(07 Apr 2021, 6:30 pm)L469 YVK wrote With some investment and subsequent cascades, the 35 and X19 (with X19 covering Woodhorn) as well as hourly X21 would be more than fine. 35 really should be allocated deckers.
The X19 would offer much quicker links from Newbiggin to Newcastle (just over 1 hour) as well as give some serious competition to BRT with a half hourly X19/X20 from Ashington to Newcastle.
Not forgetting a PVR reduction of 3x vehicles and less reliance on misc workings (scholars etc) to run on to the peak X20's.
The X20, at one point (2011ish if memory serves), served Newbiggin then Ashington then Newcastle via North Seaton. It was scrapped because there was no demand and subsequently terminated at Ashington (before the Alnwick extension)
The 'current' AM peak X20 is tied to the front of a Sapphire board, so isn't reliant on any miscellaneous boards. Indeed, from memory, none of Ashington's peak services are standalone. The AM X30/Gosforth school board also runs onto a X21/22 board, while the PM peak 116/X30 comes off an X14. Boards are slightly different now obviously and the AM scholars and PM scholars/X30 is currently one board.