X8 route to Blyth, the X9 could fall in with the X10/X11 following the same route via Southfield Green to give a 10 min combined frequency on common sections.

What seems to be missed quite consistently when discussing the X21/22 is the amount of local trips being made, particularly on the X21.

Cutting the frequency between Ashington/Stakeford/Bedlington Station/Bedlington harms those making small hops, which is a decent chunk of revenue for Arriva given the fares. It's also the type of journey the introduction of trains isn't going to harm.

Increasing the frequency along the X22 route in the suggestions above seems odd, it's generally the weaker of the two routes. The Bedlington to Guide Post section is already covered well by the current X22 and the 2.

I'd get behind serving Blackthorn Way though, that area of Ashington needs a better service and it's easy enough to do. I imagine extending the X22 around the new estate at the hospital once the loop is complete would be the best way to do it, improving links for the elderly folks living around Ashington Drive and Fallowfield.

(26 Nov 2022, 11:33 pm)mb134 wrote What seems to be missed quite consistently when discussing the X21/22 is the amount of local trips being made, particularly on the X21.

Cutting the frequency between Ashington/Stakeford/Bedlington Station/Bedlington harms those making small hops, which is a decent chunk of revenue for Arriva given the fares. It's also the type of journey the introduction of trains isn't going to harm.

Increasing the frequency along the X22 route in the suggestions above seems odd, it's generally the weaker of the two routes. The Bedlington to Guide Post section is already covered well by the current X22 and the 2.

I'd get behind serving Blackthorn Way though, that area of Ashington needs a better service and it's easy enough to do. I imagine extending the X22 around the new estate at the hospital once the loop is complete would be the best way to do it, improving links for the elderly folks living around Ashington Drive and Fallowfield.

Aye no arguments, see I was thinking more trying to sort some of the stacking with the local runs where the 1 follows an X21 etc.

So you'd merge the timetables of the 1/X21 (Every 15 Minutes), 2/X21 (Every 15 Minutes) for the local runs which if they can get them to work would be better, it's arguably better than the 20 / 20 / 10 / 10 on the 1/X21 atm.

I was struggling with the X23 between Bedlington and Ashington if I had to be honest as it's not really needed anywhere but Ashington badly needs more buses. There's quite a few areas underserved. Alexandria Road is poor aswell with only the X20 which ends at 6pm, hence shunting the X21 across one road to kind of cover it (believe that used to be the X30 - might have the numbers mixed up though with the X31).

One personal change I'd love to see is the 57/57A changed so it's half hourly through Seghill again, preferably to the old 10/11 timetable years ago where one went via High Pit and the other went via Fern Drive and direct to Cramlington but I'd probably swap that to using the route via the business park as now than Fern Drive. It's really stupid having 2 buses an hour plus the 58 via East Cramlington which is overkill imo but 1 bus from Seghill to Cramlington (the 19 comes at the same time and is a magical tour).

- X8 - withdrawn and replaced by X7 & 42.

- X9 - Same route between Blyth & Shankhouse then same as X10 to Newcastle. Common 10 minute frequency with X10/X11 from Blyth and between Parkside and Newcastle. Will provide even faster journeys for North Blyth & Bebside. Every 20 minutes combined evenings & Sundays. Late Sunday evening X10 journeys withdrawn and X9 at these times additionally serves Newsham Shops.

- 42 - 'Old' X9/X13 route from Blyth to Newcastle but all stops via Seaton Burn & Wideopen. Every 30 mins Newcastle to Cramlington continuing hourly to Blyth including Amersham Road re-instating link to Regent Centre.

- 43 - Re-routed between Cramlington and Dudley via High Pit, Annitsford and Fern Drive. Every 30 minutes continuing to Morpeth every 60 minutes.

- 44/45 - Re-instated to every 30 minutes each.

After watching the arriva buses leave haymarket from my seat in the hotspur today from 5 'pm I dont think they need to do out. Gne might want to reduce the QE to one an hour and god knows why nexus asked staged to run the 52 to Whitley. 1 peron on a decker

(27 Nov 2022, 9:04 pm)Rob44 wrote After watching the arriva buses leave haymarket from my seat in the hotspur today from 5 'pm I dont think they need to do out. Gne might want to reduce the QE to one an hour and god knows why nexus asked staged to run the 52 to Whitley. 1 peron on a decker

You mean the 54,the 52 go's to Cramlington

(28 Nov 2022, 12:50 am)V514DFT wrote You mean the 54,the 52 go's to Cramlington

Yes, after a "few" pints 2's look like 4's

I have attempted to use ChatGPT AI to create a sample timetable, here is the result.
I have copied the exact wording it used to do this.

Sure, here's a sample bus timetable for a service between Newcastle and Tynemouth:

Monday to Friday:

• 06:00 - First bus departs from Newcastle Central Station
• 06:15 - Stops at Northumbria University
• 06:25 - Stops at Four Lane Ends Metro Station
• 06:45 - Arrives at Tynemouth Station
• 07:00 - Departs from Tynemouth Station
• 07:20 - Stops at Four Lane Ends Metro Station
• 07:30 - Stops at Northumbria University
• 07:45 - Arrives at Newcastle Central Station
• 08:00 to 16:00 - Buses depart every 30 minutes from Newcastle Central Station and Tynemouth Station
• 16:15 - Departs from Tynemouth Station
• 16:35 - Stops at Four Lane Ends Metro Station
• 16:45 - Stops at Northumbria University
• 17:00 - Arrives at Newcastle Central Station
• 17:15 - Departs from Newcastle Central Station
• 17:30 - Stops at Northumbria University
• 17:40 - Stops at Four Lane Ends Metro Station
• 18:00 - Arrives at Tynemouth Station

Saturday:

• 07:00 to 18:00 - Buses depart every 30 minutes from Newcastle Central Station and Tynemouth Station

Sunday:

• 09:00 to 18:00 - Buses depart every 30 minutes from Newcastle Central Station and Tynemouth Station

Please note that this is just a sample timetable and actual departure and arrival times may vary depending on the bus operator, day of the week, and time of year. It's always a good idea to check the bus schedule in advance to ensure you have the most up-to-date information

(02 Mar 2023, 11:53 am)ASX_Terranova wrote I have attempted to use ChatGPT AI to create a sample timetable, here is the result.
I have copied the exact wording it used to do this.

Sure, here's a sample bus timetable for a service between Newcastle and Tynemouth:

Monday to Friday:

• 06:00 - First bus departs from Newcastle Central Station
• 06:15 - Stops at Northumbria University
• 06:25 - Stops at Four Lane Ends Metro Station
• 06:45 - Arrives at Tynemouth Station
• 07:00 - Departs from Tynemouth Station
• 07:20 - Stops at Four Lane Ends Metro Station
• 07:30 - Stops at Northumbria University
• 07:45 - Arrives at Newcastle Central Station
• 08:00 to 16:00 - Buses depart every 30 minutes from Newcastle Central Station and Tynemouth Station
• 16:15 - Departs from Tynemouth Station
• 16:35 - Stops at Four Lane Ends Metro Station
• 16:45 - Stops at Northumbria University
• 17:00 - Arrives at Newcastle Central Station
• 17:15 - Departs from Newcastle Central Station
• 17:30 - Stops at Northumbria University
• 17:40 - Stops at Four Lane Ends Metro Station
• 18:00 - Arrives at Tynemouth Station

Saturday:

• 07:00 to 18:00 - Buses depart every 30 minutes from Newcastle Central Station and Tynemouth Station

Sunday:

• 09:00 to 18:00 - Buses depart every 30 minutes from Newcastle Central Station and Tynemouth Station

Please note that this is just a sample timetable and actual departure and arrival times may vary depending on the bus operator, day of the week, and time of year. It's always a good idea to check the bus schedule in advance to ensure you have the most up-to-date information

ChatGPT or Bing Chat?

I've been using Bing to write emails for work and it's working surprisingly well!

Sent from my SM-F721B using Tapatalk

(02 Mar 2023, 4:16 pm)streetdeckfan wrote ChatGPT or Bing Chat?

I've been using Bing to write emails for work and it's working surprisingly well!

Sent from my SM-F721B using Tapatalk

I was using ChatGPT for other reasons, so i thought why not try a bus timetable.
I tried to do Newcastle - Durham first but that was a total mess, it thought picktree roundabout was classed as Plawsworth, it skipped Chester entirely whilst serving durham station and gave me a 45 minute frequency.

Looking at the new Coast Road timetables.....could this not be an opportunity for Arriva to try a later service to Blyth & Cramlington, also reducing dead mileage once Walkergate is eventually wound down? That's assuming the evening 306 & 308 journeys are kept standalone.....

Blyth >>> light remote relief to Tynemouth
20:59 306 ex Tynemouth
21:45 306 ex Newcastle
22:59 306 ex Tynemouth
23:45 X11 ex Newcastle

Last X11 would run as an 'all stopper' via Wideopen, Seaton Burn and Dudley.

From the 51 - 55 withdrawals is it just me who thinks that these won't be replaced long term and it'll more likely be something like:

Arriva Changes:
X7/X8 - Serve all stops along Matthew Bank
57A and/or X8 - Serve Fern Drive instead of Northumberland Business Park

Both these will have no issues with timetables.

Nexus Changes:
18 - Extended from Four Lane Ends to Cramlington (Every 30 Minutes), PVR 2
51 - Hourly replacement, PVR 2.5
52 - Withdrawn, replaced by 18
53 - Killingworth to North Shields, current route Killingworth to Cobalt, serve Murton, then some merger of the 53/335 depending on time for the rest of it (PVR 2)
54 - Newcastle to Shiremoor only, PVR 1.5
55 - Withdrawn - Not needed
335 - Withdrawn East of Hadrian Park (PVR -2) - other half who knows outside of this.
W2 - Withdrawn

Seems the best use of limited resources and would serve everyone with some form of bus route while removing duplicates.

Divert the X7 into Killingworth via Killingworth Way, Northagte, Bus Station, West Bailey, Station Road
Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.04032...m2!4m1!3e0
It will add an extra 8-15 Minutes on to the route
It will give Blyth a direct connection into Killingworth Town Centre

(20 May 2023, 6:35 pm)NEbushopper wrote Divert the X7 into Killingworth via Killingworth Way, Northagte, Bus Station, West Bailey, Station Road
Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.04032...m2!4m1!3e0
It will add an extra 8-15 Minutes on to the route
It will give Blyth a direct connection into Killingworth Town Centre

Strongly disagree - it's too long as it is and is about being the Seaton Valley to Newcastle bus route, not a 'Blyth' express.

It would just kill the bus route for the second time after the farce with Gosforth High Street. I used to use the X7(X4) daily pretty much before that, after that I pretty much always use the 57/57A or 19 to West Monkseaton / Northumberland Park and use the Metro instead as it's quicker and goes to where I want to be in Newcastle (not Haymarket) and still do 8 years later. The X7 is a complete waste of time at peak times in particular.

There's plenty other people who done the same bar dumping the car in the estates around Northumberland Park hence they're now going to be permit by the looks of it soon. Also the route would be completely dead when the train turns up as the time different would no longer be neglegible and be substantially quicker by train by about 25 mins.

(09 May 2023, 6:51 pm)Storx wrote From the 51 - 55 withdrawals is it just me who thinks that these won't be replaced long term and it'll more likely be something like:

Arriva Changes:
X7/X8 - Serve all stops along Matthew Bank
57A and/or X8 - Serve Fern Drive instead of Northumberland Business Park

Both these will have no issues with timetables.

Nexus Changes:
18 - Extended from Four Lane Ends to Cramlington (Every 30 Minutes), PVR 2
51 - Hourly replacement, PVR 2.5
52 - Withdrawn, replaced by 18
53 - Killingworth to North Shields, current route Killingworth to Cobalt, serve Murton, then some merger of the 53/335 depending on time for the rest of it (PVR 2)
54 - Newcastle to Shiremoor only, PVR 1.5
55 - Withdrawn - Not needed
335 - Withdrawn East of Hadrian Park (PVR -2) - other half who knows outside of this.
W2 - Withdrawn

Seems the best use of limited resources and would serve everyone with some form of bus route while removing duplicates.

Whatever happens, the Wiltshire Drive to Newcastle section needs morphed properly into the Coast Road corridor rather than being an 'oddball' running amongst 12 buses per hour. Waste of funds IMO subsidising a service through Wiltshire Drive when the 307 could pick this section up commercially (with evening subsidy if the 307/309 still receive this?).

If Wiltshire Drive had the demand wouldn't there already be a major service going through it?

(20 May 2023, 10:46 pm)Unber43 wrote If Wiltshire Drive had the demand wouldn't there already be a major service going through it?

It's never really had the resource available due to running time constraints, interworking patterns and PVRs of the 75/76/300/305/310/315/316

Arriva did up the 51/51A to half hourly for a period through Wiltshire Drive before cutting due to driver shortages.

The 307 would work well through Wiltshire Drive with Hadrian Park covered by an alternative service (22 would be the most obvious choice).

Way better a 20 minute commercial service covering Wiltshire Drive rather than Nexus having to pick up the tab and effectively subsidise a minibus sitting amongst 12 major services per hour along the Coast Road.

(20 May 2023, 11:23 pm)L469 YVK wrote It's never really had the resource available due to running time constraints, interworking patterns and PVRs of the 75/76/300/305/310/315/316

Arriva did up the 51/51A to half hourly for a period through Wiltshire Drive before cutting due to driver shortages.

The 307 would work well through Wiltshire Drive with Hadrian Park covered by an alternative service (22 would be the most obvious choice).

Way better a 20 minute commercial service covering Wiltshire Drive rather than Nexus having to pick up the tab and effectively subsidise a minibus sitting amongst 12 major services per hour along the Coast Road.

About 20 years ago Wiltshire Drive had a few buses, 321/322/323, the original 307,those are just a few, didnt the 51A used to go straight up Station Road missing out Wiltshire Drive?

(21 May 2023, 2:54 pm)V514DFT wrote About 20 years ago Wiltshire Drive had a few buses, 321/322/323, the original 307,those are just a few, didnt the 51A used to go straight up Station Road missing out Wiltshire Drive?

The original 307 only ran a 'limited' service tbh, the 51 has been the most stable service through Wiltshire Drive and the 51A did used to go up Station Road, before the 51/51A were interworked with the 46/46A.

The 307 would work well through Wiltshire Drive and likewise although a slightly longer journey, Hadrian Park would get a better service from the 22 including more links smack bang into Newcastle (rather than walking from Haymarket) and later last buses judging by the current 22 timetable.

Hadrian Park is a pain to serve mid-route with it being one way in - one way out. Wiltshire Drive is much easier with different ways in and out.

Commercially, GNE would benefit from an evening PVR reduction and unless Stagecoach dropped Cobalt & Silverlink, would reduce the risk of Stagecoach enroaching the Whitley Bay - Howdon section of GNE's 1.

(21 May 2023, 3:32 pm)L469 YVK wrote The original 307 only ran a 'limited' service tbh, the 51 has been the most stable service through Wiltshire Drive and the 51A did used to go up Station Road, before the 51/51A were interworked with the 46/46A.

The 307 would work well through Wiltshire Drive and likewise although a slightly longer journey, Hadrian Park would get a better service from the 22 including more links smack bang into Newcastle (rather than walking from Haymarket) and later last buses judging by the current 22 timetable.

Hadrian Park is a pain to serve mid-route with it being one way in - one way out. Wiltshire Drive is much easier with different ways in and out.

Commercially, GNE would benefit from an evening PVR reduction and unless Stagecoach dropped Cobalt & Silverlink, would reduce the risk of Stagecoach enroaching the Whitley Bay - Howdon section of GNE's 1.

See personally, I'd be tempted to do this with the 51:

50 - Newcastle to Backworth (Hourly) - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Newcastl...77!1m0!3e0

51 - Newcastle to Whitley Bay (Hourly) - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Newcastl...5b!1m0!3e0

19 - North Shields to Cramlington via Seaton Delaval (Hourly) - Current route bar serving main road rather than estate in Backworth

20 - North Shields to Cramlington via Killingworth (Hourly) - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.08424...c0!1m0!3e0

53 - Curtailed at Killingworth

54 - Withdrawn

The 54, is the basket case bus route, you'd be better pushing that traffic towards the 51 corridor and the quicker route to Newcastle rather than a magical mystery tour of the North East. There's no lost links as North Shields to Cramlington is covered on the 19/20 every 30 minutes, Cobalt to Killingworth is covered on the quicker 20 and Shiremoor to Whitley Bay is covered by the 51.

There's also numerous buses between Gosforth and Newcastle and Whitley Bay and Cobalt.

(21 May 2023, 5:20 pm)Storx wrote See personally, I'd be tempted to do this with the 51:

50 - Newcastle to Backworth (Hourly) - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Newcastl...77!1m0!3e0

51 - Newcastle to Whitley Bay (Hourly) - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Newcastl...5b!1m0!3e0

19 - North Shields to Cramlington via Seaton Delaval (Hourly) - Current route bar serving main road rather than estate in Backworth

20 - North Shields to Cramlington via Killingworth (Hourly) - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.08424...c0!1m0!3e0

53 - Curtailed at Killingworth

54 - Withdrawn

The 54, is the basket case bus route, you'd be better pushing that traffic towards the 51 corridor and the quicker route to Newcastle rather than a magical mystery tour of the North East. There's no lost links as North Shields to Cramlington is covered on the 19/20 every 30 minutes, Cobalt to Killingworth is covered on the quicker 20 and Shiremoor to Whitley Bay is covered by the 51.

There's also numerous buses between Gosforth and Newcastle and Whitley Bay and Cobalt.

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from with the 51 although commercially, I do think the 307 would be a success via Wiltshire Drive with strong points of the route either side supporting it.

Wiltshire Drive & Hadrian Park are tricky to get right. One is a pain to get in / out off. The other could easily be served as part of the Coast Road network, but it's a question of what happens with the Benton Rise - Whitley Bay section of route.

An extension of the 38 half hourly via Benton Park Road, Whitley Road and East Benton Rise to Holystone Park / Northumberland Park then hourly via the 51 route to Whitley Bay would be a shout. But would a decker be "too much" especially between Holystone Park and Whitley Bay.

Look, I don't think the 307 via Hadrian Park is a bad thing. Maybe the 2008 changes were overkill.

Looking at the North Shields - Middle Engine Lane section of route and 'faster' alternatives.....
- Meadowell - Metro
- Quadrant - GNE 1
- West Chirton - Walking distance to Billy Mill / Norham Road for 306/308.
- Percy Main Metro

Only part that I'd say wholly depends on the 307 for a Newcastle connection would be top part of Norham Road.

How many journeys have been made in recent years from passengers between North Shields and Middle Engine Lane to the Newcastle City Council area or are most just 'local' trips to Battle Hill (for TyneMet etc) and High Farm?

(21 May 2023, 9:35 pm)L469 YVK wrote Yeah, I can see where you're coming from with the 51 although commercially, I do think the 307 would be a success via Wiltshire Drive with strong points of the route either side supporting it.

Wiltshire Drive & Hadrian Park are tricky to get right. One is a pain to get in / out off. The other could easily be served as part of the Coast Road network, but it's a question of what happens with the Benton Rise - Whitley Bay section of route.

An extension of the 38 half hourly via Benton Park Road, Whitley Road and East Benton Rise to Holystone Park / Northumberland Park then hourly via the 51 route to Whitley Bay would be a shout. But would a decker be "too much" especially between Holystone Park and Whitley Bay.

Aye some fair points. See personally I still think there's too many buses between South Beach and New York. A bus along there every 10 minutes is just complete overkill and I'd be surprised if they're making money especially now with the reduced fares so the X7/X8 are now competitive. Most people from Whitley Bay / Hillheads will use the Metro so I'm not sure what it's really serving.

Especially considering areas around it have next to no bus service at all. Obviously they're both commercial so you can't do much but if things become franchised are they really needed.

There's as many buses through Seaton Sluice than there is through Low Fell nowadays which is just bonkers.

Would a Bishop Auckland or Spennymoor to Teesside (Hartlepool, Billingham, Stockton or Middlesbrough) express-ish service see any passenger usage. 

If it was from Spennymoor it could serve any combination of Coxhoe, Kelloe, Trimdon, Deaf Hill, etc...

If it was from Bishop it could serve any combination of Coundon, Chilton, Ferryhill, Sedgefield, Fishburn, Wynyard, etc...