So this might be a stupid question, but what is the most popular route across GNE? Now I know it might be obvious to say the 21, but from what I've seen (based on bustimes, so not totally accurate) the 21 doesn't actually get busy on a lot of journeys, even at the reduced 10 minute "temporary" timetable.

Go North East - The Queen's Platinum Jubilee 6337/YY64 GWX So much for this been on all routes. Like I predicted always riverside.  I knew it wouldn’t enter Sunderland or South Shields 

Given that Stagecoach have started to dip their toe in North Tyneside, could there be scope for them to move into other areas?

Saw this being advertised on Facebook earlier: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/27327/...nty-Durham

"The car club has three fully electric cars available to borrow, which residents can hire for an hour up to a full day.

"It costs £5 a month to join the scheme and the hire rate is £4 per hour for the first three hours, then £3 for every hour after that, or £30 to hire the car for a day. There is no geographical limit as to who can join the scheme.

"Volunteer drivers from the club are also available to use the car to take people to hospital appointments."

The hire rates are a lot cheaper than Co-Wheels standard product. Even with the Flexility partnership, it's still going to work out cheaper for the occasional user, as you're not tied into having a season ticket for your free membership to the car club. Though the vehicle availability is likely to be trickier to find!

I found the quote from the Councillor on the DCC article interesting, and I bet he'd struggle to evidence the claim: "Every car club vehicle can remove up to 20 non-electric cars off the road and will create a new option for residents who are looking to switch to greener modes of transport."

It also completely ignores the role of the bus and the upgrades those corridors have seen over the past couple of years.

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2...l-benefit/

Another line to re-open?

I was overhauling and mixing routes for fun and started to think partnership wise what would be best. So I started thinking about the madness that is North Tyneside having Stagecoach, Arriva, GNE, GCT and the Metro - quite a lot for a 'small' population. 

For partnership to work in my opinion then combined routing and ticketing are key. Below is my example of a partnership concept on key groups of routes which would have combined ticketing and timings....

Coast Road (Arriva & GNE)
306 Newcastle - North Shields = Current 306 Route & Frequency 
307 Newcastle - North Shields = Current 310 Route & Frequency (Hadrian Park now served by 23/24), renumbered for consistency with 306/7/....
308 Newcastle - Whitley Bay/Blyth = Current 308 Route & Frequency
309 Newcastle - Whitley Bay/Blyth = Current 309 Route & Frequency 
310 Newcastle - Whitley Bay = Current 51/51A Route & Frequency, renumbered (short runs extend to Northumberland Park instead of Holystone)

Cramlington - North Shields (Arriva & GNE)
17 Whitley Bay - Ashington = Current 57 Route & Frequency
18 North Shields - Cramlington/Ashington = Current 57A Route & Frequency
19 North Shields Ferry - Cramlington/Ashington = Current 19 Route & Frequency

Wallsend (Stagecoach & GNE)

20 Wallsend - Whitley Bay = Current 317 Route & Frequency
21 Gateshead - Whitley Bay = Current 1 Route & Frequency
22 Throckley - Northumberland Park = Current 22 Route & Frequency, extended to Northumberland Park
23 Throckley - Hadrian Park = Current 22 Route & Frequency, doesn't serve the business parks on Scotswood Rd and diverts at Willington to Hadrian Park
24/24A Wallsend - Hadrian Park = Current 41/41A Route & Frequency
61 Benton/Four Lane Ends = = Current 18 Route & Frequency, renumbered to line up with 62 & 1 and extended to Wallsend via lost link (Q3 route)

I welcome feedback and please add your own areas/changes if you wish...

The X11 is officially returning for 2022...registered on VOSA starting 28th May

Plaxton Centro 1923 has now entered service at Ashington, was put on 35s thos afternoon is tracking as SP-NE as pulsar 1462 is also tracking as.

Back in the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s, what timetable leaflets were produced in the area?

Was it the responsibility of the operators, or did Nexus used to provide leaflets for more than just secured services (as was the norm in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Greater Manchester etc)?

And regardless of whether it was the operators or the PTE who did timetables, were they seperate ones for individual services like recently, or was there area guides/booklets etc?

I saw in the SC recent repaints thread preservation be mentioned which got me wondering,do SC have any preserved buses in the north east,or is there maybe a bus you would like to see preserved?