(12 Aug 2024, 11:43 pm)Aaron21 wrote These new 306 timetable changes are annoying but must be to do withIf the 306 was curtailed in Tynemouth and a half hourly X38 ran doing:
A, Not many people riding the 306 to Whitley
B, Loss of time on 306 causing 308 to be delayed
C, Possible major road works coming up soon
But here is what I've figured out from the timetable via Traveline
Every hour journey will terminate at Tynemouth
Every hour journey will terminate at Marden Estate
Every hour will terminate at Whitley Bay
Still gonna be Every 20 minutes but all 3 journeys will terminate at different points
Marden Estate (clockwise loop) - Marden Road - Hillheads - NT Hospital - Billy Mill - all stops to St Peter's Park** then non-stop to Newcastle Civic Centre,
That would only use 1 more bus than the current PVR whilst:
- Giving Marden residents plenty of links to shops and restoring a direct NT Hospital link
- Relieving pressure of the 306/308/309
- Faster journeys to/from Hillheads, Preston Grange, Chirton, West Chirton, Silverlink and nearby parts of Howdon & Battle Hill
Heck....even grounds to technically use BSIP funding if recent grants are anything to go by. Only issue is who would run the service. Could Arriva run from Blyth interwork it with the X10/X11 or GNE operate from Percy Main? Only downside unless GNE did driver reliefs in the Marden Estate, the changeover at Norham Road (where GNE/Coastline used to change when they ran the 308). Maybe it could instead be interworked with the 307 & 309 to reduce the need for driver reliefs en-route.
** Wallsend Dene could be served.....but bus would need to be able to quickly re-join the Coast Road and join into nearside lane westbound otherwise would not be safe.