(26 Nov 2022, 11:33 pm)mb134 wrote What seems to be missed quite consistently when discussing the X21/22 is the amount of local trips being made, particularly on the X21.
Cutting the frequency between Ashington/Stakeford/Bedlington Station/Bedlington harms those making small hops, which is a decent chunk of revenue for Arriva given the fares. It's also the type of journey the introduction of trains isn't going to harm.
Increasing the frequency along the X22 route in the suggestions above seems odd, it's generally the weaker of the two routes. The Bedlington to Guide Post section is already covered well by the current X22 and the 2.
I'd get behind serving Blackthorn Way though, that area of Ashington needs a better service and it's easy enough to do. I imagine extending the X22 around the new estate at the hospital once the loop is complete would be the best way to do it, improving links for the elderly folks living around Ashington Drive and Fallowfield.
Aye no arguments, see I was thinking more trying to sort some of the stacking with the local runs where the 1 follows an X21 etc.
So you'd merge the timetables of the 1/X21 (Every 15 Minutes), 2/X21 (Every 15 Minutes) for the local runs which if they can get them to work would be better, it's arguably better than the 20 / 20 / 10 / 10 on the 1/X21 atm.
I was struggling with the X23 between Bedlington and Ashington if I had to be honest as it's not really needed anywhere but Ashington badly needs more buses. There's quite a few areas underserved. Alexandria Road is poor aswell with only the X20 which ends at 6pm, hence shunting the X21 across one road to kind of cover it (believe that used to be the X30 - might have the numbers mixed up though with the X31).
One personal change I'd love to see is the 57/57A changed so it's half hourly through Seghill again, preferably to the old 10/11 timetable years ago where one went via High Pit and the other went via Fern Drive and direct to Cramlington but I'd probably swap that to using the route via the business park as now than Fern Drive. It's really stupid having 2 buses an hour plus the 58 via East Cramlington which is overkill imo but 1 bus from Seghill to Cramlington (the 19 comes at the same time and is a magical tour).