(24 Feb 2024, 11:27 am)L469 YVK wrote Thought of this after taking into account some other ideas posted by other members. This one also includes some of the ex-Arriva secondary services, but the PVR re-allocated and also forms an interworking pattern.

306/307/308/309 (Newcastle - Coast Road - Selby Gardens - Battle Hill Drive)
- Every 30 mins each
- Every 7-8 minutes combined

306 - Go North East (PVR 4x)
- No longer operates between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay
- Same route but additionally serves North Shields interchange
- Better coordination with revised 307

307 - Go North East (PVR 3x)
- Same route as 306 to Silverlink then via Norham Road, Verne Road, The Quadrant, Delaval Avenue, Billy Mill Avenue and Albion Road toNorth Shields Interchange
- Better coordination with 306 to and from North Shields....actually slightly faster by a few minutes

308 - Go North East (PVR 4x)
- Same route as 309 after Battle Hill Drive to Cobalt then New York Road, Norham Road North, Westminster Avenue, NT Hospital and Marden Estate to Whitley Bay
- Up to 15 minute frequency NT Hospital to Newcastle via New York & Cobalt

309 - Arriva Northumbria (PVR 5x**)
- Same 309 route as now after Battle Hill Drive
- Provides upto 15 minute service with X38 NT Hospital to Blyth

X38 - Arriva Northumbria (PVR 5x**)
- Every 30 minutes
- Same as current 308 Blyth to Wallsend Dene then non stop to Civic Centre, St Mary's Place and Haymarket
- Provides upto 15 minute service with 309 NT Hospital to Blyth

** X38 & 309 interwork in Blyth

Arriva would lose a PVR of 5x, but would also lose most of their dead mileage

The other ideas.....

300 - Go North East (PVR 4.5x***)
- Every 30 minutes
- Newcastle to North Shields via Coast Road, Cross Avenue, Wiltshire Drive, High Farm, Battle Hill, Hadrian Park, Middle Engine Lane, Norham Road, Wallsend Road, Ripley Avenue and Meadowell

36 - Go North East (PVR 4.5***)
- Re-numbered from 353 and increased to every 30 minutes
- Every 15 minutes combined with Stagecoach's 37 Killingworth to Cramlington with ticket acceptance on both services

*** Services 300 & 36 interwork in North Shields

The other ex-Arriva services
- 351 - Omits Wiltshire Drive
- 352 - Withdrawn
- 354 - Can be replaced by............

* 359 which does the old 335 loop in New York & Murton.
* X63 > becomes service 356 doing the Killingworth loop then old 54/356 route to Newcastle. X63 still runs during peaks.

- 355 replaced by 38 and 356. X7/X8 observe all stops Matthews Bank to Newcastle all day as per current evening arrangements.

- Through fares on service 359 & 335 as far as Four Lane Ends to keep some connections from the 354.

For once, don't really disagree with the Coast Road changes, the only thing I'd personally say is terminate the 309 short at Whitley Bay and instead the extend the 306 through from Tynemouth to Blyth.

I actually think in the leisure months having a Coastal bus which runs the whole stretch from North Shields to Blyth via Tynemouth, Seaton Sluice and Whitley Bay could actually be quite popular. It's some different destinations from Blyth than 'another' bus to Newcastle.

Personally though I'd keep the 354 but change it and run it something like this every 30 minutes, every hour on the two separate sections:


It would open quite a few links up especially to Gosforth which is quite difficult to get to without doubling back via Newcastle and also sort out the 351 without it going anywhere near the Coast Road. At the same time, you could cancel the W2 and 335 as neither are really needed anymore, I know there'll be the odd moan from the likes of Hadrian Park to ASDA but it's not worth the tax payers money, all the unique sections which are currently unserved at all are covered. The 335 could however maybe run once a day as a workers service to Quorum - maybe extending to Cobalt to open those links