(08 Dec 2023, 8:36 pm)L469 YVK wrote If the 6/12 could be sorted to interwork again......extending the X30 to Lanchester in place of the 6 and a long layover at Stanley for the X31 (with same bus used for vans / reliefs from Consett) would be the better idea.
Something like
X31 (STY > NCL) - X30 (NCL > LAN) - X30 (LAN > NCL) - X31 (NCL < STY)
Then that sorts the reliability issues out with a decent layover in Lanchester and a long layover / remote relief in Stanley. And......it sorts the Ellison Road issue out too with no other routes depending on it! From what I've heard tonight with the HMRC/DSS moves from the 3x Offices (Tyneview, Longbenton, Washington).......the X10 won't get any quieter with the latter with people travelling into Newcastle from nearby areas, and will need more suitable vehicles if frequency increased or X9 re-introduced.
So if the X30/X31 change was made.......
- 6336-40 - Consett - X30/X31 (PVR 4 + 1 spare)
- 6341-55 - Riverside - X9/X10 (PVR 7)** & X21 (PVR 8)**
** Spares would consist of 6377 or B9TL's with E400's taking priority on X9/X10.
Driver cancellations are the problem for the X30/X31 rather than time keeping, I believe.
For the 12 though if there's no plans for that or the 57 to ever be upped in frequency again, you'd probably be better merging the 12 and 57 as one super route. If I've worked it out it should be around a 168 minute round trip so would be a PVR 6, which is a reduction of 1 (currently 7). Could move E200MMC's back to Riverside and allocate them on that and the X66 and give a much needed improvement for both.
The 57 sitting around for 20 minutes or so in Newcastle, as it does now, is bad timetabling. Would also give a direct link from Newcastle Business Park to Gateshead and beyond.