(17 Sep 2023, 5:27 pm)Storx wrote The only services you could realistically cut like that is one of the expresses and extend it onto the end of the 43 but it wouldn't be popular.

ie. 43 split every 30 minutes via the X9/X10/X11 route from Cramlington or Seaton Burn to Blyth.

The X9 would be horrendous if you were to do that to it, it's already the longest route from Blyth to Cramlington out of the current express routes. 

Similarly with the X10/11, you then unbalance the interworking pattern on those and you probably push the demand to the one which remains an express. It would also reduce capacity on the 43/X10/11 to Newcastle during the peaks, which I don't think they could cope with at present. 

Fiddling with the X7 is off the table, nothing else can serve Seghill, Seaton Delaval, Seaton Sluice, New Hartley easily. Similarly with the X8, nothing can easily be diverted to serve South Beach (you can't send an X10/11 without killing the service through Newsham), or High Pit. With both routes, no other route can be easily diverted to serve Burradon or Quorum.