(20 Feb 2022, 9:57 am)Storx wrote Btw wouldn't the round trip for the 308 just be 4 hours 55 mins or so, just depends how you do the layovers really - I do believe they'll interwork though eventually with a PVR 15 though when it moves.

Blyth -> Newcastle (1 Hour 5 Mins) - 7.5 Min Layover
Newcastle -> Blyth (1 Hour 5 Mins) - 22.5 Min Layover
Blyth -> Newcastle (1 Hour 5 Mins) - 7.5 Min Layover
Newcastle -> Blyth (1 Hour 5 Mins) - end of shift (22.5 layover with no staff).

Eventually I think it'll be roughly

Blyth -> Newcastle (1 Hour 6 Mins) - 10 Min Layover
Newcastle -> Whitley Bay (1 Hour 2 Mins) - 16 Min Layover
Whitley Bay -> Newcastle (1 Hour 2 Mins) - 10 Min Layover
Newcastle -> Blyth (1 Hour 6 Mins) - end of shift (8 Min Layover)

Just worked it out there's not much more you can do with keeping the buses every 10 minutes in both directions.

I get your first one, it would work something like this:

- Blyth: 00:00
- Newcastle: 01:06
- Newcastle: 01:14
- Blyth: 02:17 >> 23 min layover
- Blyth: 02:40
- Newcastle: 03:46
- Newcastle: 03:54
- Blyth: 04:57

The only thing I'd say to the above is that if Arriva wanted to reduce frequency and 'give way' to GNE becoming the 'lead' Coast Road operator (every 6-7 mins vs every 10 mins), they'd want to reduce costs as much as possible to compensate. But saying that, a longer layover in Blyth would go some way to improve reliability.

I'd even suggest Arriva & GNE go one step further if the CMA allowed (regardless of BSIP) and create more harmony with the 308 & 309 including ticketing. It could be done looking at the below example but the 306 would have to be pulled out of Battle Hill.

ANE 308
308 Blyth/NCL: 00:23 - 01:29
308 NCL/Blyth (interworked from 306): 01:27 - 02:30

GoNE 309
309 Blyth/NCL: 00:10 - 01:17
309 (interworked from 311) NCL/Blyth: 01:17 - 02:23

308 & 306 interworking pattern
308 - Blyth: 00:23
308- NCL: 01:29
306 - NCL: 01:37
306 - WBay: 02:35 (-3 mins not serving Battle Hill)
306 - WBay: 02:40
306 - NCL: 03:39 (-3 mins not serving Battle Hill)
308 - NCL: 03:47
308 - Blyth: 04:50

So ex Newcastle, it would be 07, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57. And ex Blyth, it would be 03, 10, 23, 30, 43, 50.