(29 Dec 2021, 3:20 pm)Dan wrote In a similar vein to the 21/49, I would like to think that a future development opportunity could be to run a bus every 10 mins combined between the 6 and X21 (each every 20). This would offer a much more attractive customer proposition than a 6 every 12(?) mins and X21 every 30.

Based on your anedoctal experiences, it's likely fare-paying passengers are choosing to use the X21 because it's cheaper, and ENCTS users are using the 6 because it's the first bus that turns up and the one they're more accustomed to using.

Go North East ran services 308 and X10 to Blyth on Boxing Day, and I have heard a number of comments about how passengers tried to buy the £4 North Tyne day ticket (valid on GNE's 309) and were taken aback when they were told it costs £8.50 on Arriva's service.

(30 Dec 2021, 9:59 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Not sure if this fits here, but had a scroll and can't see anywhere else it may fit.

I used the £1 fare for the first time since they introduced the new tap and pay feature and its great. I didn't have to speak to speak to the driver and it only took a few seconds.

The only downside is you don't seem to get a receipt, maybe that's still an option if you ask for the £1 fare and they put it through manually?

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

(13 Jan 2022, 9:58 pm)L469 YVK wrote If more Euro 6 Streetlites become available, I'd suggest extending the 1 to Blyth. Would open up a full link all the way down the coast from North Shields / Tynemouth to Blyth.

It could even be timed to coordinate with the 309 up to every 10 minutes. Maybe operate via Ridley Park instead of South Beach.

Only issue I could foresee would be a route number clash with Arriva's 1 to Ashington & Widdrington? Maybe re-introduce the 301 service number?

(13 Jan 2022, 9:58 pm)L469 YVK wrote If more Euro 6 Streetlites become available, I'd suggest extending the 1 to Blyth. Would open up a full link all the way down the coast from North Shields / Tynemouth to Blyth.

It could even be timed to coordinate with the 309 up to every 10 minutes. Maybe operate via Ridley Park instead of South Beach.

Only issue I could foresee would be a route number clash with Arriva's 1 to Ashington & Widdrington? Maybe re-introduce the 301 service number?

(13 Jan 2022, 10:29 pm)Thomas12 wrote Why would they extend the 1 to Blyth? The numbers on the 309 are hardly ground-breaking to start with. If anything, I would suggest reducing the frequency of the 309.

(13 Jan 2022, 10:29 pm)Thomas12 wrote Why would they extend the 1 to Blyth? The numbers on the 309 are hardly ground-breaking to start with. If anything, I would suggest reducing the frequency of the 309.

(13 Jan 2022, 11:39 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Could the 1 terminate in Newcastle, and be curtailed at North Shields? Renumbered 301. Maybe it could be coordinated with the 22 between Newcastle and Wallsend?

(13 Jan 2022, 10:36 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Has the 309/310 ever had decent passenger numbers? There isn't much in Whitley Bay, North Shields or Blyth and not even too much at the Cobalt (but a lot of employment there, pre-covid). Could anything be done to boost numbers? X39 full route? Maybe X36, X38 and X39 instead of 306, 308 and 309 for quicker journey times?

(13 Jan 2022, 11:39 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Could the 1 terminate in Newcastle, and be curtailed at North Shields? Renumbered 301. Maybe it could be coordinated with the 22 between Newcastle and Wallsend?

(14 Jan 2022, 9:51 am)Thomas12 wrote I'd say the 309/310/311 have decent passenger numbers on the common section of the route (i.e Battle Hill to Newcastle). After that it varies I'd say, they can be busy, but then other times dead.

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I think the 1 is fine as it is. I don't see much value in coordinating it with the 22 as they take different routes for most of the way.

Curtailing it at North Shields isn't a good idea. Would leave areas without a route.

(13 Jan 2022, 11:39 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Could the 1 terminate in Newcastle, and be curtailed at North Shields? Renumbered 301. Maybe it could be coordinated with the 22 between Newcastle and Wallsend?

(13 Jan 2022, 10:29 pm)Thomas12 wrote Why would they extend the 1 to Blyth? The numbers on the 309 are hardly ground-breaking to start with. If anything, I would suggest reducing the frequency of the 309.

(15 Jan 2022, 2:30 pm)L469 YVK wrote The 309/310/311 are fine as they are as are the 306/308 although I'd say pull the 306 out of Battle Hill and keep both the 306/308 on the Coast Road running a 10 min combined frequency.

But with BSIP, harmonising the times of the 308 & 309 would make sense and would give roughly on common sections of route:

- 10 minute combined frequency during the day
- 30 minute combined frequency during evenings
- 15 minute combined frequency on Sundays

(16 Jan 2022, 10:22 am)RMF1254 wrote Why take the 306 out of Battle Hill, surely that’s where the passengers are? When it was taken out of BH previously, they soon put it back again.

(16 Jan 2022, 10:48 am)L469 YVK wrote They initially took it out as they replaced that part with the X8 & X9.

However, they were both scaled back and having an 'exact' combined 7-8 minute service on the Coast Road only was overkill. 

But a combined 10 minute service between Billy Mill and Newcastle with both services on the Coast Road via Holy Cross / St Peter's wouldn't be overkill as such.

The 306 is an oddball in Battle Hill given that GNE have 9x buses per hour to Newcastle now.

(16 Jan 2022, 12:24 pm)Train8261 wrote Tbh I'm shocked how bad Tynemouth & Cullercoats are badly connected with bus services. Tynemouth has the 306 from Newcastle and The 1 which takes quite a while to get there plus the walk from Tynemouth metro to the beach is about 10/15 minutes walk

Yea they have the metro but so what. You can't always rely on the Metro (same with the bus) but Cullercoats is a badly missing for bus service. Cullercoats during the summer is really busy and could do with a bus service down there. Yea the 1 runs near it but that's it. A route along the coast that follow the road that the seasider took would make profit

(16 Jan 2022, 2:05 pm)DeltaMan wrote North Tyneside is a relatively well off area in the North East with the only real pockets of social deprivation around North Shields and Wallswnd. This makes tough bus operating territory for the rest of the area when the Metro is also there. 

(16 Jan 2022, 3:47 pm)Train8261 wrote Tbh the only bus on the Little Coasters network that works against the metro kinda is the 42A. If a failed train is withdrawn from service anywhere after Fawdon. The 42A is the only service that links all the rest of the stations but doesn't anymore due it being only once an hour. The 42A works more of a metrolink

Gne could work with Nexus to find out what changes could be done to bring the Little Coasters network to be a reliable service that could see passengers numbers increase. Put it out to the public. Have them decided on the 11/19/41/41A/42/42A to see what changes they would like. Passengers are the key importance or at least that's what the word at GNE is to get people back on board. But you can't really do that if your not letting the passengers decided.

I remember the 5th of September service changes. The backlash gne got was terrible cause a lot of the service changes they put up were (low passenger numbers or not enough money) I remember the 71 was gonna be withdrawn but nope it changed and still stays to this day

(16 Jan 2022, 4:11 pm)peter wrote Hopefully the Bus Service Improvement Plan/Network review will do just that! Problem with surveys and stuff is you get people suggesting all sorts of ideas who never actually use the service so then it ends up being unprofitable. 

The only reason the 71 wasn't withdrawn and stays till this day is because Durham County Council stepped in to fund it.

(16 Jan 2022, 4:41 pm)Train8261 wrote But the fact gne nexus don't do anything about the Little Coasters network really annoys me. They could do what there doing with the rest of the services. Sit down and have a chat to see what changes they can implement then let the public decide

Make changes or ideas that the public would want not just because your losing passengers

(16 Jan 2022, 3:47 pm)Train8261 wrote Tbh the only bus on the Little Coasters network that works against the metro kinda is the 42A. If a failed train is withdrawn from service anywhere after Fawdon. The 42A is the only service that links all the rest of the stations but doesn't anymore due it being only once an hour. The 42A works more of a metrolink

Gne could work with Nexus to find out what changes could be done to bring the Little Coasters network to be a reliable service that could see passengers numbers increase. Put it out to the public. Have them decided on the 11/19/41/41A/42/42A to see what changes they would like. Passengers are the key importance or at least that's what the word at GNE is to get people back on board. But you can't really do that if your not letting the passengers decided.

I remember the 5th of September service changes. The backlash gne got was terrible cause a lot of the service changes they put up were (low passenger numbers or not enough money) I remember the 71 was gonna be withdrawn but nope it changed and still stays to this day

(16 Jan 2022, 9:19 pm)DeltaMan wrote The problem is networks hardly change because of a fear of backlash from the very users operators depend on. This article sums up the problem nicely https://humantransit.org/2018/09/why-your-bus-network-may-never-improve.html