(07 Jun 2020, 12:52 pm)L469 YVK wrote Files:
Rationale behind suggested service changes to services 51A / 306 / 308
Current PVR (Pre COVID19) - 21x
306 (Jesmond) - 8x single deck vehicles *odd double deck workings common*
308 (Blyth) - 10x double deck vehicles
51 & 51A (Jesmond) - 3x minibuses
New suggested PVR - 17x
306 & 308 (Jesmond Boards) - 7x double deck vehicles
306 & 308 (Blyth Boards) - 6x double deck vehicles
51 & 51A - 4x minibuses
Current Vehicle Capacities
Single decker (306) - 44 seats
Double decker (308) - 71 seats
Services 306 & 308
- The current combined capacity of services 306 & 308 between Billy Mill and Newcastle is 460 seats per hour.
- With both services reduced to provide an even combined 10 minute frequency between Billy Mill and Newcastle, the capacity will be reduced by 34 seats per hour to 426 seats per hour (based on VDL DB300 Wright Gemini 2 being used). However, it is worth noting:
Service 51A
- Services 306 & 308 will operate at more even intervals thus distributing passenger loads more efficiently.
- Service 306 will no longer serve Battle Hill Drive, the Marden Estate or Whitley Bay.
- A potential slight decrease in the number of 'discretionary' passengers between Station Road and Newcastle due to a frequency reduction in comparison to Go North East. However, this will also be reflected by a reduction of the overall combined PVR in terms of cost.
- Marden Estate will benefit from slightly quicker journeys to and from Newcastle.
- If 10.9M ADL E400MMC vehicles were ordered later down the line, they would provide a capacity of 462 seats per hour (77 seats per vehicle) thus matching the number of seats per hour provided on a 7-8 minute frequency (15 minutes each service) but with a slightly reduced frequency and a reduced PVR.
- Could be subsidised by Nexus and extension will allow service 359 to be withdrawn.
Service X6
- Withdrawn due to most feeding areas and connections being provided by Stagecoach & Go North East.
Cost benefits
- PVR of full size single deck and double deck vehicles reduced by 27% from 18x to 13x.
- No 'cross depot' dead mileage. Jesmond will only operate dead mileage to and from either Billy Mill or Tymemouth (as they do now). The only dead mileage Blyth depot will operate (as they do now) will be from the last 308 service that operates from Blyth to Billy Mill with the vehicle operating light back to Blyth.
- Evening frequency reduced to better match capacity with demand.
Timetable journey codes
- A = Terminates at Tynemouth Beach Road near the Park Hotel and not Grand Parade
- B = Terminates at Lynn Road near First Vets and not Coast Road / Billy Mill
What's your obsession with cutting services from Tynemouth, Whitley and Blyth (noticed I didn't mention the Coast Road there). The 306/308 has been every 15 minutes forever and nothing, I repeat, nothing has changed anywhere to suddenly make the demand decrease on both the services, if anything it should have gone up with the new large housing estate outside of Blyth. The 309/10 are a different route and have no impact on both services, if anything there should be more demand now due to their decrease.
The 306 doesn't need deckers whereas the 308 does need deckers, what's the point in messing that up and also where are you going to get these 3 extra DB300's from I'm sure hope to god your not planning to take them off us again on the X7/X8/X9 as we badly need them as it is at peak times.
The 306 is the only bus route in large parts of North Shields / Tynemouth similar to the 308 is the quickest way from most parts of Whitley / Blyth unless you live closer to the metro. At the same time your also removing the link from Tynemouth or Whitley to Morrisons at Preston Grange.
The 306/308 isn't there to serve the coast road, it's there to serve beyond Billy Mill.
You've also decreased the 308 from every 30 mins to hourly in the evening which is a big negative.
From a passenger point of view, there are absolutely no benefits to your changes and if Arriva are happy to run it at 15 minutes why would you want to decrease it. It makes no sense.
Also merging the 2 routes together, if you have a problem on the 308 that makes it 25 minutes late at Whitley heading towards town, you've got no way of regulating it until it's been to Newcastle back to Tynemouth back to Newcastle then back to Blyth with a lot of late running, keeping Jesmond with the 306 and Blyth with the 308, you've got a chance to sort that out once it get's to Blyth or Haymarket so there's less late running. I know some on here hate the way that Blyth and Jesmond do that but I think it's one of the best things they do, even known it seriously messes branding up but personally I'd rather have a bus with the wrong brand than the right branded bus 35 minutes late or cutting services short (GNE).