(05 Nov 2021, 12:56 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Here's some Ideas I've Had About Merging Several of the big three's services.
Merge GNE 5 & 50 with SNE Shields 17
- Increase 5 & 50 to a Combined Frequency of Every 10 Mins (3x5, 3x50).
- Divert 50 via Laygate & Whiteleas Shops .
- Renumber 5 to 50A.
Merge GNE 26 & SNE Shields 18
- Increase 26 to Every 15 Mins (26 via York Avenue, New 26A Via Hill Park)
- New 26B would Replace SNE 18 also serving Low Simonside (Every 15 Mins)
- Combined Frequency of 8BPH Between Edinburgh Road, Brockley Whins, Simonside, Chichester & South Shields
Making GNE 2/2A Compete with SNE Sunderland 16
- Increase 2 & 2A to Every 10 Mins (Creating New Service 2B via Glebe, Biddick Woods & Shiney Row Co-Op)
- Divert 2, 2A & 2B via Sevenoaks Drive, Gartland Road & Greenwood Road.
Merge GNE Q3 with ANE 44/45 and SNE Newcastle 32/32A
- New Services Q4 & Q5 (Dinnington (Q4), Hazelrigg (Q5), Regent Centre, Gosforth, Newcastle, Quayside, Byker, Heaton, High Heaton, Freeman Hospital.
- Every 15 Mins Combined (2x Q4 & 2x Q5.
Merge ANE 306/308 with GNE 309/310/311
- Extend 311 to Wallsend via Holy Cross & Howdon
- Extend 310 to Whitley Bay via Tynemouth.
- Would Give a PVR of 12 Bph Along Coast Road (3x 308, 3x 309, 3x 310 & 3x 311)
Merge GNE X21 & ANE Durham 6 & 7
- New Service 23 Every 15 Mins Between Darlington & Durham
- 2 Journeys an Hour Continue to Newcastle as 23X.
- New Service 24 Every 15 Mins Between Cockfield, West Auckland, Bishop Auckland & Durham.
- 2 Journeys an Hour Continue to Newcastle as 24X.
I respect this is a GNE thread but the 6/7, 43/44/45/46, 306/308, 17/18 are the principal routes. If anything is being merged they need to be into them routes not the other way round.
The Q3, 309/310, X21, 5, 50 aren't that popular services and have no history to the areas which they serve. You've also left large areas unserved outright with the 306/308 merge. There's a reason why the GNE services have been chopped numerous times whereas the Arriva / Stagecoach routes have barely changed in a decade.
The Q3 should be merged into the 46 anyway.