(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.
Personally if we're being serious about bus companies actually working together I'd rather see something like.
306 - Every 20 minutes, additionally serving Verne Road and not serving Selby Gardens, direct along the A1058 avoiding Benfield Road to speed up journeys.
308 - Every 20 minutes, same quicker journey on the Coast Road
309 - Every 20 minutes, current route
310 - Every 20 minutes, same route as 309 to Cobalt then current route.
50 - Every 30 minutes, old 305 - https://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/bygone/...th1997.jpg
51/51A - Every 30 minutes, current route.
11 - Every 30 minutes, via Rose Hill extended to Battle Hill to replace the other half of the 41.
Nice clean 10 minutes service to Battle Hill and 10 minute service direct along the Coast Road which is quicker for further to reach places and because of the timing differences should merge roughly together to be every 10 minutes between Rake Lane and Blyth with no-one being punished going around the world. I'd love to see the numbers changed aswell. 46 - 49 possibly but obviously there's a conflict with the 47 or alternatively 6 - 9 but then there's conflicts with the X8 and 9.
Then the 50/51 ran with mini buses can pick up all the little estates instead of punishing the core routes.