(17 Jul 2022, 8:58 pm)L469 YVK wrote So looking at the Derwentside changes, the X70 could be saved with only a PVR increase of 1. Big caveat is branding. Will post something with slightly more detail another time. Some of the routes mentioned will form common headways.
6:
- Stanley to Newcastle only but otherwise unchanged.
7 - Every 60 mins:
- Current X72 route Stanley to Sunniside then X30/X31 route to Newcastle.
- Evenings via Burnopfield rather than Sleepy Village.
X7 - Every 60 mins:
- Current X31 route from Stanley to Newcastle.
X70 - Every 60 mins:
- Current 6 route Lanchester to Stanley, then current X30 route to Sunniside, then current X72 route to Newcastle.
X71 - Every 60 mins:
- Same as now.
X72 - Every 60 mins:
- Current X70 route from Consett to Newcastle.
The common headways would be......
- 7/X7 - Sunniside to Newcastle via Whickham and Dunston.
- 7/X72 - Dipton, Crookgate and Sunniside to Newcastle.
- X7/X70 - Stanley, Causey Road and Sunniside to Newcastle.
- X71/X72 - Consett, Burnopfield, Crookgate, Sunniside, Lobley Hill and Gateshead to Newcastle.
- X70/X71/X72 - Sunniside, Lobley Hill and Gateshead to Newcastle.
Current PVRs - Total 20x (after 24/07)......
- 6 - 7x (excludes service 12)
- X30/X31/X45 - 8x
- X71/X72 - 5x
Suggested PVRs - Total 21x......
- 6 - 5x (excludes service 12)
- 7/X7/X45 - 9x
- X70/X71/X72 - 7x
ngl that's so confusing imo.
Personally I'd try something different like or ironically harking to the past:
43 - The old 43 from Newcastle to Stanley, every 30 minutes.
44 - The old 44, instead serving the X72 route between Sunniside and Dipton to Annfield Plain only, every 30 minutes.
X42 - X31 to Sunniside, X72 to Newcastle via Gateshead extended to Annfield Plain, hourly
X43 - X30 extended to Lanchester, hourly
X70/X71 - both hourly
6 withdrawn.
I haven't worked out PVR's and won't either but by god is much easier to understand and there's only one bus an hour using the famous bridge in Dunston. The 43/44 used to be a busy little route and it's ridiculous there isn't a bus between Annfield Plain or Dipton and the Metro Centre or Stanley and Gateshead around the world.