Service suggestions for Ashington to Newcastle

Service X31 (Mondays to Saturdays every 30 minutes / evenings and Sundays every 60 minutes) serving: current X21 route between Newbiggin and Bedlington Front Street then via the current X22 route through the Hartlands to Newcastle. Would no longer call at Cresswell Arms in Newbiggin. Evening and Sunday journeys with the exception of omitting the Cresswell Arms would remain largely unchanged (bar some slight timing changes between Wansbeck Hospital and Newbiggin) including still inter working with service 35 as well as operating via Nedderton.

Service X32 (Mondays to Saturdays every 30 minutes / evenings and Sundays every 60 minutes) serving: Mostly the same route as the current X22 between Ashington and Newcastle omitting the Business Park, Booths Road and Station Road. Buses would instead operate via Lintonville Terrace and Rotary Parkway to the roundabout near Ninth Row then down towards Park Road. Evening and Sunday journeys would remain unchanged and serve the Business Park, Booths Road and Station Road as per now.

Service X33 (Mondays to Saturdays ONLY, every 30 minutes) serving: Same route as X22 between Ashington and Remscheid Way. From there, buses would then operate via the A196 and Stakeford Lane calling at all stops towards Guide Post Health Centre. From the Health Centre, this service would then operate down to Glebe Road to the Red Lion Roundabout then operate via current X21 route along Ridge Terrace and through Nedderton towards Newcastle.

Notes for the above

* Services X31 / X32 / X33 would operate EVERY 10 MINUTES combined during Monday to Saturday from Ashington Bus Station as well as between Hartford Bank and Newcastle. Journey times for all 3x services would be 55 minutes from end to end (Ashington to Newcastle).

* Services X31 / X32 would operate a 10/20 incarnation (very similar to GNE Red Kite services 45 / 46) between Ashington and Newcastle at Stakeford (either from Half Moon or Ashington Drive) as well as between Bedlington Front Street and Newcastle in both directions. Service X31 would operate 10 minutes before service X31 towards Newcastle with service X32 operating 10 minutes before service X31 towards Ashington.

* Services X32 / X33 would operate a 10/20 incarnation in Ashington (Bus Station only) as well as between Willow Vale and Guide Post Health Centre in both directions.

* Services X32 / X33 would operate every 15 minutes combined between Park Road and Remscheid Way in both directions.

* During Mondays to Saturdays, services X31 / X32 would benefit from improved reliability owing to Bedlington Front Street being classed as a major stopping point with 2 minutes layover in both directions for both services. Services X31 / X32 would be timed for 8 minutes between Bedlington Station or Guide Post Square to Bedlington Front Street on top of this.

* Service X31 would not only benefit from the additional 2 minutes layover but also an extra minute running time between Stakeford and Bedlington Station.

* The total PVR would reduce from 15x vehicles to 14x vehicles for these services alongside improved reliability.

* As a result of the above changes, the allocation would consist of 7518, 7522-7528 and 6x of the best out of 7501 - 7509 series with 3x acting as spares.

* No changes to PVR, routes (bar new service numbers and omitting the Cresswell Arms), inter working patterns or times during evenings and Sundays.

Routes on Map between Ashington and Hartford Bank (Mondays to Saturdays)

Service X31: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/55.184...e2!1m0!3e0

Service X32: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/55.184...60!1m0!3e0


Service X33: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/55.184...2c!1m0!3e0

Timing Sample