(29 May 2021, 8:53 pm)Micheal Aaron wrote See seeing the 42A extension to the Great Park would give people a connection from there to the airport or Kingston Park. But then again they would have to be upgraded to longer buses. Which I'd like to see. See I've lived on the route since the time Arriva ran the 101 (Kingston Park to Dudley) then it went 353 by NEXUS as it was known back then. Then GNE took the route over and kept the 353.
Whoevers bright idea at nexus to stop the 353 into the airport was completely mad back then. Then gne renumbered it to the complete pointless 42A. Which I'd like to know why its number that way. Yea I could understand when it was the North Shields part. But 42A now makes little to no sense.
Neither does the branding anymore. Its not really little Links in North Tyneside. The 19 isn't neither is the 42 or 42A. 42 enters Cramlington alongside a host of other routes.
Plus u have to think. The 42 after Killingworth is just followed by the 52 then in Dudley by the 43 and 53 so it's pretty outnumbered
42A in my opinion is strange alongside the airport part. Here's what confusing me. Before Covid hit. I saw a few deckers operate at the airport (obviously for flights) it makes me confusing how you have one bus service an hour between Kingston Park and the airport
Also another thing is. If the metro has a problem between Airport and Kingston Park. People are required to use the 42A. An hour service. This happened a few weeks ago where it got 3 hours and called for emergency metro replacement
This is a point I ain't slating GNE at all. The 42A is a strange route in my opinion. Plus why move the times in the morning. It makes my brother late for school now. As he's due in at 8.40 where as the 42A gets to Wide-open for 8.50 or later (if its running late) that's the only problem I have with GNE about the 42A running time
There's no demand between Kingston Park and the Airport that's why. The Metro is dead along there most the time and is by far one of the weakest areas (only South Hylton to Park Lane is potentially worse).
If Metro has any sense when the new Metro Flow timetable comes in seeing both lines going upto every 10 minutes during the day the Green Line should be every 20 minutes between the Airport and South Hylton and every 10 minutes between Regent Centre and Park Lane, the rest of the line really doesn't need nothing more. Hopefully that doesn't happen of course but money wise it would make sense.
There's definitely not demand for more buses along there.