(13 Sep 2020, 11:22 pm)6049 wrote Washington is running an increased evening service now, but still below pre-Covid levels. X1 is hourly instead of half hourly (2 buses instead of 4). 4 is normal frequency to Houghton at once an hour, but the Heworth to Fatfield section is hourly as a result instead of every 20mins (again 2 buses instead of 4)
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That's the same as the evening timetable of the X1. Leaves Newcastle on the hour and arrives into the Galleries at 27. That's with what looks like an extra stop at Wrekenton unless I'm mistaken and more traffic management "schemes" to negotiate.
From Shiney, the times are the same up until Houghton where there's an extra 3mins to get from Shiney, then another 2mins to get to Hetton and another 2 to get to Easington Lane.
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To be fair to the timetable department of almost 40 years ago, they didn't have the bus priority measures that their modern day equivalents have now.
That extra 7 mins between Shiney Row and Easington Lane is a shocker though. Appreciate some of that will be down to Hetton Interchange, but if you equate that Shiney Row - Easington Lane - Shiney Row as one section, drivers and vehicles are almost 15mins down on where they were almost 40 years ago.
Forgetting about passenger experience for a moment and think about drivers hours, PVR's, wages etc that 15min difference alone will make a massive difference over the course of an operational week in any depot, nevermind a smaller one like Washington. It's scary as to the difference and savings there could potentially be - which looks like it is being ignored.
I mentioned Continuous Improvement over the weekend and how adding 35 seconds to the car manufacturing process could add up. Similarly, reducing the process by 35 seconds, can make huge savings.
For a PVR of 12, you're talking of potentially massive savings just by working on those 15mins with each vehicle and driver.