(22 Jan 2021, 10:48 pm)Andreos1 wrote I think that could work alongside a faster, more direct service.
Not everyone will be coming from the same place, so if they can have a bus which covers different residential areas to others, then the operator will have boxed off a number of areas.
Sending one bus through (that goes around the world), isn't going to be attractive to those with a car.
Of course the important thing is to time it to suit the employers, rather than any internal operational needs.
Sending a bus through every half hour which doesn't coincide with shift start or end times isn't any use to anyone.
Send a couple through at clock face intervals from different areas and you're probably going to have a bit more joy commercially.
I have to agree here, the 35 wouldn't be enough as it's too slow. I know this is in the GNE forum but the 2 routes which would be best suited to go through it would be Stagecoach's X24 and X34 so you'd have a frequent 15 minute service if you timetabled it right between IAMP / Follingsby to Heworth and Newcastle. The X24 pretty much carts around fresh air half the time anyway so the extra passengers coming from the area could really boost the service plus it runs pretty much past it anyway, I'm sure the extra 5 minutes wouldn't bother people especially if the X34 got offered an evening service for the inconvience. I'm sure a subsidy on offer from Nexus / IAMP would tempt them to serve Heworth.
Some document I read before said they we're looking to extend a service that serves Bolton and the Shields area and the X34 or 30 are the only 2 services which really do that route.
(22 Jan 2021, 10:58 pm)L469 YVK wrote IMO, the most natural progression for X-Lines would be if Arriva Northumbria was sold depot by depot and GNE landed Ashington.
Ashington's network has decent foundations in place and could be easily built upon even further.
GNE route re-numberings:
- GNE X30/X31/X32 > X2/X3/X3A
- GNE X15 > X4
- GNE X20 > X90
Incoming route re-numberings
- ANE X21/X22 > X31/X32
* Haven't thought about the 35/57/57A
- Complete re-launch of X14/X15/X16/X18/X20 with new vehicles.
- X31 re-launched and streamlined. Ashington to Newbiggin section cannibalised to hourly though (see below). Parts of 57/57A/X32 replaced with high frequency local links to Ashington, Bedlington and Cramlington as well as beyond. Bedlington turned to a "mini hub" with the X31 and new local services running in a similar way to the Washington network. X31 re-routed via Hartlands for faster & more reliable journeys. New local services would be ideal cascade opportunity for Drifter Streetlites.
- New X19 to Newbiggin and Woodhorn (interworking with X31) combining half hourly with the X20 between Wansbeck Hospital and Newcastle. More "fast" buses via the Spine Road.
- 35 (or it's new service number) improved with more reliable timetables (Woodhorn extension axed in lieu of X19), newer vehicles.
I strongly disagree with the Bedlington hub. All of Arriva's services are ran commercially 7 days a week, all day. Washington's services are run during the day only. There's a reason for that because no-one likes the hub and spoke network. There's nothing wrong with the network and imo it's the best network around in the North East as you can get from anywhere in SE. Northumberland to anywhere else in SE. Northumberland with a maximum of 1 change, trying doing that in Washington.
Attempt those changes and once the train comes along you can kiss goodbye to most people because they'll travel to the nearest train station and use that instead.