(07 Sep 2017, 4:33 pm)omnicity4659 wrote My plan would be...
- X15, revised to every 30 mins Newcastle to Alnwick, increasing capacity while replacing the withdrawn X16 journeys and increased PVR covered by new buses.
- X16, withdrawn. 1408/11 repainted into new Arriva livery and transferred to Ashington for 35.
- 35, increased to every 15 mins, withdrawn Woodhorn-Newbiggin and extended to Kirkhill Estate every 30 mins, replacing the half-hourly X16. 1408/11 will contribute to the PVR with E400s cascading from X15, however more single decks may be required if deckers can't get up Curly Kews.
I agree to the X15 suggested changes as it would definitely allow faster journey times.
Perhaps from Haymarket it could be:
X18: 03 mins past
X15: 18 mins past
X20: 30 mins past
X14: 33 mins past
X15: 48 mins past
It would be easy for passengers if the X14 and X20 depart at the same time as they both operate completely different routes.
As for your 35 suggestion perhaps introdicing the 35A where deckers are allocated to, this would allow service 35 to operate to Kirkhill and 35A to Morpeth.
(07 Sep 2017, 4:53 pm)Jimmi wrote If you were going to run to Thropton hourly, just make the X14 go there hourly, zero need to change the service number to the X16 which would only cause pointless confusion to passengers.
Morpeth - Thropton stretch is supported and was recently cut from a hourly service, if it was busy enough to still run to Thropton every hour then Arriva may have continued to keep it going there hourly despite the cuts in subsidy.
I believe the cut from hourly was due to the introduction of PCL Travels M1 service, correct me if I'm wrong.