(30 Dec 2021, 4:07 pm)L469 YVK wrote Either:
- Dropping the 311 and sending the 310 around Hadrian Park
or.....
- Dropping the 309 & 310 to every 30 mins each and increasing the 311 to every 15 mins
Would only reduce the PVR by 2x vehicles and for what gain? The only suggestion I've got is make the 310 standalone and have the 309 & 311 interworking so that the 311 sits infront of the 310 towards Newcastle thus picking up most of the traffic in High Farm. The 309 would also get more recovery time in Blyth. PVR would remain unchanged (309 & 311 = 11x, 310 = 5x)
GNE have worked hard since 2016 to shake off the image of their Coast Road routes being seen as the "Mickey Mouse" option and even more so since Martijn came. GNE are in the strongest position out of the 2x operators on the Coast Road.
If GNE wanted to take a bit of a further gamble, they could........
- Introduce a full 309 journey arriving into Newcastle between 6.30-7am on Mondays to Fridays to fill the void left by Arriva's 308.
- Re-route all evening ex Newcastle 310's through Hadrian Park (evenings don't make that much difference). And then.......withdraw the 11pm 311 but use that vehicle & driver to run a later full 309 journey at 11.05pm Mondays to Saturdays. The last 310 ex Newcastle also subsequently re-timed to depart at 11.30pm.
I wouldn't expect to see much change to the Cobalt & Coast services until after February, as that's when the review of Transport North East & Go North East's joint ZEBRA business case will be reviewed with the winners announced. 17 buses have been bid for 309/310/311.
There's also the matter of excessive bus services on the Coast Road, which the Enhanced Partnership/BSIP will look to remove. I'd say the outcome of the ZEBRA bid should then determine the fate of some other services on that corridor.