(30 Aug 2024, 7:49 pm)L469 YVK wrote The only thing with the X71 is that it's relying on traffic solely in / out of Newcastle although you do mention the Gateshead link. Throw in the MetroCentre and running via Busty Bank as a '47' giving 5x bph alongside your proposed 45 & 46, and that corridor would be strong. Plus an X29 serving Consett would offer an Gateshead link from Consett alongside the X70 plus much more.
When Martijn authorised the large scale cuts back in 2022, the "farmers field" / commuter routes took the biggest hit and rightly so due to changed travel patterns. Sending a new hourly 47 via the MetroCentre (with the current 47 renumbered 46) would give a second major hub. A bit like the Blyth and Ashington 'X' services with Cramlington / Bedlington, Regent Centre and Gosforth as major hubs.
Really, Sunniside > Lobley Hill > Team Valley North > Gateshead > Newcastle using deckers only justfies a 20 minute frequency. If a bus can be half full off peak and fully seated off peak, that's a good sign.....or consistently half full throughout the day like the 6 & 7 would be.
I get what you're saying but personally I'd argue that Gateshead and Team Valley North are their own destinations in their own right. I hate hate uneven services which are 20 / 20 / 40 it's just confusing and hourly from those same places is unacceptable.
The X29 wouldn't do well though imo as it serves nothing, it's an express bus missing everything of note, bar at working times, and would be way too slow to get to Gateshead from Consett. The Birtley network needs work though as it sucks and the whole thing is subsidised bar the 21 nowadays which to me sums up it's a failure.
Like could you flip stuff around and have something like the below which also does your Team Valley link?
The Team Valley links are equally dreadful from Durham Road and the Saltwell area unless you double back via Gateshead or attempt to swap to the 93/94 around the Victoria pub and both aren't ideal.
With some minibus/breadvan filling in the gaps heading towards CLS working in the 7xx services, housing estates around the back of Birtley etc.